John Turnbull, Actor
1880 - 1956
John Richardson Turnbull was born with a bang, on Guy Fawkes day, November 5th 1880, with his father in attendance and delivering his son at 23 High Street, Dunbar. John was the 4th or 5th generation of Turnbulls to train as a physician but before reaching his majority he left the breezy burgh - his father died in 1890 (aged 35) - and headed for “the smoke & the limelight”, to take up acting and “joined” the police, reaching the rank of inspector in 1935 under film director Alfred Hitchcock. He began his stage career in 1901 moving onto films in 1920. He was also known as Stanley Turnbull for a time. Heavy-set and of no-nonsense demeanour, he specialised in authority figures on screen, invariably as policemen, military types or schoolmasters. During World War II, he directed and produced plays for ENSA. He was known for The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), His Lordship (1936) and Detective Lloyd (1932).
He died aged 75 on February 23, 1956 at St Marleybone, London.
Filmography
Actor (98 credits)
1950 The Happiest Days of Your Life Conrad Matthews
1949 The Man from Yesterday Judge
1948 Daybreak Superintendent
1948 Gas Light (TV Movie) Sergeant Rough
1947 So Well Remembered Morris
1947 The Hangman Waits Inspector
1945 A Place of One's Own Sir Roland Jervis
1944 Don't Take It to Heart! Police Sergeant
1944 Fanny by Gaslight Magistrate (uncredited)
1943 There's a Future in It (Short) Father
1943 The Shipbuilders Baird
1942 Hard Steel Mr. Rowlandson
1941 The Common Touch Father at School Cricket Match (uncredited)
1941 Old Mother Riley's Circus Cinema Manager
1940 Spare a Copper Inspector Richards
1940 Three Silent Men Inspector Gill
1940 Spies of the Air Sir Andrew Hamilton
1940 Return to Yesterday Station-master
1939 Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday Chief Constable
1939 The Little Father of the Wilderness (TV Movie) Chevalier de Frontenac
1939 Dead Men Are Dangerous Inspector Roberts
1939 The Tempest II (TV Movie) Gonzalo
1939 The Tempest (TV Movie) Gonzalo
1939 Middle-Class Murder (TV Movie) Mr. West
1938 London Wall (TV Movie) Mr. Walker
1938 Libel (TV Movie) Undetermined role
1938 Laburnum Grove (TV Movie) Inspector Stack
1938 Julius Caesar (TV Movie) Decius Brutus/Masala
1938 Night Alone Superintendent
1938 Strange Boarders (uncredited)
1938 The Terror Superintendent Hallick
1938 Stepping Toes Representative
1938 Star of the Circus Tenzler
1937 It's a Grand Old World Auctioneer
1937 Death Croons the Blues Actor
1937 Saturday Night Revue Minor Role (uncredited)
1937 Silver Blaze Inspector Lestrade
1937 Talking Feet Lord Mayor (uncredited)
1937 Make-Up Karo
1937 The Angelus (uncredited)
1937 The Song of the Road Bristow
1936 Shipmates o' Mine Captain Roberts
1936 The Conquest of the Air Von Zeppelin
1936 His Lordship Stevenson
1936 Rembrandt Minister
1936 Hearts of Humanity Mr. Willis
1936 The Limping Man Insp. Potts
1936 Where There's a Will Detective Collins
1936 The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss Masters
1936 Tudor Rose Arundel (uncredited)
1936 Soft Lights and Sweet Music Gramophone Factory Director (uncredited)
1935 Music Hath Charms (uncredited)
1935 Sexton Blake and the Bearded Doctor Inspector Donnell
1935 The Black Mask Inspector Murray
1935 Line Engaged Supt. Harrison
1935 The Passing of the Third Floor Back Major Tomkin
1935 The Night of the Party Insp. Ramage
1935 The 39 Steps Scottish Police Inspector (uncredited)
1935 Radio Pirates (uncredited)
1935 A Real Bloke (uncredited)
1935 The Lad Inspector Martin
1934 Once in a New Moon Capt. Crump
1934 The Scarlet Pimpernel Jellyband
1934 The Case for the Crown Prof. Lawrence
1934 Badger's Green Thomas Butler
1934 What Happened to Harkness? Inspector Marlow
1934 The Lady Is Willing Butler (uncredited)
1934 Lord Edgware Dies Inspector Japp
1934 The Girl in the Flat Inspector Grice
1934 Music Hall Collins
1934 Warn London Inspector Frayne
1934 Passing Shadows Inspector Goodall
1934 It's a Cop Inspector Gray
1934 Tangled Evidence Moore
1934 The Rise of Catherine the Great Rumyantsev (uncredited)
1934 The Black Abbot Detective Inspector Lockwood
1934 The Scotland Yard Mystery Angry Director of Insurance Company (uncredited)
1933 Ask Beccles Inspector Daniels
1933 Matinee Idol Inspector North
1933 Puppets of Fate Supt. Desabine
1933 The Man Outside Inspector Jukes
1933 The Medicine Man Police Inspector
1933 The Umbrella Governor
1933 Too Many Wives (uncredited)
1933 The Private Life of Henry VIII. Hans Holbein (uncredited)
1933 The Shadow Det. Inspector Carr
1933 The Iron Stair Major Gordon
1932 The Midshipmaid Officer
1932 A Voice Said Goodnight (Short) Inspector Lavory
1932 The Wickham Mystery Howard Clayton
1932 Murder on the Second Floor Inspector
1932 Detective Lloyd Barclay - Scotland Yard Superintendant
1931 Keepers of Youth Gordon Duff
1931 The Man at Six Inspector Dawford
1931 77 Park Lane Superintendent
1931 Rodney Steps In (Short) Inspector
1930 Tons of Money Sprules
1920 The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss Willie Mott (as Stanley Turnbull)