Laurence Naismith

Laurence Naismith (born Lawrence Johnson; 14 December 1908 – 5 June 1992) was an English actor. He made numerous film and television appearances, including starring roles in the musical films Scrooge (1970) and the children's ghost film The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972). He also had memorable roles as Captain Edward Smith of the RMS Titanic in A Night to Remember (1958), the First Sea Lord in Sink the Bismarck! (1960), and Argus in Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
Early life and career
Naismith was born as Lawrence Johnson in Thames Ditton, Surrey, in 1908. He attended All Saints Choir School, Margaret Street, London, and was a chorus member for a 1927 production of the George Gershwin musical Oh, Kay!. He later worked in repertory theatre and ran a repertory company of his own. Naismith served in the British Merchant Navy and at the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the British Army where he became an officer in the Royal Artillery.
Film
His film roles included Carrington V.C. (1954), Richard III (1955), The Man Who Never Was (1956), A Night to Remember (1958), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), The World of Suzie Wong (1960) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963). He played the non-singing role of Merlin in the 1967 film version of the musical Camelot and appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as the chairman of the diamond trading syndicate.
Television
In 1965, Naismith played the title role of the Virginia statesman George Mason in the NBC documentary series, Profiles in Courage. William Bakewell played George Wythe in the episode, and Arthur Franz was cast as James Madison. In 1965, Naismith guest-starred as barber Gilly Bright in episode 25, "The Threat" of the ABC military drama, 12 O'Clock High and Dr. McCallister in the ABC action drama, The Fugitive, starring David Janssen. In 1969 he played Don Q Hought in an episode of Bonanza. He played Judge Fulton in the television series The Persuaders! (1971), with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore. He portrayed Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph in the BBC production Fall of Eagles (1974). Naismith played the Prince of Verona in the BBC Television Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliet. He also appeared in the BBC sitcom Oh, Father! (1972) and played in The Invaders (1967–68) with Roy Thinnes.
Stage
In 1934 he appeared alongside Jack Buchanan in the musical Mr. Whittington in London's West End. He appeared on Broadway in the Meredith Willson musical Here's Love in 1963, opposite Janis Paige.
Filmography
A Piece of Cake (1948) as Merlin Mound
Trouble in the Air (1948) as Tom Hunt
Badger's Green (1949) as Mr. Butler
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) as Warder in Jail (uncredited)
Train of Events (1949) as Joe Hunt (segment "The Actor")
The Chiltern Hundreds (1949) as Reporter (uncredited)
Room to Let (1950) as Editor
The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) as Dr. Collet
Pool of London (1951) as Commissionaire (uncredited)
Hell is Sold Out (1951) as Dr. Monceau
There Is Another Sun (1951) as Riley
Chelsea Story (1951) as Sergeant Matthews
Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951) as Hardcastle, Card Player (uncredited)
High Treason (1951) as Reginald Gordon-Wells
His Excellency (1952) as First Soldier
Whispering Smith Hits London (1952) as Parker
The Happy Family (1952) as Councillor
I Believe in You (1952) as Sergeant Braxton
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952) as Police Sergeant at Desk (uncredited)
Penny Princess (1952) as Louis the Jailkeeper (uncredited)
A Killer Walks (1952) as Doctor James
The Long Memory (1952) as Hasbury
Cosh Boy (1953) as Inspector Donaldson
Time Bomb (1953) as Ambulance Man (uncredited)
Rough Shoot (1953) as Blossom
The Beggar's Opera (1953) as Matt of the Mint
Mogambo (1953) as Skipper
Love in Pawn (1953) as Uncle Ramos
The Million Pound Note (1954) as Walter Craddock (uncredited)
The Black Knight (1954) as Major Domo
Carrington V.C. (1954) as Major Panton
The Dam Busters (1955) as Farmer
Josephine and Men (1955) as Porter
Richard III (1955) as The Lord Stanley
The Man Who Never Was (1956) as Adm. Cross
The Weapon (1956) as Jamison
Lust for Life (1956) as Dr. Bosman
Tiger in the Smoke (1956) as Canon Avril
The Extra Day (1956) as Kurt Von
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1957) as Dr. Chambers
Seven Waves Away (1957) as Captain Paul Darrow
Boy on a Dolphin (1957) as Dr. Hawkins
Robbery Under Arms (1957) as Ben Marston
The Gypsy and the Gentleman (1958) as Dr. Forrester
I Accuse! (1958) as Judge, Esterhazy Trial
Gideon's Day (1958) as Arthur Sayer
A Night to Remember (1958) as Capt. Edward John Smith
The Two-Headed Spy (1958) as Gen. Hauser
Tempest (1958) as Maj. Zurin
Solomon and Sheba (1959) as Hezrai
Third Man on the Mountain (1959) as Teo Zurbriggen
Sink the Bismarck! (1960) as First Sea Lord
The Angry Silence (1960) as Martindale
The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960) as Prince of Wales
Village of the Damned (1960) as Doctor Willers
The Criminal (1960) as Mr. Town
The World of Suzie Wong (1960) as O'Neill
The Singer Not the Song (1961) as Old Uncle
Greyfriars Bobby (1961) as Mr. Traill
The Valiant (1962) as Admiral
I Thank a Fool (1962) as O'Grady
The 300 Spartans (1962) as First Delegate
We Joined the Navy (1962) as Admiral Blake
Cleopatra (1963) as Arachesilaus (uncredited)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) as Argus
The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963) as Reverend Angus Peddie
Sky West and Crooked (1965) as Edwin Dacres
Deadlier Than the Male (1967) as Sir John Bledlow
Camelot (1967) as Merlyn
The Scorpio Letters (1967) as Burr
The Long Duel (1967) as McDougal
Fitzwilly (1967) as Mr. Cotty (uncredited)
Eye of the Cat (1969) as Dr. Mills
The Valley of Gwangi (1969) as Professor Bromley
The Bushbaby (1969) as Prof. 'Cranky' Crankshaw
Run a Crooked Mile (1969) as Lord Dunnsfield
Scrooge (1970) as Mr. Fezziwig
Quest for Love (1971) as Sir Henry Larnstein
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as Sir Donald Munger
Young Winston (1972) as Lord Salisbury
The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972) as Mr. Blunden
Television
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1956) as Sir William de Courcier
Danger Man (1960) as Spooner
The Prince and the Pauper (1962) as Earl of Hertford
Profiles in Courage (1965) as John Quincy Adams/George Mason
The Fugitive (1965-1967) as Major Fielding/Dr. Andrew Emmett McAllister/John Mallory
The Invaders (1967) as Professor Curtis Lindstrom/Cyrus Stone
Bonanza (1969) as Don Q. Hought
The Persuaders! (1971) as Judge Fulton
Fall of Eagles (1974) as Emperor Franz Josef
Romeo and Juliet (1978) as Prince Escalus
I Remember Nelson (1982) as Rev. Edmund Nelson
References
External links
1908 births
1992 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century English male actors
British Army personnel of World War II
British expatriate male actors in the United States
British Merchant Navy personnel
English male film actors
English male television actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
People from Thames Ditton
Actors from Queensland
Royal Artillery officers