Robert Newton(1905-1956)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Robert Newton was one of the great character actors -- and great
characters -- of the British cinema, best remembered today for playing
Long John Silver in
L'ile au trésor (1950) and its
sequel in 1954. His
portrayal of Long John Silver and of
Barbe-Noire le pirate (1952)
created a persona that was so indelible that his vocal intonations
created the paradigm for scores of people who want to "Talk Like a
Pirate." The performance overshadows Newton's legacy, which is based on
many first-rate performances in such movies as
Heureux mortels (1944),
Huit heures de sursis (1947) and
Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill
Sykes is truly chilling.
Oliver Reed, who played Sykes in the
Oscar-winning movie musical
Oliver! (1968) was influenced by Newton.
