--- name: "Cedric Hardwicke" canonical: "https://film.one/person/cedric-hardwicke" roles: ["Actor"] born: "19 February 1893" died: "6 August 1964" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 67 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-09-20T03:06:45.488175+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." --- # Cedric Hardwicke Actor. Born 19 February 1893 in Worcestershire. Died 6 August 1964. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 19 February 1893, Worcestershire - **Died:** 6 August 1964 - **Active:** 1935–1956 - **Also known as:** Cedrick Hardwicke, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Cedrick Hardwicke, Седрик Хардвик, Cedric Webster Hardwicke - **Frequently works with:** [Darryl F. Zanuck](https://film.one/person/darryl-f-zanuck.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 67, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 74 (1), 1940s 66 (2), 1950s 65 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 67 to 70 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Romance 3, History 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Family 1 - **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $171m across 4 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedric_Hardwicke, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q527735, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/99461 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Ten Commandments*](https://film.one/film/the-ten-commandments.md) (67) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Cedric Hardwicke > Hardwicke played bishops, villains, pharaohs and fathers with the same unhurried voice, and his trick was never to raise it. He was cast for authority so often that people forgot how gentle he could be; the bishop in *Les Misérables* is the proof. Ten minutes into *Les Misérables* (1935) a convict robs a bishop, is caught, and hears the bishop tell the police he gave the silver away. Cedric Hardwicke plays Bienvenue as a man settling a household matter before bed. He hands over the candlesticks and goes back upstairs. It is the most famous scene in the book and he plays it as if nobody had told him, and it moved us more than we expected to be moved by something we could have recited in advance. The reason is simple: he does not preach. The line is said in the voice he would use to ask for the lamp to be put out. He had been on the stage since 1912, much of it in Shaw, and he came to British films in 1931 in his late thirties, with the manner fully formed. *Things to Come* (1936) gave him Theotocopulos, the artist who stands against progress, and it was not often afterwards that he was asked to be the emotional one. From the late 1930s he worked mostly in Hollywood, and Hollywood knew what it had: a resonant voice and a face that looked as though it disapproved of you. So he was Frollo in *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1939), Mr Kentley in Hitchcock's *Rope* (1948), Sethi in *The Ten Commandments* (1956), and dozens of other men of power in literary adaptations and biblical pictures, until *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964), which was his last. The complaint against him, then and since, is that he was typecast as the intimidating man, and it is fair as far as it goes. But watch the bishop and then think of Frollo, and the same instrument is doing opposite work. He never underlines. Where another actor would lean on a threat or a blessing, Hardwicke says it once, at conversational pitch, and lets his face do nothing. That stillness reads as kindness in the bishop and as something colder in the villains, and the pictures around him rarely bothered to ask for anything else. *The Winslow Boy* (1948), as the father who will not let a small injustice lie, is the part most often named when people want to show he could be stubborn and warm at the same time. He had few illusions about the trade. "I believe that God felt sorry for actors so he created Hollywood to give them a place in the sun and a swimming pool. The price they had to pay was to surrender their talent." He said it as a joke and stayed until the end. Whether he surrendered anything is for others to argue. Start with the bishop, then go looking for the villains, and notice that he plays them exactly the same way. ## Biography Sir Cedric Hardwicke was an English stage and film actor. Born Cedric Webster Hardwicke on 19 February 1893 in Lye, Worcestershire, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his London stage debut in 1912. His theatre work included leading roles in productions by William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw; he was knighted in 1934 for his contributions to the stage. Hardwicke appeared in British films from the early 1930s and later worked extensively in Hollywood. His screen credits include Bishop Bienvenue in *Les Misérables* (1935), Theotocopulos in *Things to Come* (1936), Frollo in *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1939), Mr Henry Kentley in *Rope* (1948), and Sethi in *The Ten Commandments* (1956). He also provided narration for *The War of the Worlds* (1953) and appeared in episodes of *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* and *The Twilight Zone*. He died in New York on 6 August 1964. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, screenonline.org.uk, nytimes.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), Fi1m 63, as Francis Cromarty — [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) - *The Ten Commandments* (1956), Fi1m 67, as Sethi — [page](https://film.one/film/the-ten-commandments.md) - *Wilson* (1944), Fi1m 61, as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge — [page](https://film.one/film/wilson.md) - *Suspicion* (1941), Fi1m 72, as General McLaidlaw — [page](https://film.one/film/suspicion.md) - *Les Misérables* (1935), Fi1m 74, as Bishop Bienvenue (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) — [page](https://film.one/film/les-miserables-1935.md) ## Complete filmography (97) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook* (1991), as Dr. Frankenstein (archive footage) - *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964), as Mr. James - Jo's father - *The Unknown* (1964), as Colas - *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as John Busch - *The Outer Limits* (1963), series, as Colas (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) - *Five Weeks in a Balloon* (1962), as Fergusson - *The Gertrude Berg Show* (1961), series, as Professor Crayton - *The Twilight Zone* (1959), series, as Simon Polk — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-twilight-zone.md) - *Baby Face Nelson* (1957), as Doc Saunders (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) - *The Story of Mankind* (1957), as High Judge - *DuPont Show of the Month* (1957), series, as Lord Hertford - *Around the World in 80 Days* (1956), as Francis Cromarty — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/around-the-world-in-80-days.md) - *The Ten Commandments* (1956), as Sethi — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/the-ten-commandments.md) - *The Power and the Prize* (1956), as Mr. Carew - *Dr. Fu Manchu* (1956), series, Actor - *The Vagabond King* (1956), as Tristan - *Gaby* (1956), as Mr. Edgar Carrington - *Helen of Troy* (1956), as Priam - *Diane* (1956), as Ruggieri - *Richard III* (1955), as King Edward IV of England - *Matinee Theater* (1955), series, Actor - *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Mr. Princey, John Anderson - *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* (1955), as Mr. George Utterson - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Professor Robertson, Mr. Utterson, Sir Francis Brittain, Clifton Lattimer, Danielson, Dr, Martin Crandall - *Bait* (1954), as Prologue Speaker - *The Motorola Television Hour* (1953), series, as Dr. Hawkins - *The War of the Worlds* (1953), as Commentary (voice) - *Salome* (1953), as Tiberius Caesar - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, Actor - *Botany Bay* (1952), as Gov. Phillip - *Four Star Playhouse* (1952), series, as Sir George - *Caribbean* (1952), as Captain Francis Barclay - *The Green Glove* (1952), as Father Goron - *The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel* (1951), as Dr. Karl Strolin - *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as John O'Fell - *Mr. Imperium* (1951), as Bernand - *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Robert Malcolm - *The White Tower* (1950), as Nicholas Radcliffe - *Cameo Theatre* (1950), series, as The Inca - *Your Show of Shows* (1950), series, Actor - *Robert Montgomery Presents* (1950), series, Actor - *Now Barabbas* (1949), as Governor - *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court* (1949), as King Arthur - *Suspense* (1949), series, Actor - *Studio One* (1948), series, as Sir Alaric - *The Winslow Boy* (1948), as Arthur Winslow - *I Remember Mama* (1948), as Mr. Hyde - *A Woman's Vengeance* (1948), as Dr. James Libbard - *Rope* (1948), as Mr. Henry Kentley - *Song of My Heart* (1948), as Grand Duke - *Tycoon* (1947), as Frederick Alexander (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)v - *Lured* (1947), as Julian Wilde - *Ivy* (1947), as Inspector Orpington - *The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby* (1947), as Ralph Nickleby - *The Imperfect Lady* (1946), as Lord Belmont - *Beware of Pity* (1946), as Dr. Albert Condor - *Sentimental Journey* (1946), as Dr. Jim Miller - *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (1945), as Narrator (voice) - *French Town...* (1945), as Narrator - *The Keys of the Kingdom* (1944), as Monsignor at Tweedside - *Wilson* (1944), as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/wilson.md) - *The Lodger* (1944), as Robert Bonting - *Wing and a Prayer* (1944), as Admiral - *The Cross of Lorraine* (1943), as Father Sebastian - *The Moon Is Down* (1943), as Col. Lanser - *Forever and a Day* (1943), as Mr. Dabb · Director - *Commandos Strike at Dawn* (1942), as Admiral Bowen - *Invisible Agent* (1942), as Conrad Stauffer - *The Ghost of Frankenstein* (1942), as Dr. Ludwig Frankenstein / Dr. Henry Frankenstein (ghostly image) - *Valley of the Sun* (1942), as Lord Warrick - *Suspicion* (1941), as General McLaidlaw — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/suspicion.md) - *Sundown* (1941), as l'évêque Coombes - *Victory* (1940), as Mr. Jones - *The Howards of Virginia* (1940), as Fleetwood Peyton - *Tom Brown's School Days* (1940), as Dr. Thomas Arnold - *The Invisible Man Returns* (1940), as Richard Cobb - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1939), as Frollo - *Stanley and Livingstone* (1939), as Dr. David Livingstone - *On Borrowed Time* (1939), as Mr. Brink - *King Solomon's Mines* (1937), as Allan Quartermain - *Green Light* (1937), as Dean Harcourt - *Laburnum Grove* (1936), as Mr. Baxley - *Tudor Rose* (1936), as Earl of Warwick - *Things to Come* (1936), as Theotocopulos - *Peg of Old Drury* (1935), as David Garrick - *Becky Sharp* (1935), as Marquis of Steyne - *Les Misérables* (1935), as Bishop Bienvenue (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke) — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/les-miserables-1935.md) - *Bella Donna* (1934), as Dr. Meyer Isaacson - *The King of Paris* (1934), as Max Till - *Jew Süss* (1934), as Rabbi Gabriel - *The Lady Is Willing* (1934), as Gustav Dupont - *Nell Gwyn* (1934), as Charles II - *The Ghoul* (1933), as Broughton - *Orders Is Orders* (1933), as Brigadier - *Rome Express* (1932), as Alistair McBane - *Dreyfus* (1931), as Captain Alfred Dreyfus - *Nelson* (1926), as Horatio Nelson ## Gallery - ![Cedric Hardwicke](https://film.one/media/person/1228353/gallery-07359ea86931.jpg) Cedric Hardwicke — David Bransby, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Cedric_Hardwicke_fsa_8b09659.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Photograph of Cedric Hardwicke in the 1937 Broadway production of The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse Caption:As a far cry from his preceding role in Promise, Sir Cedr](https://film.one/media/person/1228353/gallery-a997102f5d0e.jpg) Photograph of Cedric Hardwicke in the 1937 Broadway production of The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse Caption:As a far cry from his preceding role in Promise, Sir Cedr — Stage Publishing Company, Inc., photograph by Alfredo Valente, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/The-Amazing-Dr-Clitterhouse-Stage-1937.jpg/1280px-The-Amazing-Dr-Clitterhouse-Stage-1937.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cedric Hardwicke and Fredric March in the 1935 film Les Misérables, published in National Board of Review Magazine](https://film.one/media/person/1228353/gallery-8aadceca04aa.jpg) Cedric Hardwicke and Fredric March in the 1935 film Les Misérables, published in National Board of Review Magazine — Twentieth Century Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Les-Miserables-1935.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Promotional photograph for Stanley and Livingstone, a 1939 film starring Spencer Tracy and Cedric Hardwicke](https://film.one/media/person/1228353/gallery-dd6ca2f23384.jpg) Promotional photograph for Stanley and Livingstone, a 1939 film starring Spencer Tracy and Cedric Hardwicke — 20th Century Fox, no photographer credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Stanley-and-Livingstone-1939.jpg/1280px-Stanley-and-Livingstone-1939.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Cedric Hardwicke](https://film.one/media/person/1228353/gallery-26dd69b6ad92.jpg) Cedric Hardwicke — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1959: Tony Award for Best 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/cedric-hardwicke