Donald Houston

Who was Donald Houston?

Donald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful. Later in his career he was cast in military roles and in comedies such as the Doctor and Carry On series.

Houston was born in Tonypandy, Glamorgan, and was the elder brother of actor Glyn Houston. He would sometimes indulge his Welsh accent as well as conceal it behind an English public school veneer. He had a successful career as a character actor in British film and television, with prominent parts in several well-known films, including Yangtse Incident, 633 Squadron, The Longest Day, Where Eagles Dare and The Sea Wolves. His forte tended to be authority figures, often military, such as the brilliant but tough David Caulder, the head of Moonbase 3 or as Dr. Francis in Thirteen to Centaurus.

He could also handle comedy, as he proved with Doctor in the House and the later Doctor in Distress, both significant successes in Europe, and Carry On Jack. Though preferring quality parts, he was not above journeyman work in films such as Tales That Witness Madness and Maniac.