Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (6 March 1904 – 7 December 1969) was a British actor and dramatist of Welsh descent.[1]

Hugh Williams
Born
Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams

(1904-03-06)6 March 1904
Died7 December 1969(1969-12-07) (aged 65)
London, England
Years active1930–66
Spouses
Gwynne Whitby
(m. 1925; div. 1940)
(m. 1940)
Children5, including Hugo and Simon

Early life and career

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Hugh Anthony Glanmor Williams (nicknamed "Tam") was born at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex to Hugh Dafydd Anthony Williams (1869-1905) and Hilda (née Lewis). The Williams family lived at Bedford Park, in Chiswick, West London. His paternal grandfather was Hugh Williams (1796-1874), a Welsh solicitor and anti-establishment political activist.[2][3][4] He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[5][6] He was a popular film and stage actor, who became a major film star in the British cinema of the 1930s. In 1930 he toured America in the cast of the R.C. Sheriff play Journey's End and appeared in his first film Charley's Aunt during a spell in Hollywood.[7] He then returned to Britain and became a mainstay of the British film industry. He made 57 film appearances as an actor between 1930 and 1967. He collaborated with his second wife on several plays, such as The Grass Is Greener and the screenplay for the subsequent film. He died from an aortic aneurysm, aged 65, in London.[5][8][9]

During the Second World War, he served as a Captain in “Phantom” GHQ Liaison Regiment.

Marriages and grandchildren

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He was married twice:

and his grandchildren included:

  • Kate Dunn, actress
  • Amy Williams, actress
  • Tam Williams, actor

Filmography

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Writing credits

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Selected stage roles

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Notable television appearances

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References

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  1. ^ "Hugh Williams". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012.
  2. ^ "WILLIAMS, HUGH (1796 - 1874), solicitor and political agitator | Dictionary of Welsh Biography".
  3. ^ Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters: All Regular Cast Members in American Crime and Mystery Series, 1948-1959, Everett Aaker, McFarland, 2006, p. 582
  4. ^ Who's Who, 120th edition, A. & C. Black, 1968, p. 1937
  5. ^ a b "Hugh Williams movies, photos, movie reviews, filmography, and biography - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  6. ^ RADA profile of Hugh Williams
  7. ^ Sweet p.90
  8. ^ "Hugh Williams". britmovie.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016.
  9. ^ Hal Erickson (2014). "The-Grass-Is-Greener". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.

Bibliography

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  • Sweet, Matthew. Shepperton Babylon: The Lost Worlds of British Cinema. Faber and Faber, 2005.
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