--- name: "James Mason" canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-mason" fi1m_id: "james-mason" imdb_id: "nm0000051" tmdb_id: 2091 wikidata_id: "Q209186" roles: ["Actor"] born: "15 May 1909" died: "27 July 1984" reviewed_on_fi1m: 10 average_fi1m_score: 77 average_as: "actor" average_over: 10 updated: "2026-09-26T14:27:22.454418+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." --- # James Mason ## Identity James Mason - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-mason - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** james-mason - **IMDb ID:** nm0000051 - **TMDB ID:** 2091 - **Wikidata ID:** Q209186 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mason, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209186, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000051/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2091 Actor. Born 15 May 1909 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK. Died 27 July 1984. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 15 May 1909, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK - **Died:** 27 July 1984 - **Active:** 1943–1982 - **Also known as:** Джеймс Мейсон, James Neville Mason, Джеймс Невилл Мэйсон, Джеймс Мэйсон, جیمز میسون - **Frequently works with:** [Jack Warden](https://film.one/person/jack-warden.md) - **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 10 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 70 (3), 1950s 82 (4), 1960s 73 (1), 1970s 74 (1), 1980s 84 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 77 across 7 titles - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 6 of 10 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 9, Romance 3, Thriller 3, Crime 2, Fantasy 2, Adventure 1 - **Screen time:** 20 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $181m across 6 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mason, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209186, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000051/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2091 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*North by Northwest*](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md) (89), [*Julius Caesar*](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) (76), [*Lolita*](https://film.one/film/lolita.md) (73), [*The Reckless Moment*](https://film.one/film/the-reckless-moment.md) (68) - **HBO Max:** [*Odd Man Out*](https://film.one/film/odd-man-out.md) (82) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Pandora and the Flying Dutchman*](https://film.one/film/pandora-and-the-flying-dutchman.md) (79) - **Pluto TV:** [*Heaven Can Wait*](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md) (74) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on James Mason > James Mason could make a courteous voice sound dangerous without raising it. We rate him most highly when that composure lets us sense the flawed man underneath, though his presence is no guarantee of a good film. In *North by Northwest* (1959), James Mason makes Phillip Vandamm's measured delivery feel more dangerous than shouting. We were unsettled by how little he seemed to need to insist: the calm suggested that he expected to be obeyed. His resonant voice can be pleasurable to listen to even while the character gives us reason for concern. He makes us listen closely to men we have good reason to distrust. The early British stardom came through Gainsborough melodramas, with the brooding Lord Rohan of *The Man in Grey* (1943) an important breakthrough. His performance as Johnny McQueen in Carol Reed's *Odd Man Out* (1947) showed how much complication he could bring to a dramatic lead. The move to Hollywood in the late 1940s brought a different sort of leading man in Norman Maine, the declining actor of *A Star Is Born* (1954). The sensitive support he provides there is a useful corrective to the idea that his chief business was being an elegant villain. *Lolita* (1962), directed by Stanley Kubrick, put that ability to complicate an unsympathetic man to work in Humbert Humbert. From the 1960s, Mason worked increasingly in character parts in Britain and the United States, with the ruthless lawyer Ed Concannon in *The Verdict* (1982) a late example of his authority. His willingness to take on so much work also left him in undistinguished films. We would not recommend following the credits indiscriminately; a distinctive voice can hold our attention for longer than a weak film deserves. Return to *North by Northwest* and the value of a director who knows how to use him becomes clear. Alfred Hitchcock gives Mason's restraint room alongside Cary Grant's comic panic and Eva Marie Saint's poise as Eve Kendall. Grant can make panic funny; Mason's calm gives that panic a sound reason to exist. Vandamm helps keep the danger credible when the plotting asks for indulgence, without abandoning the manners that make the film so enjoyable. Start here for Mason, provided a few liberties with the plotting will not spoil the evening. ## Biography James Mason (1909–1984) was an English actor. He appeared in more than 100 films across a career spanning over 50 years in Britain and the United States. Mason began as a stage actor in London's West End. He made his film debut in 1935 and rose to prominence in British cinema in the 1940s with leading roles in films including *The Seventh Veil* (1945) and *Odd Man Out* (1947). After moving to Hollywood, he appeared in *A Star Is Born* (1954), *North by Northwest* (1959) as Phillip Vandamm, *Lolita* (1962), *The Boys from Brazil* (1978) and *The Verdict* (1982). He received three Academy Award nominations. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (10) - *The Verdict* (1982), Fi1m 84, as Ed Concannon — [page](https://film.one/film/the-verdict.md) - *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), Fi1m 74, as Mr. Jordan — [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md) - *Lolita* (1962), Fi1m 73, as Prof. Humbert Humbert — [page](https://film.one/film/lolita.md) - *North by Northwest* (1959), Fi1m 89, as Phillip Vandamm — [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md) - *Bigger Than Life* (1956), Fi1m 85, as Ed Avery — [page](https://film.one/film/bigger-than-life.md) - *Julius Caesar* (1953), Fi1m 76, as Brutus — [page](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) - *Pandora and the Flying Dutchman* (1951), Fi1m 79, as Hendrick van der Zee — [page](https://film.one/film/pandora-and-the-flying-dutchman.md) - *The Reckless Moment* (1949), Fi1m 68, as Martin Donnelly — [page](https://film.one/film/the-reckless-moment.md) - *Odd Man Out* (1947), Fi1m 82, as Johnny McQueen — [page](https://film.one/film/odd-man-out.md) - *The Man in Grey* (1943), Fi1m 61, as Lord Rohan — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-grey.md) ## Complete filmography (159) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Bob the Builder: Building Sky High* (2016), Writer - *Lasseter's Bones* (2012), as Archival Footage - *Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War* (2011), In Memory Of - *Halloween Monster Bash* (1991), as Stephen Deremid (archive footage) - *The Assisi Underground* (1985), as Bishop Nicolini - *A.D.* (1985), series, as Tiberius - *The Shooting Party* (1985), as Sir Randolph Nettleby - *Dr. Fischer of Geneva* (1984), as Dr. Fischer - *George Washington* (1984), series, as Gen. Edward Braddock - *Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art* (1983), as Demon - *Yellowbeard* (1983), as Captain Hughes - *Unknown Chaplin* (1983), series, as Narrator (voice) - *Alexandre* (1983), as The Father - *The Popes and Their Art* (1983), as Presentor - *The Verdict* (1982), as Ed Concannon — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-verdict.md) - *A Dangerous Summer* (1982), as George Engels - *The Glory of the Garden* (1982), as Narrator - *Evil Under the Sun* (1982), as Odell Gardener - *Ivanhoe* (1982), as Isaac of York - *The Search for Alexander the Great* (1981), series, as Narrator - *North Sea Hijack* (1980), as Admiral Brindsen - *Salem's Lot* (1979), series, as Richard K. Straker - *Bloodline* (1979), as Sir Alec Nichols - *The Passage* (1979), as Professor Bergson - *Murder by Decree* (1979), as Dr. Watson - *The Boys from Brazil* (1978), as Eduard Seibert - *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), as Mr. Jordan — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md) - *The Water Babies* (1978), as Mr. Grimes / Voice of Killer Shark - *Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love* (1977), as Narrator - English version - *Jesus of Nazareth* (1977), series, as Joseph of Arimathea - *Cross of Iron* (1977), as Oberst Brandt - *Voyage of the Damned* (1976), as Dr. Juan Remos - *Origins of the Mafia* (1976), series, as Vianisi - *People of the Wind* (1976), as Jafar Qoli (voice) - *Fear in the City* (1976), as Chief of Police - *The Flower in His Mouth* (1975), as Avv. Antonio Bellocampo - *Inside Out* (1975), as Ernst Furben - *Autobiography of a Princess* (1975), as Cyril Sahib - *The Left Hand of the Law* (1975), as Senatore Leandri - *Kidnap Syndicate* (1975), as Filippini - *Mandingo* (1975), as Warren Maxwell - *The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go* (1974), as Y.Y. Go - *11 Harrowhouse* (1974), as Charles D. Watts - *Frankenstein: The True Story* (1974), as Dr. John Polidori - *The Marseille Contract* (1974), as Jacques Brizard - *Great Expectations* (1974), as Magwitch - *Frankenstein: The True Story* (1973), series, as Dr. John Polidori - *The MacKintosh Man* (1973), as Sir George Wheeler - *The Last of Sheila* (1973), as Philip Dexter - *The Reformation: Age of Revolt* (1973), as Narrator - *John Keats: His Life and Death* (1973), as Narrator - *Child's Play* (1972), as Jerome Malley - *The Wind in the Wires* (1972), as Narrator - *Kill!* (1971), as Alan Hamilton - *Appointment With Destiny* (1971), series, as Narrator - *Bad Man's River* (1971), as Francisco Paco Montero - *The Search for the Nile* (1971), series, as Narrator - *Cold Sweat* (1970), as Captain Ross - *Spring and Port Wine* (1970), as Rafe Crompton - *Age of Consent* (1969), as Bradley Morahan · Producer - *The Sea Gull* (1968), as Trigorin - *Mayerling* (1968), as Franz Joseph I of Austria - *Duffy* (1968), as Charles Calvert - *Stranger in the House* (1967), as John Sawyer - *The Deadly Affair* (1967), as Charles Dobbs - *ABC Stage 67* (1966), series, as Otto Hoffman - *Georgy Girl* (1966), as James Leamington - *The Blue Max* (1966), as General Count von Klugermann - *Uncertain Verification* (1965), as (archive footage) - *The Uninhibited* (1965), as Pascal Regnier - *Genghis Khan* (1965), as Kam Ling - *Lord Jim* (1965), as Gentleman Brown - *The Pumpkin Eater* (1964), as Bob Conway - *The Fall of the Roman Empire* (1964), as Timonides - *Torpedo Bay* (1963), as Captain Blayne - *Stoney Burke* (1962), series, as The Derelict - *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Warren Barrow - *Hero's Island* (1962), as Jacob Weber - *Tiara Tahiti* (1962), as Captain Brett Aimsley - *Lolita* (1962), as Prof. Humbert Humbert — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/lolita.md) - *Escape from Zahrain* (1962), as Johnson - *Theatre 62: Rebecca* (1962), as Maxim de Winter - *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Dr. Maxwell Becker - *The Marriage-Go-Round* (1961), as Paul Delville - *John Brown's Raid* (1960), as John Brown - *The Trials of Oscar Wilde* (1960), as Edward Carson - *Playhouse 90: The Hiding Place* (1960), as Hans Frick - *A Touch of Larceny* (1960), as Cmdr. Max Easton - *Journey to the Center of the Earth* (1959), as Sir Oliver S. Lindenbrook - *The DuPont Show with June Allyson* (1959), series, as Henry Chambers - *North by Northwest* (1959), as Phillip Vandamm — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md) - *The Decks Ran Red* (1958), as Capt. Edwin Rummill - *Cry Terror!* (1958), as Jim Molner - *Island in the Sun* (1957), as Maxwell Fleury - *Panic!* (1957), series, Actor - *Bigger Than Life* (1956), as Ed Avery · Producer, Additional Writing — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/bigger-than-life.md) - *Forever, Darling* (1956), as Guardian Angel - *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* (1954), as Captain Nemo - *The Star of Bethlehem* (1954), Director, Producer - *A Star Is Born* (1954), as Norman Maine - *Prince Valiant* (1954), as Sir Brack - *The Child* (1954), Director - *The Tell-Tale Heart* (1953), as Narrator - *The Man Between* (1953), as Ivo Kern - *Charade* (1953), as The Murderer / Maj. Linden / Jonah Watson · Producer, Writer - *Julius Caesar* (1953), as Brutus — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/julius-caesar.md) - *The Desert Rats* (1953), as Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel - *The Story of Three Loves* (1953), as Charles Coutray - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Wayne Sebastian - *Botany Bay* (1952), as Capt. Paul Gilbert - *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1952), as Rupert of Hentzau - *Face to Face* (1952), as The Captain - *Ellis in Freedomland* (1952), as The Refrigerator (voice) - *5 Fingers* (1952), as Ulysses Diello - *Lady Possessed* (1952), as Jimmy Del Palma · Screenplay, Producer - *The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel* (1951), as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel - *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Captain Vialez - *Pandora and the Flying Dutchman* (1951), as Hendrick van der Zee — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/pandora-and-the-flying-dutchman.md) - *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, Interactive Manager - *One Way Street* (1950), as Dr. Frank Matson - *East Side, West Side* (1949), as Brandon Bourne - *The Reckless Moment* (1949), as Martin Donnelly — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-reckless-moment.md) - *Madame Bovary* (1949), as Gustave Flaubert - *Caught* (1949), as Larry Quinada - *The Upturned Glass* (1947), as Michael Joyce · Producer - *Odd Man Out* (1947), as Johnny McQueen — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/odd-man-out.md) - *The Wicked Lady* (1945), as Captain Jerry Jackson - *The Seventh Veil* (1945), as Nicholas Cunningham - *They Were Sisters* (1945), as Geoffrey Lee - *A Place of One's Own* (1945), as Henry Smedhurst - *Hotel Reserve* (1944), as Peter Vadassy - *Fanny by Gaslight* (1944), as Lord Manderstoke - *Candlelight in Algeria* (1944), as Alan Thurston - *They Met in the Dark* (1943), as Richard Francis Heritage - *The Man in Grey* (1943), as Lord Rohan — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-grey.md) - *The Bells Go Down* (1943), as Ted Robbins - *Thunder Rock* (1942), as Streeter - *Secret Mission* (1942), as Raoul de Carnot - *Alibi* (1942), as Andre Laurent - *The Night Has Eyes* (1942), as Stephen Deremid - *Hatter's Castle* (1942), as Dr. Renwick - *The Patient Vanishes* (1941), as Mick Cardby - *The Circle* (1939), as Edward Luton - *The Miser* (1939), as Valere - In love with Elise - *I Met a Murderer* (1939), as Mark Warrow · Story - *Bees on the Boat-Deck* (1939), as Robert Patch - *The Moon in the Yellow River* (1938), as Darrell Blake - *Cyrano de Bergerac* (1938), as Christian de Neuvillette - *Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel* (1937), as Jean Tallien - *The High Command* (1937), as Capt. Heverell - *Catch as Catch Can* (1937), as Robert Leyland - *Fire Over England* (1937), as Hillary Vane - *The Mill on the Floss* (1937), as Tom Tulliver - *The Secret of Stamboul* (1936), as Larry - *Twice Branded* (1936), as Henry Hamilton - *Blind Man's Bluff* (1936), as Stephen Neville - *Prison Breaker* (1936), as 'Bunny' Barnes - *Troubled Waters* (1936), as John Merriman - *Late Extra* (1935), as Jim Martin ## Gallery - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-0f96e6e454bc.jpg) James Mason — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/James_Mason_Studio_Publicity.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![James Mason e Jennifer O'Neill in una inquadratura di "Gente di rispetto" (Zampa, 1975) (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-ecb9db598aad.jpg) James Mason e Jennifer O'Neill in una inquadratura di "Gente di rispetto" (Zampa, 1975) (2015) — francescosaverio50, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Genterispetto_mason%2Boneill.jpg/1280px-Genterispetto_mason%2Boneill.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Photo of James Mason and family from the 1957 television program Panic!. This was a "thriller" type program and aired 18 episodes from 1957 to 1958. From left: ](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-e8ee5755cc5b.jpg) Photo of James Mason and family from the 1957 television program Panic!. This was a "thriller" type program and aired 18 episodes from 1957 to 1958. From left: — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/James_Mason_and_Family_1957.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Photo of James Mason, Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant, stars of the film North by Northwest posing at Mount Rushmore. From the trade magazine Motion Picture Dail](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-44e1736e65b4.jpg) Photo of James Mason, Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant, stars of the film North by Northwest posing at Mount Rushmore. From the trade magazine Motion Picture Dail — Motion Picture Daily name at top of page, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg/1280px-North_by_Northwest_stars_pose_at_Rushmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-9eb5555f9969.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-68ad730b382e.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-9a1da3813bac.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB - ![Ontario Theatre advertisement for the film, Lolita. 6 July 1962.](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-ee466d20a084.png) Ontario Theatre advertisement for the film, Lolita. 6 July 1962. — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Ontario_Theatre_Ad_-_6_July_1962%2C_NW%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.png/1280px-Ontario_Theatre_Ad_-_6_July_1962%2C_NW%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Pat Boone, Peter Ronson, James Mason, and Arlene Dahl in the American science fiction adventure film Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959).](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-0df21f35b626.jpg) Pat Boone, Peter Ronson, James Mason, and Arlene Dahl in the American science fiction adventure film Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). — Warner Bros. - Seven Arts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Pat_Boone%2C_Peter_Ronson%2C_James_Mason%2C_Arlene_Dahl%2C_Journey_to_the_Center_of_the_Earth%2C_1959.jpg/1280px-Pat_Boone%2C_Peter_Ronson%2C_James_Mason%2C_Arlene_Dahl%2C_Journey_to_the_Center_of_the_Earth%2C_1959.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-9b49aafa4ed0.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-9cefaca85e6a.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB - ![James Mason](https://film.one/media/person/59214/gallery-79bfef751f40.jpg) James Mason — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated - 1983: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *The Verdict* - 1967: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Georgy Girl* - 1955: Best Actor (nominated), for *A Star Is Born* ### Golden Globes — 1 won - 1954: Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (won), for *A Star Is Born* *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/james-mason