# Alan Webb (actor)

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{{Short description|English actor (1906–1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Alan Webb
| image        = Actor_Alan_Webb.jpg
| caption      = Webb in ''[Lease of Life](/source/Lease_of_Life)'' (1954)
| birth_name   = Alan Norton Fletcher Webb
| birth_date   = {{birth date|df=yes|1906|07|02}}
| birth_place  = [York](/source/York), England
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1982|06|22|df=yes|1906|07|02}}
| death_place  = [Chichester](/source/Chichester), [Sussex](/source/Sussex), England
| occupation   = Actor
| years_active = 1924–1982
}}

'''Alan Norton Fletcher Webb''' (2 July 1906 – 22 June 1982) was an English actor. He was principally known as a stage performer, but made several film and television appearances. He seldom played leading roles, but was frequently cast in important character parts. He created roles in plays by [A. A. Milne](/source/A._A._Milne), [Noël Coward](/source/No%C3%ABl_Coward), [T. S. Eliot](/source/T._S._Eliot) and other contemporary playwrights.

==Life and career==
===Early years===
Webb was born in [York](/source/York) on 2 July 1906, the elder of the two sons of Major Thomas Francis Albertoni Webb (1862–1955) and his wife Lili, ''née'' Fletcher.<ref name=ancestry>[https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/21461516/person/122082805681/facts?_phsrc=Abg7&_phstart=successSource "Alan Norton Fletcher Webb"], Ancestry UK. Retrieved 17 June 2021 {{subscription required}}</ref><ref name=ww>Herbert, pp. 1537–1539</ref> He was educated at [Bramcote School](/source/Bramcote_School), [Scarborough](/source/Scarborough%2C_North_Yorkshire), [North Riding of Yorkshire](/source/North_Riding_of_Yorkshire) and Royal Naval Colleges [Osborne](/source/Royal_Naval_College%2C_Osborne) and [Dartmouth](/source/Britannia_Royal_Naval_College).<ref name=ww/> He decided against a [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) career in favour of the theatre.<ref>Hoare, p. 274</ref>

Webb made his first professional appearance on the stage at the Century Theatre, Bayswater in April 1924, as Lawyer Hawkins in ''[The Devil's Disciple](/source/The_Devil's_Disciple_(play))'' with the [Lena Ashwell Players](/source/Lena_Ashwell), with whom he remained until 1926.<ref name=ww/> After shorter spells with [J.B. Fagan](/source/J.B._Fagan)'s Oxford Players (1926–28) and the Masque Theatre Company in Edinburgh and Glasgow (1928) he had small roles in three [West End](/source/West_End_theatre) productions.<ref name=ww/> He then joined the [Liverpool Repertory Company](/source/Liverpool_Playhouse) under the direction of [William Armstrong](/source/William_Armstrong_(theatre_director)). There, between 1929 and 1931 he was cast in leading roles, including Mole in the world premiere of ''[Toad of Toad Hall](/source/Toad_of_Toad_Hall)'',<ref>"Provincial Productions", ''The Stage'', 26 December 1929, p. 18</ref> and Astrov to Armstrong's [Uncle Vanya](/source/Uncle_Vanya).<ref>Virtuosity in Acting", ''Liverpool Echo'', 12 June 1930, p. 8</ref>

===1930s and 1940s===
Webb's last spells in provincial repertory were with the Croydon Rep in 1932 and 1933, interspersed with three engagements in London.<ref name=ww/> From the mid-1930s for several years he was in a relationship with [Noël Coward](/source/No%C3%ABl_Coward);<ref>Hoare, pp. 273–274</ref> [John Gielgud](/source/John_Gielgud) called Webb "[Coward's] best critic, in my opinion . . . a very caustic and brilliant actor, much under-rated. He was one of the few who dared to oppose Noël. Short, masculine, a little rough but definitely camp".<ref>''Quoted'' in Hoare, p. 274</ref> Webb appeared in several of the author's plays. He had supporting roles in nine of the ten short plays in the ''[Tonight at 8.30](/source/Tonight_at_8.30)'' cycle (1936),<ref>Mander and Mitchenson, pp. 287, 291, 295, 298, 303, 306, 308, 311 and 314</ref> played Ernest in the British premiere of ''[Design for Living](/source/Design_for_Living)'' (1939)<ref>Mander and Mitchenson, p. 250</ref> and took over from [Nicholas Phipps](/source/Nicholas_Phipps) as Charles Condomine in ''[Blithe Spirit](/source/Blithe_Spirit_(play))'' (1945).<ref>Mander and Mitchenson, p. 367</ref> In 1947, under the author's supervision, he directed the first production of Coward's ''[Peace in Our Time](/source/Peace_in_Our_Time_(play))''.<ref>Mander and Mitchenson, p. 397</ref> Long after their affair had finished, Coward cast him in the important role of Punalo Alani in ''[South Sea Bubble](/source/South_Sea_Bubble_(play))'' in 1956.<ref>Mander and Mitchenson, p. 409</ref>

Webb made his [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) début in ''Tonight at 8.30'' in 1936,<ref name=ww/> and appeared again there the following year as Roger in Coward's production of [Gerald Savory](/source/Gerald_Savory)'s comedy ''[George and Margaret](/source/George_and_Margaret)''.<ref>Hoare, p. 281</ref> During the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) he served in the armed forces. In the late 1940s, resuming his stage career, he acted and in the West End, on Broadway, and on tour in the US, the latter in [Terence Rattigan](/source/Terence_Rattigan)'s ''[The Winslow Boy](/source/The_Winslow_Boy)''. He also directed.<ref name=ww/>

===Later years===
In 1951 Webb played [Polonius](/source/Polonius) to the [Hamlet](/source/Hamlet) of [Alec Guinness](/source/Alec_Guinness) at the [New Theatre](/source/No%C3%ABl_Coward_Theatre). ''The Times'' praised "the Polonius of Mr Alan Webb, always picking up in the thickening of senility the threads of his former astuteness and retaining a fair measure of his dignity",<ref>"New Theatre", ''The Times'', 18 May 1951, p. 6</ref> and ''The Tatler'' called Webb's performance "an adroit and amusing study of failing powers which occasionally find their former strength".<ref>Cookman, Anthony. "At the Theatre", ''The Tatler'', 30 May 1951, p. 470</ref> At the [Edinburgh Festival](/source/Edinburgh_Festival) and on tour in the same year he played Henry Higgins in ''[Pygmalion](/source/Pygmalion_(play))'' with [Margaret Lockwood](/source/Margaret_Lockwood) as Eliza.<ref name=ww/>

Webb's other stage roles during the 1950s included Sir Timothy Bellboys in [John Whiting](/source/John_Whiting)'s ''[A Penny for a Song](/source/A_Penny_for_a_Song)'' (London, 1951), William Collyer in Rattigan's ''[The Deep Blue Sea](/source/The_Deep_Blue_Sea_(play))'' (New York, 1952), Eggerson in [T. S. Eliot](/source/T._S._Eliot)'s ''[The Confidential Clerk](/source/The_Confidential_Clerk)'' (Edinburgh and London, 1952), Sir Toby Belch in ''[Twelfth Night](/source/Twelfth_Night)'', the King of France in ''[All's Well That Ends Well](/source/All's_Well_That_Ends_Well)'' and Marcus Andronicus in ''[Titus Andronicus](/source/Titus_Andronicus)'' ([Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company](/source/Royal_Shakespeare_Company), Stratford-on-Avon, 1955), and three [Shaw](/source/George_Bernard_Shaw) roles, Lord Summerhayes in ''[Misalliance](/source/Misalliance_(play))'' ([Lyric, Hammersmith](/source/Lyric_Theatre%2C_Hammersmith), 1956), Andrew Undershaft in ''[Major Barbara](/source/Major_Barbara)'' ([Royal Court](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London, 1958) and Mazzini Dunn in ''[Heartbreak House](/source/Heartbreak_House)'' (1959, New York).<ref name=ww/>

In the 1960s Webb appeared as Dudard in [Eugène Ionesco](/source/Eug%C3%A8ne_Ionesco)'s ''[Rhinoceros](/source/Rhinoceros_(Orson_Welles_production))'', starring [Laurence Olivier](/source/Laurence_Olivier) (Royal Court, 1960). With the Royal Shakespeare Company he played Gloucester in ''[King Lear](/source/King_Lear)'' and Ernst Heinrich Ernesti in ''The Physicists''. Later work included ''[The Three Sisters](/source/The_Three_Sisters_(play))'' at the Royal Court and Willy in ''Happy Days'' at the [National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre) in 1974.<ref>"Mr Alan Webb", ''The Times'', 23 June 1982, p. 12</ref>

===Cinema and television===
Webb made his film debut in ''[Challenge to Lassie](/source/Challenge_to_Lassie)'' (1949), and went on to appear in such films as ''[The Pumpkin Eater](/source/The_Pumpkin_Eater)'' (1964), ''[King Rat](/source/King_Rat_(film))'' (1965); ''[Chimes at Midnight](/source/Chimes_at_Midnight)'' (1965), ''[The Taming of the Shrew](/source/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew_(1967_film))'' (1967), ''[Women in Love](/source/Women_in_Love_(film))'' (1969), ''[Entertaining Mr. Sloane](/source/Entertaining_Mr_Sloane_(film))'' (1970), ''[The Canterbury Tales](/source/The_Canterbury_Tales_(film))'' (1972) and ''[The Duellists](/source/The_Duellists)'' (1977).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/alan-webb-p75147/filmography|title=Alan Webb - Movies and Filmography - AllMovie}}</ref>

He appeared several times on the ''[BBC Play of the Month](/source/Play_of_the_Month)'', ''[Hallmark Hall of Fame](/source/Hallmark_Hall_of_Fame)'' and ''[Play for Today](/source/Play_for_Today)'', as well as popular television series ''[Z-Cars](/source/Z-Cars)'', ''[The Protectors](/source/The_Protectors)'', and ''[Public Eye](/source/Public_Eye_(TV_series))''. In 1963, he was offered the role of the [First Doctor](/source/First_Doctor) in the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s new science fiction series ''[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)'' but declined.<ref name= "whoswho">{{cite news |last=Idato |first=Michael |url= http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/box-seat/the-whos-who-of-the-almost-doctor-whos-20130814-2rw81.html |title=The who's who of the almost Doctor Whos|work=[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald) |date=2013-08-14 }}</ref> Webb was also cast as [Emperor Palpatine](/source/Palpatine) in ''[Return of the Jedi](/source/Return_of_the_Jedi)'' but bowed out owing to illness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10341365/Return-of-the-Jedi-behind-the-scenes.html|title=Return of the Jedi: behind the scenes}}</ref>

Webb died at his home in [Haslemere](/source/Haslemere), Surrey, on 22 June 1982, aged 75.<ref name=ancestry/>

==Screen and radio==
===Films===
* ''[Challenge to Lassie](/source/Challenge_to_Lassie)'' (1949) - James Brown
* ''[The Astonished Heart](/source/The_Astonished_Heart_(film))'' (1950) - Sir Reginald
* ''[The Cruel Sea](/source/The_Cruel_Sea_(1953_film))'' (1953) - Admiral Murray-Forbes (uncredited)
* ''[West of Zanzibar](/source/West_of_Zanzibar_(1954_film))'' (1954) - Alan, Bob's Boss (uncredited)
* ''[Lease of Life](/source/Lease_of_Life)'' (1954) - Dr. Pembury
* ''[The Night My Number Came Up](/source/The_Night_My_Number_Came_Up)'' (1955) - Governor (uncredited)
* ''[The Silent Enemy](/source/The_Silent_Enemy_(1958_film))'' (1958) - British Consul
* ''[The Scapegoat](/source/The_Scapegoat_(1959_film))'' (1959) - Inspector
* ''[The Third Secret](/source/The_Third_Secret_(film))'' (1964) - Alden Hoving
* ''[The Pumpkin Eater](/source/The_Pumpkin_Eater)'' (1964) - Mr. Armitage - Jake's father
* ''[King Rat](/source/King_Rat_(film))'' (1965) - Brant
* ''[Chimes at Midnight](/source/Chimes_at_Midnight)'' (1965) - Shallow
* ''[The Taming of the Shrew](/source/The_Taming_of_the_Shrew_(1967_film))'' (1967) - Gremio
* ''[Interlude](/source/Interlude_(1968_film))'' (1968) - Andrew
* ''[Women in Love](/source/Women_in_Love_(film))'' (1969) - Thomas Crich
* ''[Entertaining Mr Sloane](/source/Entertaining_Mr_Sloane_(film))'' (1970) - Kemp ('Dadda')
* ''[King Lear](/source/King_Lear_(1971_UK_film))'' (1971) - Gloucester
* ''[The Horsemen](/source/The_Horsemen_(1971_film))'' (1971) - Gardi Gay (uncredited)
* ''[Nicholas and Alexandra](/source/Nicholas_and_Alexandra)'' (1971) - [Yurovsky](/source/Yakov_Yurovsky)
* ''[The Protectors](/source/The_Protectors)'' (1972) - Blind Man
* ''[The Canterbury Tales](/source/The_Canterbury_Tales_(film))'' (1972) - Old Man
* ''[The Duellists](/source/The_Duellists)'' (1977) - Chevalier
* ''[The First Great Train Robbery](/source/The_First_Great_Train_Robbery)'' (1979) - Trent
* ''[Rough Cut](/source/Rough_Cut_(1980_film))'' (1980) - Sir Samuel Sacks
* ''[Deadly Game](/source/Deadly_Game_(1982_film))'' (1982) - Joseph Pillet (final film role)

===Radio ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Programme !! Episode/source
|-
| 1952|| ''[Theatre Guild on the Air](/source/The_United_States_Steel_Hour)'' || ''[The Pickwick Papers](/source/The_Pickwick_Papers)''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kirby|first1=Walter|title=Better Radio Programs for the Week|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2578496/the_decatur_daily_review/|agency=The Decatur Daily Review|date=21 December 1952|page=44|via = [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)|access-date = 8 June 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''[Theatre Guild on the Air](/source/The_United_States_Steel_Hour)'' || ''[The Winslow Boy](/source/The_Winslow_Boy)''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kirby|first1=Walter|title=Better Radio Programs for the Week|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2630463/the_decatur_daily_review/|agency=The Decatur Daily Review|date=23 November 1952|page=48|via = [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)|access-date = 16 June 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|editor-last= Herbert|editor-first=Ian  |year= 1977|title=Who's Who in the Theatre |edition=sixteenth|location=London and Detroit|publisher= Pitman Publishing and Gale Research |isbn=978-0-273-00163-8}}
* {{cite book |last = Hoare |first = Philip |year = 1995 |title = Noël Coward, A Biography |location = London |publisher = Sinclair-Stevenson |isbn = 978-1-4081-0675-4 }}
* {{cite book | last= Mander| first=Raymond |author2=Joe Mitchenson | others= Barry Day and [Sheridan Morley](/source/Sheridan_Morley) (2000 edition, ed.)| title=Theatrical Companion to Coward | year=2000|orig-date=1957|edition=second | location= London| publisher=Oberon Books | isbn=978-1-84002-054-0 }}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0916001|Alan Webb}}
*{{IBDB name|64300}}
*[http://www.fandango.com/alanwebb/filmography/p75147 Webb film listing at fandango.com]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Alan}}
Category:1906 births
Category:1982 deaths
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male film actors
Category:Male actors from York
Category:20th-century English male actors
Category:British military personnel of World War II
Category:People educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne
Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College
Category:Military personnel from York

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alan Webb (actor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Webb_(actor)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Webb_(actor)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.