# Roland Culver

Roland Joseph Culver, OBE (31 August 1900 – 1 March 1984) was an English stage, film, and television actor.

## Early life

After Highgate School, Culver joined the Royal Air Force and served as a pilot from 1918 to 1919.

## Career

After considering other careers, Culver turned to acting, graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He debuted on the stage in 1924 at Hull Repertory Theatre and, by 1931, was appearing in films in which he was known for his portrayals of impeccable English gentlemen not given to displays of emotion.
In the 1960s Culver branched out into television, before finally retiring in 1983. In 1960, he appeared in Five Finger Exercise at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. He was nominated for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Ivanov. In 1974, he played the irascible Duke of Omnium and Gatherum in the popular BBC adaptation of The Pallisers. He took the role of Claudius opposite Paul Scofield's celebrated Hamlet in Howard Sackler's production for Caedmon Shakespeare Recordings in 1963.

## Personal life and death

Culver was married twice, first to actress, director, and casting agent Daphne Rye between 1932 and 1946, then to Nan Hopkins from 1947 until his death from a heart attack in 1984. With his first wife he had two children: actor Michael Culver and Robin Culver.
Culver lost half a lung to tuberculosis.
Culver was awarded an OBE in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to drama.

## Writer

Culver wrote the play A River Breeze, and his autobiography is called Not Quite a Gentleman.

## Complete filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1931 | 77 Park Lane | Sir Richard Carrington | |
| 1931 | Fascination | Ronnie | |
| 1932 | A Voice Said Goodnight | Reporter | Short |
| 1932 | Flat No. 9 | | Short, Uncredited |
| 1932 | Love on Wheels | Salesman | |
| 1932 | COD | Edward | |
| 1932 | There Goes the Bride | Jacques | |
| 1932 | Her First Affaire | Drunk | |
| 1932 | Marry Me | Tailor | Uncredited |
| 1933 | Head of the Family | Manny | |
| 1933 | Mayfair Girl | Dick Porter | |
| 1933 | Puppets of Fate | Billy Oakhurst | |
| 1933 | Her Imaginary Lover | Raleigh Raleigh | |
| 1934 | Lucky Loser | Pat Hayden | |
| 1934 | Two Hearts in Waltz Time | Freddie | |
| 1934 | Nell Gwyn | | Uncredited |
| 1934 | Father and Son | Vincent | |
| 1934 | The Scoop | Barney Somers | |
| 1934 | Borrow a Million | Charles Nutford | |
| 1935 | Oh, What a Night | | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Everybody Dance | Mr. Wilson – Diner at nightclub | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Crime Over London | Soap Salesman | |
| 1936 | Accused | Henry Capelle | |
| 1937 | Jump for Glory | Conductor | |
| 1937 | Paradise for Two | Paul Duval | |
| 1939 | Blind Folly | Ford | |
| 1940 | French Without Tears | Cmdr. Bill Rogers | |
| 1940 | Dangerous Comment | Officer | Short |
| 1940 | Girl in the News | Police Inspector | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Night Train to Munich | Roberts | |
| 1941 | Old Bill and Son | Colonel | |
| 1941 | Fingers | Hugo Allen | |
| 1941 | Quiet Wedding | Boofy Ponsonby | |
| 1941 | This England | Steward | |
| 1942 | One of Our Aircraft Is Missing | Naval Officer | |
| 1942 | The Day Will Dawn | Cmdr. Pittwaters | |
| 1942 | Unpublished Story | Stannard | |
| 1942 | The First of the Few | Commander Bride | |
| 1942 | Secret Mission | Captain Red Gowan | |
| 1942 | Talk About Jacqueline | Leslie Waddington | |
| 1943 | The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | Colonel Betteridge | |
| 1943 | Dear Octopus | Felix Martin | |
| 1944 | On Approval | Richard Halton | |
| 1944 | English Without Tears | Sir Cosmo Brandon | |
| 1944 | Give Us the Moon | Ferdinand | |
| 1945 | Dead of Night | Eliot Foley | |
| 1945 | Perfect Strangers | Richard | |
| 1946 | To Each His Own | Lord Desham | |
| 1946 | Wanted for Murder | Chief Insp. Conway | |
| 1947 | Singapore | Michael Van Leyden | |
| 1947 | Down to Earth | Mr. Jordan | |
| 1948 | The Emperor Waltz | Baron Holenia | |
| 1948 | Isn't It Romantic? | Major Eucid Cameron | |
| 1949 | The Great Lover | Grand Duke Maximillian | |
| 1950 | Trio | Mr. Ashenden | Segment "Sanatorium" |
| 1951 | The Late Edwina Black | Inspector Martin | |
| 1951 | Hotel Sahara | Major Bill Randall | |
| 1951 | Encore | George Ramsay | Segment "The Ant and the Grasshopper" |
| 1951 | The Magic Box | 1st Company Promoter | |
| 1952 | The Hour of 13 | Connor | |
| 1952 | Folly to Be Wise | George Prout | |
| 1953 | The Holly and the Ivy | Lord B. | |
| 1953 | Rough Shoot | Randall | |
| 1954 | Betrayed | Gen. Warsleigh | |
| 1954 | The Teckman Mystery | Insp. Harris | |
| 1955 | Dangerous Comment | Officer | Short |
| 1955 | The Man Who Loved Redheads | Major Oscar Philipson | |
| 1955 | The Ship That Died of Shame | Fordyce | |
| 1955 | Touch and Go | Fairbright | |
| 1955 | An Alligator Named Daisy | Col. Geoffrey Weston | |
| 1956 | Safari | Sir Vincent Brampton | |
| 1957 | The Hypnotist | Doctor Francis Pelham | |
| 1957 | Light Fingers | Humphrey Levenham | |
| 1957 | The Vicious Circle | Detective Inspector Dane | |
| 1957 | The Truth About Women | Charles Tavistock | |
| 1958 | Bonjour Tristesse | Mr. Lombard | |
| 1958 | Next to No Time | Sir Godfrey Cowan | |
| 1958 | Rockets Galore! | Captain Wagget | |
| 1962 | A Pair of Briefs | Sir John Pilbright | |
| 1962 | Term of Trial | Trowman | |
| 1962 | The Iron Maiden | Lord Upshott | |
| 1964 | The Yellow Rolls-Royce | Norwood | |
| 1965 | Thunderball | Home Secretary | |
| 1966 | A Man Could Get Killed | Doctor Mathieson | |
| 1969 | In Search of Gregory | Wardle | |
| 1969 | The Magic Christian | Sir Herbert | Uncredited |
| 1970 | Fragment of Fear | Mr. Vellacot | |
| 1970 | The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer | Sir Eric Bentley | |
| 1970 | Uncle Vanya | Serebriakov | TV film |
| 1972 | To Encourage the Others | Lord Goddard | TV movie |
| 1973 | Bequest to the Nation | Lord Barham | |
| 1973 | The Legend of Hell House | Mr. (Rudolph) Deutsch | |
| 1973 | The Mackintosh Man | Judge | |
| 1975 | Lloyd George Knew My Father | General Sir William Boothroyd | TV movie |
| 1976 | No Longer Alone | A.E. Matthews | |
| 1977 | The Uncanny | Wallace | Segment "London 1912" |
| 1978 | The Greek Tycoon | Robert Keith | |
| 1979 | Saint Joan | | TV movie |
| 1980 | Rough Cut | Mr. Lloyd Palmer | |
| 1980 | The Double Dealer | Saygrace | TV movie |
| 1980 | Never Never Land | Mr. Salford | |
| 1982 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Bishop of Paris | TV movie |
| 1982 | Britannia Hospital | General Wetherby | |
| 1982 | The Missionary | Lord Fermleigh | |