Born in Ireland, Todd spent a few of years of his childhood in India,
before his family relocated to West Devon, England. A stage actor from
1938, he helped establish the Dundee Repertory Theatre the following
year. During WWII, he spent six year’s serving with the King's
Own Light Infantry and the 7th Parachute Regiment. After the war Todd
began his film career, and one of his earliest roles came in The
Hasty Heart (1949); his portrayal of a terminally ill soldier would
earn him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination.
He followed it with a role in Alfred
Hitchcock's Stage
Fright (1950), and then worked in a clutch of adventure films throughout
the next decade, including The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men
(1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953) and Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue
(1954). His most memorable role was that of Wing Commander Guy Gibson
in the British box-office smash The
Dam Busters (1955). Soon after he appeared in a similar role in
the naval drama The Yangtse Incident (1957). During the 1960s his ‘stiff
upper lip’ stereotype caused him to be cast in numerous military
films including Danger
Within (1958), The
Long and the Short and the Tall (1960), The Longest Day (1962) and
Operation Crossbow (1965). However, by the late 60s his star status
had faded, and this vibrant yet somewhat stiff British character actor
returned to the theatre. He was awarded an OBE in 1993.
