born May 27, 1911, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.
died Oct. 25, 1993, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. actor.
He first appeared onstage in a London production of the play Chicago and then played the leading role as Prince Albert in Victoria Regina (1935), which he reprised on Broadway. In 1938 he went to Hollywood, where he became known for his cultivated manner and silken voice. He played historical roles in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), Hudson's Bay (1941), and The Three Musketeers (1948). He was the menacing villain in horror movies such as House of Wax (1953) and The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) as well as a series of Roger Corman movies adapted from Edgar Allan Poe stories, including The Masque of the Red Death (1964). He accepted occasional film and television roles throughout his later years; his performances in The Whales of August (1987) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) were particularly memorable.