(born Jan. 18, 1904, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Eng.—died Nov. 29, 1986, Davenport, Iowa, U.S.) British-born U.S. film actor. He performed with an acrobatic comedy troupe in England before he found parts in stage musicals. He made his film debut in
This Is the Night (1932) and earned stardom with
Mae West in
She Done Him Wrong (1933). His debonair charm and good looks, combined with a distinctive voice, made him a longtime popular star in sophisticated comedies such as
Topper (1937),
Bringing Up Baby (1938),
His Girl Friday (1940), and
The Philadelphia Story (1941). He also starred in
Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers
Suspicion (1941),
Notorious (1946),
To Catch a Thief (1955), and
North by Northwest (1959). He received an honorary Academy Award in 1970.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
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