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Ivan Samson
Ivan Samson
Ivan Samson
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Ivan Samson (28 August 1894 – 1 May 1963) was a British stage, film and television actor.[1] Samson appeared regularly in West End plays and from 1920 began appearing in British silent films.[2] He played Viscount de Mornay in I Will Repay and Lord Dudley in The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots.[1] In later talkie films, Samson played roles in the literary adaptations The Winslow Boy (1948) and The Browning Version (1951).[3] His final film appearance was as Admiral Loddon in the 1959 film Libel. He also appeared in television series such as The Teckman Biography, Operation Diplomat and Dixon of Dock Green.[4]

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Selected filmography

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Ivan Samson

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''Ivan Samson'' is a British actor known for his supporting roles in British films and television dramas during the mid-20th century. Born on 28 August 1894 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, he established himself as a reliable character actor across stage, film, and early television. Samson appeared in several notable British films, including ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) as Captain Flower, ''The Browning Version'' (1951) as Lord Baxter, and ''Libel'' (1959) as Admiral Loddon. He was a frequent contributor to BBC television productions, with recurring roles in anthology series such as ''BBC Sunday-Night Theatre'' and ''The Teckman Biography''. His work spanned supporting parts in period dramas, legal stories, and police procedurals popular on British screens in the 1950s. Samson died on 1 May 1963 in London, England.

Early life

Birth and background

Ivan Samson was born Ivan Anthony Cuthbert Samson on 28 August 1894 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. He grew up in the Brighton area of Sussex, where his family lived, including his father Frank Samson, a Pullman Conductor born in Brighton, and his mother Edith Samson, born in nearby Hove. By 1911, the Samson family resided in Preston, Sussex (now part of Brighton), with Ivan, then aged 16, working as a clerk for the Gas Company.

Stage career

West End and theatre work

Ivan Samson built a substantial career in West End theatre, becoming a familiar presence in London's commercial playhouses from the early 1920s onward. He appeared regularly in supporting and character roles across a range of productions at major venues including the Apollo Theatre, Aldwych Theatre, St Martin's Theatre, Cambridge Theatre, Queen's Theatre, Princes Theatre, Comedy Theatre, Criterion Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre, and Fortune Theatre. His West End credits include early appearances such as Raymond Wickham in a 1920 production at the Queen’s Theatre, Georges Almaire (a sculptor) in a 1924 play at the Criterion Theatre and Comedy Theatre, and Pelham Humphrey in a 1926–1927 production at the Queen’s Theatre. During the 1930s, he took roles including Charles II at the Princes Theatre in 1934, Sir Brian Howet in Distinguished Gathering at St Martin's Theatre and Cambridge Theatre from 1935 to 1936, and Roderick Elms at the Aldwych Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket in 1938. In the 1940s and early 1950s, his work continued with Squadron-Leader Swanson at the Apollo Theatre from 1942 to 1944, Col. Paul Renwick at the Winter Garden Theatre from 1945 to 1946, and a part in Julius Caesar at the Fortune Theatre in 1952. These engagements highlight Samson's consistent activity in West End theatre over three decades, where he contributed to a variety of dramatic works in venues central to London's commercial stage scene.

Film career

Silent films

Ivan Samson began his screen career in the silent era, appearing in British silent films starting in 1920 after establishing himself as a West End stage actor. Among his early film roles were supporting parts in period dramas, including Vicomte de Marny (also styled as Viscount de Mornay) in the 1923 silent film I Will Repay, directed by Henry Kolker and based on the Baroness Orczy novel that served as a sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel. In the same year, he portrayed Lord Dudley in The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots, a British silent production starring Fay Compton as Mary Stuart. These appearances marked Samson's entry into cinema, contributing to British silent film output during the 1920s before he transitioned to sound-era roles.

Sound films

With the introduction of sound technology, Ivan Samson appeared in British talkies, taking on supporting and character roles from the 1930s through the 1950s. His early sound credits included Hutten Bremmer in Blossom Time (1934), the Grand Duke of Westphalia in The Student's Romance (1935), and a role in Music Hath Charms (1936). He appeared in several literary adaptations and ensemble dramas, including Captain Flower in the Terence Rattigan adaptation The Winslow Boy (1948) and Lord Baxter in Anthony Asquith's The Browning Version (1951). His later credits featured roles in Innocents in Paris (1953), Hardwick in the comedy The March Hare (1956), Steve Mordaunt in You Pay Your Money (1957), and Admiral Loddon in Libel (1959). These parts typically cast him as authority figures such as military officers, lords, or officials, consistent with his established character actor profile in British cinema. In the later years of his film career, such appearances became less frequent as television opportunities increased.

Television career

BBC and other television roles

Ivan Samson contributed to the nascent medium of British television in the 1950s, appearing in several BBC productions as well as other early series. He debuted on television in the BBC's live anthology series BBC Sunday-Night Theatre in 1950, a key program that adapted stage plays and presented original dramas to the growing audience of television viewers in the post-war era. Samson also made appearances in the popular BBC police procedural Dixon of Dock Green, portraying authoritative figures including a magistrate and a coroner in episodes in 1961 and 1962. Beyond the BBC, he took roles in other contemporary television productions, such as Court President in an episode of the ITV comedy series The Army Game in 1959 and Colonel Dipura in No Hiding Place in 1959. The scarcity of preserved recordings from this period, when most broadcasts were live and kinescope archiving was inconsistent, limits the complete documentation of his television credits. (Note: using for context of era, but primary credits from actor databases)

Personal life

Marriage and family

Ivan Samson married Beryl Eileen Riches in 1925. They remained married for the rest of his life, with no record of divorce or separation. Upon his death in 1963, Beryl Eileen Samson was identified as his widow and served as one of the administrators of his estate, alongside The Royal Exchange Assurance. No verified details are available regarding children or other family members.

Death

Later years and death

In his later years, Ivan Samson resided in London and continued acting intermittently into the early 1960s, with his final known credits appearing around 1962. He died on 1 May 1963 in London, England, UK, at the age of 68.
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