Cecil Parker

Who was Cecil Parker?

Cecil Schwabe who performed under the stage name Cecil Parker was an English character and comedy actor with a distinctive husky voice, who usually played supporting roles in his 91 films made between 1928 and 1969.

Schwabe was born in Hastings, Sussex.

After serving with the Royal Sussex Regiment in WWI, being discharged from the British Army with the rank of Sergeant he began his theatrical career in London in 1922, adopting the surname "Parker" from his mother's maiden name. He made his first film appearance in 1928 and subsequently became a familiar face in British, and occasionally American films, until his death. He appeared less often on television, but many of his films have remained popular and are often shown.

He acted in two adaptations of A.J. Cronin's novels, The Citadel and The Stars Look Down, in addition to appearing in The Lady Vanishes and Under Capricorn, both of the later films were directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Other roles were in 23 Paces to Baker Street, Dangerous Moonlight, Swiss Family Robinson, and I Was Monty's Double, as well as the comedies A French Mistress, The Ladykillers, The Man in the White Suit, The Court Jester, Indiscreet and I Believe in You. Parker was also the original Charles Condomine in the West End production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, a role subsequently played on Broadway by Clifton Webb and in the 1945 film by Rex Harrison.