---
name: "Henry Daniell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/henry-daniell"
fi1m_id: "henry-daniell"
imdb_id: "nm0199787"
tmdb_id: 10924
wikidata_id: "Q1369906"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "4 March 1894"
died: "31 October 1963"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-25T02:20:21.902612+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."
---

# Henry Daniell

## Identity

Henry Daniell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/henry-daniell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** henry-daniell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0199787
- **TMDB ID:** 10924
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1369906
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Daniell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369906, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199787/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10924

Actor. Born 4 March 1894 in Barnes, Surrey, UK. Died 31 October 1963.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 4 March 1894, Barnes, Surrey, UK
- **Died:** 31 October 1963
- **Active:** 1936–1957
- **Also known as:** Henry Daniel, 亨利·丹尼尔, Charles Henry Pywell Daniell
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 6 acting, 2 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Bette Davis](https://film.one/person/bette-davis.md), [George Cukor](https://film.one/person/george-cukor.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 82 (1), 1940s 75 (4), 1950s 87 (1), 1960s 66 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 82 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Romance 3, Comedy 2, Crime 1, History 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $23m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Daniell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369906, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199787/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10924

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Witness for the Prosecution*](https://film.one/film/witness-for-the-prosecution.md) (87), [*The Philadelphia Story*](https://film.one/film/the-philadelphia-story.md) (84)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Great Dictator*](https://film.one/film/the-great-dictator.md) (80)

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

## Fi1m on Henry Daniell

> Henry Daniell's dry delivery gives elegant villains a persuasive certainty that everyone else is beneath them. We value the precision, though repeated casting as antagonists can leave too little for a performance to reveal.

Henry Daniell can make a line sound like an objection to having been spoken to at all. His dry delivery suits men who expect deference, and he is persuasive enough in those parts to make their arrogance unpleasant. There is a limitation: repeated casting as antagonists can have us expecting trouble before a character has done anything. His Hollywood supporting career took hold in the mid-1930s, with Baron de Varville opposite Greta Garbo in *Camille* (1936) an early prominent role.

Charlie Chaplin's *The Great Dictator* (1940) makes comic use of that coldness in Garbitsch. We laughed at the dry delivery, because Daniell makes the character funny without making him seem remotely welcoming. Chaplin's two performances are the film's main attraction, but Daniell's sardonic manner provides a useful contrast to its broader stretches. We recommend the film with reservations about its loose construction and the time given to lesser jokes. His restraint matters in a comedy which sometimes lets a joke carry on after it has stopped being funny.

The villainous parts include Lord Wolfingham in *The Sea Hawk* (1940) and Professor Moriarty opposite Basil Rathbone in *The Woman in Green* (1945). *The Body Snatcher* (1945), with Daniell as Dr MacFarlane, offers another reason to value his incisive dramatic delivery. These are sensible next stops, though concentrating on the sinister parts risks making his work sound more uniform than it is.

In *Witness for the Prosecution* (1957), he takes the later supporting part of Mayhew in Billy Wilder's courtroom thriller. Charles Laughton's barrister is the chief pleasure, but Daniell fits a sharply acted ensemble through the precision that also makes his less agreeable characters effective. We recommend it warmly, despite plotting that sometimes asks too much of the people required to carry it out. Mayhew gives us a reason to look beyond the aristocrats and villains when choosing which of his films to see. Go for Laughton, but pay attention when Mayhew has something to say.

## Biography

Henry Daniell (born Charles Henry Pywell Daniell) was an English actor. He began his stage career in 1913 and made his film debut in 1929. He appeared in numerous Hollywood productions, often in supporting or villainous roles.

Daniell is known for his performances in *Camille* (1936), *The Great Dictator* (1940) as Garbitsch, *The Sea Hawk* (1940), *The Philadelphia Story* (1940), *The Body Snatcher* (1945), *Witness for the Prosecution* (1957) as Mayhew, and *My Fair Lady* (1964, uncredited). He had a long career on both stage and screen until his death in 1963.

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

## On Fi1m (8)

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

- *Witness for the Prosecution* (1957), Fi1m 87, as Mayhew — [page](https://film.one/film/witness-for-the-prosecution.md)
- *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), Fi1m 73, as Phili Von Ramme — [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md)
- *All This, and Heaven Too* (1940), Fi1m 64, as Broussais — [page](https://film.one/film/all-this-and-heaven-too.md)
- *The Great Dictator* (1940), Fi1m 80, as Garbitsch — [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-dictator.md)
- *The Philadelphia Story* (1940), Fi1m 84, as Sidney Kidd — [page](https://film.one/film/the-philadelphia-story.md)
- *Camille* (1936), Fi1m 82, as Baron de Varville — [page](https://film.one/film/camille.md)

### Also credited (2) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *My Fair Lady* (1964), Fi1m 76, as Ambassador (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/my-fair-lady.md)
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1962), Fi1m 56, as Court-martial Judge (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty-1962.md)

## Complete filmography (87)

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

- *Hitler: The Comedy Years* (2007), as Garbitsch (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *My Fair Lady* (1964), as Ambassador (uncredited) — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/my-fair-lady.md)
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1962), as Court-martial Judge (uncredited) — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty-1962.md)
- *The Chapman Report* (1962), as Dr. Jonas
- *Combat!* (1962), series, as Minister
- *Five Weeks in a Balloon* (1962), as Sheik Ageiba
- *The Notorious Landlady* (1962), as Stranger
- *The Comancheros* (1961), as Gireaux
- *Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea* (1961), as Dr. Zucco
- *The Grim Reaper* (1961), as Pierre Radin
- *Madison Avenue* (1961), as Stipe
- *The Islanders* (1960), series, as Jarden
- *Thriller* (1960), series, as Dirk Van Prinn, Squire Moloch, Count Alexander Cagliostro, Pierre Radin, Vicar John Weatherford
- *The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake* (1959), as Dr. Emil Zurich
- *Startime* (1959), series, as Uncle Henri
- *Riverboat* (1959), series, as Graham
- *From the Earth to the Moon* (1958), as Morgana
- *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, Actor
- *Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse* (1958), series, Actor
- *Peter Gunn* (1958), series, Actor
- *Witness for the Prosecution* (1957), as Mayhew — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/witness-for-the-prosecution.md)
- *The Story of Mankind* (1957), as Pierre Cauchon - Bishop of Beauvais
- *Les Girls* (1957), as Judge
- *Maverick* (1957), series, Actor
- *Wagon Train* (1957), series, as Morton W. Snipple
- *The Sun Also Rises* (1957), as Doctor
- *Mister Cory* (1957), as Mr. Earnshaw
- *Confession* (1956), as Hubbel
- *Lust for Life* (1956), as Theodorus van Gogh
- *On Trial* (1956), series, as Clark, Van Buren
- *The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit* (1956), as Bill Ogden
- *Telephone Time* (1956), series, Actor
- *The Barretts of Wimpole Street* (1956), as Edward Moulton-Barrett
- *Diane* (1956), as Gondi
- *Matinee Theater* (1955), series, Actor
- *MGM Parade* (1955), series, Actor
- *The Prodigal* (1955), as Ramadi
- *Producers' Showcase* (1954), series, Actor
- *The Egyptian* (1954), as Mekere
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Count Maverin
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Lord Belmont
- *Buccaneer's Girl* (1950), as Capt. Duval
- *The Secret Of St. Ives* (1949), as Maj. Edward Chevenish
- *Siren of Atlantis* (1949), as Blades
- *Wake of the Red Witch* (1948), as Jacques Desaix
- *Studio One* (1948), series, Actor
- *The Philco Television Playhouse* (1948), series, as Colonel Chart
- *The Exile* (1947), as Colonel Ingram
- *Song of Love* (1947), as Franz Liszt
- *The Bandit of Sherwood Forest* (1946), as The Regent - William of Pembroke
- *Angel Street* (1946), as Mr. Manningham
- *Captain Kidd* (1945), as King William III
- *The Woman in Green* (1945), as Professor James Moriarty
- *The Body Snatcher* (1945), as Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane
- *Hotel Berlin* (1945), as Baron Von Stetten
- *The Suspect* (1945), as Mr. Simmons
- *Jane Eyre* (1943), as Henry Brocklehurst
- *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), as Phili Von Ramme — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md)
- *Mission to Moscow* (1943), as Minister von Ribbentrop
- *Sherlock Holmes in Washington* (1943), as William Easter
- *Reunion in France* (1942), as Emile Fleuron
- *The Great Impersonation* (1942), as Frederick Seamon
- *Nightmare* (1942), as Capt. Edgar Stafford
- *Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror* (1942), as Sir Anthony Lloyd
- *Castle in the Desert* (1942), as Watson King
- *Four Jacks and a Jill* (1942), as Bobo
- *The Feminine Touch* (1941), as Shelley Mason
- *Dressed to Kill* (1941), as Julian Davis
- *A Woman's Face* (1941), as Public Prosecutor
- *The Philadelphia Story* (1940), as Sidney Kidd — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-philadelphia-story.md)
- *The Great Dictator* (1940), as Garbitsch — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-dictator.md)
- *The Sea Hawk* (1940), as Lord Wolfingham
- *All This, and Heaven Too* (1940), as Broussais — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/all-this-and-heaven-too.md)
- *We Are Not Alone* (1939), as Sir Ronald Dawson
- *The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex* (1939), as Sir Robert Cecil
- *Marie Antoinette* (1938), as La Motte
- *Holiday* (1938), as Seton Cram
- *The Firefly* (1937), as General Savary
- *Madame X* (1937), as Lerocle
- *The Thirteenth Chair* (1937), as John Wales
- *Under Cover of Night* (1937), as Professor Marvin Griswald
- *Camille* (1936), as Baron de Varville — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/camille.md)
- *The Unguarded Hour* (1936), as Hugh Lewis
- *The Path of Glory* (1934), as King Maximillian
- *The Last of the Lone Wolf* (1930), as Count von Rimpau (as Henry Daniel)
- *Jealousy* (1929), as Clement
- *The Awful Truth* (1929), as Norman Warriner

## Gallery

- ![Lobby card for the 1936 film Camille.](https://film.one/media/person/102831/gallery-7244c62957cf.jpg) Lobby card for the 1936 film Camille. — MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Camille_lobby_card.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Henry Daniell](https://film.one/media/person/102831/gallery-9af3ae58eb78.jpg) Henry Daniell — Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Dictator_charlie4.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Henry Daniell](https://film.one/media/person/102831/gallery-172068ba2d2c.jpg) Henry Daniell — Image via TMDB
- ![Henry Daniell](https://film.one/media/person/102831/gallery-e0267d4931ae.jpg) Henry Daniell — 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/henry-daniell