Though his stock was dwindling slightly, Kenneth still ranked as the third and fourth most popular international star (in 1961 and 1962 respectively).
The latter of these years saw the actor return to television. Heart to Heart - written by the aforementioned Sir Terrence Rattigan - marked that comeback, with his performance as journalist David Mann the subject of sizeable acclaim.
Though riveted by his return to television, Kenneth was delighted to have a small cameo in The Longest Day - a film about the D-Day landings - the next year.
His final leading film role came in 1964, where Kenneth gave a masterful performance in the adaptation of Douglas Hayes novel The Comedy Man.
Though his stock was dwindling slightly, Kenneth still ranked as the third and fourth most popular international star (in 1961 and 1962 respectively).
The latter of these years saw the actor return to television. Heart to Heart - written by the aforementioned Sir Terrence Rattigan - marked that comeback, with his performance as journalist David Mann the subject of sizeable acclaim.
Though riveted by his return to television, Kenneth was delighted to have a small cameo in The Longest Day - a film about the D-Day landings - the next year.
His final leading film role came in 1964, where Kenneth gave a masterful performance in the adaptation of Douglas Hayes novel The Comedy Man.
Broad appeal: Kenneth More
Credit: Alamy
In the Fifties, Kenneth More was the most famed and acclaimed film actor in Britain, with a string of major hits to his credit. That decade was a golden era for cinema lovers, and More had broad appeal. He could act tough, gentle or romantic: whatever the script demanded. Yet in the years since his death in 1982, he has become somewhat forgotten. Now, a new book called More, Please! by Nick Pourgourides aims to repatriate one of Britain’s biggest film stars.
More first became a household name in 1952, when he appeared at London’s Duchess Theatre in Terence Rattigan’s drama The Deep Blue Sea. He played Freddie Page, a boozy ex-RAF pilot who jilts his older mistress, the wife of a respected judge – with devastating results. His performance was met with wild acclaim; many critics referred to him as “a discovery”.
Kenneth More: 10 essential films
As a new biography of Kenneth More hits the shelves, we round up a selection of the finest films featuring Britainâs most popular movie star of the 1950s.
12 December 2020
The Comedy Man (1964)
In the 1950s, Kenneth More was arguably Britainâs biggest film star. Famously self-deprecating, he wasnât the type to immerse himself in roles. But, such was his integrity, audiences trusted More the man and rooted for his larger-than-life characters. As Nick Pourgourides points out in his engaging new biography, More, Please!, Moreâs popularity grew after he moved into television and reached millions as Young Jolyon in The Forsyte Saga (1967) and as G.K. Chestertonâs clerical sleuth in Father Brown (1974).