Arthur Gould-Porter, sometimes credited as Arthur E. Gould-Porter or as A.E. Gould-Porter, was an English actor who appeared in films and on television and stage. His film and TV career spanned from 1942 to 1977, and although mainly a character actor he is remembered for his part as Captain Greer in Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks and for his reoccurring role as Ravenswood the butler in The Beverley Hillbillies.
Biography
Gould-Porter was born in Penzance, Cornwall, in 1905 to Archibald Gould-Porter and his wife, Mabel Amor. By the early 1930s Gould-Porter had moved to the United States and in 1931 he appeared at the Palm Beach Playhouse in A.A. Milne's Mr. Pim Passes By, to good reviews. In February 1932 he appeared at the Forrest Theatre on Broadway in the comedy play New York to Cherbourg. He returned to Broadway in 1935 to start an 18-month run at the Broadhurst Theatre in Laurence Housman's play Victoria Regina. Other Broadway appearances included Bachelor Born and Oscar Wilde. By 1942 Gould-Porter was branching into film roles, with uncredited roles in Eagle Squadron, The Black Swan and Random Harvest. He also received his first credited role in 1942 when he appeared as Freddie in the American thriller Nightmare. Gould-Porter continued to find work throughout the 1940s, appearing in minor parts in a string of Hollywood films, including roles in Jane Eyre, National Velvet and A Double Life. He took a break from film in 1948 and returned to the stage, appearing at the Booth Theatre in Keith Winter's The Rats of Norway. The play lasted just three days before closing, and in 1951 he was again finding roles in film, appearing as a chauffeur in Kind Lady. In 1952 Gould-Porter made his first appearance on television, appearing in an episode of the American detective series Saber of London. He followed this with further small film parts before landing his largest role to date in the comedy The Girls of Pleasure Island. Despite this larger role, it did not lead to greater success, but work continued to follow with an appearance in the Tony Curtis-led biopic Houdini and a part as the bartender in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. More television work followed, and between 1955 and 1957 Gould-Porter appeared in The Colgate Comedy Hour, The 20th Century-Fox Hour, Topper, Lux Video Theatre and The Joseph Cotten Show. From 1955 Gould-Porter began appearing in more notable film roles, included credited parts in Lady Godiva of Coventry and Top Secret Affair. Although now appearing as a credited film actor, he instead found himself being drawn to more television work, and between 1956 and 1960 he starred in eight episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He followed this with more small-screen outings in Adventures in Paradise, ', Sea Hunt and The Rogues, amongst others. Of all the television shows he appeared in during the 1960s, he only appeared once as a recurring character, that of Ravenswood the butler in the comedy series Beverley Hillbillies, appearing in eight episodes between 1962 and 1966. In 1966 Gould-Porter made an appearance in an actual Alfred Hitchcock movie, taking the role of Freddy the Bookseller in Torn Curtain. This was followed with a bit part in Richard Fleisher's 1967 British musical filmDoctor Dolittle, but he did not return to acting until 1970, when he made an appearance in another musical, Darling Lili. One of his final movie credits was as Captain Greer in the Disney musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks. His final television role came in 1977, when he played Winston Churchill in '. He retired to Los Angeles, where he died in 1987. He was never married.
