Robert Newton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Newton
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Newton in The High and the Mighty (1954)
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Robert Guy Newton
1 June 1905 Shaftesbury, Dorset, England
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| Died | 25 March 1956 (aged 50) |
| Resting place | Ashes scattered in the waters of Mount's Bay, Cornwall |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1923–1956 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 3 |
Robert Guy Newton (born June 1, 1905 – died March 25, 1956) was a famous English actor. He was very popular with young audiences in the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with boys in Britain. Many people remember him for playing pirates.
Newton started his acting career in plays in the 1920s. He appeared in many shows in London's West End. In 1939, he played Horatio in the play Hamlet alongside Laurence Olivier. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he became a big movie star. He played the main role in This Happy Breed (1944) and was also in Olivier's movie Henry V (1944). These roles made him one of the top 10 most popular British film stars in 1944.
Robert Newton is best known for playing the pirate Long John Silver in the 1950 Disney movie Treasure Island. This movie set the standard for how pirates are shown in films. He also played another famous pirate, Edward Teach (known as Blackbeard), in the 1952 movie Blackbeard the Pirate. He played Long John Silver again in a 1954 movie and a TV series. Newton was born in Dorset, England, and grew up in Cornwall. His way of speaking with a strong "West Country" accent helped create the classic "pirate voice" that many people use today. He is even called the "patron saint" of the yearly International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Guy Newton was born on June 1, 1905, in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England. His father, Algernon Newton, was a landscape painter. Robert went to school in Lamorna near Penzance, Cornwall, where his family lived from 1912 to 1918. He also attended Exeter School and St. Bartholomew's School in Newbury, Berkshire.
Starting His Acting Career
Robert Newton began acting at age 16 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1921. He performed in many plays before going to Canada to work on a cattle ranch for a year.
After returning to England, he acted in many plays in London's West End. These included Bitter Sweet by Noël Coward and Private Lives on Broadway. He also started getting small roles in movies. He worked with famous director Alfred Hitchcock in the movie Jamaica Inn (1939). In 1939, he played Horatio in Hamlet at the Old Vic theatre, which also starred Laurence Olivier.
Newton continued to act in films, often in supporting roles. Some of his movies from this time include Gaslight (1940) and Major Barbara (1941). He then got bigger roles in movies like Hatter's Castle (1942) and They Flew Alone (1942), where he played pilot Jim Mollison.
During World War II, Robert Newton joined the Royal Navy. He served as an Able Seaman on a ship called HMS Britomart, which helped protect convoys of ships going to Russia. After two and a half years, he left the Royal Navy in 1943 due to health reasons.
Becoming a Movie Star
When he returned to acting, Newton played the main role in This Happy Breed (1944). This movie, directed by David Lean, was a huge success. He also played Ancient Pistol in Laurence Olivier's famous movie Henry V (1944). Because of these popular roles, British movie theaters voted him the 10th most popular British film star in 1944.
Newton continued to star in thrillers like Night Boat to Dublin (1946). He also had a memorable role as Bill Sikes in the movie Oliver Twist (1948), which was a big hit with both critics and audiences.
Hollywood Films
Newton became even more famous when he played Long John Silver in Walt Disney's movie Treasure Island (1950). This movie was filmed in the UK. Its success led Newton to go to Hollywood.
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In Hollywood, he appeared in Soldiers Three (1951). He then returned to Britain to play Dr. Thomas Arnold in Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951). After that, he played Javert in the 1952 movie Les Misérables. In 1951, he was voted the sixth most popular British star in Britain.
Newton also starred as the pirate Blackbeard in Blackbeard the Pirate (1952). He then appeared in The Desert Rats (1953) and the airplane disaster movie The High and the Mighty (1954).
He played Long John Silver again in an Australian movie called Long John Silver (1954). This movie was filmed in Sydney, Australia. The same company then made a 26-episode TV series in 1955 called The Adventures of Long John Silver, where Newton also played the main role.
His last movie was Around the World in 80 Days (1956), where he played Inspector Fix. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1956.
Family Life
Robert Newton was married four times and had three children: Sally Newton (born 1930), Nicholas Newton (born 1950), and Kim Newton (born 1953).
He married his fourth wife, Vera Budnik, in June 1952. They had a son named Kim.
Death and Legacy
Robert Newton passed away on March 25, 1956. His body was cremated. Years later, his son Nicholas scattered his ashes into Mount's Bay in Cornwall, near where his father had grown up.
Robert Newton is remembered for his powerful acting and especially for creating the iconic "pirate voice" that is still used today.
Filmography
- The Tremarne Case (1924)
- Reunion (1932)
- Fire Over England (1937) as Don Pedro
- Dark Journey (1937) as Officer of U-boat
- Farewell Again (1937) as Jim Carter
- The Squeaker (1937) as Larry Graeme
- The Green Cockatoo (1937) as Dave Connor
- I, Claudius (1937) as Cassius, Capt. of Caligula's Guard
- Vessel of Wrath (1938) as the Controleur
- Yellow Sands (1938) as Joe Varwell
- Dead Men Are Dangerous (1939) as Aylmer Franklyn
- Jamaica Inn (1939) as James 'Jem' Trehearne - Sir Humphrey's Gang
- Poison Pen (1939) as Sam Hurrin
- Hell's Cargo (1939) as Cmdr. Tomasou
- 21 Days (1940) as Tolley
- Gaslight (1940) as Vincent Ullswater
- Busman's Honeymoon (1940) as Frank Crutchley
- Bulldog Sees It Through (1940) as Watkins
- Channel Incident (1940, Short) as Tanner
- Major Barbara (1941) as Bill Walker
- Hatter's Castle (1942) as James Brodie
- They Flew Alone (1942) as Jim Mollison
- A Battle for a Bottle (1942, Short)
- This Happy Breed (1944) as Frank Gibbons
- Henry V (1944) as Ancient Pistol
- Night Boat to Dublin (1946) as Capt. David Grant
- Odd Man Out (1947) as Lukey
- Temptation Harbour (1947) as Bert Mallison
- Snowbound (1948) as Derek Engles
- Oliver Twist (1948) as Bill Sikes
- Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) as Harry Carter
- Obsession (1949) as Dr. Clive Riordan
- Treasure Island (1950) as Long John Silver
- Waterfront (1950) as Peter McCabe
- Soldiers Three (1951) as Pvt. Bill Sykes
- Tom Brown's Schooldays (1951) as Dr. Thomas Arnold
- Les Misérables (1952) as Etienne Javert
- Androcles and the Lion (1952) as Ferrovius
- Blackbeard the Pirate (1952) as Edward Teach / Blackbeard
- The Desert Rats (1953) as Tom Bartlett
- The High and the Mighty (1954) as Gustave Pardee
- The Beachcomber (1954) as Edward 'Honorable Ted' Wilson
- Long John Silver (1954) as Long John Silver
- The Adventures of Long John Silver (1954, TV Series) as Long John Silver
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as Inspector Fix
Popularity Rankings
For several years, Robert Newton was voted by movie exhibitors as one of the most popular British stars:
- 9th most popular British star in 1947
- 5th most popular British star in 1950 (10th most popular star overall)
- 7th most popular British star in 1951
Radio Appearances
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
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| 1953 | Family Theatre | Namgay Doola |
Images for kids
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Newton in The High and the Mighty (1954)
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Newton and Linda Darnell in Blackbeard the Pirate (1952)
See also
In Spanish: Robert Newton para niños
