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Kenneth Griffith
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Kenneth Griffith (born Kenneth Reginald Griffiths, 12 October 1921 – 25 June 2006) was a Welsh actor and documentary filmmaker. His outspoken views made him a controversial figure, especially when presenting documentaries which have been called "among the most brilliant, and controversial, ever made in Britain".[1]

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

He was born Kenneth Griffiths in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales. His parents separated and left Tenby six months after his birth, leaving him with his paternal grandparents, Emily and Ernest, who adopted him. His grandparents were staunch Wesleyan Methodists who taught him to question everything;[2] he attended the local Wesleyan Methodist chapel three times every Sunday, and became a lively rugby union scrum-half.[1]

He passed the 11-plus and attended Greenhill Grammar School in Tenby, where he met English literature teacher Evelyn Ward, who recognised his writing and acting talent. Before Kenneth left school, his headmaster J. T. Griffith suggested that he drop the "s" from his surname so it would sound less English.[3]

Career

[edit]

Griffith left school and moved to Cambridge in 1937, taking a job at an ironmonger's weighing nails. This lasted only a day, and proved to be the only job he ever had outside the acting world.[citation needed] Also in 1937, he made his first professional acting appearance when he was cast by Peter Hoare as Cinna the Poet in a modern-dress version of Julius Caesar at the Cambridge Festival Theatre.[3]

He became a regular jobbing repertory actor, making his West End theatre debut in 1938 with a small part in Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday.[2]

Griffith was conscripted into the Royal Air Force during World War II. Before training in Canada, he returned to see his grandparents in Tenby, who, at his request, gave him an English translation of Hitler's book, Mein Kampf so he could better understand the origins of the war.[3] He caught scarlet fever while on his training and was invalided out of the service in 1942, which resulted in his taking up stamp collecting. The first stamp he collected was the Siege of Ladysmith, South Africa.[2][3]

In 1941, he made his debut in the first of more than 80 films, being Love on the Dole.[3] He joined the Liverpool, Lancashire-relocated Old Vic,[2] and in repertory.[4]

He appeared in many British films between the 1940s and 1980s, notably as Archie Fellows in The Shop at Sly Corner, Jenkins in Only Two Can Play (1962), the wireless operator Jack Phillips on board the Titanic in A Night to Remember (1958), in the crime caper Track the Man Down (1955) and especially in the comedies of the Boulting brothers, including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959).[5] Other notable film roles included the murderous paedophile Seely in Revenge (1971), the gay medic Witty in The Wild Geese (1978) and a whimsical mechanic in The Sea Wolves (1980).[6][4]

He appeared in the episodes "The Girl Who Was Death" and "Fall Out" of the 1967–68 TV series The Prisoner.[5] Subsequent TV appearances included episodes of Minder and Lovejoy, and critically acclaimed performances in War and Peace (1963), The Perils of Pendragon, Clochemerle and The Bus to Bosworth, where his personification of a Welsh schoolteacher out on a field trip won him many accolades back in his homeland of Wales.[7][8]

His later film roles included the "mad old man" in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Reverend Jones in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995) and the minister in Very Annie Mary (2001).[5]

Documentaries and political activity

[edit]

In 1965, Huw Wheldon and the director of BBC2, David Attenborough, asked Griffith if he would like to make a film for the BBC on any subject that he chose. This resulted in a series of BBC films on subjects as diverse as the Boer War in Soldiers of the Widow (1967), Cecil Rhodes in A Touch of Churchill, a Touch of Hitler (1971), the controversial story of Thomas Paine in The Most Valuable Englishman Ever, David Ben-Gurion (The Light), Napoleon Bonaparte (The Man on the Rock), Pandit Nehru, Roger Casement (Heart of Darkness, 1992) and on one occasion a film commissioned by Thames Television on the story of the Three Wise Men of the New Testament, A Famous Journey (1979). Griffith was expelled from Iran by the country's Foreign Minister while making the documentary.[4][9]

In 1973, Griffith made a documentary film about the life and death of Irish military and political leader Michael Collins titled Hang Up Your Brightest Colours (a line taken from a letter from George Bernard Shaw to one of Collins' sisters after Collins' assassination) for ATV, but the Independent Broadcasting Authority did not permit it to be screened (it was not shown until the BBC broadcast it in 1993).[10]

In 1974, for a programme titled Curious Journey, he interviewed nine surviving IRA members from the 1916–23 period, i.e. the Easter Rebellion, Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War; they were Maire Comerford, Joseph Sweeney, Sean Kavanagh, John O'Sullivan, Brigid Thornton, Sean Harling, Martin Walton, David Nelligan (or Neligan) and Tom Barry. He was allowed to buy this last film back, as long as he did not mention who had commissioned it (the Welsh TV company HTV). At one point in his career, Griffith accused the anti-censorship group Index of censoring him by delaying the publication of two book reviews he had written for its magazine.[1]

His sympathetic portrayal caused some concern, given The Troubles and ATV boss Sir Lew Grade decided to withdraw the film, which was not shown publicly until 1994. In response Griffith made a documentary, The Public's Right to Know, for Thames TV. The political troubles left him "a frustrated and bemused figure". Screenonline described Griffith as "a world class documentary film-maker" who knew that "refusing to compromise his views has damaged his career".[11]

His autobiography, The Fool's Pardon, was published in 1994 by Little, Brown.[12] BBC Wales presented a retrospective season of five of his documentaries in 1993, including the suppressed Michael Collins work, opening the season with a biographical study of Griffith called The Tenby Poisoner in which Peter O'Toole, Martin McGuinness and Jeremy Isaacs paid tribute.[4] BBC Wales screened a film on Griffith's life in the "Welsh Greats" Series Two, shown in 2008.[citation needed] In 1994, Griffith was given a Cymru lifetime achievement award by BAFTA.[13]

A Boer War historian, Griffith was sympathetic to the Afrikaners in South Africa. His documentary, Emily Hobhouse: The Englishwoman (1984), sympathised with Afrikaner women and children over their brutal treatment during the war, which was suppressed by the British media at the time.. He also made a BBC2 documentary on runner Zola Budd, which purported to reveal injustices done to her by left-wing demonstrators and organisations during a tour of England in 1988.[14][15]

He named his home (110 Englefield Road, Islington, London) as Michael Collins' House. In later life, Griffith said: "In my time I've been accused of being a Marxist, a fascist, a traitor and, probably worst in most people's eyes, inconsistent. I was a radical Socialist. I'm now a radical Tory. It has been a very painful journey".[2]

Personal life

[edit]

Griffith was married and divorced three times, and had five children:[1][3][16]

  • Joan Stock (one son)
  • Doria Noar (one daughter, actress/theatre historian Eva Griffith[17])
  • Carole Haggar (one daughter, two sons)

Death and burial

[edit]

Griffith died in London on 25 June 2006, aged 84. His coffin was decorated with the flags of Wales, Israel and the Irish tricolour. Griffith was interred beside his grandparents, Emily and Ernest in the churchyard adjoining St Nicholas and St Teilo Church in Penally.[10]

Legacy

[edit]

Tenby Museum and Art Gallery in Pembrokeshire houses an archive of Griffith's papers and documentaries, and a cabinet containing a collection of personal memorabilia.[18]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kenneth Griffith

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Kenneth Reginald Griffith (12 October 1921 – 25 June 2006) was a Welsh actor and documentary filmmaker renowned for his prolific career in film and his production of politically charged documentaries that challenged establishment narratives on and historical figures. Born in , , Griffith lacked formal theatre training yet appeared in over 70 films, including supporting roles in productions such as (1994), while establishing himself as a in British cinema and . His most significant achievements lie in documentary filmmaking, where he directed and presented works like Hang Out Your Brightest Colours (1973), a to Irish revolutionary Michael Collins that was suppressed by its commissioner due to its pro-independence stance, and A Touch of Churchill, A Touch of Hitler (1980s), a critical examination of portraying him as a ruthless imperialist. These films, often subjective and polemical, earned praise for their boldness but sparked controversies, including bans and conflicts with broadcasters over content deemed too provocative, reflecting Griffith's unyielding commitment to exposing what he viewed as historical hypocrisies in British and the Boer War. Griffith's career was marked by a radical worldview that embraced disparate causes, from sympathy for to support for , leading to professional repercussions such as , yet his documentaries remain valued for their archival depth and willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about and power.

Early Life

Birth and Family Background

Kenneth Griffith was born Kenneth Reginald Griffiths on 12 October 1921 in , , . His parents separated and departed approximately six months after his birth, leaving him to be raised by his paternal grandparents. Griffith's grandfather, a printer and freethinker, played a formative role in his early intellectual development by exposing him to radical thinkers such as , Tom Paine, and Shelley. No public records detail the names or later lives of his parents, and sources do not mention siblings.

Upbringing in Wales

Griffith was born Kenneth Griffiths on 12 October 1921 in , , . His parents separated when he was approximately six months old, after which he was raised by his paternal grandparents in Penally, a village near . His grandfather worked as a skilled stonemason, and the family adhered to Methodist traditions, reflecting a working-class Welsh background rooted in nonconformist values. During his childhood in , Griffith resided there until around age 15, developing an affinity for the coastal town's environment that persisted throughout his life. He attended Greenhill (also known as Tenby Grammar School), where he passed the 11-plus examination and participated in rugby as a scrum half for the school team. Academically unremarkable, he showed little promise in formal studies but regularly attended the local Methodist chapel, aligning with his grandparents' religious practices. His early interest in performance emerged at school through English lessons taught by Miss Evelyn Ward, who assigned students roles in play readings, an activity Griffith particularly enjoyed amid otherwise disengaged schooling. He left education at age 15 or 16 in 1937, marking the end of his formal childhood in before pursuing opportunities in .

Acting Career

Theater Debut and Early Roles

Griffith made his theatrical debut in 1937 at the Festival Theatre in , portraying Cinna the Poet in . This role marked his entry into professional stage acting, following no formal training, as he transitioned from school productions in to repertory work. In the late , Griffith became a jobbing repertory , performing in various provincial theaters before enlisting in the Royal Air Force in 1940. His early experience included stints with ensembles like company, where he honed skills in classical and contemporary plays amid the demands of stock rotations. These formative years established his versatility in character parts, often unsympathetic or eccentric figures, though specific pre-war credits beyond the Cambridge debut remain sparsely documented in archival records. Discharged from the RAF in 1945, Griffith resumed theater but increasingly pivoted toward film and television, reprising stage-derived roles such as Archie Fellowes in the 1946 BBC television adaptation of The Shop at Sly Corner before its cinematic release. Post-war engagements included appearances in productions like Doctor Faustus at Liverpool Playhouse (1943–1944, overlapping wartime service) and Quiet in the Forest at King's Theatre, Southsea (1947), reflecting a brief return to live performance amid his broadening media pursuits.

Film and Television Contributions

Griffith began his film acting career in the late , initially appearing in supporting roles that often cast him as cunning or morally ambiguous figures. His early credits include the role of Archie Fellowes, a blackmailer, in The Shop at Sly Corner (1947). He continued with parts in dramas such as (1955), portraying a character in Peter Glenville's adaptation of the play, and the dystopian (1956), directed by Michael Anderson. In the late 1950s and early , Griffith featured prominently in British comedies and s, leveraging his distinctive Welsh accent and expressive features for roles that highlighted social critique. Notable appearances include (1956), a military ; (1957), based on Kingsley Amis's novel; A Night to Remember (1958), James Cameron's Titanic where he played Wireless Operator Jack Phillips; (1959), a labor ; (1960), a horror thriller; (1962), an adaptation of Dylan Thomas's work; and (1963), another Boulting on class and religion. These roles established him as a versatile adept at portraying opportunistic or eccentric types. Later in his career, Griffith took on action-oriented supporting parts in international productions, including (1978), a mercenary adventure; (1980), a espionage ; and (1982), a thriller about SAS operations. His final roles included the "mad old man" in (1994) and Reverend Jones in The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995), both directed by and respectively, marking a return to lighter, whimsical characterizations. Over his lifetime, he amassed over 100 credits, frequently embodying "weaselly" or unsympathetic figures that reflected his sharp, individualistic screen presence. On television, Griffith's contributions spanned crime dramas, spy series, and cult classics from the 1950s onward. Early appearances included episodes of Fabian of the Yard (BBC, 1954–1956), a police procedural, and Martin Kane, Private Investigator (ITV, 1958–1959). He guest-starred in Danger Man (ITV, 1960–1961 and 1964–1967), the espionage series starring Patrick McGoohan, and Paris 1900 (ITV, 1964), a historical miniseries. A highlight was his dual role as the bombastic Number Two (disguised as a judge and later as the President) in the final episodes of The Prisoner (ITV, 1967–1968), "The Girl Who Was Death" and "Fall Out," contributing to the series' surreal, allegorical conclusion. Later TV work encompassed Clochmerle (BBC, 1972), a comedic serial; Minder (ITV, 1979); and Lovejoy (BBC, 1990s), alongside a final role in Holby City (BBC, 2003). These performances underscored his range across genres, from procedural grit to experimental narrative.

Documentary Filmmaking

Transition to Directing

Griffith's established career as an , encompassing over 70 appearances and extensive and work since his 1937 stage debut, evolved in the mid-1960s toward documentary direction as an outlet for his historical and political interests. In 1964, BBC controllers and invited him to produce documentaries, providing initial institutional support for this shift from performing to creating content. By 1965, the BBC afforded Griffith autonomy in selecting subjects, enabling his debut effort Soldiers of the Widow, which he researched, scripted, and directed for transmission on 27 May 1967. This 50-minute program critiqued British military involvement in through interviews with soldiers and archival footage, reflecting Griffith's emerging focus on imperial themes without prior formal directing experience. The transition was not abrupt; Griffith maintained acting roles concurrently, but directing allowed greater control over narrative and advocacy, culminating in independent ventures like founding Breakaway Productions Ltd in 1982 for self-financed works. Early successes, despite occasional resistance to his viewpoints, established his reputation as a polemical filmmaker distinct from mainstream acting.

Key Historical Documentaries

Griffith's documentaries frequently critiqued British imperial policies and highlighted overlooked figures in history, drawing on archival footage, veteran interviews, and personal narration to challenge official narratives. His first major effort, Soldiers of the Widow (BBC, 1967), focused on the siege and during the Second Boer War (1899–1902), emphasizing the human cost to British soldiers and sympathy for Boer resistance against imperial expansion. In 1972, he directed the four-part series Sons of the Blood (BBC), subtitled The Great Boer War, 1899–1902, which incorporated recollections from surviving veterans to depict the conflict's brutality and Britain's strategic overreach, framing it as a pivotal erosion of imperial confidence. This was followed by A Touch of Churchill, A Touch of Hitler (BBC, 1971), a provocative examination of ' role in South African , linking his policies to influences from figures like while questioning the moral foundations of colonial ambition. Griffith turned to Irish history with Curious Journey (1973), exploring the 1916 through poetic and revolutionary lenses, and Hang Out Your Brightest Colours (1973), a biography of Irish independence leader Michael Collins, portraying his guerrilla tactics and assassination as central to dismantling . These works reflected his advocacy for republican causes, using dramatic reenactments and contemporary testimonies to underscore themes of resistance against occupation. Later documentaries included Roger Casement – Heart of Darkness (BBC Timewatch, 1992), which chronicled the Irish nationalist's humanitarian exposés of Belgian Congo atrocities and his execution for treason in 1916, presenting him as a principled anti-imperialist knighted then betrayed by Britain. Griffith revisited the Boer War in Against the Empire (1999), a two-part retrospective marking the conflict's centenary, arguing it signaled the British Empire's decline through accounts of concentration camps and scorched-earth tactics. He also produced The Most Valuable Englishman Ever (BBC, 1982), lauding Thomas Paine as the intellectual architect of American independence and French revolutionary ideals via Common Sense (1776) and Rights of Man (1791–1792), crediting him with advancing rationalist challenges to monarchy and empire.

Stylistic Approach and Innovations

Griffith's documentaries eschewed the impartiality typical of mid-20th-century British television, adopting instead a polemical style that integrated his personal convictions with historical analysis to critique and champion anti-colonial figures. He wrote, directed, and frequently narrated his works, leveraging his background for an intense, on-camera presence that conveyed dramatic irony and emotional urgency, as seen in his portrayal of as a ruthless opportunist in the 1970 film Life of Cecil Rhodes. This subjective approach, often featuring provocative opening statements like "There is no Irish problem, only an English problem" in Hang Up Your Brightest Colours (1973), prioritized advocacy over detachment, resulting in films that were both interpretive essays and calls to reconsider orthodox narratives. A key innovation lay in his use of primary personal sources to humanize events and amplify underrepresented voices, such as incorporating soldiers' letters and diaries in Soldiers of the Widow (1967) to expose the human cost of the Boer War from the rank-and-file perspective, rather than elite viewpoints. Griffith extended this by pioneering extensive oral histories; in Curious Journey (1974), he interviewed aging veterans of the 1916 , capturing firsthand testimonies that lent immediacy and authenticity absent in contemporaneous archival-heavy documentaries. These techniques differentiated his work by blending dramatic reenactment elements with evidentiary rigor, fostering a visceral engagement that contemporaries often deemed overly partisan. This stylistic boldness, while innovative in challenging and viewer complacency—evidenced by multiple bans, including the Independent Broadcasting Authority's suppression of Hang Up Your Brightest Colours until 1993—cemented Griffith's reputation as an idiosyncratic provocateur who treated as a medium for moral reckoning rather than mere chronicle. His methods influenced later revisionist filmmakers by demonstrating how personal narration and survivor interviews could reframe suppressed histories, though they drew criticism for prioritizing rhetoric over balance.

Political Views and Controversies

Anti-Imperialist Perspectives

Griffith's anti-imperialist outlook manifested primarily through documentaries that exposed the human toll of British expansionism, framing imperial endeavors as driven by greed, exploitation, and disregard for indigenous populations. In Soldiers of the Widow (BBC, 1967), he savaged British tactics during the Second Boer War (1899–1902), expressing sympathy for Boer fighters and civilians while decrying the Empire's use of scorched-earth policies and concentration camps, which interned over 100,000 people and caused around 28,000 deaths, predominantly women and children from disease and starvation. This work challenged prevailing British narratives of heroic conquest, positioning the war as a moral catastrophe rooted in resource extraction from South Africa's gold and diamond fields. His later productions reinforced this critique, with Sons of the Blood (BBC, 1971–1972) featuring interviews with surviving veterans to humanize the conflict's participants and underscore its futility for ordinary soldiers. Griffith viewed the Boer War as "virtually the beginning of the end of the ," a theme echoed in Against the Empire: The Boer War (BBC, 1999), where he dramatized imperial aggression against Afrikaner republics as emblematic of systemic overreach. Similarly, his examination of in a 1971 documentary portrayed the mining magnate's Cape to Cairo ambitions and (1895–1896) as cynical provocations that ignited broader conflict, prioritizing capitalist imperialism over ethical governance. Griffith extended his analysis to other theaters of Empire, critiquing Robert Clive's 18th-century conquests in Clive of India (Channel 4, 1983) as foundational to exploitative rule in , marked by corruption and cultural imposition. In Black as Hell and Thick as Grass (BBC, 1979), he lamented the (1879) as a needless slaughter, with British forces underestimating Zulu resilience at battles like , resulting in over 1,300 British deaths and the eventual subjugation of the kingdom. Informed by socialist internationalism, Griffith consistently elevated the perspectives of colonized peoples and rank-and-file victims over imperial apologists, arguing that such policies sowed the seeds of Empire's inevitable collapse.

Support for Irish Republicanism

Griffith produced the 1973 documentary Hang Up Your Brightest Colours, which portrayed the life and assassination of Irish Republican leader Michael Collins in a manner sympathetic to the independence struggle against British rule, drawing on archival footage and personal narration to critique imperial policies. The film was commissioned by ATV but suppressed from broadcast due to concerns over its potential to inflame tensions amid the ongoing conflict in , with Griffith later denouncing the decision as by network executives. In 1981, Griffith directed Curious Journey: An Oral History of Ireland's Unfinished Revolution, featuring interviews with nine veterans of the (IRA) who recounted their roles in the 1916 , the War of Independence, and the Civil War, framing their accounts as evidence of an unresolved national liberation effort. The work, later adapted into the 1994 book Ireland's Unfinished Revolution co-authored with Timothy O'Grady, emphasized firsthand testimonies without overt editorial interruption, though Griffith's selection of subjects reflected his alignment with republican narratives. Griffith publicly voiced support for Sinn Féin and expressed unapologetic sympathy for the IRA's historical objectives, viewing British involvement in Ireland as a form of akin to other causes he championed, such as Afrikaner resistance during the Boer War. His stance drew accusations of bias from critics who argued his films prioritized advocacy over neutrality, yet he maintained that suppressing such perspectives perpetuated historical distortions. These efforts contributed to his reputation as a filmmaker willing to challenge establishment views on Anglo-Irish relations, even at the cost of professional repercussions including broadcast bans and limited distribution.

Eclectic Positions on Zionism and Other Causes

Griffith expressed fervent support for the state of , adopting as one of his key causes despite his broader anti-imperialist stance against British colonialism. This position manifested in his documentary work, where he prioritized partisan advocacy over conventional broadcasting requirements for political balance, often challenging establishment narratives on Jewish . His endorsement of stood in contrast to his criticisms of British foreign policy, highlighting the eclectic nature of his commitments, as he viewed Israel's founding as a legitimate response to historical rather than an extension of imperial dynamics. Beyond , Griffith championed the Afrikaner cause during reflections on the Second Boer War (1899–1902), portraying British as a destructive force against Boer independence and framing their resistance as a moral stand against empire. He extended similar sympathies to Indian independence struggles, critiquing British rule in documentaries that emphasized colonial exploitation and native sovereignty. These positions aligned with his advocacy for , where he produced films like Hang Out Your Brightest Colours (1973) celebrating figures such as Michael Collins, but his pro-Israel views created apparent tensions, as they defied expectations of consistent anti-colonialism by endorsing a post-mandate amid Arab opposition. Griffith's selective engagements—spanning , anti-apartheid sentiments later in life, and ecclesiastical reforms—reflected a principled yet idiosyncratic worldview, prioritizing historical injustices over ideological uniformity.

Criticisms of Bias and Censorship Conflicts

Griffith's documentaries often drew accusations of bias, particularly for portraying British imperialism and colonial policies in a critical light. His 1969 film on the Boer War, Life for My Sheep, elicited viewer complaints for its perceived anti-Empire stance, with one correspondent decrying the "British breast-beating" and another protesting the emphasis on Afrikaner suffering over British achievements. Critics argued that Griffith selectively highlighted atrocities committed by British forces, such as concentration camps, while downplaying strategic necessities, framing the conflict as imperial aggression rather than a defensive war. Similarly, his works on Irish history, including support for republican figures like Michael Collins, were lambasted for sympathizing with violent separatism and portraying the British presence in Northern Ireland as inherently illegitimate. Griffith rejected such charges, maintaining that his films exposed suppressed truths about empire, though detractors, including Margaret Thatcher who labeled him a "dangerous Marxist," viewed his narratives as ideologically driven propaganda favoring anti-British causes. Censorship conflicts arose prominently from Griffith's Irish-themed documentaries, which authorities deemed inflammatory. His 1973 film Hang Out Your Brightest Colours, profiling Michael Collins as a heroic revolutionary, was banned by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) on grounds of constituting "an incitement to disorder" amid ongoing violence. The IBA withheld transmission for nearly two decades, citing risks of exacerbating sectarian tensions, until the screened it in 1993. A companion piece on the execution of Irish republican Theobald Wolfe Tone faced similar suppression, with both films embargoed for almost 20 years at the IBA's behest due to their unapologetic endorsement of republican aims. Griffith decried these bans as politically motivated suppression by forces fearful of public awakening to historical injustices, contrasting them with his earlier experiences of right-wing and left-wing interference in other projects. In 2013, the long-banned Irish films were publicly screened at the , highlighting enduring debates over whether such restrictions protected public order or stifled dissenting .

Personal Life

Marriages and Relationships

Griffith married actress Joan Stock in 1944; the couple divorced, and they had two children. His second was to Doria Noar in 1960, ending in divorce in 1966; they had one child. He wed Karol Hagar in 1966, and this also ended in divorce; it produced three children. In total, Griffith fathered five children from his three . He was divorced three times and reportedly involved in numerous other relationships.

Religious Conversion and Beliefs

Griffith was raised by his paternal grandparents in a non-conformist Protestant household, which he attributed as the source of his personal decency and adherence to Victorian values. In later years, he self-identified as a "Welsh Puritan preacher," framing his documentary work as delivering "sermons about " to challenge conventional narratives and moral complacency. This puritanical outlook aligned with his broader persona as a non-conformist of and , though no indicate a formal ; his expressed beliefs remained rooted in Protestant moral rigor without documented shifts to other faiths.

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In his later years, Griffith resided primarily in , where he continued to embody his lifelong nonconformist spirit, often expressing enthusiasm for by donning a large in support of the national team. Having stepped back from major roles after his appearance in the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, he focused less on new productions, reflecting on a career marked by over 70 films and numerous documentaries. His included three divorces and five children, though details of his routine in this period remain sparse in public . Griffith died on 25 June 2006 at his home in , aged 84. No official was publicly disclosed in contemporary reports.

Burial and Archival Preservation

Griffith died on 25 June 2006 at his home in , aged 84. His burial service was held on 4 July 2006 in Penally, Pembrokeshire, , where he was interred at St Nicholas and St Teilo Churchyard, near his birthplace of . The coffin was draped with the Welsh flag, the Irish tricolour, and the , reflecting his personal affiliations with Welsh heritage, , and . Following his death, Griffith's extensive personal and professional materials were preserved in several Welsh institutions. The Museum and Art Gallery houses a dedicated including scripts, handwritten letters, journals, photographs, signed books from associates like , and other memorabilia, acquired to honor his connection to the region. The maintains the Kenneth Griffith Papers fonds, comprising documents primarily related to his filmmaking, alongside items from his acting career. Additional artifacts, such as signed books and personal papers, are held in the People's Collection Wales digital repository. His works have been digitized and made accessible via an online channel, ensuring public availability of titles like those on historical and political subjects. These efforts underscore institutional recognition of Griffith's contributions despite his history of professional controversies.

Enduring Influence and Reception

Griffith's documentaries, particularly Hang Up Your Brightest Colours (1973) on Michael Collins, have maintained a niche but persistent influence in discussions of Irish republican history, often cited for challenging British establishment narratives despite initial suppression by broadcaster , who deemed it overly sympathetic to Collins. The film, originally commissioned for television but withheld until later private screenings and eventual online availability, received posthumous acclaim for its polemical style and archival footage, earning an 8.8/10 rating on from viewers appreciating its unfiltered advocacy. Its endurance stems from Griffith's insistence on presenting Collins as a pragmatic leader betrayed by dynamics, influencing subsequent portrayals in media like Neil Jordan's 1996 biopic. In Welsh cultural circles, Griffith is revered as a pioneering figure who expanded television documentary formats through passionate, opinionated explorations of anti-imperial themes, transforming passive narration into confrontational advocacy. His archive, housed at Tenby Museum since 2021, preserves scripts, footage, and correspondence, ensuring accessibility for researchers and underscoring his role as a "distinguished troublemaker" whose work critiqued empire without compromise. Reception post-2006 obituaries highlights this duality: praised by outlets like The Guardian for radical integrity against censorship, yet critiqued in broader British media for perceived bias in equating historical figures like Collins with heroism over nuance. Griffith's acting legacy endures through memorable supporting roles in films like Ben-Hur (1959) and (1978), where his distinctive voice and intensity left impressions on directors and peers, though his political outspokenness overshadowed purely performative reception during his lifetime. Later evaluations, including profiles, credit him with bridging acting and historiography, influencing independent filmmakers to prioritize causal historical analysis over sanitized retellings. While mainstream academia, often aligned with institutional biases favoring imperial perspectives, has under-engaged his output, grassroots and revisionist historians reference his efforts—such as the suppressed Nehru-related critiques—as early models for contesting dominant narratives. Overall, his influence persists among those valuing empirical confrontation of power structures, with archival revivals fostering renewed appreciation in and communities.

Works

Selected Filmography

Griffith's acting career spanned over six decades, encompassing more than 70 feature films where he frequently portrayed character roles, including weaselly or eccentric figures in dramas and comedies. His breakthrough came in post-war British cinema, with roles in adaptations like The Prisoner (1955), where he supported Alec Guinness as an inmate, and 1984 (1956), directed by Michael Anderson. Later appearances included historical epics and ensemble comedies, such as The Lion in Winter (1968) as King Louis VII of France and Gandhi (1982) as missionary Charlie Andrews. The following table highlights selected notable film roles:
YearTitleRole
1955Irish inmate
1958A Night to RememberWireless Operator John 'Jack' Phillips
1959Dai
1962Dr. Soames
1968King
1974Klipspringer
1978Arthur Witty
1982GandhiCharlie Andrews
1994Mad Old Man (Wedding One)
1995The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a MountainReverend Jones
These selections represent pivotal contributions across genres, from disaster films to political biopics, though Griffith often prioritized documentary work later in life.

Documentary Productions

Griffith's documentary productions spanned over three decades, beginning with Soldiers of the Widow in 1967, a BBC film examining the siege of Ladysmith during the Second Boer War through personal letters and diaries of ordinary soldiers, which highlighted the hardships and blunders of imperial campaigns while drawing criticism for its perceived anti-British stance. His works often emphasized anti-imperialist themes, portraying British historical figures and events with skepticism toward empire-building motives, as seen in Sons of the Blood (1972), a four-part BBC series featuring interviews with Boer War veterans that underscored the war's human cost and contributed to Griffith's reputation as a provocative historian. These films were self-researched and directed without prior formal experience in the genre, relying on archival material and on-location footage to challenge mainstream patriotic interpretations. Several documentaries faced censorship or suppression due to their content. Hang Out Your Brightest Colours: The Life and Death of Michael Collins (1973, ATV), profiling the Irish Republican leader and critiquing British forces including the , was banned by the Independent Broadcasting Authority as an "incitement to disorder" amid ongoing tensions, only airing publicly in 1994. Similarly, Curious Journey (1976, later shown 1980), which interviewed survivors of the and humanized former rebels, was withheld from broadcast until after the height of the Troubles subsided. Griffith responded with The Public's (1974, ITV), a meta-documentary investigating the of his prior works and broader media suppression issues. Other notable productions included The Most Valuable Englishman Ever (1982, BBC), a tribute to Thomas Paine's role in the , and A Touch of Churchill, A Touch of Hitler (1971, BBC), which scrutinized ' expansionist policies in . Later efforts like Against the Empire: The Boer War (1999, BBC), a two-part anniversary series on the conflict's imperial decline, and The Untouchable (1996, BBC), chronicling Indian constitution framer , continued his focus on overlooked anti-colonial narratives. Griffith's approach prioritized primary sources and veteran testimonies over sanitized histories, often positioning imperial actors as opportunistic rather than heroic, though this drew accusations of from outlets like the Daily Telegraph.
TitleYearBroadcasterKey Focus
Soldiers of the Widow1967Boer War , soldier perspectives
Sons of the Blood1972Boer War veterans' recollections
Hang Out Your Brightest Colours1973ATVMichael Collins and Irish independence
The Most Valuable Englishman Ever1982BBCThomas Paine's revolutionary influence
Against the : The Boer War1999Anglo-Boer War's imperial consequences

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341558/bio/
  2. http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/772297/index.html
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/kenneth-griffith/
  4. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815171/
  5. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14021518/
  6. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/jun/27/guardianobituaries.obituaries1
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/e0ee90d9-1c4b-387a-9448-2360339993c4
  8. https://museumcrush.org/a-distinguished-troublemaker-the-kenneth-griffith-archive-at-tenby-museum/
  9. https://archives.library.wales/index.php/kenneth-griffith-papers
  10. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/kenneth-griffith-6097067.html
  11. https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/kenneth-griffith
  12. https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/1971-the-truly-amazing-phenomenon-kenneth-griffith-at-the-tenby-gang-show/378227366439392/
  13. https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/19440991.mold-rotarians-hear-life-actor-documentary-maker/
  14. https://www.thetimes.com/article/kenneth-griffith-j9d5kdv8pj6
  15. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341558/trivia/
  16. https://theatricalia.com/person/qzc/kenneth-griffith
  17. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/community/threads/any-other-notable-films-that-kenneth-griffith-appeared-in.41972/
  18. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/jun/26/news2
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQJTE5SrsTY
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMg25Vr_63s
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16403496/
  22. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341558/
  23. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14450126/
  24. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/welsh-film-maker-fascinated-by-irish-history-1.1019012
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/15/arts/tv-cecil-rhodes-sits-for-an-ironic-portrait.html
  26. https://www.britishpictures.com/stars/Griffith_Kenneth.htm
  27. https://liverpool.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5949/liverpool/9781846319686.001.0001/upso-9781846319686-chapter-7
  28. https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irish-diary/2022/08/15/hang-up-your-brightest-colours-ray-burke-on-kenneth-griffiths-suppressed-film-about-michael-collins/
  29. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1522387/Kenneth-Griffith.html
  30. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lxzk3
  31. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00lmq0k
  32. https://journals.openedition.org/etudesirlandaises/18379
  33. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/true-to-his-beliefs-2335553
  34. https://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/772297/index.html
  35. https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/i-once-met-kenneth-griffith
  36. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The%2Bdissident%2Bdrama%253A%2Bthe%2Blate%2BWelsh%2Bfilmmaker%2BKenneth%2BGriffith%252C%2Ba...-a0274587235
  37. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/griffiths-banned-films-shown-cardiff-2295711
  38. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/kenneth-griffith-6097067.html
  39. https://www.amazon.ca/Fools-Pardon-Autobiography-Kenneth-Griffith/dp/0316908932
  40. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14812931/kenneth-griffith
  41. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5115424.stm
  42. https://www.facebook.com/groups/836139650359651/posts/1776216926351914/
  43. https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/409418
  44. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/51879-kenneth-griffith
  45. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kenneth_griffiths
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