Biography
Cyril Ritchard was an Australian actor and director who worked in stage, film and television. Born in Sydney, he began his career in Australian musical comedy before moving to London and later Broadway. He appeared as The Artist in Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929).
Ritchard formed a long stage partnership with dancer and actress Madge Elliott, whom he married in 1935. He became best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as Captain Hook opposite Mary Martin in the 1954 Broadway musical Peter Pan, a role he reprised on television. He also voiced Elrond in the animated film The Hobbit (1977).
His other film credits include Piccadilly (1929) and Half a Sixpence (1967). Ritchard died in Chicago in 1977.
