Hugh Griffith, 1912-1980

Hugh Griffith in Tom Jones (1963)

Today marks the birth anniversary of British supporting actor Hugh Griffith, who was born on this day in 1912. Griffith started his film career in earnest after World War II, showing up in small parts in some well-known British movies, such as Kind Hearts and Coronets. Eventually he wound up doing bigger films produced by the Hollywood studios, such as smaller roles in The Story on Page One, Ben-Hur, Lisa, and How to Steal a Million. I'm not certain what his best-remembered role is, but it might be Squire Western, father of the girl (Susannah York) Tom Jones (Albert Finney) loves in Tom Jones, a role which earned him an Oscar nomination.