Robert Flemyng facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Flemyng OBE
Robert Flemyng in The Constant Wife (1953)
Born	Benjamin Arthur Flemyng (1912-01-03)3 January 1912 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died	22 May 1995(1995-05-22) (aged 83) London, England
Education	Haileybury
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931–1995
Spouse(s)	Carmen Martha Sugars ​ (m. 1939⁠–⁠1994)​ (her death)
Children	1 daughter

Benjamin Arthur Flemyng (born January 3, 1912 – died May 22, 1995), known as Robert Flemyng, was a famous British actor. He was the son of a doctor and was first planning to become a doctor himself.

But Robert loved acting! He learned his skills in local theater groups. In 1935, he got a main role in London's West End, which is a big theater area. The next year, he had a huge success in a funny play called French Without Tears. Before World War II, he acted in many comedies in London and New York.

When World War II started in 1939, Flemyng joined the army. He served bravely and even won a special award called the Military Cross. After the war, he kept acting in comedies. But he also took on more serious roles in plays by famous writers like T. S. Eliot. He traveled around the world, performing in Australia, Canada, India, and the US. He played all kinds of characters, from funny ones to serious drama roles.

Robert Flemyng also appeared on television and in movies. In the 1960s, he was in two TV series. One of them, Compact, saw him appear in over 100 episodes! He acted in more than 30 films, including The Blue Lamp (1950) and The Man Who Never Was (1956).

Robert Flemyng's Acting Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Robert Flemyng was born in Liverpool. His father, George Gilbert Flemyng, was a doctor. Robert went to a school called Haileybury. He started studying medicine, but he soon decided that acting was what he really wanted to do.

In June 1931, when he was 19, Robert first appeared on stage. He played Kenneth Raglan in a thriller called Rope in Truro. He came to London in October 1931. In 1932, he joined the Liverpool Repertory Company. This company was known for training future stars like Rex Harrison. Robert stayed there for three seasons, playing many different roles. While there, he met his future wife, Carmen Sugars, who was also an actress.

Big Breaks and War Service

While still in Liverpool, Robert was offered a big role in a London play called Worse Things Happen at Sea. His theater director helped him take the part. The play opened in London, and even though the play itself got mixed reviews, Robert and the other actors were praised. He acted in a few more comedies. Then came his first major success.

At 24, he played Kit Neilan in Terence Rattigan's play French Without Tears. This was a light and charming comedy. Robert brought a special charm to the role. The play was a huge hit, running for 1,025 performances! Robert played the part for 18 months.

In 1938, Robert acted in a new comedy called Banana Ridge. Later that year, he performed in North America for the first time. He was in a play called Spring Meeting in Montreal and then New York. He stayed on Broadway (New York's theater district) for another play. Critics said he was excellent. In September 1939, when World War II began, Robert left the play and went back to England to join the army. He was also a big fan of Everton FC, a football team.

War Hero and Post-War Stage

Robert Flemyng joined the Royal Army Service Corps. He became an officer and rose to the rank of full colonel by age 33. This made him one of the youngest colonels in the British army. He served bravely in Eritrea and Italy. He received the Military Cross in 1941 for his courage. He was also honored with the OBE in 1945.

After the war, Robert's first role was in a play called While the Sun Shines. He performed it for soldiers in Paris. In Britain, he took on a more serious role in The Guinea Pig. This play was about a social experiment where a working-class boy goes to a fancy private school. He later acted in the film version of this play in 1948. In 1947, he returned to Broadway. He performed with the famous actor John Gielgud in plays like The Importance of Being Earnest.

Back in England, Robert continued to take on different roles. He showed a new strength when he acted with Alec Guinness in T. S. Eliot's play The Cocktail Party in 1949–50. He played Edward Chamberlayne, a troubled husband. People said his acting showed the deep sadness of a man facing his problems.

Busy Years: 1950s and 1960s

In the 1950s, Robert Flemyng acted in both light comedies and serious dramas. He toured southern Africa in plays like The Little Hut. In London, he took over a role in The Little Hut from another actor. This play ran for a very long time. In 1952–53, he toured the US with actress Katharine Cornell. In 1954, he played a serious role as a war criminal in Marching Song.

Later in 1954, Robert appeared on Broadway in a play based on Portrait of a Lady. After touring Britain, he returned to Broadway in 1957. He created the role of James Callifer in Graham Greene's play The Potting Shed. That same year, he made his first Hollywood film, Funny Face.

The 1960s saw Robert Flemyng play many different types of roles. These included old classic plays, serious modern works, and light comedies. He toured Australia in 1965. He also toured Britain in 1966.

Back in London, Robert played various characters in plays like On Approval (1966) and Black Comedy (1968). Towards the end of the decade, he performed in plays by Shakespeare and Shaw. He played Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 1969.

Later Years: 1970–1995

In the 1970s, Robert Flemyng continued to appear in Shaw plays. He also toured in plays like Sleuth in 1973. The following year, he toured South Africa in a play by Terence Rattigan. He also toured England and Canada in Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking.

In 1980, Robert played Sorin in The Seagull. The next year, he starred in The Kingfisher. For two years, he was in the play Noises Off at the Savoy Theatre. In 1988, he played Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady. The next year, he appeared with famous actors Michael Gambon and Jack Lemmon in Veterans' Day. In this play, they played veterans from World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War.

In his late seventies, Robert Flemyng went on a difficult tour of India. He played the main role in Julius Caesar and Oedipus in Creon. One of his last stage performances was in The Chalk Garden in 1992. He played the Judge in this play.

On Screen: TV and Movies

Television Appearances

Robert Flemyng first appeared on television in 1949. He played Alan Howard in a TV version of French Without Tears. In 1961, he starred in the TV series Family Solicitor. In 1962 and 1963, he played Edmund Bruce in over 100 episodes of the BBC soap opera Compact.

He also appeared in TV versions of other plays and novels. In 1970, he played Lord Steyne in Vanity Fair. In 1979, he was Colonel Julyan in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. In 1982, he played Lord Lostwithiel in an eight-part TV show called Fame Is the Spur. He also appeared in TV dramas based on books by Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark. His last TV roles were in 1995.

Radio and Cinema

Robert Flemyng did not do much radio work. The BBC sometimes broadcast parts of his stage plays. He also appeared in scenes from The Importance of Being Earnest on radio in 1947.

He acted in many films throughout his career. His first film was Head Over Heels in 1937. He also appeared in The Guinea Pig (1948), The Blue Lamp (1950), and The Man Who Never Was (1956). He played a senior policeman in the 1959 film Blind Date. He was also a British spy chief in the 1966 thriller The Quiller Memorandum. His later films include Kafka (1991) and Shadowlands (1993).

Filmography

Here are some of the films Robert Flemyng appeared in:

• Head Over Heels (1937)
• Bond Street (1948)
• The Guinea Pig (1948)
• Conspirator (1949)
• The Blue Lamp (1950)
• Blackmailed (1951)
• The Magic Box (1951)
• The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
• Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)
• The Man Who Never Was (1956)
• Funny Face (1957)
• Let's Be Happy (1957)
• Windom's Way (1957)
• Blind Date (1959)
• A Touch of Larceny (1959)
• The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962)
• The King's Breakfast (1963)
• Mystery Submarine (1963)
• The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
• The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966)
• The Deadly Affair (1967)
• The Blood Beast Terror (1968)
• The Body Stealers (1969)
• Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
• Battle of Britain (1969)
• The Firechasers (1971)
• Young Winston (1972)
• The Darwin Adventure (1972)
• Travels with My Aunt (1972)
• Golden Rendezvous (1977)
• The Four Feathers (1978)
• The Medusa Touch (1978)
• The Thirty Nine Steps (1978)
• Paris by Night (1988)
• Kafka (1991)
• Shadowlands (1993)

Personal Life

Robert Flemyng married Carmen Martha Sugars in November 1939. She later worked in theater design. They had one daughter together. Their marriage lasted until Carmen's death in 1994.

Robert Flemyng had a stroke in April 1995. He passed away on May 22, 1995, at the age of 83. A newspaper called The Stage said he was "one of this country's most distinguished and respected performers." They also called him "the last of the great matinee idols," meaning he was very popular and admired by audiences.