Star Of The Month: Trevor Howard

TREVOR HOWARD

BORN: September 29, 1913

DIED: January 7, 1988

AGED: 74 years

DIED FROM: Cirrhosis of the Liver from years of acute alcoholism 

MARRIED: Once to Helen Cherry…bless her soul

CHILDREN: None

AFFAIRS: numerous affairs most notably with actress Anouk Aimee

OSCAR WINS: None

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: 1..Sons and Lovers-1960

FAMOUS FRIENDS: Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins and Rex Harrison

TALENT: His incredible acting talent who was always on time, knew his lines and delivered what was needed plus so much more. He hated Marlon Brando because of Brando’s eccentricity, being late and feeling superior to others. 

KNOWN FOR: his love of Cricket. His legendary drinking, carousing, and keeping his private life, private.

When I saw “Brief Encounter”, I fell for Trevor Howard and thought he was so gentle, romantic, gentlemanly….the. I saw him in a later movie and thought..”What The Hell?” His soft features were gone and the cutting angular edges took hold. I had no idea that he was a raving alcoholic and, more than likely, a sex-addict. He was known to have numerous affairs and could drink and drink and drink. His wife stood by him, loyal, until he died…she deserved a medal! He and his sister lived with their parents in Ceylon before their mom took them on a long trip, first to California where Mary Pickford overheard the child, Trevor, speak about Father Christmas and was enchanted by him. Apparently, he was in a couple of her films, but this enchantment was short-lived as they travelled to Canada and stayed for a long time while his mom visited her family. When they returned to England he was sent to a boarding school. This must have traumatized him since he travelled and was with his family and now, 8 yrs old, he is all alone in a strict school which he hated. It was here that he started to play Cricket. He LOVED cricket making sure that he would see his beloved Cricket even when making a movie. He had it added in his contract that he would be off work during cricket matches! Brief Encounter put him on the map even though the character, a gentleman who longed for Celia Johnson, kissing her..he never understood the character because why have all this longing just get it done. In one of his movies, he shared the longest kiss, for that era, ending up in the Guinness Book of World Records! I still have to see that movie.

He was in the army and was credited for his valour as a paratrooper, seeing action and awarded the Military Cross. These were all lies! He was in the army but never saw any combat and was discharged for his mental instability and his psychopathic personality. The latter imprint was due to incessant lying about his childhood and school days. He was discharged, with the lies formulated by the studios and Trevor not denying it. His drinking escalated after his discharge and, when he was awarded the CBE by the Queen, he declined it. He was intensely private, loving his local pub, talking with the men in the pub rather than schmoozing with the film people, and watching cricket. He was a complex man who seemed a gentleman yet was moody and could throw things across the room, have a few DUIs where he lost his license for 8 years culminating in his death from cirrhosis of the liver. A sad end to a man who really was a great actor.

FILMS-( films I have seen with a couple I have not which is why they are near the bottom)

1. Brief Encounter-1945

2. The Third Man-1949

3. Von Ryan’s Express-1965

4. The Battle of Britain-1969

5. The Sea Wolves-1980

6. Mutiny on the Bounty-1962

7. Ryan’s Daughter-1970

8. Gandhi-1982

9. Charge of the Light Brigade-1968

10. Outcast of the Islands-1951