Anthony Steel (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Steel
Steel at the 30th Academy Awards in 1958
Born	Anthony Maitland Steel (1920-05-21)21 May 1920 Chelsea, London, England
Died	21 March 2001(2001-03-21) (aged 80) Northwood, Middlesex, England
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1948–1998
Spouse(s)	Juanita Forbes ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1954)​ Anita Ekberg ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1959)​ Johanna Melcher ​ ​ (m. 1964)​
Partner(s)	Ann Hanson
Children	2

Anthony Maitland Steel (born May 21, 1920 – died March 21, 2001) was a British actor and singer. He became famous for starring in British war movies in the 1950s. Some of his well-known films include The Wooden Horse (1950) and Where No Vultures Fly (1951).

People often saw him as a classic British hero. He was described as having a "blue-eyed, square-jawed, clean-cut" look. He was often chosen to play brave characters. These roles included heroes in wartime or game wardens in faraway places. He was known for staying calm under pressure.

Early Life and Acting Career

Anthony Steel was born in Chelsea, London. His father, Edward, was an officer in the British Indian Army. His mother was Kathleen Yate Lee.

Anthony spent much of his early childhood in India. He went to Alexander House Prep School in Broadstairs, Kent. Later, he studied at home with a tutor. He then attended Trinity College, Cambridge.

War Service

Steel was only 18 when the Second World War began. He joined the Grenadier Guards. In May 1940, he was part of the evacuation from Dunkirk. He became an officer and served in the Middle East. There, he was seriously hurt while on patrol.

He also trained as a parachutist. He made nine jumps during the war. He finished the war as a major.

Becoming an Actor

After the war, Steel decided to become an actor. He worked odd jobs for a while. He was naturally tall, handsome, and had a great voice. These qualities helped him get acting roles.

He started getting parts on stage. He even appeared with famous actress Margaret Lockwood. Steel met J. Arthur Rank, a powerful film producer, through a friend. Rank then signed Steel to a long-term contract.

Early Films with Rank

Steel trained at Rank's acting school. He started with small roles in many films. His first film was Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948). He appeared in several other movies in 1948 and 1949. He also acted in plays.

He tried out for a role in Walt Disney's Treasure Island (1950) but did not get the part.

Rise to Stardom

Steel's big break came in The Wooden Horse (1950). In this film, he played one of three British prisoners of war who escape. The movie was very popular in Britain. It made Steel a leading actor. He was paid £15 a week for the role.

He then played the romantic lead in The Mudlark (1950). This was a Hollywood film shot in London. He also had a small part in Laughter in Paradise (1951). Then he supported Bette Davis in the thriller Another Man's Poison (1951).

Steel's next major success was Where No Vultures Fly (1951). He played a game park warden in this film. Most of the movie was filmed in Kenya. It was the most popular British film of 1951. This movie made Steel a big box office star.

In 1952, he was voted the fourth most popular British star. Many saw him as the next Stewart Granger. Audiences liked his honest and active image. He seemed like a good, straightforward hero.

He co-starred with Jack Warner in Emergency Call (1952). Rank tried him in a comedy, Something Money Can't Buy (1952). But audiences preferred him in action roles. He returned to uniform in The Planter's Wife (1952). This film was set during the Malayan Emergency. It was very popular, though Steel's role was smaller.

He appeared in another military story, Malta Story (1953). This film was also very popular. Hollywood then cast him in The Master of Ballantrae (1953). He supported Errol Flynn in this adventure film.

Albert R.N. (1952) was another popular World War II POW film. Steel starred in a sequel to Where No Vultures Fly. This was West of Zanzibar (1954). It was not as big a hit, but Steel had a surprise hit song. He recorded a version of the movie's title track.

The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) was another war film. He co-starred with Dirk Bogarde and Michael Redgrave. Out of the Clouds (1955) was a film set at London airport.

By 1954, Steel and Dirk Bogarde were among the highest-paid actors at the Rank Organisation. He earned about £15,000 per film. However, he wished for more varied roles. He wanted to act opposite glamorous actresses. In Passage Home, he finally starred with Diane Cilento.

Steel took the main role in Storm Over the Nile (1956). This was a remake of The Four Feathers. It was a big hit in Britain. The Black Tent (1956) was another war movie. Checkpoint (1956) was a racing thriller.

Life with Anita Ekberg

In 1956, Steel married Swedish actress Anita Ekberg. They moved to Hollywood. Steel broke his contract with the Rank Organisation. He also had some negative publicity.

In Hollywood, Steel appeared in one film, Valerie (1957). He then returned to Britain. But he found it hard to regain his earlier popularity. He supported Stewart Granger in Harry Black (1958). Steel said he turned down roles to be with Ekberg.

He appeared in Honeymoon (1959), filmed in Spain. The head of the Rank Organisation was upset that Steel had left. This made it harder for Steel to restart his career. Also, the war films he was known for were becoming less popular.

After a TV guest role, he went to Sweden for 48 Hours to Live (1959). In 1960, Steel went missing for a week in Germany. He was later found in Rome. He said he was there to discuss a new film.

Career in Italy and Later Years

In 1961, Steel announced his marriage to Ekberg was over. He decided to stay in Rome for most of the 1960s.

In Italy, he appeared in "sword-and-sandal" films. These included Revenge of the Barbarians (1960) and Tiger of the Seven Seas (1962). He also acted in a comedy, Vacanze alla baia d'argento (1961).

He returned to the UK for some TV shows and low-budget films. These included The Switch (1963) and A Matter of Choice (1963). He also worked in Germany, France, and Czechoslovakia.

By 1969, his roles were smaller and less important. He appeared as Sir Stephen in Story of O (1975).

Later Career in TV

He started acting on TV in 1974. He appeared in an episode of Thriller. In 1976, he played a conman in Crossroads. He also guest-starred in shows like Bergerac and Robin of Sherwood. He was in the police drama The Professionals.

He made two films with Fiona Richmond: Hardcore (1977) and Let's Get Laid (1977).

In the 1980s, he went on stage tours. His last role was in Cinderella, a pantomime in 1989. He lived quietly in a small flat in London. He became very private and did not want to see old friends.

In 1997, he told a journalist he was ill. He wanted to be left alone. He moved into Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors. Before he died, he had a guest role in the TV series The Broker's Man.

Singer

In 1954, Anthony Steel recorded a song called "West of Zanzibar". He sang it with a group called The Radio Revellers. The song reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

Personal Life

Steel was married three times:

• Juanita Forbes (1949–1954)
• Anita Ekberg (1956–1959)
• Johanna Melcher (1964–2001)

He had a son, Michael, with actress Patricia Roc in 1952. He also had a daughter, Penelope Steel, with Ann Hanson.

Death

Anthony Steel passed away from lung cancer in Northwood, Greater London in 2001. He was 80 years old.

Selected Filmography

Images for kids

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  Steel at the 30th Academy Awards in 1958

See Also

In Spanish: Anthony Steel para niños