Stars & Players · Biography

Russell Napier

1910–1974 · Actor

Biography

Russell Napier was born in Perth, Western Australia. Originally a lawyer, Napier was active as an actor on the stage as early as 1936; on the screen, from 1947 to 1974, playing both comedic and dramatic roles in both cinema and television. Notably, he starred in a liveBBC television production of H. G. Wells' The Time Machine in 1949; still photographs of this production exist, but no actual footage.

Notable Noir Roles

The Brain Machine

1955Dir. Ken Hughes · Insp. Durham

A British psychiatrist reads an amnesiac's (Maxwell Reed) brain waves and sees the mind of a killer.

A Time to Kill

1955Dir. Charles Saunders · Inspector Simmons

A man and a woman are poisoned. The woman dies, but the man survives. The finger of blame begins to point at the man. A policeman and a newspaper journalist pursue the truth.

The Narrowing Circle

1956Dir. Charles Saunders · Sir Henry Dimmock

A journalist is framed for the murder of a rival and has to prove his innocence, whatever the cost.

The Man in the Road

1956Dir. Lance Comfort · Scotland Yard Supt. Davidson

A brilliant scientist who has lost his memory is hunted by Communist agents out to obtain a secret formula.

Full Noir Filmography

4 films · 1955–1956