Scott Paulson, a UC San Diego alumnus and outreach coordinator of the Arts Library said, \u201cI did not know about his La Jolla connection, but I certainly recognize him from his movies.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, who was this English-born gent who appeared in so many forms of entertainment for the masses? Keep reading.<\/p>\n
EARLY DAYS<\/p>\n
Williams was born on April 15, 1903, in Chalfont St Giles\u00a0in\u00a0Buckinghamshire<\/a>,\u00a0England. He first became acquainted with the stage as a teenager in his debut on the London stage in 1916 as young John in a production of \u201cPeter Pan,\u201d by\u00a0J.M. Barrie.<\/p>\n He would go on and make his debut on the Broadway stage eight years later, in 1924, as Clifford Hope, in \u201cThe Fake,\u201d by\u00a0Frederick Lonsdale. Many other performances followed the English-born Williams in his early days.<\/p>\n SCHOOLING<\/p>\n Williams attended Lancing College,<\/a> an independent day and boarding high school, educating students aged 13-18, and located at Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW, England, United Kingdom. At the time that Williams attended Lancing, it was a boys-only school, it became co-ed in 1970, according to various websites.<\/p>\n However, when contacted by email the school said, \u201cOur archivist has confirmed that we don\u2019t have a John Williams who came to Lancing at this time,\u201d wrote Catherine Reeve BA, foundation director, Lancing College, Lancing, West Sussex.<\/p>\n He also served with the British Royal Air Force during World War II.<\/p>\n Williams moved to America in the mid-1920s and stayed employed as a stage actor for three decades.<\/p>\n HOLLYWOOD<\/p>\n Williams’ first appearance in a\u00a0Hollywood film\u00a0was in director\u00a0Mack Sennett’s\u00a0short\u00a0\u201cThe Chumps\u201d\u00a0(1930). He would go on to be in more than 40 films, including two other Hitchcock films:\u00a0\u201cThe Paradine Case<\/a>\u201d\u00a0(1947)<\/p>\n starring\u00a0Gregory Peck<\/a>, in which Williams held a minor role as a barrister, and\u00a0\u201cTo Catch a Thief<\/a>\u201d\u00a0(1955) with\u00a0Cary Grant<\/a>\u00a0y\u00a0Grace Kelly<\/a>, in which Williams portrayed a major character \u2014 a\u00a0Lloyd’s of London<\/a>\u00a0insurance representative. In the 1960 thriller\u00a0\u201cMidnight Lace<\/a>,\u201d starring Doris Day, Williams played a London police inspector much like his character in\u00a0\u201cDial M for Murder.\u201d<\/p>\n The tall English gent was of course best known for his role as Chief Inspector Hubbard in\u00a0\u201cDial M for Murder,\u201d a role he played on Broadway, in\u00a0Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1954 film, and on television in 1958.<\/p>\n TONY AWARDS, MORE<\/p>\n His character Hubbard in the \u201cGreat White Way\u201d earned him the 1953 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play.<\/p>\n Incidentally, \u201cDial M for Murder\u201d was the 27th Broadway play he had appeared in since making his New York debut in \u201cThe Fake\u201d in his native England.<\/p>\n After \u201cDial M for Murder\u201d in the 1953-54 season, though, he appeared in only four more Broadway plays between 1955 and 1970 as he focused on movies and television.<\/p>\n LATER IN LIFE<\/p>\n In the 1960s, most of his work was on television, including a nine-episode stint on\u00a0\u201cFamily Affair\u201d\u00a0(1966) stepping in for\u00a0Sebastian Cabot who was Brian Keith’s butler when Cabot had health problems. Williams portrayed the part of Mr. Giles French’s brother, Nigel (“Niles”) French.<\/p>\n![\"7007179](\"https:\/\/cdn.sdnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20230524214146\/7007179_1474527118-225x300.jpg\")