John Laurie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Laurie
Laurie as Private Frazer in Dad's Army
Born	John Paton Laurie (1897-03-25)25 March 1897 Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Died	23 June 1980(1980-06-23) (aged 83) Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England
Education	Central School Of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1921–1979
Spouse(s)	Florence May Saunders ​ ​ (m. 1925; died 1926)​ , Oonah Veronica Todd-Naylor ​ (m. 1928)​
Children	1
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Army
Unit	Honourable Artillery Company
Battles/wars	World War I

John Paton Laurie (born March 25, 1897 – died June 23, 1980) was a famous Scottish actor. He acted in plays, movies, and TV shows for many years. Many people remember him best as Private Frazer in the TV show Dad's Army. In the show, he played a soldier in the Home Guard.

He worked with famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Laurence Olivier. He often played important supporting characters in movies. On stage, he was known for acting in Shakespeare's plays. He was also good at reciting poems, especially those by Robert Burns.

John Laurie's Early Life

John Paton Laurie was born on March 25, 1897, in Dumfries, Scotland. His father, William Laurie, worked in a mill and later sold hats. His mother was Jessie Ann Laurie.

John went to Dumfries Academy school. He planned to be an architect but joined the Honourable Artillery Company to fight in World War I. After the war, he studied acting in London. He first performed on stage in 1921.

John Laurie's Acting Career

John Laurie had a long and successful career in theatre, radio, TV, and film.

Theatre and Radio Work

John Laurie was a very busy Shakespearean actor. He first appeared on the London stage in 1922 at the Old Vic theatre. There, he played many main roles. Soon after, he joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. He played famous characters like Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth.

In only his second season at Stratford, Laurie got to play Hamlet. This was very unusual for someone with so little experience. Laurie later said he believed his performance of Hamlet was the best. He thought actors should not wait too long to play the role.

On the radio, he played John the Baptist in a series of plays called The Man Born to Be King. He also played MacDuff in a radio version of "Macbeth".

TV and Film Appearances

John Laurie's first movie was Juno and the Paycock in 1930. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock later cast him in his third movie, The 39 Steps, in 1935. This movie helped Laurie become more well-known.

Laurie first met Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic theatre. They later appeared together in the 1936 movie As You Like It. Laurie went on to act in three of Olivier's Shakespeare films: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955).

During World War II, Laurie served in the Home Guard. This experience was helpful for his later acting roles. He also appeared in movies like The Edge of the World (1937) and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943). In I Know Where I'm Going! (1945), he had a small speaking part and helped with a traditional Scottish dance scene.

In the 1950s, he played characters like Pew in Disney's Treasure Island (1950) and Dr. MacFarlane in Hobson's Choice (1954).

Laurie's most famous TV role was Private Frazer in the sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977). He played a serious, often gloomy, undertaker who was also a British Home Guard soldier. His co-star, Frank Williams, said that Laurie had mixed feelings about the show. Even though it made him famous, he felt a sitcom was not as important as his other acting work. People on set said he was a bit of a pessimist, just like his character.

He also appeared in many other British TV shows in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. These included Tales of Mystery, Doctor Finlay's Casebook, and The Avengers.

Laurie starred as Mad Peter in the Hammer horror film The Reptile (1966). He later appeared in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), the Disney movie One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975), and The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). One of his last appearances was in Return to the Edge of the World (1978). His final acting job was in a radio comedy series called Tony's in 1979.

John Laurie's Personal Life

John Laurie was married two times. His first wife, Florence May Saunders, passed away in 1926. His second wife was Oonah Veronica Todd-Naylor, who lived longer than him. They had one daughter named Veronica.

John Laurie's Death

John Laurie passed away at age 83 on June 23, 1980. He died from a lung condition called emphysema in a hospital in Chalfont St Peter, England. His wife Oonah passed away ten years later. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.

Filmography

Partial Television Credits

See also

In Spanish: John Laurie para niños