Hawkins, Jack CBE

1910

1973

The estimable actor Jack Hawkins was born in London on 14 September 1910, the son of Thomas George Hawkins and his wife Phoebe (née Goodman). He made his first appearance on the stage at the Holborn Empire on 26 December 1923, walking on in “Where the Rainbow Ends”. Subsequently he appeared at many London venues, including the Savoy, Vaudeville, Royalty, Lyceum and Globe, and also in New York. Among his many roles were Claudius in “Hamlet”, Edmund in “King Lear”, Caliban in “The Tempest”, Othello, Morell in “Candida” and Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet”. Hawkins was best known to international audiences through his films: “The Fallen Idol”, “The Cruel Sea”, “The Intruder”, “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, “Ben Hur” and “Lawrence of Arabia”. During the Second World War Hawkins served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Second British Division in India; he became colonel in command of the ENSA administration for India and was demobilized in 1946. He became a member of the Garrick Club in November 1948, and he received the CBE in 1958. Hawkins died on 18 July 1973. His first wife was Jessica Tandy. His second wife, Doreen Lawrence, presented the bust of him by David Rawnsley (S0059) to the Garrick Club in 1993.