Robert Newton
Actor
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.
Filmography
Oliver Twist
as Bill Sykes 1948
Jamaica Inn
as James "Jem" Trehearne 1939
Treasure Island
as Long John Silver 1950
Odd Man Out
as Lukey 1947
Henry V
as Ancient Pistol 1944
Gaslight
as Ullswater 1940
The Desert Rats
as Tom Bartlett 1953
The High and the Mighty
as Gustave Pardee 1954
This Happy Breed
as Frank Gibbons 1944
Obsession
as Dr. Clive Riordan 1949
Blackbeard, the Pirate
as Blackbeard 1952
Fire Over England
as Don Pedro 1937
Dark Journey
as Officer of U-Boat 1937
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
as Harry Carter 1948
21 Days Together
as Tolly 1940
Long John Silver
as Long John Silver 1954