Jack May

Acting

Jack May

Born April 23, 1922 · Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Died September 19, 1997 · aged 75

Jack May was a mellifluous-voiced actor best known for playing butlers and establishment figures, often representing Britain's interests in far-flung corners of the empire. With regards the former, he memorably played William E. Simms, former music hall artise turned manservant to Gerald Harper's titular swashbuckling adventurer in '60s TV cult classic Adam Adamant Lives! as well as providing the…

Known For

The BountyThe Bounty · 1984
The Bounty
6.81984
MovieActionDrama
An idyllic voyage to Tahiti in 1789 turns a crew aboard the H.M.S. Bounty against its captain when they find a tropical paradise.
The Man Who Would Be KingThe Man Who Would Be King · 1975
The Man Who Would Be King
7.51975
MovieAdventureDrama
Tired of life as soldiers, Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan, where they are ultimately embraced by the people and revered as rulers. After a series of misunderstandings, the natives come to believe that Dravot is a god, but he and Carnehan can't keep up their deception forever.
Brief EncounterBrief Encounter · 1945
Brief Encounter
7.71945
MovieDramaRomance
Returning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife Laura Jesson is thrown by happenstance into an acquaintance with virtuous doctor Alec Harvey. Their casual friendship soon develops during their weekly visits into something more emotionally fulfilling than either expected, and they must wrestle with the potential havoc their deepening relationship would have on their lives and the lives of those they love.
A Night to RememberA Night to Remember · 1958
A Night to Remember
7.61958
MovieDramaAction
The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
The Doctor and the DevilsThe Doctor and the Devils · 1985
The Doctor and the Devils
6.21985
MovieHorrorHistory
In Victorian England, graverobbers supply a wealthy doctor with bodies to research anatomy on, but greed causes them to seek an easier means of getting the job done.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum · 1966
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
6.11966
MovieMusicComedy
A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.
Goodbye, Mr. ChipsGoodbye, Mr. Chips · 1969
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
6.81969
MovieDramaMusic
Academy Award-honoree Peter O'Toole stars in this musical classic about a prim English schoolmaster who learns to show his compassion through the help of an outgoing showgirl. O'Toole, who received his fourth Oscar-nomination for this performance, is joined by '60s pop star Petula Clark and fellow Oscar-nominee Michael Redgrave.
Two-Way StretchTwo-Way Stretch · 1960
Two-Way Stretch
6.81960
MovieComedyCrime
Three criminals plan to break out of prison the day before their release in order to carry out a daring jewel robbery, intending to establish the perfect alibi by returning to jail afterwards. First however they must get out, a task made more difficult by a new, stricter prison officer.

Filmography

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Sunday Night TheatreSunday Night Theatre · 1950
Sunday Night Theatre
3.51950
SeriesDrama
Sunday Night Theatre was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, partly because of technical limitations in this era, and the theatrical basis of early television drama. Some of the earliest collaborations between Rudolph Cartier and Nigel Neale were produced for this series, including Arrow to the Heart and Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Sunday night drama slot was subsequently renamed The Sunday-Night Play which ran for four seasons between 1960 and 1963. ITV transmitted its own unrelated run of Sunday Night Theatre between 1971 and 1974.

David Gottlieb