Arthur Basil Radford, a renowned British stage and film actor, was born on June 25, 1897, in Chester, England. He served as a commissioned officer in the British Army during World War I, where he suffered a facial wound that would later be concealed by clever camerawork and makeup.
After the war, Radford pursued an acting career, training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and making his stage debut in 1924 with the play "Collusion." He went on to appear in numerous stage productions, including "The Ghost Train," "The Love Pirate," "Night Must Fall," and "A Man's House."
Radford's film career began in 1929 with his debut in "Ain't It the Truth." He subsequently found upper-class support parts in comedies and dramas, including "Seven Days Leave" (1930) starring Gary Cooper, "Leave It to Smith" (1933),"Foreign Affaires" (1935),"Broken Blossoms" (1936),and "When Thief Meets Thief" (1937) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Radford's most notable collaborations were with director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Naunton Wayne. They formed a memorable on-screen partnership, with Radford playing the role of Charters, a dry-witted and mustachioed gentleman, in several films, including "The Lady Vanishes" (1938),"Night Train to Munich" (1940),and "Crook's Tour" (1940).
Radford and Wayne's partnership extended beyond film, with appearances in wartime shorts and radio programs. Radford also appeared in films without Wayne, including "Dead of Night" (1945),"Johnny in the Clouds" (1945),"The Captive Heart" (1946),and "Whisky Galore!" (1949),which found him top-billed.
After a series of top-billed character parts, including "Chance of a Lifetime" (1950) and "The Galloping Major" (1951),which he co-wrote, Radford's health declined, and he was forced to leave the screen. He died on October 20, 1952, at the age of 55, after suffering a heart attack on the set of the radio adventure "Rogues' Gallery."
