  dennis price (23 june 1915 &ndash; 6 october 1973) was an english actor, best remembered for his role as louis mazzini in the film kind hearts and coronets (1949) and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of p.g. wodehouse's stories. ==biography== ===early life=== price was born dennistoun franklyn john rose-price in twyford in berkshire, son of brigadier-general thomas rose caradoc pricethe times, 25 october 1949, p. 1 and his wife dorothy, nÃ©e verey, daughter of sir henry verey, official referee of the supreme court of judicature."mr dennis price - an actor of style", the times, 8 october 1973, p. 19gaye, p. 1076 he attended copthorne prep school, radley college and worcester college, oxford. he studied acting at the embassy theatre school of acting. ===career=== price made his first appearance on stage at the croydon repertory theatre in june 1937, followed by a london debut at the queen's theatre on 6 september 1937 in richard ii. he served in the royal artillery from march 1940 to june 1942 but quickly returned to acting after discharge, appearing with noÃ«l coward in this happy breed and present laughter and later as charles condomine in blithe spirit, which he later named in who's who in the theatre as one of his two favourite parts along with the title role in andrÃ© obey's noah.gaye, p. 1076 his first film role was in a canterbury tale (1944). according to brian macfarlane, price was "mercilessly used by gainsborough [pictures] in one unsuitable role after another"brian macfarlane "price, dennis (1915-1973)", bfi screenonline, reprinted from macfarlane (ed.) encyclopaedia of british cinema, london: methuen/bfi, 2003, p.534 in this period. the high point of his film career was as the suave serial murderer louis mazzini in the ealing comedy kind hearts and coronets (1949). in 1948 british exhibitors voted price the tenth most popular british actor at the box office."britte
1915_births 1973_deaths 20th-century_English_male_actors Alumni_of_Worcester_College,_Oxford British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II Deaths_from_heart_failure English_male_film_actors English_male_radio_actors English_male_television_actors Gay_actors LGBT_people_from_England People_educated_at_Copthorne_Preparatory_School People_educated_at_Radley_College People_from_Ruscombe