---
name: "Anthony Quayle"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/anthony-quayle"
fi1m_id: "anthony-quayle"
imdb_id: "nm0703033"
tmdb_id: 14371
wikidata_id: "Q347711"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "7 September 1913"
died: "20 October 1989"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-25T07:44:49.892139+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."
---

# Anthony Quayle

## Identity

Anthony Quayle

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/anthony-quayle
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** anthony-quayle
- **IMDb ID:** nm0703033
- **TMDB ID:** 14371
- **Wikidata ID:** Q347711
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Quayle, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q347711, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0703033/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14371

Actor. Born 7 September 1913 in Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, England, UK. Died 20 October 1989.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 7 September 1913, Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, England, UK
- **Died:** 20 October 1989
- **Active:** 1948–1976
- **Also known as:** アンソニー・クエイル, サー・ジョン・アンソニー・クエイル
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 6 acting, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Anthony Quinn](https://film.one/person/anthony-quinn.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 84 (1), 1940s 84 (1), 1950s 83 (1), 1960s 75 (3), 1970s 65 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 80 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Adventure 3, War 3, History 2, Action 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $101m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Quayle, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q347711, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0703033/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14371

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Lawrence of Arabia*](https://film.one/film/lawrence-of-arabia.md) (90), [*The Guns of Navarone*](https://film.one/film/the-guns-of-navarone.md) (74)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Wrong Man*](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md) (83)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Eagle Has Landed*](https://film.one/film/the-eagle-has-landed.md) (65)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Anthony Quayle

> Anthony Quayle spent his film career in uniform, playing the decent officer who has to be sensible while somebody else is being brilliant. He was better at it than the parts deserved, and the best of them let us see he was not sure of himself.

Watch Anthony Quayle in *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962) and you will see a man losing an argument he is right about. His Colonel Brighton is the regular officer at Peter O'Toole's elbow, and O'Toole is so strange and so unsettling from his first scene that Brighton's good sense looks like a failure of imagination. Quayle and David Lean disagreed about him. Lean thought Brighton honourable; Quayle thought him an idiot, played him that way, and called the film a difficult experience. Both men are visible in the performance, which is why it repays a second look.

He came to films late and by the side door. The stage came first: the Old Vic from 1932, then eight years running and acting at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford from 1948 to 1956, doing the groundwork for what became the RSC. In between he served as a major in the Royal Artillery, which is where the officers came from. His first film part of note was Marcellus in Laurence Olivier's *Hamlet* (1948); the one that made producers look up was Captain van der Poel in *Ice Cold in Alex* (1958), an ambiguous man in a desert. J. Lee Thompson directed him five times, including *The Guns of Navarone* (1961). Then the epics of the 1960s, and Cardinal Wolsey in *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969). "I wasn't asked to be a handsome young man in films because I wasn't a handsome young man," he said, and the parts bear him out.

The type was the decent British officer, and what he did with it was let the decency crack. The usual line is that his officers carry a hint of weakness under the authority. We would put it differently. Quayle's officers are not weak; they are men who know the rules will not be enough and have no other rules to offer. In *The Guns of Navarone* his Major Franklin is the dependable one on a raid full of stars, in a film whose script keeps stopping to argue about war, and Quayle at least gives the arguments somebody worth having them with. Brighton moved us more than we expected, because Quayle plays every objection as if he already knows nobody will listen, and says it anyway, in full.

He was frank that much of his film work was dreary, and some of it was. The big pictures of the 1960s used him as scenery in uniform, and he never got the lead on screen, nor seems to have expected it; the theatre had that side of him. Start with *Lawrence of Arabia*, and keep an eye on the man at the edge of the frame who is not enjoying himself. That is where Quayle did his best film work, while the camera was looking at somebody else.

## Biography

Sir Anthony Quayle (1913–1989) was a British actor and theatre director. Born in Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, he studied at Rugby School and briefly at RADA before making his stage debut in 1931. He joined the Old Vic in 1932 and later served as a major in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War.

Quayle directed the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon from 1948 to 1956. His film roles included Colonel Brighton in *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962), Major Roy Franklin in *The Guns of Navarone* (1961) and Cardinal Wolsey in *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He was appointed CBE in 1952 and knighted in 1985.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

### Performed in (6) — the average rests on these

- *The Eagle Has Landed* (1976), Fi1m 65, as Admiral Canaris — [page](https://film.one/film/the-eagle-has-landed.md)
- *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969), Fi1m 60, as Wolsey — [page](https://film.one/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days.md)
- *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962), Fi1m 90, as Colonel Harry Brighton — [page](https://film.one/film/lawrence-of-arabia.md)
- *The Guns of Navarone* (1961), Fi1m 74, as Maj. Roy Franklin — [page](https://film.one/film/the-guns-of-navarone.md)
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), Fi1m 83, as Frank D. O'Connor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)
- *Hamlet* (1948), Fi1m 84, as Marcellus — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Pygmalion* (1938), Fi1m 84, as Eliza's Hairdresser (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/pygmalion.md)

## Complete filmography (89)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Thief and the Cobbler* (1993), as King Nod (voice)
- *King of the Wind* (1990), as Lord Granville
- *Confessional* (1989), series, as Pope
- *The Endless Game* (1989), as Glanville
- *The Endless Game* (1989), series, as Glanville
- *Magdalene* (1988), as Father Noessler
- *Buster* (1988), as Sir James McDowell
- *Reaching for the Skies* (1988), series, as Narrator - Himself
- *The Legend of the Holy Drinker* (1988), as Distinguished Gentleman
- *The Bourne Identity* (1988), series, as François Villiers
- *Theban Plays: Oedipus at Colonus* (1986), as Oedipus
- *The Key to Rebecca* (1985), as Abdullah
- *The Eastern Front* (1984), as Narrator
- *The Last Days of Pompeii* (1984), series, as Quintus
- *Lace* (1984), series, as Dr. Geneste
- *The Heart of the Dragon* (1984), series, as Narrator
- *Natural World* (1983), series, Actor
- *The Manions of America* (1981), series, as Lord Montgomery
- *Dial M for Murder* (1981), as Insp. Hubbard
- *Masada* (1981), series, as Rubrius Gallus
- *Cause for Celebration* (1980), as Narrator
- *Henry IV Part 2* (1979), as Sir John Falstaff
- *Henry IV Part 1* (1979), as Sir John Falstaff
- *Tales of the Unexpected* (1979), series, as Kyros Kassoulas
- *Murder by Decree* (1979), as Sir Charles Warren
- *Ice Age* (1978), as The Old Man
- *The Secret Life of Edward James* (1978), as Readings
- *Holocaust 2000* (1977), as Professor Griffith
- *BBC2 Play of the Week* (1977), series, as The Old Man
- *21 Hours at Munich* (1976), as Zvi Zamir
- *The Eagle Has Landed* (1976), as Admiral Canaris — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-eagle-has-landed.md)
- *The Story of David* (1976), as King Saul
- *The Story of David* (1976), series, as King Saul
- *Moses the Lawgiver* (1976), as Aaron
- *Moses the Lawgiver* (1975), series, Actor
- *Moses the Lawgiver* (1974), series, as Aaron
- *The Lives of Benjamin Franklin* (1974), series, as Dartmouth
- *The Tamarind Seed* (1974), as Jack Loder
- *QB VII* (1974), series, as Tom Banniester
- *Great Expectations* (1974), as Jaggers
- *The Evil Touch* (1973), series, Actor
- *Bequest to the Nation* (1973), as Lord Minto
- *Jarrett* (1973), as Cosmo Bastrop
- *Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask* (1972), as The King
- *The Six Wives of Henry VIII* (1970), series, as Narrator
- *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969), as Wolsey — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days.md)
- *Destiny of a Spy* (1969), as Col. Malendin
- *Strange Report* (1969), series, as Adam Strange
- *Mackenna's Gold* (1969), as Older Englishman
- *Before Winter Comes* (1969), as Brigadier Bewley
- *The Judgement of Albion* (1968), as Voice
- *A Case of Libel* (1968), as Colonel Douglas
- *ITV Playhouse* (1967), series, as Daniel Bloch
- *Misunderstood* (1967), as Sir John Edward Duncombe
- *See You at the Pillar* (1967), Actor
- *Barefoot in Athens* (1966), as King Pausanias of Sparta
- *The Poppy Is Also a Flower* (1966), as Captain Vanderbilt
- *A Study in Terror* (1965), as Doctor Murray
- *Operation Crossbow* (1965), as Bamford
- *East of Sudan* (1964), as Private Baker
- *The Fall of the Roman Empire* (1964), as Verulus
- *Espionage* (1963), series, as Philip
- *Lawrence of Arabia* (1962), as Colonel Harry Brighton — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/lawrence-of-arabia.md)
- *The Saint* (1962), series, as Lord Thornton Yearley
- *Man of the World* (1962), series, as Dr. Moretti
- *H.M.S. Defiant* (1962), as Vizard
- *The Rose Affair* (1961), as Betumain
- *The Guns of Navarone* (1961), as Maj. Roy Franklin — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-guns-of-navarone.md)
- *Drama 61-67* (1961), series, as Samurai
- *Sunday-Night Play* (1960), series, as The General
- *The Challenge* (1960), as Jim
- *The Scent of Fear* (1959), as Colonel Kralik
- *Tarzan's Greatest Adventure* (1959), as Slade
- *Serious Charge* (1959), as Reverend Howard Phillips
- *Ice Cold in Alex* (1958), as Captain van der Poel
- *The Man Who Wouldn't Talk* (1958), as Dr. Frank Smith
- *No Time for Tears* (1957), as Dr. Graham Seagrave
- *Suspicion* (1957), series, as Graham
- *Woman in a Dressing Gown* (1957), as Jim Preston
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), as Frank D. O'Connor — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)
- *The Battle of the River Plate* (1956), as Commodore Harwood - H.M.S. Ajax
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Harry Albert, Betumain, Colonel Kralik
- *The Barretts of Wimpole Street* (1956), as Robert Browning
- *Oh... Rosalinda!!* (1955), as Gen. Orlovsky
- *Producers' Showcase* (1954), series, Actor
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Pasusanias
- *Hamlet* (1948), as Marcellus — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *Saraband for Dead Lovers* (1948), as Durer
- *Pygmalion* (1938), as Eliza's Hairdresser (uncredited) — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/pygmalion.md)

## Gallery

- ![Anthony Quayle](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-5a94579dc5c4.jpg) Anthony Quayle — ABC studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Anthony_Quayle-publicity.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Anthony Quayle dans une scène du film de Luigi Comencini L'Incompris, 1966](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-0df7336385e1.jpg) Anthony Quayle dans une scène du film de Luigi Comencini L'Incompris, 1966 — Luigi Comencini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Anthony_Quayle_1966.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Une scène du film de Lugi Comencini L'Incompris, 1966. Le Consul (Anthony Quayle) avec ses deux enfants.](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-d4735d958f36.jpg) Une scène du film de Lugi Comencini L'Incompris, 1966. Le Consul (Anthony Quayle) avec ses deux enfants. — Luigi Comencini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/L%27Incompris_1966_a.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Williams & Humbert Bodega in Jerez (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-cabad660ad1b.jpg) Williams & Humbert Bodega in Jerez (2011) — El Pantera, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/MINdsc02596.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Anthony Quayle](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-484e17cbb47b.jpg) Anthony Quayle — Image via TMDB
- ![Anthony Quayle](https://film.one/media/person/59341/gallery-45176a50a789.jpg) Anthony Quayle — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1970: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Anne of the Thousand Days*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 1975: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *QB VII*

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1956: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/anthony-quayle