John Laurie

John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in scores of feature films with directors including Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier, generally playing memorable small or supporting roles. As a stage actor, he was cast in Shakespearean roles and was a speaker of verse, especially of Robert Burns. He is also well known for his role in the sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977) as Private Frazer, a member of the Home Guard.

Early life Laurie was born on 25 March 1897 in Dumfries to William Laurie (1856–1903), a clerk in a tweed mill and later a hatter and hosier, and Jessie Ann Laurie (née Brown; 1858–1935). He attended grammar school at Dumfries Academy, then abandoned a career in architecture to serve in the First World War as a member of the Honourable Artillery Company. Upon demobilisation, he trained to become an actor under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of Speech and Drama, then based at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Career Theatre and radio Laurie made his debut on stage in 1921.

A prolific Shakespearean actor, Laurie made his first appearance on the London stage in 1922 at the Old Vic, where he played many leading roles. Soon after joining the Old Vic Laurie became involved with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon where he played such roles as Richard III, Othello and Macbeth. In only his second season at Stratford, Laurie got the chance to play Hamlet, which was almost unheard of for someone with so little experience. Laurie later said that he believed that his performance of the role was the definitive version, saying, "That's the way to play Hamlet, don't wait too long, like some of the boys are doing today."

On radio, Laurie created the role of John the Baptist in Dorothy L Sayers' cycle of plays The Man Born to Be King, and reprised the role in two further versions of the cycle. Laurie also played the part of MacDuff in a radio adaptation of Macbeth, with Ralph Richardson in the title role.

TV and film

Laurie's first film was the 1930 film Juno and the Paycock, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock next cast him as John the Crofter in 1935's The 39 Steps, a breakthrough role for Laurie in just his third film. In 1936 Laurie and fellow Old Vic alumnus Laurence Olivier made their first film appearance together in As You Like It. Laurie went on to appear in Olivier's three Shakespearean films, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955). During the Second World War Laurie served in the Home Guard, experience that would be useful for later projects. Other roles included Peter Manson in Michael Powell's The Edge of the World (1937), Clive Candy's batman in Powell and Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), a gardener in Medal for the General (1944), the farmer recruit in The Way Ahead (1944), and the brothel proprietor in Fanny by Gaslight (1944). In the 1945 Powell and Pressburger film I Know Where I'm Going!, he had a small speaking part in a céilidh sequence for which he was also credited as an adviser. In the next decade, he played the psychiatrist Dr. James Garsten in Mine Own Executioner (1947), the repugnant Pew in Disney's Treasure Island (1950), Angus in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951), and Dr. MacFarlane in David Lean's Hobson's Choice (1954).

In 1954, Laurie joined the Edinburgh Gateway Company to play the leading role in Robert Kemp's The Laird o' Grippy, a translation into Scots of Molière's L'avare.

Laurie's role as Private Frazer, the gaunt-faced, intense, pessimistic undertaker, and British Home Guard soldier in the sitcom Dad's Army (1968–1977) remains his best known TV role. Dad's Army co-star Frank Williams noted in his autobiography that Laurie had ‘a sort of love-hate relationship with the show’, as despite earning him a lot a money he felt that a sitcom was beneath him. Said Graham McCann in his book Dad's Army: The Story of a Very British Comedy: "John Laurie was cantankerous, he was rather mischievous, he was someone who enjoyed playing a kind of a professional pessimist." He featured in many British series of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s including Tales of Mystery, Doctor Finlay's Casebook, and The Avengers.

Laurie starred as Mad Peter in the Hammer film The Reptile (1966), and later appeared in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), the Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975), and The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). Laurie's final work was in the BBC Radio 2 comedy series Tony's (1979) along with Victor Spinetti and Deborah Watling.

Personal life Laurie was married twice, first to Florence May Saunders, whom he met while at the Old Vic; she died from meningitis in 1926. His second wife was Oonah Veronica Todd-Naylor, who survived him. Together, they had a daughter, Veronica (1939–2022).

Death

Laurie died on 23 June 1980, aged 83, from emphysema in the Chalfont and Gerrards Cross Hospital, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the English Channel. His widow, Oonah (1901–1990), died ten years later.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1930 Juno and the Paycock Johnny Boyle 1934 Red Ensign Forsyth Uncredited 1935 The 39 Steps John the crofter Her Last Affaire Robb Tudor Rose John Knox Uncredited 1936 Born That Way Mc Tavish East Meets West Dr. Fergusson As You Like It Oliver 1937 The Windmill Mons. Coutard Farewell Again Private McAllister Jericho Hassan Also known as Dark Sands The Edge of the World Peter Manson There Was a Young Man Stranger1938 The Duchess of Malfi Ferdinand of Aragon TV The Claydon Treasure Mystery Wilson – the Valet Uncredited White Secret MacDonald TV A Royal Divorce Joseph Bonaparte The Last Voyage of Captain Grant Captain Grant TV The Ware Case Henson, the gamekeeper1939 Mary Rose Cameron TV Bees on the Boat-Deck Gaster TV Q Planes Newspaper Editor Uncredited The Four Feathers The Khalifa1940 Laugh It Off Jock Convoy Gates Sailors Three McNab1941 The Ghost of St. Michael's Jamie Old Mother Riley's Ghosts McAdam Dangerous Moonlight Wing Commander 1942 Ships with Wings Lt. Comdr. Reid1943 The Gentle Sex Alexander Balfour, Scots corporal The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Murdoch The Demi-Paradise British Sailor The Lamp Still Burns Mr. Hervey The New Lot Harry Fyfe Short, uncredited1944 Fanny by Gaslight William Hopwood The Way Ahead Pvt. Luke Medal for the General McNab Henry V Jamy Men of Rochdale Mr. Ferguson Short1945 The World Owes Me a Living Matthews Great Day Scottish sergeant The Agitator Tom Tetley I Know Where I'm Going! John Campbell Caesar and Cleopatra 1st. Auxiliary Sentinel Read All About It John Short, uncredited1946 Gaiety George MacTavish Jeannie Father TV Two Gentlemen of Soho Sneak TV School for Secrets Dr. Jock McVitie 1947 The Brothers Dugald McLeod / Alistair MacDonald Jassy Tom Woodroofe Uncle Silas Giles Mine Own Executioner Dr. James Garsten 1948 Hamlet Francisco Bonnie Prince Charlie Blind Jamie 1949 Floodtide Joe Drummond1950 Madeleine Scots Divine Uncredited Treasure Island Blind Pew Trio Mr. Campbell (segment "Sanatorium") No Trace Inspector MacDougall1951 Pandora and the Flying Dutchman Angus Happy Go Lovely Jonskill Laughter in Paradise Gordon Webb Encore Andrews, Engineer (segment "Winter Cruise") 1952 Saturday Island Grimshaw Tread Softly Angus McDonald Too Many Detectives Edward Potter Short Potter of the Yard Short1953 The Great Game Mac Wells Captain Brassbound's Conversion Rankin TV Henry V Pistol TV The Fake Henry Mason Johnny on the Run Policeman Strange Stories Mr. Bartleby Mr Beamish Goes South Edward Potter Short Love in Pawn McCutcheon1954 Hobson's Choice Dr. McFarlane Calling Scotland Yard: The Sable Scarf Short Devil Girl from Mars "Jamie" Jamieson The Black Knight James, the servant Destination Milan Walter McHarry 1955 Richard III Lovel1956 Festival Fever Annie's father TV A Day of Grace Uncle Henry Short1957 Murder Reported Mac North – Editor Campbell's Kingdom Mac1958 Next to No Time Abercrombie, Scottish Director Rockets Galore! Capt. MacKechnie Uncredited 1960 Kidnapped Ebenezer Balfour1961 Don't Bother to Knock Taxi Driver One Way Pendulum Judge TV1963 Siege of the Saxons Merlin Ladies Who Do Dr. MacGregor 1964 Eagle Rock Mr. McTavish Voice 1966 The Reptile Mad Peter 1967 Mister Ten Per Cent The Scotsman 1970 Step Laughing Into the Grave TV 1971 Dad's Army Private Frazer The Abominable Dr. Phibes Darrow 1974 Charles Dickens' World of Christmas TV 1975 One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing Jock 1976 Crime Casebook George Winterman / Sellens Short 1979 The Prisoner of Zenda Archbishop (final film role)

Partial television credits Year Title Role Notes 1938 The Duchess Of Malfi Ferdinand of Aragon Single drama The Last Voyage of Captain Grant Captain Grant Single drama Mary Rose Cameron Single drama 1939 Bees on the Boat-Deck Gaster Single drama 1952 The Three Hostages Insp. MacGillivray Four episodes 1961–1963 Tales of Mystery Host / Algernon Blackwood 29 episodes 1962–1969 The Avengers 1963 Steptoe and Son The Vet Episode "Wallah, Wallah Catsmeat" 1965 Z Cars Dr Ferguson Episode "Partners" Emergency-Ward 10 Professor Corliss Six episodes 1968–1977 Dad's Army Private Frazer 80 episodes, regular role 1969 The Gnomes of Dulwich Top Gnome 1 episode 1970 From a Bird's Eye View Lord McBracken One episode alongside Dads Army co-star Clive Dunn 1971 Jackanory Storyteller Five episodes reading The Princess and the Goblin 1973 Jackanory Storyteller Five episodes reading The Princess and Curdie 1975 Jackanory Storyteller Five episodes reading stories 'The Light Princess' and 'The Golden Key'1979Larry Grayson's Generation GameHimselfGuest Appearance