Robert Newton
Biography
Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its sequel in 1954. His portrayal of Long John Silver and of Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on many first-rate performances in such movies as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sykes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the Oscar-winning movie musical Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.
Filmography
Walt Disney: Behind the Magic
2024
as Self (archive footage)
The Epic That Never Was
1969
as Cassius, Captain of Caligula's guard (archive footage) (uncredited)
Around the World in 80 Days
1956
as Mr. Fix
Long John Silver
1954
as Long John Silver
The Beachcomber
1954
as Ted Wilson
The High and the Mighty
1954
as Gustave Pardee
The Desert Rats
1953
as Tom Bartlett
Blackbeard, the Pirate
1952
as Blackbeard
Androcles and the Lion
1952
as Ferrovius
Les Miserables
1952
as Etienne Javert
Tom Brown's Schooldays
1951
as Thomas Arnold
Soldiers Three
1951
as Pvt. Bill Sykes
Waterfront
1950
as Peter McCabe
Treasure Island
1950
as Long John Silver
Obsession
1949
as Dr. Clive Riordan
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
1948
as Harry Carter
Oliver Twist
1948
as Bill Sykes
Snowbound
1948
as Derek Engles
Temptation Harbour
1947
as Bert Mallinson
Odd Man Out
1947
as Lukey
Night Boat to Dublin
1946
as Capt. David Grant
Henry V
1944
as Ancient Pistol
This Happy Breed
1944
as Frank Gibbons
They Flew Alone
1942
as Jim Mollison