Robert Newton

Acting

June 1, 1905 – March 25, 1956 (died at 50)

Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, UK

Male

40 Movies

10 TV Shows

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.

Oliver Twist

1948 7.6

as Bill Sykes

Age 43 (now 50)

Odd Man Out

1947 7.3

as Lukey

Age 41 (now 50)

Treasure Island

1950 6.6

as Long John Silver

Age 45 (now 50)

Around the World in 80 Days

1956 6.7

as Mr. Fix

Age 51 (now 50)

Jamaica Inn

1939 6.1

as James "Jem" Trehearne

Age 33 (now 50)

This Happy Breed

1944 7.1

as Frank Gibbons

Age 38 (now 50)

Obsession

1949 6.8

as Dr. Clive Riordan

Age 44 (now 50)

The Desert Rats

1953 6.3

as Tom Bartlett

Age 47 (now 50)

Blackbeard, the Pirate

1952 5.9

as Blackbeard

Age 47 (now 50)

Gaslight

1940 7.1

as Ullswater

Age 35 (now 50)

Long John Silver

1954 5.9

as Long John Silver

Age 49 (now 50)

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

1948 6.5

as Harry Carter

Age 43 (now 50)

Henry V

1944 6.7

as Ancient Pistol

Age 39 (now 50)

The High and the Mighty

1954 5.9

as Gustave Pardee

Age 49 (now 50)

Major Barbara

1941 6.9

as Bill Walker

Age 35 (now 50)

Waterfront

1950 6.5

as Peter McCabe

Age 45 (now 50)

The Epic That Never Was

1969 6.9

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

Age 64 (now 50)

Around the World in 80 Days

1956 6.7

as Mr. Fix

Age 51 (now 50)

Long John Silver

1954 5.9

as Long John Silver

Age 49 (now 50)

The Beachcomber

1954 6.3

as Ted Wilson

Age 49 (now 50)

The High and the Mighty

1954 5.9

as Gustave Pardee

Age 49 (now 50)

The Desert Rats

1953 6.3

as Tom Bartlett

Age 47 (now 50)

Blackbeard, the Pirate

1952 5.9

as Blackbeard

Age 47 (now 50)

Androcles and the Lion

1952 5.9

as Ferrovius

Age 47 (now 50)

Les Miserables

1952 5.5

as Etienne Javert

Age 47 (now 50)

Tom Brown's Schooldays

1951 7.0

as Thomas Arnold

Age 45 (now 50)

Soldiers Three

1951 4.3

as Pvt. Bill Sykes

Age 45 (now 50)

Waterfront

1950 6.5

as Peter McCabe

Age 45 (now 50)

Treasure Island

1950 6.6

as Long John Silver

Age 45 (now 50)

Obsession

1949 6.8

as Dr. Clive Riordan

Age 44 (now 50)