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Michael Balfour is a Actor born on 11 february 1918
Michael Balfour (11 February 1918 – 24 October 1997) was an English actor, working mainly in British films and TV, following his TV debut in the BBC's The Marvellous History of St Bernard, in 1938. He was a recognisable face, often in small character parts and supporting roles, in nearly two hundred films and TV shows, from the 1940s to the 1990s, often playing comical heavies or otherwise shady characters notable for their "loud" clothes. Sometimes convincingly cast as an American.
He worked for a rollcall of film directors, including Tony Richardson, Pete Walker, Billy Wilder, Lewis Gilbert, Roman Polanski, Leslie Norman, Tim Burton, John Frankenheimer, François Truffaut, John Gilling, Stanley Donen, Ken Annakin, Cavalcanti, Lance Comfort, Terence Young, Gerald Thomas, Pasolini, John Paddy Carstairs, Terence Fisher, Val Guest, Frank Launder, John Huston, Basil Dearden and Howard Hawks.
Balfour had parts in many popular TV shows of the era including Danger Man, The Avengers, Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Rogue's Gallery, Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, and the detective drama The Vise, playing Saber's assistant Barney O'Keefe.
Balfour was also known as a passenger in the car driven by actor Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Colleano. Balfour's injuries required him to have 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Colleano's funeral.
As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Michael Balfour went on tour with European circuses, as a clown. He founded Circus Hazzard, and created his own clown character. His son later became a circus manager.
As well as performing, Balfour was a dedicated painter and sculptor, and in later years turned increasingly to sculpture and the arts, even running his own gallery for a while. For his subjects, he frequently drew on his own family career as a circus clown.
Source : Wikidata
Michael Balfour
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Birth 11 february 1918
Death 24 october 1997 (at 79 years)
Death 24 october 1997 (at 79 years)
Michael Balfour (11 February 1918 – 24 October 1997) was an English actor, working mainly in British films and TV, following his TV debut in the BBC's The Marvellous History of St Bernard, in 1938. He was a recognisable face, often in small character parts and supporting roles, in nearly two hundred films and TV shows, from the 1940s to the 1990s, often playing comical heavies or otherwise shady characters notable for their "loud" clothes. Sometimes convincingly cast as an American.
He worked for a rollcall of film directors, including Tony Richardson, Pete Walker, Billy Wilder, Lewis Gilbert, Roman Polanski, Leslie Norman, Tim Burton, John Frankenheimer, François Truffaut, John Gilling, Stanley Donen, Ken Annakin, Cavalcanti, Lance Comfort, Terence Young, Gerald Thomas, Pasolini, John Paddy Carstairs, Terence Fisher, Val Guest, Frank Launder, John Huston, Basil Dearden and Howard Hawks.
Balfour had parts in many popular TV shows of the era including Danger Man, The Avengers, Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Rogue's Gallery, Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, and the detective drama The Vise, playing Saber's assistant Barney O'Keefe.
Balfour was also known as a passenger in the car driven by actor Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Colleano. Balfour's injuries required him to have 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Colleano's funeral.
As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Michael Balfour went on tour with European circuses, as a clown. He founded Circus Hazzard, and created his own clown character. His son later became a circus manager.
As well as performing, Balfour was a dedicated painter and sculptor, and in later years turned increasingly to sculpture and the arts, even running his own gallery for a while. For his subjects, he frequently drew on his own family career as a circus clown.
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Filmography of Michael Balfour (79 films)
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The Krays (1990)
, 1h59Directed by Peter Medak
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Biography, Action, Adventure, Historical, Crime
Themes Films about families, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Gangster films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Martin Kemp, Gary Kemp, Billie Whitelaw, Tom Bell, Martin Kemp, Susan Fleetwood
Roles Referee
Rating65%
The film charts the lives of the Kray twins from childhood to adult life. The plot focuses on the relationship between the twins and their doting mother (Whitelaw). Ronald (Gary Kemp) is the dominant one, influencing his brother Reginald (Martin Kemp) to perform several acts of violence.
Batman (1989)
, 2h6Directed by Tim Burton
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Crime
Themes Films about children, Batman films, Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics
Actors Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams
Roles Scientist
Rating74%
The mayor of Gotham City orders District Attorney Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) and Police Commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle) to increase police activity and combat crime in preparation for the city's bicentennial. Reporter Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) and photojournalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) begin to investigate reports of a vigilante dubbed "Batman", who is targeting the city's criminals.
Casanova (1987)
Directed by Simon Langton
Genres Biography, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Films about writers
Actors Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Sylvia Kristel, Ornella Muti, Hanna Schygulla, Sophie Ward
Roles Jailer
Rating59%
The Holcroft Covenant (1985)
, 1h52Directed by John Frankenheimer
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Spy, Crime
Themes Spy films
Actors Michael Caine, Victoria Tennant, Anthony Andrews, Lilli Palmer, Mario Adorf, Michael Lonsdale
Roles Hard Hat
Rating56%
The story concerns Noel Holcroft's late father (a former associate of Adolf Hitler) who left behind a fortune, supposedly to make amends for his wrongdoings. Now, 40 years later, Noel finds himself embroiled in a web of conspiracies involving the children of two of his father's Nazi colleagues, a mysterious organization supposedly devoted to ensuring the Nazis never again come to power, and a woman who may be Noel's downfall, or his only hope.
The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)
, 1h48Directed by Richard Quiney
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure
Themes Monde imaginaire, Politique, Political films, Films about royalty
Actors Peter Sellers, Lynne Frederick, Lionel Jeffries, Stuart Wilson, Britt Ekland, Elke Sommer
Rating52%
King Rudolf IV (Sellers) dies in a balloon accident upon the celebration of his seventieth birthday. In order to secure the throne, General Sapt and his nephew Fritz travel to London, where the King's son, Rudolf V (Sellers), resides and lives through the day in London's pleasure establishments; but the King's demented half-brother Michael (Kemp), thinking that he is the better claimant, sends an assassin after them. Hansom cab driver Sydney (or Sidney) Frewin (Sellers), the new King's half-brother from an affair with a British actress, rescues Rudolf from an assassination attempt. Once his resemblance to the King is noticed, Frewin is hired by the general ostensibly as the King's coachman, but actually to play the role of decoy. The ruse is quickly uncovered, however, when during an attack by Michael's men the royal guardsmen address Frewin as their new king, and the two look-alikes get acquainted.
Candleshoe (1977)
, 1h41Directed by Norman Tokar
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama
Themes Heist films, Children's films
Actors David Niven, Helen Hayes, Jodie Foster, Leo McKern, Sydney Bromley, John Alderson
Roles Mr. McCress
Rating67%
Con-artist Harry Bundage (McKern) believes that the lost treasure of pirate captain Joshua St. Edmund is hidden at Candleshoe, the large country estate of Lady St Edmund (Hayes). Having gained access to Captain St. Edmund's hidden will with the help of a corrupt former cleaning woman at Candleshoe, Harry recruits American Casey Brown (Foster)—-an unwanted foster child and hooligan-—into the plot, employing her to pose as Lady St Edmund's granddaughter, the Honourable Margaret, 4th Marchioness of St Edmond, who was kidnapped at age four by her father and subsequently disappeared after her father's death. Casey is the right age to pass for Margaret and possesses several identifying scars that young Margaret was known to have. Casey agrees to go along with the con and discover further clues in exchange for a cut of the treasure.
Joseph Andrews (1977)
, 1h44Directed by Tony Richardson
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Action, Adventure, Romance
Actors Ann-Margret, Peter Firth, Michael Hordern, Beryl Reid, Jim Dale, Peter C. Bull
Rating56%
Lady Booby alias "Belle", the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby, has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews, a Latin pupil and protégé of parson Adams, and makes him their footman. Joseph's heart belongs to a country girl, foundling Fanny Goodwill, but his masters take him on a fashionable trip to Bath, where the spoiled society comes mainly to see and be seen, yet Sir Thomas really seeks relief for his sick foot, but drowns in the famous Roman baths. When the all but grieving lady finds Joseph's Christian virtue and true love resist her lusting passes just as well as the many ladies who fancy her footman, she fires the boy. On his way back on foot, he falls prey to highwaymen who rob him of everything, even the clothes on his back. He is found and nursed by an innkeeper's maid, which stirs lusts there, again besides his honorable conduct, but is found by the good parson. Meanwhile the lady consents to her cousin marrying below their station when learning the fiancée is Joseph's sister, Pamela. The parson barely escapes a wicked gentleman's totally unjust, all but gentle justice after being accused of the attempted rape committed by a squire he actually prevented and comes to learn ever more about a relevant child-theft by gypsies, but meanwhile he, Joseph and Fanny fall prey again to the rapist's utter debauchery.
The Stick Up (1977)
Directed by Jeffrey Bloom
Genres Comedy, Crime, Romance
Actors David Soul, Michael Balfour, Alan Tilvern, Johnnie Wade, Liz Smith, Norman Jones
Roles Sam
Rating57%
The Canterbury Tales (1972)
, 1h58Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Erotic, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Fantasy
Themes Poésie, Films about sexuality, Erotic films, LGBT-related films, Adaptation d'un poème, LGBT-related film
Actors Franco Citti, Ninetto Davoli, Laura Betti, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Hugh Griffith, Alan Webb
Roles The Carpenter
Rating62%
Near London, Oxford and Canterbury in the Middle Ages, stories and adventures of peasants, noblemen, clergy and demons are interwoven. In the first vignette of the film, the merchant Sir January loses his sight, allowing the bride to join with her young lover in secret. In the second story, the Devil ensures that two young peasants are killed by the arm of the Inquisition for their libertine pleasures. In the third, the fool Perkin is involved in an intrigue; he tries to find work, but his attempts ultimately wreak havoc in the city of Oxford. In the fourth story of two youths, Nicolas and Alison, seduce the wife of a carpenter, and when in danger of being caught, they pretend to be two visionaries who predicted the arrival of the new Flood. In the fifth, in the village of Bath, a matron marries Giannozzo; however, their happiness is short-lived. In the sixth story in Cambridge, two students spend fabulous nights with Molly, the wife of a miller. One night Molly, waiting to make love with each of the two boys, goes to bed believing that she is conversing with one of the youths, disclosing their secret. In fact, the one who is on the bed is the consort! In the seventh story three students, cruel in their actions, are achieved by an old man who predicts them to a bad end. Young guys do not get scared, but when the three ingest a poisoned wine, soon find themselves in the company of Gloomy Grim Reaper. In the eighth and final story, a pleasure-loving monk is trying to earn as much food in exchange for extreme unction to a dying man. That same night in the man's convent comes an angel, which leads him to Hell, to show him the terrible punishments that belong to the friars that subvert the message of Christ.
Macbeth (1971)
, 2h20Directed by Roman Polanski
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War, Historical
Themes Théâtre, Political films, Films based on plays, Films based on works by William Shakespeare, Films about royalty
Actors Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Bernard Archard, Terence Bayler, Sydney Bromley, John Stride
Roles First Murderer
Rating73%
Macbeth et Banquo, deux chefs de l'armée de Duncan, roi d'Écosse, reviennent d'une campagne victorieuse. Sur la lande, ils rencontrent trois sorcières. Celles-ci prédisent à Macbeth un titre de Baron de Cawdor ainsi que celui de futur roi d'Écosse tandis qu'à Banquo, une descendance royale. Peu de temps après, deux messagers viennent alors informer Macbeth de l'honneur que lui fait le Roi en le nommant baron de Cawdor.
Man of Violence (1971)
, 1h29Directed by Pete Walker
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime
Actors Luan Peters, Maurice Kaufmann, Derek Francis, George Belbin, Virginia Wetherell, Michael Balfour
Roles Cafe Owner
Rating51%
The Adventurers (1970)
, 2h51Directed by Lewis Gilbert, Ernest Day
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure
Themes Monde imaginaire
Actors Bekim Fehmiu, Candice Bergen, Charles Aznavour, Olivia de Havilland, Fernando Rey, Thommy Berggren
Roles Detective
Rating52%
Set in South America, it tells the tale of a rich playboy, Dax (Diogenes Alejandro Xenos) (Bekim Fehmiu) who uses and destroys everyone who crosses his path. His vileness results from having seen his mother and sister raped and murdered by Government troops. But his obsession is to avenge his father's murder. And yet, the father of Dax had been a true patriot unlike any of the other self-seeking Presidentes in an otherwise poor country always belonging to "the revolution." After Dax is himself shot and dies below a statue erected to exploit the memory of his father, does he finally realize he loved his country but had failed both his country and to be the man his father was.
, 2h5Directed by Billy Wilder
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Comedy, Adventure, Historical, Crime, Romance
Themes Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Sherlock Holmes films, Political films, Buddy films, LGBT-related films, Films about royalty, LGBT-related film
Actors Robert Stephens, Geneviève Page, Colin Blakely, Christopher Lee, Clive Revill, Irene Handl
Roles Cabby
Rating69%
The film is divided into two separate, unequal stories. In the shorter of the two, Holmes is approached by a famous Russian ballerina, Madame Petrova (Tamara Toumanova), who proposes that they conceive a child together, one who she hopes will inherit her physique and his intellect. Holmes manages to extricate himself by claiming that Watson is his lover, much to the doctor's embarrassment.
The Oblong Box (1969)
, 1h31Directed by Gordon Hessler
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Horror
Actors Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Sally Geeson, Alister Williamson, Uta Levka
Roles Ruddock
Rating58%
The film takes place in England in 1865. Having been grotesquely disfigured in an African voodoo ceremony for a transgression against the native populace, Sir Edward Markham (Alister Williamson) is kept locked in his room by his guilt-ridden brother, Julian (Vincent Price). Tiring of his captivity, Sir Edward plots to escape by faking his death. With the help of the crooked family lawyer, Trench (Peter Arne), they hire witchdoctor N'Galo (Harry Baird) to concoct a drug to put Sir Edward into a deathlike trance. Before Trench has time to act, Julian finds his "dead" brother and puts him in a coffin (the title's "oblong box"). Embarrassed by his brother's appearance, Julian asks Trench to find a proxy body for Sir Edward's lying in state. Trench and N'Galo murder landlord Tom Hacket (Maxwell Shaw) and offer his corpse to Julian. After the wake, Trench and his young companion Norton (Carl Rigg), dispose of Hacket's body in a nearby river, while Julian has Sir Edward buried. Now free of his brother, Julian marries his young fiancée, Elizabeth (Hilary Dwyer), while Trench, Norton and N'Galo go their separate ways.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
, 1h52Directed by François Truffaut
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Science fiction
Themes Films based on science fiction novels, Political films, Dystopian films
Actors Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack, Mark Lester, Jeremy Spenser, Michael Balfour
Roles Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
Rating71%
In the future, a totalitarian government employs a force known as Firemen to seek out and destroy all literature, permitting them to search anyone, anywhere, at any time. One of the Firemen, Guy Montag (Oskar Werner), meets one of his neighbors, Clarisse (Julie Christie), a 20-year-old schoolteacher whose job is hanging by a thread due to her unorthodox views. The two have a discussion about his job, where she asks if he ever reads the books he burns. Curious, he begins to hide books in his house and read them, starting with Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. This leads to conflict with his wife, Linda (also played by Julie Christie), who is more concerned with being popular enough to be a member of The Family, an interactive television program that refers to its viewers as cousins.