Cyril Ritchard

Born

December 1, 1897

Died

December 18, 1977 (80 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Legendary for his preening, prancing, delightfully playful villain Captain Hook on the award-winning stage (as well as TV) opposite America's musical treasure Mary Martin, beloved musical star Cyril Ritchard had a vast career that would last six decades, but "Peter Pan" would become his prime legacy. Born in Australia just before the turn of the century, he was educated at St. Aloysius College and Sydney University wherein he slyly sidestepped a parental-guided career in medicine for entertainment, participating in numerous college productions that quickly got him "hooked." He began professionally in the chorus line of The Royal Comic Opera Company and quickly progressed to juvenile leads. A subsequent pairing with the already-established theatre actress Madge Elliott in 1918 proved successful, and the musical twosome eventually married in 1935. Together they would go on to become known as "The Musical Lunts" by their acting peers performing in scores of plays and revues together. Ritchard specialized in playing slick, dandified villains in musical comedy and developed a potent reputation of being a man of many talents. Not only directing and staging Broadway's finest, he became a renown performer of various operas and led many productions as such. Shortly before his wife's death of bone cancer in 1955, Ritchard ventured into TV infamy by repeating his Tony and Donaldson award-winning portrayal of Hook in Peter Pan (1955). He continued to earn acclaim and/or honors with such classic stage productions as "Visit to a Small Planet" (Tony-nominated), "The Pleasure of His Company" (Drama League award, Tony-nominated), "The Roar of the Greasepaint...the Smell of the Crowd" (Tony-nominated), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Sugar," the musical version of the classic Billy Wilder film Some Like It Hot (1959) in which Ritchard played the Joe E. Brown role. Lesser regarded when it comes to film, he performed in the early Hitchcock classic Blackmail (1929) and made his last movie with the musical Half a Sixpence (1967) with Tommy Steele. While performing as the Narrator in a stage production of "Side by Side by Sondheim" in November 1977, Ritchard suffered a heart attack and died one month later. A one-of-a-kind talent, his nefarious, narcissistic humor was a career trademark that culminated in the role of a lifetime -- one that will certainly be enjoyed by children young and old for eons to come.

The Hobbit

The Hobbit

Elrond (voice)

6.5

1977

The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow

The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow

Father Thomas (voice)

5.3

1975

Tubby the Tuba

Tubby the Tuba

The Frog (voice)

0.0

1975

The Snoop Sisters

The Snoop Sisters

Morlock · (1 episode)

7.2

1973

Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes

Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes

Emperor Klockenlocher (voice)

5.0

1972

Hans Brinker

Hans Brinker

Mijnheer Kleef

6.5

1969

Half a Sixpence

Half a Sixpence

Harry Chitterlow

6.0

1967

The Daydreamer

The Daydreamer

The Sandman (voice)

5.0

1966

The Lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner

The Lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner

Host

0.0

1966

The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood

The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood

Big Bad Wolf

0.0

1965

Mr. Scrooge

Mr. Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge

10.0

1964

The Danny Kaye Show

The Danny Kaye Show

Self · (1 episode)

6.3

1963

The Merv Griffin Show

The Merv Griffin Show

Self · (3 episodes)

5.8

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Self · (2 episodes)

7.4

1962

The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat

0.0

1962

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

Self - Co-Host · (1 episode)

5.4

1961

Dr. Kildare

Dr. Kildare

Justin Fitzgibbons · (1 episode)

5.5

1961

Peter Pan

Peter Pan

Mr. Darling / Captain Hook

6.6

1960

The Christmas Tree

Promenade Member

0.0

1958

Kraft Music Hall

Kraft Music Hall

Self · (1 episode)

4.7

1958

Aladdin

Aladdin

Sui-Generis, the Sorcerer

0.0

1958

DuPont Show of the Month

DuPont Show of the Month

Sui-Generis the Sorcerer · (1 episode)

6.8

1957

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Self · (2 episodes)

7.0

1957

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

Self · (2 episodes)

6.0

1956

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show

Self - rehearsing for 'Jack and the Beanstalk' · (1 episode)

5.6

1956

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show

Self - Dr. Frankenstien · (1 episode)

5.6

1956

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show

Self - Guest · (1 episode)

5.6

1956

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

Self - Presenter · (1 episode)

5.1

1956

Peter Pan

Peter Pan

Mr. Darling / Captain Hook

1.0

1956

Dearest Enemy

Dearest Enemy

Gen. Howe

0.0

1955

Playwrights '56

(1 episode)

6.0

1955

Peter Pan

Peter Pan

Mr. Darling / Captain Hook

6.1

1955

Producers' Showcase

Captain Hook · (38 episodes)

6.5

1954

Omnibus

Omnibus

(1 episode)

6.0

1952

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate

0.0

1952

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

(1 episode)

8.6

1951

Lux Video Theatre

Arnold · (1 episode)

6.3

1950

What's My Line?

What's My Line?

Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)

6.9

1950

Studio One

Studio One

(1 episode)

5.0

1948

Studio One

Studio One

Pontius Pilate · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

Studio One

Studio One

Monty Gavenhurst · (1 episode)

5.0

1948

Woman Hater

Woman Hater

Reveller (uncredited)

7.0

1948

The Philco Television Playhouse

The Philco Television Playhouse

(2 episodes)

6.3

1948

The Winslow Boy

The Winslow Boy

Himself

7.0

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show

Self · (1 episode)

6.8

1948

Dangerous Medicine

Dr. Noel Penwood

0.0

1938

I See Ice

I See Ice

Paul Martine

8.1

1938

The Show Goes On

The Show Goes On

Jimmy

5.0

1937

It's a Grand Old World

It's a Grand Old World

0.0

1937

Symphony in Two Flats

Symphony in Two Flats

Leo Chavasse

0.0

1930

Just for a Song

Craddock

0.0

1930

Blackmail

Blackmail

The Artist

6.5

1929

Piccadilly

Piccadilly

Victor Smiles

6.4

1929