John Abbott
John Albert Chamberlain Kefford was an English character actor professionally known as John Abbott. His memorable roles include the invalid Frederick Fairlie in the 1948 film The Woman in White and the pacifist Ayelborne in the Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy". as well as a Shakespearean actor. In 1934, he began his career in show business when he made his professional stage debut in a revival of Dryden's Aureng-zebe with Sybil Thorndike. He then joined the Old Vic Company and appeared in Shakespearean roles, including Claudius in a production of Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Alec Guinness. His first Broadway role was that of Count Mancini in He Who Gets Slapped in 1946. He also appeared on Broadway in Monserrat and The Waltz of the Toreadors. He made his film debut in Mademoiselle Docteur in 1937 and went on to act in scores of films in the next 30 years. Among his film credits are Mission to Moscow, Jane Eyre, A Thousand and One Nights, Humoresque, and The Greatest Story Ever Told. His television appearances in that time were even more numerous, beginning with pioneering broadcasts by the BBC before the Second World War. In the early days of the Second World War, Abbott worked at the British Embassy in Stockholm. When the time came to leave, he had to by way of the United States. While in the U.S., he was offered a part in Hollywood in 1941 and ended up living there for the rest of his life. On American television between the 1950s and 1970s, Abbott had roles on a wide variety of series such as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio 57, Gunsmoke, Matinee Theatre, Bonanza, Thriller, Star Trek, Mannix, Iron Horse, and Bewitched. Although he was blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950s, a producer who wanted to hire him eventually succeeded in getting the actor removed from the list.In his final years, Abbott taught acting to students free of charge. Abbott died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from natural causes on 24 May 1996 at the age of 90.
The Greatest Story Ever Told
(Aben)
Street of Shadows
Deception
(Bertram Gribble)
The Jungle Book
(Akela (voice))
Sherlock Holmes in New York
(Heller)
Humoresque
(Rozner)
Mrs. Miniver
(Fred)
Gambit
(Emile)
The Mask of Dimitrios
(Mr. Pappas)
The Web
(Charles Murdock)
Cry of the Werewolf
(Peter Althius (uncredited))
Outside Chance
(Coroner)
The Power of the Whistler
(Kaspar Andropolous)
The Woman in White
(Frederick Fairlie)
End of the Road
(Chris Martin)
The Falcon in Hollywood
(Martin S. Dwyer)
Madame Bovary
(Mayor Tuvache)
Joan of Paris
(English Spy)
Crosswinds
(Sykes)
Gigi
(Manuel)
A Hazard of Hearts
(2nd Gambler)
Pursuit to Algiers
(Jodri)
Summer Storm
(Lunin)
The Gorilla Man
(Dr. Ferris)
The Vampire's Ghost
(Webb Fallon)
The Saint in London
(Count Stephen Duni)
Thunder on the Hill
(Abel Harmer)
The Notorious Lone Wolf
(Lal Bara)
Navy Bound
(Pappa Cerrano)
Sideshow
(Pierre)
2000 Years Later
(Gregorius)
If Winter Comes
(Mr. Twyning)
The Epic That Never Was
(Himself - Ms. Robson's Host)
The Merry Widow
(Marshovian Ambassador)
Secrets of Scotland Yard
(Mortimer Cope)
Abroad with Two Yanks
(Salesman)
Adventure Island
(Huish)
Omar Khayyam
(Yusuf)
Rogue's March
(Herbert Bielensen)
London Blackout Murders
(Jack Rawlings)
Honeymoon Ahead
(Welles)
Time Out of Mind
(Max Leiberman)
Ten Days in Paris
(André)
U-Boat Prisoner
(Alfonse Lamont)
The Crime Doctor's Warning
(Jimmy Gordon)
Rubber Racketeers
(Dumbo)
Smorgasbord
(Surgeon)
Anna and the King of Siam
(Phya Phrom)
Saratoga Trunk
(Roscoe Bean)
Hangmen Also Die!
(Hostage (scenes deleted))
The Steel Lady
(Mustafa el Melik)
Three Guns for Texas
(Banker Irwing)
One More Tomorrow
(Joseph Baronova)
The Cat Creature
(Dr. Reinhart)
This Above All
(Joe)
Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel
(Flower Seller)
The Great Commandment
(Starving Beggar)
The Cross of Lorraine
(Baker)
Who's Minding the Store?
(Mr. Orlandos)
Slapstick of Another Kind
(Dr. Frankenstein)
Jane Eyre
(Mason)
Nightmare
(Carl aka Charles)
They Got Me Covered
(Gregory Vanesou)
Thunder in the East
(Nitra Puta)
The Shanghai Gesture
(Poppy's Escort)
Get Hep to Love
(Professor Radowsky)
A Thousand and One Nights
(Ali)
Dangerous Blondes
(Roland X. Smith (uncredited))
Public Pigeon No. 1
(Dipso Dale Rutherford)
Once Upon a Time
(Reporter (uncredited))
This Man Is News
(Hood with Foreign Accent)
Sombrero
(Don Daniel)
The Conquest of the Air
(Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier)
Mission to Moscow
(Grinko (uncredited))
The Black Bird
(Duquai)
Quest
The Miracle on 34th Street
(Dr. Sawyer)
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
(Will Scarlet)
The Commissioner
(Commissioner's Laywer)
Under Secret Orders
(Armand)
Garrison's Gorillas
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Star Trek
(Ayleborn)
Burke's Law
(Conrad Jaeger)
The Beverly Hillbillies
Land of the Giants
(Prof. Gorak)
Mannix
Flipper
Lost in Space
(Sesmar)
Gunsmoke
(Professor Lute Bone)
Perry Mason
(Prof. Carlos Muntz)
Studio One
(Travers)
Bewitched
General Electric Theater
(Professsor Meyerdal)
The Islanders
(Harwood Gones)
Get Smart
Hallmark Hall of Fame
(Chang)
Laredo
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
(Mr. Munro)
Ichabod and Me
Outlaws
Have Gun, Will Travel
The Partners
Edward and Mrs Simpson
(Mouth Organist)
Thriller
(Kriss Milo ('The Mask of Medusa'))
Peter Gunn
Adventures in Paradise
(Murdock)
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Profiles in Courage
(Senator Wigfall)
Matinee Theater
Wendy and Me
Timeslip
The Rifleman
The Detectives
Cavalcade of America
(Col. Barton)
The Rogues
(Sir Egbert)
Rango
Telephone Time
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
(Professor Brent)
Gunsmoke
(Eddie)
The Beverly Hillbillies
(Sir Trevor Gielgud Burton-Guiness)
General Electric Theater
(Nathan)
Perry Mason
(Dr. Durwood Tobey)
The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen
(The Cat)
Medical Center
(Professor MacIntyre)
Cool Million
(Sir Godwin Phipps-Cheston)