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Sim, Alistair CBE

Birth date

1900

Death date

1976

Biography

Alastair Sim, who made a career of playing eccentrics, was born in Edinburgh on 9 October 1900, the son of Alexander Sim and his wife Isabella (née McIntyre). He left the family tailoring business for the stage, appearing as a messenger in “Othello” at the Savoy in 1930. After playing the Cardinal in “The Venetian” in London and the Old Vic season in New York in 1932-33, Sim appeared in and produced a number of plays by James Birdie. Though his stage appearances were many, including Dandy Dick in Chichester and London in 1973 and Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” in several revivals, it was in films that he became best known. He created a number of memorable characters: the Headmistress (in drag) in “The Belle’s of St Trinian’s” (1954), Cockerill in “Green for Danger” (1946), Scrooge (1951) and the title role in “An Inspector Calls” (1954), among the most notable in more than 50 films. He also appeared in a television series “Misleading Cases” with Roy Dotrice from 1967 to 1971. In 1951 he received a Hon LLD from Edinburgh University and was Rector of that institution from 1948 to 1951. In 1953 he was honoured with a CBE. Sim became a member of the Garrick Club in 1943. He died on 19 August 1976.
 
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