--- name: "George Coulouris" canonical: "https://film.one/person/george-coulouris" fi1m_id: "george-coulouris" imdb_id: "nm0183459" tmdb_id: 11028 wikidata_id: "Q1507169" roles: ["Actor"] born: "1 October 1903" died: "25 April 1989" reviewed_on_fi1m: 7 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 7 updated: "2026-09-20T01:06:04.628046+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." --- # George Coulouris ## Identity George Coulouris - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/george-coulouris - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** george-coulouris - **IMDb ID:** nm0183459 - **TMDB ID:** 11028 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1507169 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Coulouris, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1507169, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183459/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11028 Actor. Born 1 October 1903 in Manchester, England, UK. Died 25 April 1989. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 1 October 1903, Manchester, England, UK - **Died:** 25 April 1989 - **Active:** 1940–1973 - **Also known as:** George Colouris, George Alexander Coulouris - **Frequently works with:** [Bette Davis](https://film.one/person/bette-davis.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 7 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 72 (4), 1960s 82 (2), 1970s 74 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 74 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 7, Mystery 2, Romance 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1 - **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $94m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Coulouris, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1507169, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0183459/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11028 ## Streaming the US now - **The Roku Channel:** [*Papillon*](https://film.one/film/papillon.md) (74) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on George Coulouris > George Coulouris made authority look faintly threatening, with the shoulders and hooded eyes to give it weight. We value him in a strong ensemble, though repeated casting as villains left too much of his screen work on familiar ground. George Coulouris looks capable of making an unwelcome decision and expecting everyone else to accept it. His broad shoulders and hooded eyes lend themselves to men accustomed to getting their way. As Walter Parks Thatcher, the lawyer and financier in *Citizen Kane* (1941), he makes that authority worth watching. We rate him highly in this sort of supporting part, though the repeated casting as heavies risks telling us too quickly whom to distrust. Orson Welles gave him a particularly good setting for those qualities. Coulouris joined Welles's Mercury Theatre in 1937 and played Mark Antony in a modern-dress *Julius Caesar*; *Citizen Kane* became his Hollywood breakthrough. Thatcher's profession makes useful sense of that formidable presence: here is someone plausibly entrusted with other people's money. We were absorbed by *Citizen Kane* because Welles makes the effort to understand a powerful man matter, even when the elaborate structure keeps us at a distance. Coulouris gives us a reason to keep an eye on the supporting cast. *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), in which he repeated his Broadway role as the blackmailer Teck de Brancovis, helped establish him as a screen heavy. It was work he could do persuasively, but those assignments left fewer opportunities for leading or nobler parts. There is a limitation in the casting here: a threatening appearance can become an excuse to give an actor little else to do. His return to Britain in 1950 brought further classical stage work alongside his screen appearances. A stage repertoire encompassing Shakespeare, Ibsen, Shaw and Strindberg is a useful reminder of how much else he had to offer. The later supporting roles included Dr. Chatal in *Papillon* (1973), Doctor Constantine in *Murder on the Orient Express* (1974) and Gus in *The Long Good Friday* (1980). *Papillon* is worth its long confinement for Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, with the oppressive penal colony doing much of the remaining work. We would not choose it chiefly for Coulouris. The episodic story and insistent music remain substantial reservations, however dependable the cast. Begin with *Citizen Kane*, and pay attention to the man entrusted with the money. ## Biography George Coulouris was an English stage and screen actor. Born George Alexander Coulouris on 1 October 1903 in Manchester, he trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and made his stage debut in 1926 at the Old Vic in Henry V. He appeared on Broadway from the late 1920s and joined Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre, playing Mark Antony in the 1937 modern-dress production of Julius Caesar. Coulouris entered films in 1933 and became known for character roles, often as villains. His performance as Walter Parks Thatcher in Citizen Kane (1941) brought wider recognition, and he received a National Board of Review award for it alongside Welles. Later credits include For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Papillon (1973) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974). He also worked in television, appearing in series such as Doctor Who and The Prisoner. Coulouris died in London on 25 April 1989. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.* ## On Fi1m (7) - *Papillon* (1973), Fi1m 74, as Dr. Chatal — [page](https://film.one/film/papillon.md) - *The Prisoner* (1967), Fi1m 84, as Man with the Stick — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-prisoner.md) - *Doctor Who* (1963), Fi1m 81, as Arbitan — [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md) - *For Whom the Bell Tolls* (1943), Fi1m 58, as André Massart — [page](https://film.one/film/for-whom-the-bell-tolls.md) - *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), Fi1m 73, as Teck de Brancovis — [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md) - *Citizen Kane* (1941), Fi1m 93, as Walter Parks Thatcher — [page](https://film.one/film/citizen-kane.md) - *All This, and Heaven Too* (1940), Fi1m 64, as Charpentier — [page](https://film.one/film/all-this-and-heaven-too.md) ## Complete filmography (121) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Inside the Tower* (2015), as John Gurney (archive footage) - *The Sets of Marinus* (2009), as Arbitan (archive footage) - *Mussolini: The Untold Story* (1985), series, as DeBono - *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, Actor - *The Birds Fall Down* (1978), series, as Nikolai - *Jemima Shore Investigates* (1978), series, Actor - *The Doombolt Chase* (1978), series, Actor - *The Daedalus Equations* (1976), as Hans Daedalus - *The Ritz* (1976), as Old Man Vespucci - *Shout at the Devil* (1976), as El Keb - *Murder on the Orient Express* (1974), as Doctor - *The Antichrist* (1974), as Father Mittner - *Percy's Progress* (1974), as Professor Godowski - *Mahler* (1974), as Doctor Roth - *Playhouse* (1974), series, as Hans Daedalus - *Papillon* (1973), as Dr. Chatal — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/papillon.md) - *The Final Programme* (1973), as Dr Powys - *Coffee, Tea or Me?* (1973), as Doctor - *The Stranger* (1973), as Max Greene - *The Suicide Club* (1973), Actor - *Crown Court* (1972), series, Actor - *Search* (1972), series, Actor - *Tower of Evil* (1972), as John Gurney - *Lord Peter Wimsey* (1972), series, as Mr. Grimthorpe - *Blood from the Mummy's Tomb* (1971), as Professor Berrigan - *Unfair!* (1970), as Judge - *No Blade of Grass* (1970), as Mr. Sturdevant - *Christ Recrucified* (1969), series, as Old Ladas - *Land Raiders* (1969), as Cardenas - *The Assassination Bureau* (1969), as Swiss Peasant - *Koroshi* (1968), as Controller - *Treasure Island* (1968), series, as Black Dog - *The Prisoner* (1967), series, as Man with the Stick — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-prisoner.md) - *Dundee and the Culhane* (1967), series, Actor - *Haunted* (1967), series, Actor - *Too Many Thieves* (1966), as Andrew - *Arabesque* (1966), as Ragheeb - *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Shepherd - *The Trials of O'Brien* (1965), series, Actor - *The Skull* (1965), as Dr. Londe - *The Crooked Road* (1965), as Carlo - *Scruggs* (1965), Actor - *R3* (1964), series, Actor - *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Pokorny - *Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus* (1964), as Arbitan - *Doctor Who* (1963), series, as Arbitan — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who.md) - *The Russian Miracle* (1963), as (English version narrator) - *Crane* (1963), series, as Dr. Jackson - *Crane* (1963), series, Actor - *Zero One* (1962), series, Actor - *Man of the World* (1962), series, as Gomez - *Z-Cars* (1962), series, Actor - *King of Kings* (1961), as Camel Driver - *Ghost Squad* (1961), series, Actor - *Pathfinders to Venus* (1961), series, as Harcourt Brown - *Fury at Smugglers' Bay* (1961), as François Lejeune - *Pathfinders to Mars* (1960), series, as The Imposter / Harcourt Brown - *Maigret* (1960), series, Actor - *Surprise Package* (1960), as Dr. Panzer - *Danger Man* (1960), series, as Police Commissioner - *The Boy Who Stole a Million* (1960), as Bank Manager - *Bluebeard's 10 Honeymoons* (1960), as Lacoste - *The Son of Robin Hood* (1958), as Alan A Dale - *Spy in the Sky!* (1958), as Col. Benedict - *Law and Disorder* (1958), as Sergeant Bolton, 'Bennie' Bensuson - *The Big Money* (1958), as The Colonel - *Tank Force!* (1958), as Italian POW camp commandant - *Womaneater* (1958), as Dr. James Moran - *I Accuse!* (1958), as Colonel Sandherr - *Seven Thunders* (1957), as Paul Bourdin - *Kill Me Tomorrow* (1957), as Heinz Webber - *The Man Without a Body* (1957), as Karl Brussard - *Tarzan and the Lost Safari* (1957), as Carl Kraski - *Doctor at Large* (1957), as Pascoe - *Hancock's Half Hour* (1956), series, Actor - *Colonel March of Scotland Yard* (1956), series, as Harwood - *Private's Progress* (1956), as Padre - *Doctor at Sea* (1955), as Chippie - *Mask of Dust* (1954), as 'Pic' Dallapiccola - *The Teckman Mystery* (1954), as Andrew Garvin - *Mark Saber* (1954), series, Actor - *Duel in the Jungle* (1954), as Capt. Malburn - *Doctor in the House* (1954), as Briggs - *A Day to Remember* (1953), as Foreign Legion Captain - *The Heart of the Matter* (1953), as Portuguese Captain - *The Dog and the Diamonds* (1953), as Forbes - *The Runaway Bus* (1953), as Ernest Schroeder - *Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents* (1953), series, Actor - *Venetian Bird* (1952), as Chief of Police Spadoni - *Outcast of the Islands* (1951), as Babalatchi - *Appointment with Venus* (1951), as Captain Weiss - *Kill or Be Killed* (1950), as Victor Sloma - *Sunday Night Theatre* (1950), series, as Poppa Brodsky - *Joan of Arc* (1948), as Sir Robert de Baudricourt, Governor of Vaucouleurs - *The Philco Television Playhouse* (1948), series, Actor - *A Southern Yankee* (1948), as Maj. Jack Drumman aka The Grey Spider - *Beyond Glory* (1948), as Lew Proctor - *Sleep, My Love* (1948), as Charles Vernay - *Where There's Life* (1947), as Prime Minister Krivoc - *California* (1947), as Capt. Pharaoh Coffin - *Mr. District Attorney* (1947), as James Randolph - *Nobody Lives Forever* (1946), as Doc Ganson - *The Verdict* (1946), as Supt. John R. Buckley - *Confidential Agent* (1945), as Captain Currie - *Lady on a Train* (1945), as Mr. Saunders · Circus Club Manager - *Hotel Berlin* (1945), as Joachim Helm - *A Song to Remember* (1945), as Louis Pleyel - *None But the Lonely Heart* (1944), as Jim Mordinoy - *The Master Race* (1944), as Von Beck - *Mr. Skeffington* (1944), as Dr. Byles - *Between Two Worlds* (1944), as Mr. Lingley - *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), as Teck de Brancovis — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md) - *For Whom the Bell Tolls* (1943), as André Massart — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/for-whom-the-bell-tolls.md) - *This Land Is Mine* (1943), as Prosecutor - *Assignment in Brittany* (1943), as Capt. Hans Holz - *Citizen Kane* (1941), as Walter Parks Thatcher — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/citizen-kane.md) - *The Lady in Question* (1940), as Defense Attorney - *All This, and Heaven Too* (1940), as Charpentier — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/all-this-and-heaven-too.md) - *The Streets of New York* (1939), as Gideon Bloodgood - *Christopher Bean* (1933), as Tallent - *The Impassive Footman* (1932), as Daventry's Butler (uncredited) ## Gallery - ![George Coulouris](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-29c6f730559d.jpg) George Coulouris — RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Citizen_Kane-George_Coulouris.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Promotional photograph of the Mercury Theatre production of Caesar, featuring George Coulouis (center) as Marc Antony Caption (page 57) reads as follows:"Friend (1938)](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-f3978cda089a.jpg) Promotional photograph of the Mercury Theatre production of Caesar, featuring George Coulouis (center) as Marc Antony Caption (page 57) reads as follows:"Friend (1938) — Stage Publishing Company, Inc., photograph by Alfredo Valente, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Caesar-Coulouris-1937.jpg/1280px-Caesar-Coulouris-1937.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Screenshot of w:George Coulouris from the Citizen Kane trailer (1940)](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-641620040519.jpg) Screenshot of w:George Coulouris from the Citizen Kane trailer (1940) — RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Citizen-Kane-Coulouris.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Screenshot of w:George Coulouris as Walter Parks Thatcher, from the Citizen Kane trailer (1940)](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-f985d23d3e74.jpg) Screenshot of w:George Coulouris as Walter Parks Thatcher, from the Citizen Kane trailer (1940) — RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Citizen-Kane-Coulouris2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![George Coulouris](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-ff8f21baf9bd.jpg) George Coulouris — Image via TMDB - ![George Coulouris](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-30722438fb31.jpg) George Coulouris — Image via TMDB - ![George Coulouris](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-49c44c5884da.jpg) George Coulouris — Image via TMDB - ![Promotional photograph for the 1941 film Citizen Kane From left: Harry Shannon, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-965dc8b35fb8.jpg) Promotional photograph for the 1941 film Citizen Kane From left: Harry Shannon, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead — RKO Radio Pictures, still photographer Alexander Kahle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead.jpg/1280px-Citizen-Kane-Moorehead.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Promotional still for the 1941 film, Citizen Kane Image is marked CK-123 at lower right](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-ee5d01322b55.jpg) Promotional still for the 1941 film, Citizen Kane Image is marked CK-123 at lower right — RKO Radio Pictures, still photographer Alexander Kahle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Citizen-Kane-Welles-Coulouris.jpg/1280px-Citizen-Kane-Welles-Coulouris.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![George Coulouris](https://film.one/media/person/59025/gallery-bceea6cc81cc.jpg) George Coulouris — 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/george-coulouris