---
name: "Esmond Knight"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/esmond-knight"
fi1m_id: "esmond-knight"
imdb_id: "nm0460874"
tmdb_id: 56875
wikidata_id: "Q462314"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "4 May 1906"
died: "23 February 1987"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 74
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T11:10:13.942886+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."
---

# Esmond Knight

## Identity

Esmond Knight

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/esmond-knight
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** esmond-knight
- **IMDb ID:** nm0460874
- **TMDB ID:** 56875
- **Wikidata ID:** Q462314
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmond_Knight, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q462314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460874/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56875

Actor. Born 4 May 1906 in East Sheen, Surrey, England. Died 23 February 1987.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 4 May 1906, East Sheen, Surrey, England
- **Died:** 23 February 1987
- **Active:** 1944–1987
- **Also known as:** Esmond Penington Knight, Эсмонд Найт
- **Frequently works with:** [Michael Powell](https://film.one/person/michael-powell.md), [Emeric Pressburger](https://film.one/person/emeric-pressburger.md), [Moira Shearer](https://film.one/person/moira-shearer.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 86 (4), 1960s 60 (1), 1970s 90 (1), 1980s 46 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 71 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 7, History 2, Romance 2, Science Fiction 2, Action 1, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $47m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esmond_Knight, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q462314, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460874/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56875

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Red Shoes*](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md) (92), [*Black Narcissus*](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md) (88), [*Hamlet*](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md) (84)
- **MUBI:** [*The Element of Crime*](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md) (63)

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

## Biography

Esmond Knight was an English actor. Born in East Sheen, Surrey, he began his stage career in 1925 and appeared in his first film, *77 Park Lane*, in 1931. He worked frequently with directors Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier.

Knight served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Wounded in 1941 during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, he lost the sight in one eye and was almost totally blind in the other for two years, though he later regained partial vision. He dictated his autobiography *Seeking the Bubble* (1943) while blind. His later film roles include *Henry V* (1944), *Black Narcissus* (1947), *The Red Shoes* (1948) as Livy, *Hamlet* (1948), *Peeping Tom* (1960) and *The Spy Who Came In from the Cold* (1965).

His daughter is the actress Rosalind Knight. He died in London in 1987.

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

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* (1987), Fi1m 30, as Second Elder — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iv-the-quest-for-peace.md)
- *The Element of Crime* (1984), Fi1m 63, as Osborne — [page](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md)
- *I, Claudius* (1976), Fi1m 90, as Domitius — [page](https://film.one/tv/i-claudius.md)
- *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969), Fi1m 60, as Kingston — [page](https://film.one/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days.md)
- *Hamlet* (1948), Fi1m 84, as Bernardo — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *The Red Shoes* (1948), Fi1m 92, as Livy — [page](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md)
- *Black Narcissus* (1947), Fi1m 88, as The Old General — [page](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md)
- *Henry V* (1944), Fi1m 82, as Fluellen - Captain in the English Army — [page](https://film.one/film/henry-v-1944.md)

## Complete filmography (113)

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

- *Fortunes of War* (1987), series, as Liversage
- *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* (1987), as Second Elder — Fi1m 30, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iv-the-quest-for-peace.md)
- *Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder* (1987), series, as Mr. Galbraith
- *The Invisible Man* (1984), series, as Blind Man
- *The Element of Crime* (1984), as Osborne — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md)
- *A Voyage Round My Father* (1984), as Judge
- *King Lear* (1983), as Old Man
- *My Cousin Rachel* (1983), series, as Sam Bates
- *Fame Is the Spur* (1982), series, as Old Etchells
- *Troilus & Cressida* (1981), as Priam
- *Antony & Cleopatra* (1981), as Lepidus
- *Drake's Venture* (1980), as John Dee
- *Rebecca* (1979), series, as Coroner
- *Romeo and Juliet* (1978), as Old Capulet
- *The BBC Television Shakespeare* (1978), series, as Old Capulet
- *Return of the Saint* (1978), series, as Paul Hanson
- *1990* (1977), series, as Mitchell
- *The Man in the Iron Mask* (1977), as Armand
- *Supernatural* (1977), series, as Sir Charles
- *I, Claudius* (1976), series, as Domitius — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/i-claudius.md)
- *Robin and Marian* (1976), as Old Defender
- *Quiller* (1975), series, as General Pickford
- *Churchill's People* (1974), series, as Penda's Father
- *Fall of Eagles* (1974), series, as General Ruzski
- *Bedtime Stories* (1974), series, as Vere Rawley
- *Wessex Tales* (1973), series, as Conjuror Trendle
- *Yellow Dog* (1973), as Mundt
- *Arthur of the Britons* (1972), series, as Athel
- *The Boy Who Turned Yellow* (1972), as Doctor
- *New Scotland Yard* (1972), series, as General Travers
- *The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes* (1971), series, as Captain Cutler
- *Cousin Bette* (1971), series, as General Hulot, Marshal Hulot
- *Elizabeth R* (1971), series, as Bishop de Quadra
- *Anne of the Thousand Days* (1969), as Kingston — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/anne-of-the-thousand-days.md)
- *Softly Softly: Task Force* (1969), series, as Mr. Justice Ruddy
- *Doctor Who: The Space Pirates* (1969), as Dom Issigri
- *Where's Jack?* (1969), as Ballad Singer
- *The Champions* (1968), series, as Minister
- *The Winter's Tale* (1968), as Camillo
- *The Parachute* (1968), as Helmut
- *King of the River* (1966), series, as Donner
- *Lord Raingo* (1966), series, as Sid Jenkin
- *The Spies* (1966), series, as General Loren
- *The Spy Who Came In from the Cold* (1965), as Old Judge
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Helmut
- *Thirty-Minute Theatre* (1965), series, as President
- *The Troubleshooters* (1965), series, as Foss
- *Gideon's Way* (1965), series, as Robson
- *Public Eye* (1965), series, as Dr. Stowe
- *Detective* (1964), series, as Commodore Rupert Gill, Albert, Ernest Guppy
- *The Protectors* (1964), series, as Pearce Kettner
- *Decision at Midnight* (1963), as Peter Hauser
- *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Dom Issigri — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md)
- *Festival* (1963), series, as Chorus
- *The Saint* (1962), series, as Antoine Louvois
- *Dr. Finlay's Casebook* (1962), series, as Colonel Grahame, Hugh Armitage
- *Z-Cars* (1962), series, as Albert Wallace
- *A for Andromeda* (1961), series, as Professor Ernest Reinhart
- *Barnaby Rudge* (1960), series, as Dennis, the Hangman, Dennis
- *Sunday-Night Play* (1960), series, as Harold P. Jackman
- *Danger Man* (1960), series, as Baron
- *An Age of Kings* (1960), series, as Jack Cade
- *Peeping Tom* (1960), as Arthur Baden
- *Sink the Bismarck!* (1960), as Captain Leach - 'Prince of Wales'
- *The Third Man* (1959), series, as Theodore Ratteau
- *Interpol Calling* (1959), series, as Von Schriber
- *The Invisible Man* (1958), series, as Wilson
- *Battle of the V-1* (1958), as Stricker
- *Nicholas Nickleby* (1957), series, as Wackford Squeers. Sr
- *The Prince and the Showgirl* (1957), as Hoffman
- *Sailor of Fortune* (1957), series, as Oberon
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Uncle Karl
- *The Count of Monte Cristo* (1956), series, as Gustav
- *Helen of Troy* (1956), as High Priest
- *The Dark Avenger* (1955), Dialogue Coach
- *Full Circle* (1953), Actor
- *The Steel Key* (1953), as Prof. Newman
- *Girdle of Gold* (1952), as Evans the Milk
- *The River* (1951), as The Father
- *Without Fear* (1951), as Narrator (voice)
- *Gone to Earth* (1950), as Abel Woodus
- *Sunday Night Theatre* (1950), series, as Bubnov, a Capmaker, Major Kartuschke, Legal Officer
- *Hamlet* (1948), as Bernardo — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *The Red Shoes* (1948), as Livy — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md)
- *The End of the River* (1947), as Dantos
- *Uncle Silas* (1947), as Dr. Bryerly
- *Holiday Camp* (1947), as Camp Announcer
- *Black Narcissus* (1947), as The Old General — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md)
- *Henry V* (1944), as Fluellen - Captain in the English Army — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/henry-v-1944.md)
- *A Canterbury Tale* (1944), as Narrator / Seven-Sisters Soldier / Village Idiot
- *The Halfway House* (1944), as David Davies
- *The Silver Fleet* (1943), as Von Schiffer
- *This England* (1941), as Vicar's Son
- *Contraband* (1940), as Mr. Pidgeon
- *The Arsenal Stadium Mystery* (1939), as Raille
- *Weddings Are Wonderful* (1938), as Guy Rogers
- *What Men Live By* (1938), as Michael
- *The Vicar of Bray* (1937), as Dennis Melross
- *Black Roses* (1936), as Pavo Collin
- *Pagliacci* (1936), as Cadet Silvio
- *Someday* (1935), as Curly Blake
- *Crime Unlimited* (1935), as Pete Borden
- *Dandy Dick* (1935), as Tony Mardon
- *Father and Son* (1935), as Michael Bolton
- *The Blue Squadron* (1934), as Captain Carlo Banti
- *Girls Will Be Boys* (1934), as Geoffrey Dawson
- *Waltzes from Vienna* (1934), as Johann Strauss, the Younger
- *The Bermondsey Kid* (1933), as Eddie Martin
- *Deadlock* (1931), as John Tring
- *77 Park Lane* (1931), as Philip Connor
- *The Ringer* (1931), as John Lenley
- *Romany Love* (1931), as Davy Summers
- *The Blue Peter* (1928), as Radio operator

## Gallery

- ![Esmond Knight](https://film.one/media/person/59038/gallery-1d4eb960a6cf.png) Esmond Knight — Bekerve, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Esmond_knight.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Esmond Knight](https://film.one/media/person/59038/gallery-5715f31f7a15.jpg) Esmond Knight — Image via TMDB
- ![Esmond Knight](https://film.one/media/person/59038/gallery-d33bf73fe733.jpg) Esmond Knight — Image via TMDB

---
© 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/esmond-knight