Cecil Lawriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 - 28 February 1973) was a South African-born American character actor.

Biography

Early Life

Cecil Kellaway was born on 27 August 1890 in Cape Town, South Africa. He was the son of English parents, Edwin John Kellaway, an architect and engineer, and his wife Rebecca Annie, née Brebner. Edwin Kellaway had come to South Africa to help build the Houses of Parliament and was a good friend of Cecil Rhodes, who was Cecil's godfather.

He was interested in acting from an early age. He was educated at the Normal College, Cape Town, and in England at Bradford Grammar School. He studied engineering and on his return to South Africa was employed in an engineering firm. However the lure of acting was too strong and he became a full time actor, making his debut in Potash and Perlmutter.

He briefly served in the army in 1914 but was invalided out.

He toured for three years through China, Japan, Siam, Borneo, Malaya, North and South Africa, and Europe.

Australia

Kellaway arrived in Australia in 1921 under contract to J. C. Williamson Ltd. He had a notable success as the comic father of four daughters in A Night Out which he played in 1922, 1924, 1926, and 1931. He acted for Williamsons over sixteen years, mostly in musical comedies.

Kellaway made his film debut in the lead of The Hayseeds (1933), a popular local comedy.

After receiving acclaim for his main role in the Australian Cinesound film It Isn't Done (1937), for which he also provided the original story, he was screen-tested by RKO Pictures and put under contract.

Return to Australia

Kellaway returned to Australia for a second Cinesound film, Mr. Chedworth Steps Out (1938).

Hollywood

Kellaway had a long career as a Hollywood character actor, with prominent roles in William Wyler's Wuthering Heights (1939), The House of the Seven Gables (1940), The Letter (1940), Kitty (1945) (giving an excellent performance as painter Thomas Gainsborough), (1945), Love Letters (1945), as the ill-fated husband of Lana Turner's character in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Portrait of Jennie (1948), Harvey (1950), Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).

He was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for The Luck of the Irish in 1948 and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in 1967.

In 1959, he made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as chemist and murderer Darrell Metcalf in "The Case of the Glittering Goldfish". In 1961, Kellaway guest starred as MacKay in the episode "Incident In The Middle of Nowhere" on CBS's Rawhide.. In 1964, he played Santa Claus in the "Visions of Sugarplums" episode of "Bewitched". In 1967, Kellaway played the part of a lonely, megawealthy much older suitor of Ann Marie (played by Marlo Thomas) in an episode of That Girl.

Personal Life

Kellaway married Doreen Elizabeth Joubert in Johannesburg on 15 November 1919.

His brother Alec Kellaway became a notable actor in his own right. His other brother Leion became ballet-master for Edouard Borovansky and the Australian Ballet.

Death

Kellaway died after a long illness at a West Los Angeles convalescent home on February 28, 1973. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and four grandchildren. His interment was at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. His cousins were fellow actors Edmund Gwenn and Arthur Chesney.

Selected filmography

• The Hayseeds - Dad Hayseed (1933)
• It Isn't Done - Hubert Blaydon (1937)
• Double Danger - Fetrisss/Gilhooley (1938)
• Maid's Night Out - Geoffrey (1938)
• Mr. Chedworth Steps Out - George Chedworth (1939)
• Wuthering Heights - Earnshaw (1939)
• Intermezzo - Charles Moler (1939)
• The Sun Never Sets (1939)
• We Are Not Alone - Judge (1939)
• The Invisible Man Returns - Inspector Sampson (1940)
• The House of the Seven Gables - Philip Barton (1940)
• Brother Orchid - Brother Goodwin (1940)
• South of Suez - Henry Putnam (1940)
• The Mummy's Hand - The Great Solvani (1940)
• The Letter - Prescott (1940)
• New York Town - Shipboard Host (1941)
• A Very Young Lady - Professor Starkweather (1941)
• Birth of the Blues - Granet (1941)
• Appointment for Love - O'Leary (1941)
• Bahama Passage - Captain Jack Risingwell (1941)
• Burma Convoy - Angus McBragel (1941)
• The Night of January 16th - Oscar (1941)
• The Lady Has Plans - Peter Miles (1942)
• I Married a Witch - Daniel (1942)
• My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Alfred Fortescue (1942)
• Take a Letter, Darling - Uncle George (1942)
• Freedom Comes High - Ellen's Father (1943)
• It Ain't Hay - King O'Hara (1943)
• The Crystal Ball - Pop Tibbets (1943)
• Frenchman's Creek - William (1944)
• Mrs Parkington - Edward, Prince of Wales (1944)
• And Now Tomorrow - Dr. Weeks (1944)
• Practically Yours - Marvin P. Meglin (1944)
• Love Letters - Mac (1945)
• Kitty - Thomas Gainsborough (1945)
• Easy to Wed - J.B. Allenbury (1946)
• The Postman Always Rings Twice - Nick Smith (1946)
• Monsieur Beaucaire - Count D'Armand (1946)
• The Cockeyed Miracle - Tony Carter (1946)
• Unconquered - Jeremy Love (1947)
• Joan of Arc - Jean Le Maistre - Inquisitor of Rouen (1948)
• Portrait of Jennie - Matthews (1948)
• The Luck of the Irish - Horace (1948)
• The Decision of Christopher Blake - Judge Alexander Adamson (1948)
• Down to the Sea in Ships - Slush Tubbs (1949)
• Harvey - Dr. Chumley (1950)
• Kim - Hurree Chunder (1950)
• The Reformer and the Redhead - Doctor Kevin G. Maguire (1950)
• Francis Goes to the Races - Colonel Travers (1951)
• Half Angel - Harry Gilpin (1951)
• The Highwayman - Lord Herbert (1951)
• Thunder in the East - Dr. Willoughby (1952)
• Just Across the Street - Pop Smith (1952)
• Young Bess - Mr. Barry (1953)
• Cruisin' Down the River - Thadeus Jackson (1953)
• Paris Model - Patrick J. "P. J." Sullivan (1953)
• The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms - Dr. Thurgood Elson (1953)
• Interrupted Melody - Bill Lawrence (1955)
• The Prodigal - Governor (1955)
• Female on the Beach - Osbert Sorenson (1955)
• The Toy Tiger - James Fusenot (1956)
• Johnny Trouble - Tom McKay (1957)
• The Proud Rebel - Doctor Enos Davis (1958)
• The Shaggy Dog - Professor Plumcutt (1959)
• The Private Lives of Adam and Eve - Doc Bayles (1960)
• Francis of Assisi - Cardinal Hugolino (1961)
• Tammy Tell Me True - Captain Joe (1961)
• Zotz! - Dean Joshua Updike (1962)
• The Cardinal - Monsignor Monaghan (1963)
• Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte - Harry (1964)
• Spinout - Bernard Ranley (1966)
• The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin - Mr. Pemberton (1967)
• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - Monsignor Ryan (1967)
• Fitzwilly - Buckmaster (1967)
• Getting Straight - Doctor Kasper (1970)

Select Theatre Credits

• Potash and Perlmutter - South Africa
• The Prince of Pilsen - South Africa
• The Little Whopper (1921)
• Monseuir Beaucaire (1917) - toured India and Africa
• A Night Out (Jan-Sept 1922) - Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide
• Mary (Oct 1922-April 1923) - Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney
• A Night Out (April 1923) - Sydney
• The Cabaret Girl (Aug 1923-March 1924)
• Kissing Time (May 1924) - Melbourne
• Whirled into Happiness (June-July 1924) - Melbourne
• Katja (December 1925) - Sydney
• The Belle of New York
• Primrose (August 1925) - Sydney
• Frasquita (April 1927) - Sydney
• Princess Charming (July 1928) - Brisbane
• Hold Everything (July 1929)
• Florodora (1931)
• A Warm Corner (Sept 1931)
• Sons o' Guns (1931)
• Blue Roses (April-August 1932) - Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Wellington, Auckland
• Hold my Hand (October 1932) - Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney
• The Gipsy Princess
• The Dubarry (July 1934) - Theatre Royal, Adelaide
• Music in the Air (July 1934) - Theatre Royal, Adelaide
• Roberta (Marc 1935) - Theatre Royal, Sydney
• High Jinks (May 1935) - Theatre Royal, Sydney
• Ball at the Savoy (July 1935) - Adelaide
• A Southern Maid (1937)
• The Merry Widow - with Gladys Moncrieff

[ Source: Wikipedia ]