Alan Mowbray

Alan Mowbray

  • Highest Rated: 100% Wagon Master (1950)
  • Lowest Rated: 33% Androcles and the Lion (1953)
  • Birthday: Aug 18, 1896
  • Birthplace: Not Available

  • Born to a non-theatrical British family, Alan Mowbray was in his later years vague concerning the exact date that he took to the stage. In some accounts, he was touring the provinces before joining the British Navy in World War I; in others, he turned to acting after the war, purportedly because he was broke and had no discernible "practical" skills. No matter when he began, Mowbray climbed relatively quickly to Broadway and London stardom, spending several seasons on the road with the Theater Guild; his favorite stage parts were those conceived by Bernard Shaw and Noel Coward. Turning to films in the early talkie era, Mowbray received good notices for his portrayal of George Washington in 1931's Alexander Hamilton (a characterization he'd repeat along more comic lines for the 1945 musical Where Do We Go From Here?). He also had the distinction of appearing with three of the screen's Sherlock Holmeses: Clive Brook (Sherlock Holmes [1932]), Reginald Owen (A Study in Scarlet [1933], in which Mowbray played Lestrade), and Basil Rathbone (Terror by Night [1946]). John Ford fans will remember Mowbray's brace of appearances as alcoholic ham actors in My Darling Clementine (1946) and Wagonmaster (1950). Lovers of film comedies might recall Mowbray's turns as the long-suffering butler in the first two Topper films and as "the Devil Himself" (as he was billed) in the 1942 Hal Roach streamliner The Devil With Hitler. And there was one bona fide romantic lead (in Technicolor yet), opposite Miriam Hopkins in Becky Sharp (1935). Otherwise, Mowbray was shown to best advantage in his many "pompous blowhard" roles, and in his frequent appearances as the "surprise" killer in murder mysteries (Charlie Chan in London, The Case Against Mrs. Ames, Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer: Boris Karloff, and so many others). In his off hours, Mowbray was a member of several acting fraternities, and also of the Royal Geographic Society. One of Alan Mowbray's favorite roles was as the softhearted con man protagonist in the TV series Colonel Humphrey Flack, which ran on the Dumont network in 1953, then as a syndicated series in 1958.

Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Rating

Title

Credit

Box
Office

Year

60% A Majority of One Captain Norcross — 1961
71% Around the World in 80 Days Consul — 1956
96% The King and I Sir John Hay — 1956
91% The Man Who Knew Too Much Val Parnell — 1956
No Score Yet The King's Thief Sir Gilbert Talbot — 1955
No Score Yet Ma and Pa Kettle at Home Alphonsus Mannering — 1954
33% Androcles and the Lion Editor — 1953
No Score Yet Blackbeard, the Pirate Noll — 1952
No Score Yet The Jackpot Leslie — 1950
100% Wagon Master Dr. A. Locksley Hall — 1950
No Score Yet Every Girl Should Be Married Mr. Spitzer — 1949
No Score Yet Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff Melton — 1949
No Score Yet The Lone Wolf and His Lady Jamison — 1949
No Score Yet The Lovable Cheat Justin — 1949
No Score Yet The Prince Of Thieves The Friar — 1948
No Score Yet My Dear Secretary Deveny — 1948
No Score Yet Merton of the Movies Frank Mulvaney — 1947
100% Lured Maxwell — 1947
No Score Yet Captain from Castile Prof. Botello — 1947
100% My Darling Clementine Granville Thorndyke — 1946
75% Terror by Night Maj. Duncan-Bleek / Col. Sebastian Moran — 1946
No Score Yet Where Do We Go from Here? Gen. George Washington — 1945
No Score Yet Men in Her Diary Douglas Crane — 1945
No Score Yet Phantom of 42nd Street Cecil Moore — 1945
No Score Yet Sunbonnet Sue Jonathan — 1945
No Score Yet The Doughgirls Breckenridge Drake — 1944
No Score Yet My Gal Loves Music Rodney Spoonyer — 1944
No Score Yet His Butler's Sister Buzz Jenkins — 1943
No Score Yet Holy Matrimony Mr. Pennington — 1943
No Score Yet Slightly Dangerous English Gentleman — 1943
No Score Yet Stage Door Canteen Stage Door Canteen Star — 1943
No Score Yet So This Is Washington Chester W. Marshall — 1943
No Score Yet Isle of Missing Men Doctor Henry Brown — 1942
No Score Yet We Were Dancing Grand Duke Basil — 1942
No Score Yet Panama Hattie Jay Perkins — 1942
83% I Wake Up Screaming Robin Ray — 1941
100% That Hamilton Woman Sir William Hamilton — 1941
60% That Uncertain Feeling Dr. Vengard — 1941
No Score Yet The Villain Still Pursued Her Silas Cribbs — 1940
No Score Yet The Boys from Syracuse Angelo — 1940
No Score Yet Music in My Heart Charles Specner Gardner III — 1940
No Score Yet Way Down South Jacques Bouton — 1939
No Score Yet Never Say Die Prince Smirnov — 1939
No Score Yet Topper Takes a Trip Wilkins — 1938
No Score Yet There Goes My Heart Penny E. Pennypepper — 1938
No Score Yet Merrily We Live Grosvenor, the Butler — 1938
No Score Yet Hollywood Hotel Alexander Dupre — 1937
No Score Yet Stand-In Koslofski — 1937
No Score Yet Music for Madame Leon Rodowsky — 1937
94% Topper Wilkins — 1937
No Score Yet Marry the Girl Dr. Stryker — 1937
No Score Yet The King and the Chorus Girl Donald — 1937
No Score Yet On The Avenue Frederick Sims — 1937
No Score Yet Vogues of 1938 Henry Morgan — 1937
No Score Yet Rainbow on the River Ralph Layton — 1936
No Score Yet Ladies in Love Paul Sandor — 1936
97% My Man Godfrey Tommy Gray — 1936
No Score Yet Mary of Scotland Lord Throckmorton — 1936
No Score Yet Desire Dr. Edouard Pauquet — 1936
83% Rose Marie Premier — 1936
No Score Yet In Person Jay Holmes — 1935
No Score Yet She Couldn't Take It (Woman Tamer) Alan Hamlin — 1935
No Score Yet The Gay Deception Lord Clewe — 1935
No Score Yet Becky Sharp Rawdon Crawley — 1935
No Score Yet Night Life of the Gods Hunter Hawky — 1935
No Score Yet Charlie Chan in London Geoffrey Richmond — 1934
No Score Yet Little Man, What Now? Franz Schluter, the Actor — 1934
No Score Yet Where Sinners Meet Nicholas — 1934
100% The House of Rothschild Metternich — 1934
No Score Yet The Girl From Missouri (100 Per Cent Pure) (Born to Be Kissed) Lord Douglas — 1934
No Score Yet The World Changes Sir Phillip — 1933
No Score Yet Berkeley Square Major Clinton — 1933
No Score Yet Peg o' My Heart Mr. Brent — 1933
No Score Yet Our Betters Lord George Grayston — 1933
No Score Yet A Study in Scarlet Inspector Lestrade — 1933
No Score Yet Roman Scandals Majordomo — 1933
No Score Yet Voltaire Count de Sarnac — 1933
No Score Yet The Phantom President Washington — 1932
No Score Yet Jewel Robbery Fritz — 1932
No Score Yet Sherlock Holmes Gore-King — 1932
No Score Yet Guilty Hands Gordon Rich — 1931
No Score Yet The Man in Possession Sir Charles Cartwright — 1931
No Score Yet God's Gift to Women Auguste — 1931

TV

Rating

Title

Credit

Year

No Score Yet The Beverly Hillbillies
1962-1971
Montrose
  • 1968
100% The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
1964-1968
Blackburn
  • 1966
No Score Yet Maverick
1957-1962
Luke Abigor
  • 1960

QUOTES FROM Alan Mowbray CHARACTERS

Koslofski
Mr. Quintain, you will please do me the courtesy of not making love to my fiancee... in my presence.
Douglas Quintain
Listen, slug. I was making love to your fiancee long before they lifted that wet rock and you crawled out.