Guy Standing | |
|---|---|
 Standing in 1906 | |
| Born | (1873-09-01)1 September 1873 London, England |
| Died | 24 February 1937(1937-02-24) (aged 63) |
| Years active | 1895–1937 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3, including Kay Hammond |
| Parent | Herbert Standing (father) |
| Relatives |
|
Sir Guy Standing (1 September 1873 – 24 February 1937) was an English-American actor. After fighting in the British Navy in World War I, he became a noted actor in theater and then subsequently in pre-code Hollywood. He is known mainly for his roles playing authority figures, such as Colonel Stone in Lives of a Bengal Lancer. He was the son of Herbert Standing, and a member of the Standing family of actors.
Biography
Standing was born on 1 September 1873 in London.3 Standing served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve throughout the First World War, reaching the rank of commander. He was seconded to MI6, but transferred to the Ministry of Information in December 1917.4 In 1918, he was part of the British War Mission to the United States. For this service, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1918 and raised to Knight Commander (KBE) in the 1919 New Year Honours.5
After becoming a noted actor in British and American theatre, he moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s appearing in Paramount films. His best-known role is probably that of Colonel Stone, autocratic father of Lieutenant Stone (played by Richard Cromwell), in Henry Hathaway's Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935).
He was the son of Herbert Standing (1846–1923), a noted actor from the stage and in silent films. His brothers Jack Standing, Herbert Standing Jr., Percy Standing and Wyndham Standing6 were also actors, as was his first wife Isabelle Urquhart, and his third wife and mother of his three children, Dorothy Hammond (née Plaskitt), his son Guy Standing Jr.6 and his daughter, Kay Hammond6 (née Dorothy Katherine Standing) and grandson John Standing.
His son, Michael Standing (died 1 December 1984), was the first live cricket commentator for BBC and first live radio commentator, known particularly for his "Standing on the Corner" slot in In Town Tonight.
Though legend holds that Standing died of a rattlesnake or spider bite, he died of a heart attack on 24 February 1937.78 Reportedly, right after he made the claim "I never felt better", he collapsed to the floor in pain, dying shortly after.3 He was interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.9
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | The Eagle and the Hawk | Major Dunham | |
| The Story of Temple Drake | Grandfather Judge Drake | Film is sometimes credited for the increased enforcement of the Hays Code after 1934 | |
| Midnight Club | Commissioner Hope | ||
| Cradle Song | Don Jose - the Doctor | ||
| Hell and High Water | Rear Admiral | ||
| 1934 | Death Takes a Holiday | Duke Lambert | |
| The Witching Hour | Judge Martin Prentice | ||
| Double Door | Mortimer Neff | ||
| Now and Forever | Felix Evans | ||
| 1935 | The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | Colonel Tom Stone | Film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and won one for best assistant director |
| Car 99 | Professor Anthony | ||
| Annapolis Farewell | Cmdr. Fitzhugh | ||
| The Big Broadcast of 1936 | Doctor | ||
| 1936 | Palm Springs | Captain Smyth | |
| The Return of Sophie Lang | Max Bernard | ||
| I'd Give My Life | Governor John Bancroft | ||
| Lloyd's of London | John Julius Angerstein | ||
| 1937 | Bulldog Drummond Escapes | Col. Reginald Nielson | Standing's final film role |
References
References
- "Isabelle Urquhart Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. 8 February 1907. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
- Walter Browne; Fredrick Arnold Austin (1908). Who's who on the Stage. p. 221.
- Ellenberger, Allan R. (2 April 2010). "Sir Guy Standing – death by rattlesnake?". allanellenberger.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- Bennett, Gill (2007). Churchill's Man of Mystery: Desmond Morton and the World of Intelligence. Routledge. p. 34.
- "No. 31114". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 1919. p. 448.
- "Obituary for Sir Guy Standing (Aged 63)". The Province. 25 February 1937. p. 11. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- "SIR GUY STANDING DROPS DEAD AT 63; Actor Collapses in Hollywood After Telling Garage Man He 'Never Felt Better' KNIGHTED FOR WAR WORK Spent- Most of Life in America and Was in Many Plays Here--With Movies Since 1933 A Native of England Acted in 'Daddy Longlegs' Last Stage Appearance Here". The New York Times. 25 February 1937. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- "DEATH TAKES ACTOR GUY STANDING". Santa Ana Journal. 25 February 1937. p. 2.
- Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company. p. 103. ISBN 9780786409839.