Robert Newton profile photo

Robert Newton

Acting
50 years oldShaftesbury, Dorset, England, UK

Biography

Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its sequel in 1954. His portrayal of Long John Silver and of Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on many first-rate performances in such movies as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sykes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the Oscar-winning movie musical Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.

Personal Details

Born
June 1, 1905 - March 25, 1956 (age 50)
Gender
Male
Place of Birth
Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Movies (39)

The Epic That Never Was
6.7

The Epic That Never Was

as Cassius, Captain of Caligula's guard (archive footage; uncredited)

1969

Around the World in 80 Days
6.6

Around the World in 80 Days

as Mr. Fix

1956

Long John Silver
5.8

Long John Silver

as Long John Silver

1954

The Beachcomber
6.0

The Beachcomber

as Ted Wilson

1954

The High and the Mighty
5.9

The High and the Mighty

as Gustave Pardee

1954

The Desert Rats
6.3

The Desert Rats

as Tom Bartlett

1953

Blackbeard, the Pirate
5.9

Blackbeard, the Pirate

as Blackbeard

1952

Androcles and the Lion
5.8

Androcles and the Lion

as Ferrovius

1952

Les Miserables
5.2

Les Miserables

as Etienne Javert

1952

Tom Brown's Schooldays
6.9

Tom Brown's Schooldays

as Thomas Arnold

1951

Soldiers Three
3.8

Soldiers Three

as Pvt. Bill Sykes

1951

Waterfront
6.4

Waterfront

as Peter McCabe

1950

Treasure Island
6.6

Treasure Island

as Long John Silver

1950

Obsession
6.8

Obsession

as Dr. Clive Riordan

1949

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
6.5

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

as Harry Carter

1948

Oliver Twist
7.6

Oliver Twist

as Bill Sykes

1948

Snowbound
5.9

Snowbound

as Derek Engles

1948

Temptation Harbour
5.1

Temptation Harbour

as Bert Mallinson

1947

Odd Man Out
7.3

Odd Man Out

as Lukey

1947

Night Boat to Dublin
6.3

Night Boat to Dublin

as Capt. David Grant

1946

Henry V
6.6

Henry V

as Ancient Pistol

1944

This Happy Breed
7.2

This Happy Breed

as Frank Gibbons

1944

They Flew Alone
6.0

They Flew Alone

as Jim Mollison

1942

Hatter's Castle
5.5

Hatter's Castle

as James Brodie

1942

Major Barbara
6.7

Major Barbara

as Bill Walker

1941

Gaslight
7.1

Gaslight

as Ullswater

1940

Busman's Honeymoon
5.8

Busman's Honeymoon

as Frank Crutchley

1940

Channel Incident

Channel Incident

as Tanner

1940

21 Days Together
6.1

21 Days Together

as Tolly

1940

Hell's Cargo

Hell's Cargo

as Cmdr. Tomasou

1939

Poison Pen
6.5

Poison Pen

as Sam Hurrin

1939

Jamaica Inn
6.1

Jamaica Inn

as James "Jem" Trehearne

1939

Dead Men Are Dangerous
5.0

Dead Men Are Dangerous

as Aylmer Franklyn

1939

Vessel of Wrath
6.7

Vessel of Wrath

as The Controleur

1938

The Green Cockatoo
5.8

The Green Cockatoo

as Dave Connor

1937

The Squeaker
6.0

The Squeaker

as Larry Graeme

1937

Dark Journey
6.4

Dark Journey

as Officer of U-Boat

1937

Fire Over England
6.2

Fire Over England

as Don Pedro

1937

Farewell Again
5.0

Farewell Again

as Jim Carter

1937

TV Shows (8)