---
name: "Russell Thorndike"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/russell-thorndike"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 February 1885"
died: "7 November 1972"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T01:50:42.001617+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."
---

# Russell Thorndike

Actor. Born 6 February 1885 in Rochester, Kent, England, UK. Died 7 November 1972.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 February 1885, Rochester, Kent, England, UK
- **Died:** 7 November 1972
- **Active:** 1944–1948
- **Also known as:** Arthur Russell Thorndike
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Thorndike, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q305051, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0861343/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/84283

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Hamlet*](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md) (84)

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

## Biography

Russell Thorndike (also credited as Arthur Russell Thorndike) was a British actor and novelist. Born in Rochester, Kent, he trained at Ben Greet's Academy and began his stage career in 1903, appearing in Shakespearean roles with his sister Sybil Thorndike and touring extensively before and after the First World War, in which he served and was wounded at Gallipoli.

His film appearances were infrequent. He played the Duke of Bourbon in *Henry V* (1944), the Harpist's Master (uncredited) in *Caesar and Cleopatra* (1945), a Priest in Laurence Olivier's *Hamlet* (1948) and First Priest in *Richard III* (1955). He is best known for his series of Doctor Syn novels, beginning in 1915, and for stage work that included playing Smee in multiple revivals of *Peter Pan*.

Thorndike married actress Rosemary Dowson in 1918. He died in 1972.

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

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Hamlet* (1948), Fi1m 84, as Priest — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *Henry V* (1944), Fi1m 82, as Duke of Bourbon — [page](https://film.one/film/henry-v-1944.md)

## Complete filmography (20)

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

- *Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow* (1963), Novel
- *Captain Clegg* (1962), Novel
- *Richard III* (1955), as First Priest
- *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, Writer
- *Hamlet* (1948), as Priest — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-1948.md)
- *Caesar and Cleopatra* (1945), as Harpist's Master (uncredited)
- *Henry V* (1944), as Duke of Bourbon — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/henry-v-1944.md)
- *Fiddlers Three* (1944), as High Priest
- *Doctor Syn* (1937), Novel
- *Whispering Tongues* (1934), as Fenwick
- *A Shot in the Dark* (1933), as Dr. Stuart
- *Puppets of Fate* (1933), as Dr Munro
- *The Roof* (1933), as Clive Bristow
- *Human Desires* (1924), as Paul Perot
- *Miriam Rozella* (1924), as Crewe Stevens
- *The Audacious Mr. Squire* (1923), as Harry Smallwood
- *Heartstrings* (1923), as Tom Openshaw
- *Scrooge* (1923), as Ebenezer Scrooge
- *The Fair Maid of Perth* (1923), as Dwining
- *Macbeth* (1922), as Macbeth

---
© 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/russell-thorndike