Nicholas Phipps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Phipps
in The Iron Petticoat (1956)
Born	William Nicholas Foskett Phipps 23 June 1913 London, England
Died	11 April 1980(1980-04-11) (aged 66) London, England
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter
Years active	1938–1970

William Nicholas Foskett Phipps (born June 23, 1913 – died April 11, 1980) was a talented British actor and writer. He performed in many plays from 1932 to 1967. He also appeared in over thirty films between 1940 and 1970. Nicholas Phipps wrote plays for London's famous West End stages. He also wrote songs, short comedy shows, and movie scripts.

Life and Career of Nicholas Phipps

His Early Acting Days

Nicholas Phipps was born in London, England, on June 23, 1913. His father, Sir Edmund Bampfylde Phipps, worked for the government. Nicholas went to a school called Winchester College.

He first appeared on stage at the Old Vic theatre on January 25, 1932. He had a small, non-speaking role in the play Julius Caesar. In 1933, he acted in Anew McMaster's Shakespeare plays. He also played in Aladdin during Christmas that year.

In March 1934, he acted in Love in a Mist at the St Martin's. After that, he joined a group of actors called a "repertory company" in Northampton. From 1934 to 1935, he helped direct the Imperial Institute Theatre. He toured in 1934 with P. G. Wodehouse's play Good Morning, Bill. He was also part of the Oxford Playhouse from 1935 to 1936.

In 1936, Phipps toured with famous actress Dame Sybil Thorndike. They performed in plays like Noël Coward's Hands Across the Sea. He also toured in South Africa in 1937. His last three stage shows before World War II were Spring Meeting (1938), First Stop North (1939), and The Gate Revue (1939).

During and After the War

During World War II, Nicholas Phipps served in the Royal Artillery from 1940 to 1943. After that, he entertained soldiers with a concert group called ENSA. He performed in Gibraltar and North Africa. He then toured as Charles Condomine in Noël Coward's play Blithe Spirit.

After acting in Crisis in Heaven in May 1944, he took over the role of Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit. He played this role for a long time at the Duchess Theatre from 1944 to 1945.

In October 1947, Phipps acted in his own play, Bold Lover, at the Q Theatre. In the 1950s, he had several stage roles. These included Villardieu in Ardele (1951) and Alexander Marko in The Hungry God (1952). He also played Jaques Lambert in Figure of Fun (1952) and Charles Waterlow in Letter From Paris (1952).

His final two stage roles were in the 1960s. In June 1964, he played Sir William Hood in Past Imperfect. In April 1967, he was Frederick Sterroll in Coward's Fallen Angels.

Phipps wrote several plays, including "First Stop North" and "Bold Lover". He also wrote many lyrics and short comedy pieces for shows. Some of these he wrote with his cousin, Joyce Grenfell.

His Work in Films

Nicholas Phipps was involved in movies for much of his career. In 1932 and 1933, he worked for the Gaumont Picture Corporation. He acted in many films starting in 1940. He also wrote screenplays, which are scripts for movies.

Some of the famous films he wrote scripts for include Spring in Park Lane, Maytime in Mayfair, and The Captain's Paradise. He also wrote Doctor in the House and three of its sequels. His script for Doctor in the House was even nominated for a BAFTA award.

As an actor, Phipps mostly appeared in British comedy films. He often played military characters. He started working with director Herbert Wilcox on I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945). He wrote This Man Is Mine (1946). Then he had a big success with Piccadilly Incident (1946). He wrote this film for Wilcox and his wife, Anna Neagle. They worked together again on The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947) and Spring in Park Lane (1948).

Phipps also worked on The First Gentleman (1948). He then rejoined Wilcox and Neagle for Maytime in Mayfair (1948) and Elizabeth of Ladymead (1949).

He wrote two films for actor Stewart Granger: Woman Hater (1948) and Adam and Evelyne (1949). He wrote a script for director David Lean, Madeleine (1950). He also wrote for director Ralph Thomas on Appointment with Venus (1951).

He was one of several writers for I Believe in You (1952). He also wrote a thriller for actor George Raft called Escape Route (1952). After writing for an Alec Guinness comedy, The Captain's Paradise (1953), Phipps had one of his biggest hits. This was Doctor in the House (1954) for Ralph Thomas. He wrote the sequels Doctor at Sea (1955) and Doctor at Large (1957). He also wrote a similar comedy, True as a Turtle (1957). Other films he wrote include The Captain's Table (1959) and Doctor in Love (1960).

For Ralph Thomas, Phipps wrote No Love for Johnnie (1961). Other films he wrote were A Pair of Briefs (1962), The Amorous Prawn (1963), and Doctor in Distress (1963).

His Last Years

Nicholas Phipps stopped acting in 1970. He passed away in Acton, London, on April 11, 1980. He was 66 years old. He left behind his wife, Joyce.

Partial Filmography

Actor Roles

Screenwriter Credits

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Phipps para niños