Stars & Players · Biography

Sidney James

1913–1976 · Actor

Biography

Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; May 8, 1913 – April 26, 1976) was a South African-born English-based actor and comedian. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour and also starred in the popular Carry On films. He was known for his trademark "dirty laugh" and lascivious persona. Bruce Forsyth summed up his talent thus: "He was a natural at being natural."

Notable Noir Roles

Escape by Night

1953Dir. John Gilling · Gino Rossini

An Italian racketeer on the run in London holes up in a disused theatre with a hard-drinking journalist out to get the full story.

The Yellow Balloon

1953Dir. J. Lee Thompson · Charlie

A young boy is blackmailed by a crook who saw him unwittingly cause his friend's death.

Hell Drivers

1957Dir. Cy Endfield · Dusty, Truck Driver

An ex-con trying to go clean ends up working for a crooked trucking company swindling money.

The Man Inside

1958Dir. John Gilling · Franklin

A detective tracking a stolen gem begins to suspect there's more to the case than just theft.

Full Noir Filmography

4 films · 1953–1958