Wontner, Arthur

1875

1960

Born in London on 21 January 1875, Arthur Wontner trained for the stage under Sarah Thorne at the Theatre Royal Margate. He was with Louis Calvert’s Shakespeare touring company and over the next several years toured with Lewis Waller, visited Australia and New Zealand in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree’s company, and reappeared in London in 1906 in “Raffles” under Charles Frohman. For another 42 years Wontner was associated with some of the best managers and finest actors. He played Laertes to Irving’s Hamlet, was with Granville Barker’s company, and appeared with Lilah McCarthy, Mrs Patrick Campbell, Martin Harvey and John Hare. Under his own management at the Criterion he produced and acted. Between 1926 and 1929 he acted in New York and toured America. Back in London in 1929, he appeared at Drury Lane as Richelieu and was seen there as Fouchée in “Napoleon” (G0851) and Malvolio in 1932. He continued acting on the stage until 1948 and also appeared in many films (portraying Sherlock Holmes in five of them) and television productions. He served on the London Theatre Council and as Treasurer of British Actors’ Equity and for more than 25 years was a member of the Committee of the Actors’ Orphanage. He became a member of the Garrick Club in 1916. Wontner died on 10 July 1960.