--- name: "André Morell" canonical: "https://film.one/person/andre-morell" fi1m_id: "andre-morell" imdb_id: "nm0603682" tmdb_id: 10029 wikidata_id: "Q521947" roles: ["Actor"] born: "20 August 1909" died: "28 November 1978" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 83 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-18T09:30:01.153681+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # André Morell ## Identity André Morell - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/andre-morell - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** andre-morell - **IMDb ID:** nm0603682 - **TMDB ID:** 10029 - **Wikidata ID:** Q521947 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Morell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q521947, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0603682/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10029 Actor. Born 20 August 1909 in Saint Pancras, London, England, UK. Died 28 November 1978. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 20 August 1909, Saint Pancras, London, England, UK - **Died:** 28 November 1978 - **Active:** 1957–1975 - **Also known as:** Cecil André Mesritz, Andre Morell, Андре Морелл - **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 82 (2), 1970s 85 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 77 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, History 3, Adventure 1, War 1 - **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $240m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Morell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q521947, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0603682/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10029 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*Ben-Hur*](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md) (76) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on André Morell > André Morell makes authority seem unforced, and his sardonic humour keeps respectable men interesting. We value his dependable supporting work, but his Doctor Watson is a better introduction than another officer in uniform. André Morell’s cultured voice makes authority sound ordinary. He is at ease playing men who expect to be heard, though a sardonic note can make their respectability less reassuring. We rate that combination: it gives the familiar officer or patrician something more to do than look important. His post-war film and television work repeatedly put it to use. In David Lean’s *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), he plays Colonel Green, a supporting officer in a film dominated by Alec Guinness’s Colonel Nicholson. We would not pretend Morell is the reason to choose it; Guinness’s quietly alarming performance and Lean’s patient suspense earn that recommendation. Morell supplies the dependable authority that makes him a natural fit for military parts. The film’s detours are less compelling, but its central performance warrants the long evening. William Wyler’s *Ben-Hur* (1959) uses him as Sextus. We recommend it for the chariot race and the tension between Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd, with a warning about the solemn instruction between the action. Here again, Morell is a dependable presence rather than the principal attraction. These roles also expose the risk of his particular usefulness: when an actor makes authority look so easy, we can stop noticing the acting. Neither film is where we would send someone who wanted to see what else he could do. Alongside those officers came Professor Bernard Quatermass in the television serial *Quatermass and the Pit* (1958–59). Then there is Doctor Watson opposite Peter Cushing’s Holmes in *The Hound of the Baskervilles* (1959). Morell wanted “to make Watson a real person and not just a butt for Holmes”. We warmed to his Watson because he treats Holmes’s companion as a sensible colleague, rather than someone kept around to provide the wrong answer. Later came Lord Wendover in Stanley Kubrick’s *Barry Lyndon* (1975), another small part suited to his patrician manner. It is tempting to follow the largest titles through a career like this, but that would mean missing the television and the horror films. For a better look at Morell himself, start with *The Hound of the Baskervilles*. ## Biography André Morell (20 August 1909 – 28 November 1978) was an English actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s. His film roles include Colonel Green in *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957) and Sextus in *Ben-Hur* (1959). Morell is also known for playing Professor Bernard Quatermass in the BBC serial *Quatermass and the Pit* (1958–59) and Doctor Watson in the Hammer film *The Hound of the Baskervilles* (1959). He appeared in several Hammer horror films during the 1960s and in the ITV drama series *The Caesars* (1968). He began his professional stage career in 1934, with a West End debut in 1936. He was married to the actress Joan Greenwood from 1960 until his death. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *Barry Lyndon* (1975), Fi1m 85, as Lord Wendover — [page](https://film.one/film/barry-lyndon.md) - *Ben-Hur* (1959), Fi1m 76, as Sextus — [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md) - *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Col. Green — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai.md) ## Complete filmography (96) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The First Great Train Robbery* (1978), as Judge - *The Lord of the Rings* (1978), as Elrond (voice) - *Will Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Edward Alleyn - *The Last Romantic* (1978), as Gantry - *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Brigadier Stadden - *The Velvet Glove* (1977), series, as Ben Greet - *The Slipper and the Rose* (1976), as Bride's Father - *The Message* (1976), as Abu-Talib - *Barry Lyndon* (1975), as Lord Wendover — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/barry-lyndon.md) - *Edward the Seventh* (1975), series, as Lord Palmerston - *Armchair Cinema* (1974), series, as André Fage - *The Prison* (1974), as André Fage - *The Adventurer* (1972), series, as Le Père Antonius - *Pope Joan* (1972), as Emperor Louis - *The Man and the Snake* (1972), as Dr. Druring - *10 Rillington Place* (1971), as Judge Lewis - *Hell's Angel* (1971), as Sir Geoffrey Wolf - *Play for Today* (1970), series, as Sir Geoffrey Wolf - *Big Brother* (1970), series, as Lord Bryant - *Julius Caesar* (1970), as Cicero - *W. Somerset Maugham* (1969), series, as Howard Joyce - *The Caesars* (1968), series, as Tiberius - *The Expert* (1968), series, as Major Williams - *The Vengeance of She* (1968), as Kassim - *Dark of the Sun* (1968), as Bussier - *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Piers Collingham - *The Mummy's Shroud* (1967), as Sir Basil Walden - *The Wrong Box* (1966), as Club Butler - *Doctor Who: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve* (1966), as Marshal Tavannes - *Judith* (1966), as Haim - *The Plague of the Zombies* (1966), as Sir James Forbes - *The Siege of Manchester* (1965), as Richard Heyrick - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Cyril Horsham - *She* (1965), as Haumeid - *Public Eye* (1965), series, as Robert Stuart - *The Moon-Spinners* (1964), as Yacht Captain - *Theatre 625* (1964), series, as Richard Heyrick - *Woman of Straw* (1964), as Judge - *Festival* (1963), series, as Senator Clarke - *The Human Jungle* (1963), series, as Sir Desmond Shaw - *The Saint* (1962), series, as Bernhard Raxel - *Cash on Demand* (1961), as Colonel Gore Hepburn - *The Shadow of the Cat* (1961), as Walter Venable - *The Avengers* (1961), series, as Lord Teale — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-avengers-1961.md) - *Danger Man* (1960), series, Actor - *Theatre '70* (1960), series, as Colonel Gore-Hepburn - *The Trial of Oscar Wilde* (1960), as Sir Edward Clarke QC - *On Trial* (1960), series, as Sir Edward Clarke - *Cone of Silence* (1960), as Capt. Edward Manningham - *International Detective* (1959), series, as Howard Conway - *Ben-Hur* (1959), as Sextus — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md) - *The Hound of the Baskervilles* (1959), as Doctor Watson - *The Giant Behemoth* (1959), as Prof. James Bickford - *One Step Beyond* (1959), series, as Gen. Guenther Hautmann - *Quatermass and the Pit* (1958), series, as Professor Bernard Quatermass - *The Camp on Blood Island* (1958), as Col. Lambert - *Paris Holiday* (1958), as American Ambassador - *Diamond Safari* (1958), as Williamson - *The Bridge on the River Kwai* (1957), as Col. Green — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bridge-on-the-river-kwai.md) - *Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!* (1957), series, as Sven - *Interpol* (1957), as Commissioner Breckner - *Zarak* (1956), as Maj. Atherton - *The Buccaneers* (1956), series, as Governor - *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Etienne, Doctor Sloper, Halvard Solness, Elver Task - *The Baby and the Battleship* (1956), as Marshal - *The Black Tent* (1956), as Sheik Salem ben Yussef - *The Man Who Never Was* (1956), as Sir Bernard Spilsbury - *They Can't Hang Me* (1955), as Robert Isaac Pitt - *Summertime* (1955), as Englishman in Train Compartment (uncredited) - *The Secret* (1955), as Chief Inspector Blake - *Three Cases of Murder* (1955), as Dr. Audlin ("Lord Mountdrago" segment) - *Nineteen Eighty-Four* (1954), as O'Brien - *The Golden Link* (1954), as Supt. Blake - *The Black Knight* (1954), as Sir Ontzlake - *His Majesty O'Keefe* (1954), as Alfred Tetins - *It Is Midnight, Dr. Schweitzer* (1953), as Albert Schweitzer - *Stolen Face* (1952), as David - *Tall Headlines* (1952), as George Rackham - *High Treason* (1951), as Supt. Folland - *Flesh and Blood* (1951), as Dr. "Willie" Marshall - *The Clouded Yellow* (1950), as Secret Service Chief Chubb (as Andre Morell) - *Seven Days to Noon* (1950), as Superintendent G.W. Folland - *Trio* (1950), as Dr. Lennox - *So Long at the Fair* (1950), as Doctor Hart - *Stage Fright* (1950), as Inspector Byard - *Madeleine* (1950), as Defense Attorney - *No Place for Jennifer* (1950), as Counsel - *Sunday Night Theatre* (1950), series, as O'Brien - *Wuthering Heights* (1948), as Hindley Earnshaw - *Health in Our Time* (1948), Actor - *The Queen's Husband* (1946), as Dr. Fellman - *Unpublished Story* (1942), as Marchand - *Three Silent Men* (1940), as Charles Klein - *Ten Days in Paris* (1940), as Victor - *Cyrano de Bergerac* (1938), as Le Bret - *Pride and Prejudice* (1938), as Mr. Wickham ## Gallery - ![Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-f0fff5194503.png) Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961) — Hammer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_1.png/1280px-Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_1.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-d3be8dfad52b.png) Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961) — Hammer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_2.png/1280px-Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_2.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-cde6cdc28453.png) Screenshot from the trailer of Cash On Demand (1961) — Hammer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_4.png/1280px-Cash_on_Demand_%281961%29_trailer_-_Andr%C3%A9_Morell_4.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-9276e1ca875c.png) Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959) — United Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes%2C_Watson_%26_Mortimer.png/1280px-The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes%2C_Watson_%26_Mortimer.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![André Morell](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-add32eb0292e.jpg) André Morell — Image via TMDB - ![Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-9108af196aae.png) Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959) — United Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes_%26_Watson_1.png/1280px-The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes_%26_Watson_1.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959)](https://film.one/media/person/105601/gallery-437493645015.png) Scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. (1959) — United Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes_%26_Watson_2.png/1280px-The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_%281959%29_trailer_-_Holmes_%26_Watson_2.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/andre-morell