Portly character actor Robert Morley, a graduate of the Royal Academy
of Dramatic Arts, debuted on the West End stage in 1929. In 1938 he
made his American stage debut in a Broadway production of Oscar Wilde.
His film career started in 1938 portraying the feeble-minded Louis XVI
opposite Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938).
He played many jovial or pompous character parts, including a missionary
in The African Queen (1951), the cricket mad poet in The
Final Test (1952), Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and the title
role in Oscar Wilde (1960). His appearances continued into the 1970s
and 80s with Theatre
of Blood (1973), Who Is Killing the Great Chefs Of Europe? (1978),
The Human Factor
(1979) and Loophole (1980). He was well known for his edited collections
humorous anecdotal writing. Awarded a CBE in 1957.
