John Merivale

John Herman Merivale (1 December 1917 – 6 February 1990) was a Canadian-born British theatre actor, and occasional supporting player in British films.

Early life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, John Merivale was the son of English actors Philip Merivale and Viva Birkett. His stepmother was the English actress Gladys Cooper. Merivale was educated in England, at Rugby and New College, Oxford. He later worked in the production of Romeo and Juliet by Leigh and her husband, Laurence Olivier.

Merivale's career was put on hold while he served as a pilot with both the British and Canadian air forces during World War II.

In 1956 Merivale made his second film appearance, in The Battle of the River Plate. He went on to have supporting roles in films such as A Night to Remember (1958), Circus of Horrors (1960), House of Mystery (1961), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), (where he played the title character, who is killed thirteen minutes into the film), King Rat (1965), and Arabesque (1966).

Personal life and death He was married to the US actress Jan Sterling from 1941 until 1948, and lived with Vivien Leigh from 1960 until her death in 1967, becoming her dedicated caretaker in her final years. He began a relationship with actress Dinah Sheridan in 1968; they married in 1986.

Merivale died on 6 February 1990 from kidney failure.

Filmography