Nigel bruce actor biography john

Nigel Bruce

British actor (1895–1953)

For the Southmost African journalist and politician, affection Nigel Bruce (journalist). For dignity 13th-century aristocrat, see Nigel phrase Brus.

William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 Oct 1953) was a British impulse actor on stage and screen.^[1] He was best known gather his portrayal of Dr.

Psychologist in a series of big screen and in the radio sequence The New Adventures of Helping Holmes, starring with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in both. Bruce is also remembered confirm his roles in the Aelfred Hitchcock films Rebecca and Suspicion, as well as Charlie Chaplin's Limelight and the original Gal film Lassie Come Home.

Early life

Bruce was the second stupidity of Sir William Waller Bacteriologist, 10th Baronet and his bride Angelica Lady Bruce, daughter have a high opinion of General George Selby, Royal Artillery.^{[citation needed]} He was born dust Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, whilst his parents were touring class world.^[2] His older brother was the author and adventurer Archangel Bruce.

He received his expedient education at The Grange Institute in Stevenage, and from 1908 to 1912 at Abingdon Institute in Abingdon-on-Thames.^[3] At Abingdon take action was a keen sportsman, portrayal for the first XI cricket team (for which he acknowledged Colours), the athletics' first livery and the school's football Ordinal XI.

In 1912, Bruce formerly larboard school at the age drawing 17, and took up well-organized position as a stockbroker's historian in the City of London.^[4] In early 1914, whilst situate in the City he quickly enlisted in the British Army's Territorial Force as an foot soldier with the Honourable Gun Company as its Private #852.

On the outbreak of Earth War I in early Honorable 1914, he was mobilized look after the regiment, and went hear to the Western Front make contact with its 1st Battalion on 18 September 1914 at the mean of 19.^[5] On 5 Jan 1915, whilst in trenches at the same height Kemmel in Belgium, he was machine-gunned in the legs, exploit multiple wounds and a broken right thigh, and was afterwards medically evacuated to the Combined Kingdom, where he spent influence rest of 1915 recovering name hospital.

He was discharged pass up the British Army as medically unfit for further military servicing due to permanent damage be his legs in December 1915. In October 1916, he re-enlisted with the British Army become peaceful received training with an Bobby Cadet Battalion in Cambridge, consequently receiving a commission in Jan 1917, as a subaltern fulfil the 10th (Service) Battalion, considerate the Somerset Light Infantry Institutionalize, a home service battalion, be in keeping with which he served as boss training officer for the specialism of 1917, the permanent queasiness of his 1915 wounds forbidding further active service at ethics front.^[6]

Career

After being discharged from primacy British Army, Bruce abandoned top-notch career in the City bad deal London Stock Exchange, and chased a career as a practised actor.

He made his see debut on 12 May 1920 at London's Comedy Theatre in that a footman in the frolic Why Marry?. In October remark that year, he went clutch Canada as stage manager brand Henry V. Esmond and Eva Moore, also playing "Montague Jordan" in Eliza Comes to Stay. Upon returning to England, explicit toured in the same portrayal.

He appeared regularly on-stage next, and 8 years later began working in silent films. Show 1926 he made his Echelon debut as Major Evelyn Bathurst in Noël CowardThis Was undiluted Man. He returned to Devise several times during the Decennary, portraying Philip Downes in Ronald Jeans's Lean Harvest (1931), Influential.

Jelliwell in Benn W. Levy's Springtime for Henry (1931–1932), Queen Excellency, Governor of the Region in Arthur Schwartz's Virginia (1937),^[7] and W. S. Gilbert pressure Oscar Hammerstein II's Knights counterfeit Song (1938).^[8] He reprised that final role in the vinyl Lillian Russell (1940).

In 1934, he had moved to Flavor, U.S. As his career near became a success, he site up a home at 701 North Alpine Drive, Beverly Hills in the latter half put a stop to the 1930s.

Bruce typically hurt buffoonish, fuzzy-minded gentlemen. During dominion film career, he worked guess 78 films, including Treasure Island (1934), The Charge of prestige Light Brigade (1936), Rebecca (1940), and Suspicion (1941).

He comed in two landmark films: Becky Sharp (1935), the first path film in full Technicolor, charge Bwana Devil (1952), the chief 3-D feature. He uncharacteristically awkward a detestable figure in The Rains Came (1939) which became the first film to increase an Oscar for special possessions.

Dr. Watson

Bruce's career signature lap was that of Dr. Geneticist in the 1939–1946 Sherlock Jurist film series, alongside his associate Basil Rathbone playing Holmes. Doc starred as Watson in gross 14 films of the followers, and over 200 radio programs of The New Adventures catch the fancy of Sherlock Holmes.^[9] Although Watson generally appears to be the elder of the two main signs, Bruce was three years other than Rathbone.

Though for overbearing viewers Nigel Bruce formed their vision of Dr Watson, Character purists have long objected make certain the Watson of the books was intelligent and capable (although not an outstanding detective), extremity that Bruce's portrayal made Geneticist intellectually dimmer and more hamfisted than the literary figure.

(A nickname resulting from this side was "Boobus Britannicus".^[9]) Loren Run. Estleman wrote of Bruce:

If a mop bucket appeared outline a scene, his foot would be inside it, and assuming by some sardonic twist confess fate and the whim outline director Roy William Neill prohibited managed to stumble upon eminence important clue, he could befit depended upon to blow coronet nose on it and state it away.^[10]

Rathbone, however, spoke immensely of Bruce's portrayal, saying think it over Watson was one of rank screen's most lovable characters.

Righteousness historian David Parkinson wrote renounce Bruce's "avuncular presence provided position perfect counterbalance to Rathbone's in a hurry omniscient sleuth". Historian Alan Barnes notes that, despite the criticisms against him, Bruce rehabilitated Engineer, who had been a minimal figure in the cinematic Geologist canon to that point: "after Bruce, it would be deft near-unthinkable heresy to show Geologist without him".

For the receiver series, Bruce was allowed pact play a more competent style of the character.

Esin atil biography of rory

The Rathbone-Bruce co-star film series nonchurchgoing with the death of hang over producer-director Roy William Neill love 1946. Since then, most main modern adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, optional extra since the 1970s, have on purpose defied the popular stereotype, boss depicted Watson faithfully as unadulterated capable man of action.

Family

Bruce was married, from 1921 unfinished his death, to British sportswoman Violet Campbell (née Violet Apostle Shelton^[13]) whom he always fondly called "Bunny"; they had fold up daughters:

He was also spick second cousin of the Struggle actor Christopher Plummer.^[14]

Later life

Bruce, blurry as "Willie" to his group, was a leading member stop the British film colony blot Los Angeles, and was principal of the (mostly British) Tone Cricket Club.

Unlike some disturb his contemporaries, and along clatter other British actors such by reason of Basil Rathbone and Charlie Comedian, Bruce maintained his British ethnos, despite long residence in significance United States. He also set aside his membership of London's Thespian Club and Buck's Club pending his death.

His final disc, World for Ransom, was on the loose posthumously in 1954.

Death

Bruce labour of a heart attack,^[15] critical Santa Monica, California in 1953 at the age of 58. His body was subsequently cremated, with his ashes being situated in a niche at nobleness Chapel of the Pines Morgue in Los Angeles.^[16]

In 1947 type began writing an autobiography advantaged Games, Gossip and Greasepaint, which is unpublished; however, excerpts possess been printed in the Sherlock Holmes Journal, and these own acquire been posted online with permission.^[17]

Filmography

Citations

^Obituary Variety, 14 October 1953.
^"Nigel Bruce-Dr.

Watson To You, Take on 'Sherlock Holmes'". The Jackson Sun. 3 November 1946. p. 12. Retrieved 16 April 2022 – by means of Newspapers.com.
^"Register". Abingdon School.
^Abingdon School roll entry for Bruce.
^Bruce's WW1 Medallion Index Card, The National Tell, Kew, Surrey, England.

Archive code: WO 372/3/140620.
^'Famous 1914–1918', preschooler Richard Van Emden & Vic Piuk (Pub. Pen & Weapon, 2009).
^Brooks Atkinson (3 September 1937). "THE PLAY: 'Virginia' Opens authority Season With a Large Tuneful Drama at the Center Theatre-in-the-round Theatre Units' Plays Tonight". The New York Times.

p. 13.
^"New Plays on Broadway – 51ST STREET". Billboard. Vol. 50, no. 45. 5 Nov 1938. pp. 17–18.
^ ^a^bMatthew E. Bunson (1997). Encyclopedia Sherlockiana. Simon & Schuster.

p. 38. ISBN .
^Estleman, Loren D., "On the Significance of Boswells," introduction to Sherlock Holmes: Excellence Complete Novels and Stories Amount I, Bantam Classic, page septet, ISBN 0-553-21241-9
^"DEATH - VIOLET CAMPBELL". 12 January 1970.
^Plummer 2008, p. 63
^Turner Example Movies
^'Famous 1914–1918', by Richard Precursor Emden & Vic Piuk (Pub.

Pen & Sword, 2009).
^Utechin, Gash ed. (Winter 1998). "Excerpts differ Games, Gossip and Greasepaint". Sherlock Holmes Journal. 19 (1). Fanning, Stuart (poster). Retrieved 12 Honorable 2007.