John Abbott
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jun 5, 1905
- Died
- May 24, 1996 (aged 90)
- Place of birth
- Stepney, London, England, UK
- Credits
- 128
John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor.
In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Alec Guinness. His first Broadway role was that of Count Mancini in He Who Gets Slapped in 1946. He also appeared on Broadway in Monserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors. He made his film debut in Mademoiselle Docteur in 1937 and went on to act in scores of films in the next 30 years. Among his film credits are Mission to Moscow, Jane Eyre, A Thousand and One Nights, Humoresque, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. His television appearances in that time were even more numerous, beginning with pioneering broadcasts by the BBC before the Second World War.
In the early days of the Second World War, Abbott worked at the British Embassy in Stockholm. When the time came to leave, he had to by way of the United States. While in the U.S., he was offered a part in Hollywood in 1941 and ended up living there for the rest of his life.
On American television between the 1950s and 1970s, Abbott had roles on a wide variety of series such as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio 57, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Bonanza, Thriller, Star Trek, Mannix, Iron Horse, and Bewitched. Although he was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, a producer who wanted to hire him eventually succeeded in getting the actor removed from the list.In his final years, Abbott taught acting to students free of charge.
Abbott died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from natural causes on 24 May 1996 at the age of 90.
Known for
Filmography
The Commissioner
1998Movie
Commissioner's Laywer
A Hazard of Hearts
1987Movie
2nd Gambler
Quest
1984Movie
Smorgasbord
1983Movie
Surgeon
Slapstick of Another Kind
1982Movie
Dr. Frankenstein
Blunt Instrument
1981Movie
Dr. Durrant
Outside Chance
1978Movie
Coroner
Edward and Mrs Simpson
1978TV
Mouth Organist
Sherlock Holmes in New York
1976Movie
Heller
The Black Bird
1975Movie
Duquai
The Cat Creature
1973Movie
Dr. Reinhart
Cool Million
1972TV
Sir Godwin Phipps-Cheston
The Partners
1971TV
Timeslip
1970TV
Paul Temple
1969TV
Floor Manager
Medical Center
1969TV
Professor MacIntyre
The Epic That Never Was
1969Movie
Ms. Robson's Host (uncredited)
2000 Years Later
1969Movie
Gregorius
Three Guns for Texas
1968Movie
Banker Irwing
Land of the Giants
1968TV
Prof. Gorak
The Jungle Book
1967Movie
Akela (voice)
Mannix
1967TV
Garrison's Gorillas
1967TV
Rango
1967TV
Gambit
1966Movie
Emile
Star Trek
1966TV
Ayleborn
Get Smart
1965TV
Mondo
Laredo
1965TV
Lost in Space
1965TV
Sesmar
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965Movie
Aben
Profiles in Courage
1964TV
Senator Wigfall
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964TV
Dr. Ellias Swan
Flipper
1964TV
Bewitched
1964TV
Wendy and Me
1964TV
The Rogues
1964TV
Sir Egbert
Who's Minding the Store?
1963Movie
Mr. Orlandos
Burke's Law
1963TV
Conrad Jaeger
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962TV
Sir Trevor Gielgud Burton-Guiness
Ichabod and Me
1961TV
Maigret
1960TV
Extra in Film Sequences (uncredited)
The Islanders
1960TV
Harwood Gones
Outlaws
1960TV
Thriller
1960TV
Kriss Milo ('The Mask of Medusa')
The Detectives
1959TV
Adventures in Paradise
1959TV
Murdock
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959TV
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959TV
Professor Brent
77 Sunset Strip
1958TV
Dr. Felstrand
The Rifleman
1958TV
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen
1958TV
The Cat
Peter Gunn
1958TV
Gigi
1958Movie
Manuel
Perry Mason
1957TV
Prof. Carlos Muntz, Dr. Durwood Tobey
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957TV
Winston Ainslee
Omar Khayyam
1957Movie
Yusuf
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957Movie
Dipso Dale Rutherford
Telephone Time
1956TV
Jutchenko
The Miracle on 34th Street
1955Movie
Dr. Sawyer
Matinee Theater
1955TV
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955TV
Dr. Albert Sawyer
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955TV
Mr. Munro
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Professor Lute Bone, Eddie
The Steel Lady
1953Movie
Mustafa el Melik
Sombrero
1953Movie
Don Daniel
Rogue's March
1953Movie
Herbert Bielensen
General Electric Theater
1953TV
Professsor Meyerdal, Nathan
Thunder in the East
1952Movie
Nitra Puta
Cavalcade of America
1952TV
Col. Barton
The Merry Widow
1952Movie
Marshovian Ambassador
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951TV
Chang
Thunder on the Hill
1951Movie
Abel Harmer
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Crosswinds
1951Movie
Sykes
Navy Bound
1951Movie
Pappa Cerrano
Sideshow
1950Movie
Pierre
Madame Bovary
1949Movie
Mayor Tuvache
Studio One
1948TV
Travers
The Woman in White
1948Movie
Frederick Fairlie
If Winter Comes
1947Movie
Mr. Twyning
Adventure Island
1947Movie
Huish
The Web
1947Movie
Charles Murdock
Time Out of Mind
1947Movie
Max Leiberman
Humoresque
1947Movie
Rozner
Deception
1946Movie
Bertram Gribble
Anna and the King of Siam
1946Movie
Phya Phrom
One More Tomorrow
1946Movie
Joseph Baronova
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
1946Movie
Will Scarlet
The Notorious Lone Wolf
1946Movie
Lal Bara
Saratoga Trunk
1945Movie
Roscoe Bean
Pursuit to Algiers
1945Movie
Jodri
The Crime Doctor's Warning
1945Movie
Jimmy Gordon
A Thousand and One Nights
1945Movie
Ali
Honeymoon Ahead
1945Movie
Welles
The Power of the Whistler
1945Movie
Kaspar Andropolous
The Vampire's Ghost
1945Movie
Webb Fallon
The Falcon in Hollywood
1944Movie
Martin S. Dwyer
End of the Road
1944Movie
Chris Martin
Cry of the Werewolf
1944Movie
Peter Althius
Abroad with Two Yanks
1944Movie
Salesman
Secrets of Scotland Yard
1944Movie
Mortimer Cope
U-Boat Prisoner
1944Movie
Alfonse Lamont
Summer Storm
1944Movie
Lunin
Once Upon a Time
1944Movie
Reporter (uncredited)
The Mask of Dimitrios
1944Movie
Mr. Pappas
Jane Eyre
1943Movie
Mason
The Cross of Lorraine
1943Movie
Baker (uncredited)
Dangerous Blondes
1943Movie
Roland X. Smith (uncredited)
Mission to Moscow
1943Movie
Grinko (uncredited)
Hangmen Also Die!
1943Movie
Hostage (scenes deleted)
They Got Me Covered
1943Movie
Gregory Vanesou
The Gorilla Man
1943Movie
Dr. Ferris
London Blackout Murders
1943Movie
Jack Rawlings
Nightmare
1942Movie
Carl aka Charles
Get Hep to Love
1942Movie
Professor Radowsky
Mrs. Miniver
1942Movie
Fred
Rubber Racketeers
1942Movie
Dumbo
This Above All
1942Movie
Joe
Joan of Paris
1942Movie
English Spy
The Shanghai Gesture
1941Movie
Poppy's Escort
Ten Days in Paris
1940Movie
André
The Great Commandment
1939Movie
Starving Beggar, Starving Begger (uncredited)
The Saint in London
1939Movie
Count Stephen Duni
This Man Is News
1938Movie
Hood with Foreign Accent
Under Secret Orders
1937Movie
Armand
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
1937Movie
Flower Seller
Street of Shadows
1937Movie
The Conquest of the Air
1931Movie
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier