Chubs on Screen Past & Present

This site is to help put names to faces of the chubby actors people may see on screen from old movies and TV shows. as well as post photos of chubby/fat actors of the times they may have had to appear shirtless or in awkward positions.

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1950s (part 2)

In 1952 Francis L. Sullivan performed in 2 live Studio One teleplays, “Pontius Pilate” (as Herod) in April and “Treasure Island” (as Long John Silver) in May.

He plays a slave trader/owner, baddie in the Action/Adventure film Caribbean with John Payne, Arlene Dahl and Cedric Hardwicke.

He is back in English Court in a Charles Dickens story live on Omnibus with Cedrick Hardwicke  in “The Trial of Mr. Pickwick”.

Sullivan plays a doctor in Paramount’s first 3D movie, a Romance Drama, Sangaree, in the old south with Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl. Sullivan always seemed to have a drink in his hand in one scene of every movie he appeared in America.

In 1953 Francis L. Sullivan plays a shady art collector in The Plunder of the Sun with Glenn Ford.

Francis L. Sullivan is the prefect of police in the 3D film Drums of Tahiti, starring Georg Keymas and Sylvia Lewis.

In 1954, he becomes a naturalized American citizen.

1954/2 (US-TV) Margin of Victory (Cavalcade of America)

1954/10 (US-TV) The Sensation Club (Schlitz Playhouse)

From Dec.16, 1954 until June 30, 1955 Francis L. Sullivan played Sir Wilfrid in Witness for the Prosecution on Broadway). He won a Tony Award for his portrayal. Agatha Christie adapted this play from her 1925 short story “Traitor’s Hands”. She created the Sir Wilfrid character for the play and added the surprise ending. The play originally opened in England’s West End in October 1953 and ran 1 year and 3 months starring David Horne. Billy Wilder, Agatha Christie and Harry Kurnitz collaborated when bringing it to the screen starring Charles Laughton in December 1957. Agatha Christie wrote Sir Wilfrid with Charles Laughton in mind. Laughton was nominated for an Oscar, but lost to Alec Guiness for Bridge Over the River Kwai. Sullivan passed away in November 1956, so there never was a dispute who should play the role in the film.

The Prodigal in 1955 was an MGM movie spectacle that was not spectacular. MGM was successful pulling viewers away from their TVs with Biblical Stories in wide screen cinemascope, vibrant color and elaborate costumes and pretty stars. It starred Lana Turner. The lead was young, handsome Edmund Purdom. But the story was dull and the script was too. Francis L. Sullivan played a bad guy.

Hell’s Island is Francis L. Sullivan’s last feature film. It is a Film Noir reminiscent of The Maltese Falcon. Sullivan plays the wheelchair bound bad guy.  

Francis L. Sullivan ended his career playing Captain Bligh in a General Electric Theater episode called "The Bounty Court Martial" aired in October 1955.

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1950s (part 1)

Night and the City is a beautifully filmed Noir film, released in 1950. Filmed in UK and produced in US and a slightly different version for the UK). Francis L. Sullivan plays a Nightclub owner, one of Sullivan’s best and complex roles. The film stars Richard Widmark and Gene Tierney.

Sometime after filming Night and the City,  he moved to the US,  lured by money and greater opportunity.  Possibly because the man who had been getting the best movie roles for a fat man in the US, Sydney Greenstreet, had just retired.  He filled out citizenship papers in June of 1950. Sullivan’s wife arrived by ship in late September 1950, after liquidating property. He immediately found good roles in American TV teleplays and anthology series.

One such show was Lights Out in 1951. He plays an alien kidnapping earthlings, transporting them to his planet in “The Man With The Watch”. It was a live show, so it had its faults.  

In 1951, he appeared in the dark comedy Behave Yourself with Farley Granger and Shelley Winters, as one of the crooks along with many other known actors playing the criminals making a good ensemble cast.  

In October 1951, he was interviewed in an impromptu interview on the Queen Mary by “Your Ship’s Reporter” a couple months before My Favorite Spy was released. This was the same reporter who interviewed Laurel and Hardy a few months later. Oliver gave him a kiss at the end of the interview. All the reporter got from Francis was a lot of cigarette smoke on the Promenade Deck.

 

He then appeared as the villain in Bob Hope’s comedy My Favorite Spy. Did you ever notice that when a man does a scene with a fat man, he gets very handsy.  Hedy Lamarr was the female lead. In most of his American films during this time, you can picture Sydney Greenstreet in these roles. Sullivan adds his own British flare.

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1940s (part 3)

He plays an egocentrical Italian tenor stranded with others on a glacier after a small passenger plane crash in 1948 in Broken Journey. How long before they start talk of eating the delicious fat man.

Francis L. Sullivan plays the Beadle, Mr. Bumble in this BAFTA nominated version of Oliver Twist in 1948.

The Winslow Boy is expelled from school for a petty theft in this 1948 UK film. Sullivan, as Attorney General argued the case.

He plays the Bishop of Beauvais in the US film Joan of Arc, nominated for 7 Oscars, starring Ingrid Bergman. (US) (RKO)

He is a skeptical nobleman in 1949’s UK film Christopher Columbus. This is a lavish production starring Frederick March that made use of much dramatic license. A failure at the box office.  

 

Sullivan appeared in the US film The Red Danube in 1949. A film about refugees in Austria affected by the Four Power Rule put in place after WWII ended.

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1940s (part 2)

Francis L Sullivan gets top billing as a racketeer wishing to purchase the Mona Lisa, “and he gets what he wants” in the ensemble comedy Lady from Lisbon from 1942. Many Mona Lisas show up and there is reference to the war as he makes a deal with Nazis to get it. He stars with Martita Hunt and Jane Carr.

In 1943, he played the Master of a mansion in the comedy farce The Butler’s Dilemma. Acrobatic comedian Richard Hearne plays said butler.

Francis L. Sullivan plays Nero and Nero looks to be made up as a drag queen in the musical comedy Fiddlers Three (US title While Nero Fiddled) in 1944. It is about 3 modern day people who are transported to the past. I have yet to see the whole film.

In 1945, the war is over and Francis L. Sullivan plays regent to the very young Egyptian King in Caesar and Cleopatra. This is the film version of George Bernard Shaw’s play from the 1890s. Shaw also wrote the screenplay. It is unlike the 1950s films about historical figures and events as the dialogue is spoken in everyday language, each sentence doesn’t sound like proclamation. It stars Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains as the title characters.

The Laughing Lady, a musical costume drama. Sullivan plays a  nobleman with a beautiful daughter who he agrees to marry off to The Prince of Wales for debt forgiveness. His daughter has other plans. It’s a Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy type of operetta and I was never a fan.

In 1946, Francis L. Sullivan reprised his role as lawyer/guardian Mr. Jaggers in Great Expectations, this time for English Producer. It stars John Mills and Valerie Hobson. This film was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Sullivan plays prosecuting attorney (again) arguing a murder case against the killer in Take My Life in 1947.

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1940s (part 1)

Francis L. Sullivan’s first film of 1940 to be realeased was 21 Days (US title is 21 Days Together) starring Vivien Leigh, Leslie Banks and Laurence Olivier. The film was actually filmed in 1937 and it wasn’t released until January 1940 after Leigh and Olivier became big box office. It is a Legal Drama and Sullivan’s role is unclear to me, he was a politician or a solicitor of some kind, in the courrtroom wearing a wig. His role wasn’t large but he was listed fourth in the credits. Last photo is with David Horne.

Sullivan spent much of 1940 performing as Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s play Peril at End House.

In 1941, Francis L. Sullivan portrays a ruthless German General in the WWII War Drama Pimpernal Smith (US title was Mister V). Leslie Howard starred, directed and produced this film. He played an archeologist who freed political prisoners from Germany. Before the film started it was decided that none of the actors portraying Germans would speak with a German accent as they considered it mocking and making caricatures of the Germans. I think part of this reasoning is because Sullivan, known for his menacing tone and cadence would be thrown off by adding a German accent to the character. So he played the part in his natural, calm but menacing voice. One year later Leslie Howard was killed when German fighter planes intercepted and shot down the small British passenger plane he was travelling in from Lisbon to London.

In 1942, Sullivan plays a German Kommandant taking over a Norwegian town in The Day Will Dawn (US title The Avengers).

He plays a French boat captain aiding some Brit engineers escape with armament machinery in The Foreman Went to France (US title Somewhere in France).

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1930s (part 2)

1937 TV -  He was in a teleplay of Agatha Christie’s The Wasp’s Nest in TV’s Theater Parade as Hercule Poirot.

Francis L. Sullivan played a villainous gang leader in Non-Stop New York starring Anna Lee and John Loder. Some say he was at his best.

He is the villain again in Dinner at the Ritz starring French movie-star Annabella and David Niven.

In 1938 he plays Governor in British India in The Drum starring Sabu.

Francis L. Sullivan plays boss of the title character who is his secretary, and the father of a socialite in the crime thriller Kate Plus Ten (US title Queen of Crime) starring Jack Hulbert and Genevieve Tobin.

He plays a coal miner avoiding working in dangerous health conditions in The Citadel starring Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell. I felt a bit cheated after the Doctor asked him to remove his shirt so he could examine him properly. He argued and the Doctor seemed to have won that argument. But he only removed his coat.

Sullivan plays a comic role as an escaped lunatic in the comedy Climbing High starring Michael Redgrave and Jessie Matthews in 1938.

He plays prosecuting attorney again in The Ware Case starring Clive Brook.

In 1939 Francis L. Sullivan played a major role in The Four Just Men ( US title The Secret Four), playing one of the four men of the title in this pre-war cautionary story of a vigilante group trying to protect Great Britain. Sullivan played well against his usual characters, this time as a French owner of a exclusive fashion house, with a French accent and just enough fem in his voice and actions. He got third billing, but starred along with Hugh Sinclair, Griffith Jones and Frank Lawton. British posters of the film didn’t mention any actor’s names. The US posters strangely purported Frank Lawton, Anna Lee and Griffith Jones as the stars, who were 4th, 5th and 2nd in the beginning credit order.

Sullivan next plays a French Theater Producer in the comedy Young Man’s Fancy starring Griffith Jones and Anna Lee.  

[glennk56]

Francis L. Sullivan in the 1930s (part 1)

Francis L Sullivan was born in London, England in 1903. He started his Theatrical career at the age of 18, playing Richard III at the Old Vic Theater. Among his theater roles in London’s West End was in Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee in 1930 as Hercule Poirot.  She approved of his casting although he was much taller than she pictured her hero. He also played in many Shakespeare  and Dickens productions.

Francis L. Sullivan was a large man with a strong, clear voice. He often spoke in a calm tone and deliberate cadence. This tone, coupled with his bulk, conveyed a great menace.

Francis L. Sullivan’s first film role was in 1932, in the Sherlock Holmes’ mystery The Missing Rembrandt, playing a German Villain, The Baron.

He played a criminal, running a high-class gambling joint in 1932, in the crime drama When London Sleeps. He was listed second in the cast.

He played an interrogating Archbishop in the fantasy drama The Wandering Jew starring Conrad Veigtin 1933.

After a few minor films, Sullivan cemented his role as menacing villain in action thriller The Return of Bulldog Drummond starring Ralph Richardson in 1934.

Also in 1934, he played Prosecutor, a typical role for him in the mystery drama What Happened Then?, starring Richard Bird.

He played Pip’s guardian/lawyer Jaggers in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations in 1934 by Universal Pictures. This was a U.S. production and they wanted the best. He was no stranger to playing Dickens’ characters on stage and most likely played Jaggers before.

During his time in the U.S., he filmed 3 other films. (All for Universal, they took full advantage of him while he was under contract.)

Cheating Cheaters, a B-comedy starring Fay Wray and Cesar Romero about rival criminal gangs. Sullivan played a doctor.

Strange Wives, another B-comedy starring Roger Pryor and June Clayworth about a fellow marrying into a Russian family. His role is uncertain but probably involved an upper class Brit’s reactions to the Russian family.

The last Universal film was The Mystery of Edwin Drood, a film made from Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel, released in 1935 starring Claude Rains. This may have been more to Francis L. Sullivan’s liking, a fresh Dickens’ tale, at least the start of one.

With the Universal contract completed, Francis L. Sullivan returned to England.

His first film made once back in England was  Her Last Affaire in 1935, starring Hugh Williams, about the wife of a politician turning up dead. He plays the politician husband.

In 1936, he plays a familiar role as Prosecutor in A Woman Alone starring Anna Sten, US title was Two Who Dared.

In 1936, among other films, he starred in The Limping Man as a Private Investigator.

In 1937, he argued as Defense Council this time in Action for Slander.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1980s

In 1980, Willoughby Goddard had a role in one episode of the mini-series The Good Companions. He sat the whole time, but he did have some good dialogue, more like a monologue, which was encouraging to see after the last couple of years.

In 1983, he played the archbishop, standing in one place, marrying The Black Adder to a young princess in a The Black Adder episode.

In 1985, he played the school reverend, with one line, in the film Young Sherlock Holmes. The roles he had in the last 6 years allowed him to sit or stand in one position. He was crippled with arthritis.

He played a judge in one episode of the 1986 mini-series, Return to Treasure Island.

He played Cardinal Wolsey, standing in one spot, most likely sitting under those robes, in an episode of the mini-series, God’s Outlaw, about William Tyndale. He played Cardinal Wolsey in the theater production of A Man for All Seasons in 1960.

In 1987, he played Uncle Jumbo in an episode of T-Bag Bounces Back. He was more animated in this film than he was for a long time.

He turned 61 in 1987, he called it quits in 1987. His last film appearance was in 4 episodes of the mini-series, Porterhouse Blues.  He retired because of his bad arthiritis. But he lived another 21 years after his retirement.

Willoughby Goddard passed away in 2008 at the age of 81.  

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1970s (part 2)

He played a book dealer in the BBC2 Playhouse series The Mind Beyond in the “Stones” episode.

He  was in the episode “Sweet Smell of Succession” of the Detective series Sweeney starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in 1976.

After 1976, his roles got smaller and his weight, which only increased year after year, and arthritis affected his mobility.

Starting In 1977, he did not look well and his appearances in films got smaller and his scenes were limited. He had a brief scene with no dialogie in the R-rated comedy, Joseph Andrews with Ann-Margret.

He had an uncredited part in Terry Gilliam’s Jabberwocky in 1977. (no pic)

In 1978, he had a small part, barely speaking, in the tv movie, Daphne Laureola.

He played a man who couldn’t see the ghosts in an episode of The Ghosts of Motley Hall.

He had a small part in an episode of The Famous Five, about five children who go on adventures.

In 1979, he played a sickly older man in one episode of mini-series, My Son, My Son.

 He was in 3 episodes of Not the Nine O’Clock News, which was probably all shot at once. He just sat, well-dressed,  while girls danced around him while he made faces, while fake news headlines scrolled below.

In 1979, he had a small role as a toy soldier in the family, fantasy film Quincy’s Quest.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1970s (part 1)

In 1971, Willoughby Goddard returned to play Sir Jason Toovey again in the second series of The Mind of J. G. Reeder.

In 1972, he is in an episode on The Onedin Line as a pilot guide.

He was also, surprisingly in the Rated-X Italian film, The Canterbury Tales. So he could say he was in an X-rated film?

In 1973, he was in episode “Captain Rogers” of Orson Welles Great Mysteries.

In 1976, he was in an episode of Four Idle Hands as an antique dealer who tried to cheat the wrong people.

He played Taybor, the alien trader, in Space: 1999 in the episode Taybor. He was very animated in this one.

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Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 7)

He played the boss, Sir Jason Toovey on 2 seasons of The Mind of J. G. Reeder.  (18eps) Mr. Reeder, played by Hugh Burden, is a mild mannered employee of the Dept of Public Prosecutions in the 1920s. Reeder has remarkable crime solving abilities. Goddard plays his boss, from the Aristocratic set, complete with monocle, top hat, snuff and he takes all the credit for Reeder’s successes.

Laughter in the Dark, a 1969 Drama film about sexual relationships. He doesn’t affect the story in this one. He’s there as the Colonel, at fat Colonel, with his shaded monocle.

And he appears in the first episode of the courtroom drama, The Main Chance, as Sir Ernest Lang.

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Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 6)

Willoughby Goddard next appeared in an episode of Nearest and Dearest, another workplace comedy. this one in a pickle business.

He plays Sir Theodore Plum in the TV Movie, The Franchise Trail. (no pic) Little info on it.

In 1969, he hams it up again in The Saint, a tongue-in-cheek espionage thriller, in the episode "The Ex-King of Diamonds" with Roger Moore.

He appeared in The Avengers, with Patrick McNee and Linda Thorson in "Thingumajig". This time he is not playing the bad guy.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 5)

In 1965 Willoughby Goddard was a regular in the first season of the crime drama, thriller The Man in Room 17, about a government agency that solves cases, when others failed. He played Sir Geoffrey Norton, who was the go-between between the government officials who requested the help with the cases and the masterminds who solved them. He provided a comedic source for the program.

He then did the episode, “The Dead Past” of the science fiction program, often imaging future worlds, Out of the Unknown.

In 1966, he appeared on an episode of The Public Eye, with Alfred Burke as a Private Eye.

He appeared in an episode of the workplace comedy Pardon the Expression, as Sir Claude Wagstaffe in this comedy set in a department store, in 1966.

Next came a cameo role in Peter Cook and Dudley Moore’s crime comedy, The Wrong Box.

He was in the Joan of Arc episode of Conflict. (no pic) A program enacting  historical conflicts.

In 1967, Willoughby Goddard got to ham it up as the bad guy in the episode “The Edge of Fear” of  The Baron, an espionage  show, starring American Steve Forrest.

He played Sir Jumbo Tewksbury in another The Wednesday Play, The Fat of the Land, about five distinguished guests spending Christmas at a health farm. (no pic) A character study and social commentary.

In 1968, he appeared as a squire in the film The Charge of the Light Brigade. His costuming alone must have stretched the budget of that movie.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 4)

In 1965, Willoughby Goddard starred as Bernard, one of a pair of illegimate twins in the teleplay And Did Those Feet? featured on The Wednesday Play, which featured groundbreaking original plays. This play by David Mercer was a surreal commentary on the 60s upper-class younger generation rejecting the rules laid out for them. After playing one character for so long, Goddard did something more challenging. He was definitely working against his typical character-type in this one, but very capable. I wish I could have found a restored version. I probably put too many of the pool photos.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 3)

In 1962, he had a cameo role in the comedy, Carry on Cruising.

He played a major role in the episode “The Dashing Major” in mystery TV show The Cheaters, about an Insurance Claims Investigator played by John Ireland in 1962.

He was in the episode “The Client” of the TV Comedy The Rag Trade, set in a clothing factory.

In 1962, he was in the episode "The Missing People” of the crime drama TV show Ghost Squad, about the agents in Scotland Yard’s secret undercover unit.

Also in 1962, he was a bad guy in the episode “The Lord of Kerek” in the TV show Richard the Lionheart.

A year after appearing in the Oliver Twist mini-series as Mr. Bumble, in January 1963, Oliver! Premiered on Broadway and Willoughby Goddard played Mr. Bumble on Broadway in America for almost 2 years until November 1964.

In 1964, he returned to Britain and filmed the comedy variety show, Scott On…, starring Terry Scott.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 2)

The musical Oliver! premiered on the London Stage in 1960. Even though Willoughby Goddard would’ve made the perfect Mr. Bumble, the role went to Paul Whitsun-Jones.

in 1961, Willoughby Goddard plays a bad guy in the first season of The Avengers, episode “The Frighteners”.

Willoughby Goddard had a small role in the comedy Double Bunk with Ian Carmichael as a prospective houseboat buyer in 1961.

Willoughby Goddard plays the intolerant boss in the drama Fate Takes a Hand.

In January 1962, a 13-part miniseries of Oliver Twist was presented on British TV and Goddard played Mr. Bumble in this series. He is 35 years old at this time.

[glennk56]

Willoughby Goddard in the 1960s (part 1)

In 1960 Willoughby Goddard appeared as a bicycle-riding Police Sergeant in the comedy Inn for Trouble starring Peggy Mount. I lightened up the last still. No reason.

He appeared in episodes of TV crime dramas, one was Danger Man with Patrick McGoohan. He played a very large China man named McFadden.

Later in the year he appeared in the Romcom movie The Millionairess, playing an authority figure, with Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers and Alastair Sim.

Finally, in 1960, he appeared in a teleplay, called A Subject of Scandal and Concern, about the true story of the lastperson to be tried for blasphemy in England. He, of course played an authority figure, Chairman of the Magistrates.

In 1961 he had a small role as a hotel keeper in the mystery drama The Secret Partner with Stewart Granger. I lightened the first picture here. No reason.