JACK HAWKINS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Jack Hawkins was born on September 14th, 1910 in Wood Green, London, England in the United Kingdom with the birth name John Edward Hawkins.  He became involved in acting at a young age, joining his school Choir at the age of eight and then working on the stage. 
 
Hawkins studied at the stage school of London, the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.  His debut was playing an elf king in "Where The Rainbow Ends".  He continued to work on the stage until, at the age of seventeen, Hawkins won the lead role playing St. George in the same play he did at the age of twelve.  By eighteen he was making his debut on Broadway in the play "Journey's End".  Continuing on with quite a successful stage career, he left Broadway and returned back to England to work on the production of "Autumn Crocus" at the age of twenty one.
 
He had gained quite a bit of experience as a working stage actor, and then decided to give a try at a career in the film industry.  His first screen appearance was in "The Phantom Fiend" (1932).  Even though he was getting involved in the film industry, he did not neglect his love for the stage.  He had married another actress, Jessica Tandy, on October 22nd, 1932,  who he had met on one of his stage productions and when she took an offer for a film role in America Hawkins volunteered to serve in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.  Her moving out to America put a strain on the marriage which ended on January 2nd, 1940. They had one child together, a daughter, Susan.
 
He took his time while his wife was away, dedicated to arranging various entertainment for the troops in India. By July 1944, he was a colonel commanding the administration of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) for India and Southeast Asia.  It was upon the advice of Alexander Korda that Hawkins continue to pursue a career in the film industry.  Korda offered Hawkins a three year contract.
 
He married his second wife whom he had met while in India, Doreen Lawrence.  They married on October 31st, 1947 and had three children together, Caroline and two sons, Nick and Andrew.  His personal life was on a good track and his film career was taking off.

In 1950 he took on a role in the film "The Black Rose" which he later credited as one of his best career choices, followed by his role in the film "The Cruel Sea" (1953) which made him a star and very well known to viewers.
 
As his career progressed into the 1960's, he continued to make decent films including working on "The League of Gentlemen" (1960).  After filming, he realized he had quite an addiction to cigarette smoking and therefore went in for voice training lessons and cut his smoking down from sixty cigarettes per day to about 5 or 6 per day.
 
During the filming of another successful film, "Guns at Batasi" (1964), his voice began to fail him.   
 
Hawkins was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1965 and had to have his larynx removed.  He continued to work in films, having his voice dubbed while he mimed the lines.  Some of the films he did while suffering from cancer were "Judith" (1966) and "The Poppy Is Also a Flower" (1966).
 
Sadly, after having throat surgery, he died from complications on July 18th, 1973 in London, England.   He was cremated and interred at the Golders Green Crematorium.
 

Filmography

1974   QB VII 
1973   Tales That Witness Madness 
1973   The Beloved
1973   Theater of Blood 
1972   Escape to the Sun 
1972   Young Winston 
1972   The Last Lion
1971   Kidnapped
1971   Nicholas and Alexandra
1971   When Eight Bells Toll 
1970   Jane Eyre
1970   I Waterloo 
1970   Lola
1970   The Adventures of Gerard 
1969   Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies
1969   Oh! What a Lovely War 
1968   Great Catherine 
1968   Shalako 
1968   Stalked
1966   The Poppy Is Also a Flower 
1966   Mystery and Imagination 
1966   Judith 
1966   Dr. Kildare 
1965   The Wednesday Play
1965   Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1965   Masquerade
1965   Armchair Theatre
1965   Lord Jim
1964   Guns at Batasi  
1964   The Third Secret
1964   Zulu
1963   Rampage 
1963   ITV Television Playhouse
1963   To Bury Caesar
1963   The DuPont Show of the Week 
1962   Lawrence of Arabia
1962   Five Finger Exercise 
1961   Two Loves 
1961   Lafayette  
1959-1960  The Four Just Men
1960   The League of Gentlemen 
1959   Ben-Hur
1959   The DuPont Show of the Month
1958   The Two-Headed Spy  
1958   Gideon of Scotland Yard
1957   The Bridge on the River Kwai
1953-1957  BBC Sunday-Night Theatre 
1957   She Played with Fire 
1957   Decision Against Time 
1956   The Third Key
1956   Producers' Showcase 
1955   Touch and Go 
1955   Land of the Pharaohs
1955   The Prisoner
1954   Land of Fury
1954   Front Page Story 
1953   The Intruder
1953   Twice Upon a Time  
1953   Malta Story 
1953   The Cruel Sea  
1952   Outpost in Malaya
1952   Crash of Silence 
1952   Angels One Five
1952   Murder on Monday  
1951   No Highway in the Sky  
1951   Fortune in Diamonds
1950   The Fighting Pimpernel
1950   The Black Rose 
1950   The Great Manhunt 
1949   Hour of Glory 
1948   Bonnie Prince Charlie 
1948   The Fallen Idol
1942   The Next of Kin 
1940   The Flying Squad 
1940   Murder Will Out 
1938   A Royal Divorce 
1938   Who Goes Next? 
1937   The Frog 
1937   Beauty and the Barge
1935   Peg of Old Drury 
1934   Lorna Doone 
1934   Death at a Broadcast
1934   Autumn Crocus  
1933   A Shot in the Dark
1933   The Jewel
1933   I Lived with You
1933   The Lost Chord
1933   The Good Companions
1932   The Phantom Fiend 
1930   The Perfect Alibi