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Henry Daniell

Henry Daniell

Actor · Died October 31, 1963, aged 69 · Barnes, Surrey, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Henry Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long and prestigious career on stage as well as in films. He is perhaps best known for his villainous roles in films like The Great Dictator, The Philadelphia Story and The Sea Hawk. Daniell was given few opportunities to play a 'good guy', including a supporting part as Franz Liszt in the biographical film Song of Love (1947). His last name is sometimes spelled "Daniel". Daniell's film debut came in 1929 in Jealousy. He appeared as Professor Moriarty in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film The Woman in Green (1945). He appeared in other films such as Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940) (playing Garbitsch, to sound like "garbage", a parody of Joseph Goebbels), and The Body Snatcher (1945, with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi) – as well as two other films in the Sherlock Holmes/Basil Rathbone series: The Voice of Terror (1942) and Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) with fellow Moriarty George Zucco. Daniell played the sleazy Baron de Varville opposite Greta Garbo in Camille (1936). Another early triumph was his portrayal of Cecil in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). He also played the treacherous Lord Wolfingham (no relation to Francis Walsingham) in The Sea Hawk (1940), fighting Errol Flynn in what is often considered one of the most spectacular sword fighting duels ever filmed. When Michael Curtiz cast him in this film, Henry Daniell initially refused because he couldn't fence. Curtiz accomplished the climactic duel through the use of shadows and over-shoulder shots, with a double fencing Flynn with ingenious inter-cutting of their faces. Towards the end of the Second World War, he appeared in one of his most memorable film roles, as the cruel Mr. Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre (1944), opposite Joan Fontaine who played Eyre. That same year he appeared in The Suspect as Charles Laughton's blackmailing next-door neighbour. In the 1950s and 1960s, he did much television, and also appeared as the malevolent Dr. Emil Zurich in Edward L. Cahn's The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), and in an episode of Maverick, "Pappy" opposite James Garner the same year. An absolute professional, he was always on the set when needed, and impatient when delays in filming took place. Much in demand for his dry, sardonic delivery, Daniell moved easily from big-budget films, such as (uncredited) Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), to television without difficulty. In 1957, Daniell appeared as King Charles II of England in the NBC anthology series The Joseph Cotten Show in the episode "The Trial of Colonel Blood", with Michael Wilding in the title role. In the same year he played the instructing solicitor to Charles Laughton's leading counsel barrister in Witness for the Prosecution (1957). The actor claimed one of his favourite roles was as Tony Curtis' supervisor in the acclaimed Blake Edwards film Mister Cory (1957) at a time when the actor's career was clearly slowing down, but Daniell retained some of the best and most memorable lines in the movie, "A gentleman never grabs. Manners, Mister Cory. I find them a prerequisite in any circumstance."

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 4, 1894
Died
October 31, 1963 (aged 69)
From
Barnes, Surrey, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
47 on MovieCove · 89 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 30% in 30 days

What are Henry Daniell's films like?

Across their 33 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
32%
Bonds
23%
Power
17%
Self
13%
Ideas
7%
Society
5%
Survival
2%
Romantic love12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 8 · Dark 12

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 20 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 16 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 9

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 19 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 16 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 9 of 13 analyzed roles.

Shadow
9 of 13
Herald
2 of 13
Trickster
1 of 13
Mentor
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
13
Romantic
12
Thrilling
11
Joyful
6
Other
24

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Henry Daniell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 47 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Henry Daniell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

89 credits, 47 with a MovieCove page.

  • Hitler: The Comedy Years(2007)

    as Garbitsch (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes(1985)

    as Professor Moriarty

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • My Fair Lady(1964)

    as Ambassador (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Mutiny on the Bounty(1962)

    as Court-martial Judge (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Chapman Report(1962)

    as Dr. Jonas

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Combat!(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Minister

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Five Weeks in a Balloon(1962)

    as Sheik Ageiba

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Notorious Landlady(1962)

    as Stranger

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Comancheros(1961)

    as Gireaux

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea(1961)

    as Dr. Zucco

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Grim Reaper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Pierre Radin

  • Madison Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Stipe

  • The Islanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Jarden

  • Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Count Alexander Cagliostro · as Dirk Van Prinn · as Pierre Radin · as Squire Moloch · as Vicar John Weatherford

  • The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake(1959)

    as Dr. Emil Zurich

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Uncle Henri

  • Riverboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Graham

  • From the Earth to the Moon(1958)

    as Morgana

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Peter Gunn(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Witness for the Prosecution(1957)

    as Mayhew

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Mankind(1957)

    as Pierre Cauchon - Bishop of Beauvais

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Les Girls(1957)

    as Judge

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Morton W. Snipple

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Sun Also Rises(1957)

    as Doctor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Mister Cory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mr. Earnshaw

  • Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Hubbel

  • Lust for Life(1956)

    as Theodorus van Gogh

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • On Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Clark · as Van Buren

  • The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit(1956)

    as Bill Ogden

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Telephone Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Barretts of Wimpole Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Edward Moulton-Barrett

  • Diane(1956)

    as Gondi

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Prodigal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ramadi

  • Producers' Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Egyptian(1954)

    as Mekere

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Count Maverin

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Lord Belmont

  • Buccaneer's Girl(1950)

    as Capt. Duval

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Secret Of St. Ives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Maj. Edward Chevenish

  • Siren of Atlantis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Blades

  • Wake of the Red Witch(1948)

    as Jacques Desaix

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Chart

  • The Exile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Colonel Ingram

  • Song of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Franz Liszt

  • The Bandit of Sherwood Forest(1946)

    as The Regent - William of Pembroke

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Angel Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mr. Manningham

  • Captain Kidd(1945)

    as King William III

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Woman in Green(1945)

    as Professor James Moriarty

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Body Snatcher(1945)

    as Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Hotel Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Baron Von Stetten

  • The Suspect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Mr. Simmons

  • Jane Eyre(1943)

    as Henry Brocklehurst

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Watch on the Rhine(1943)

    as Phili Von Ramme

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Mission to Moscow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Minister von Ribbentrop

  • Sherlock Holmes in Washington(1942)

    as William Easter

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Reunion in France(1942)

    as Emile Fleuron

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Great Impersonation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Frederick Seamon

  • Nightmare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Capt. Edgar Stafford

  • Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror(1942)

    as Sir Anthony Lloyd

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Castle in the Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Watson King

  • Four Jacks and a Jill(1942)

    as Bobo

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Feminine Touch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Shelley Mason

  • Dressed to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Julian Davis

  • A Woman's Face(1941)

    as Public Prosecutor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Philadelphia Story(1940)

    as Sidney Kidd

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Great Dictator(1940)

    as Garbitsch

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Hawk(1940)

    as Lord Wolfingham

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • All This, and Heaven Too(1940)

    as Broussais

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • We Are Not Alone(1939)

    as Sir Ronald Dawson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex(1939)

    as Sir Robert Cecil

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Marie Antoinette(1938)

    as La Motte

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Holiday(1938)

    as Seton Cram

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Firefly(1937)

    as General Savary

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Madame X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Lerocle

  • The Thirteenth Chair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as John Wales

  • Under Cover of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Professor Marvin Griswald

  • Camille(1936)

    as Baron de Varville

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Unguarded Hour(1936)

    as Hugh Lewis

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Path of Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as King Maximillian

  • The Last of the Lone Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Count von Rimpau (as Henry Daniel)

  • Jealousy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Clement

  • The Awful Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Norman Warriner

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 88 titles from 1929 to 2007.

Biggest box office

The Great Dictator (1940)

$972K worldwide

Highest rated

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Great Dictator (1940)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout

Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting88 of 88: 88 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s12 · acting1940s32 · acting1950s29 · acting1960s12 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 3% of 33 roles
36414661

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Henry Daniell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 43; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 47 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 47 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Hitler: The Comedy Years (2007)

63rd percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Henry Daniell's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles12–20 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 6 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 35 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Henry Daniell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Henry Daniell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Cukor shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles