John Gregson (15 March 1919 - 8 January 1975) was a British actor. He was born in Liverpool, England and he was married to the actress Thea Gregory . They had six children. He appeared in around 40 films in the fifties and sixties, and on television. He was often cast as a police inspector or as a navy or army officer. He was also known for his comedy roles in Ealing and other British films. From 1965 he mainly worked on TV, starring as Commander George Gideon in the series Gideon's Way , known as Gideon C.I.D. in America.
His most famous comedy role was in the film chosen for the Royal Command Performance in 1953, Genevieve, also starring Kenneth More, Dinah Sheridan and Kay Kendall. Other Ealing films in which he appeared included The Titfield Thunderbolt and The Lavender Hill Mob. Kenneth More has been described as his "rival" in British cinema at the time. John Gregson tended to appear in less comedy films and more drama films than More though, and was less 'broad' in his performances.
His best known drama films are probably The Battle of the River Plate , Angels One Five and Above Us The Waves . Among his many other roles he had leads in Treasure Island and The Treasure Of Monte Christo . Gregson concentrated on TV from the mid-sixties onwards, including The Saint with Roger Moore and a popular comedy adventure series with Shirley MacLaine; Shirley's World . He took over from Kenneth More in long running TV adverts for coffee on British television.
John Gregson died in Porlock Weir , Somerset from a heart attack aged 55.
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Last updated: 07-31-2005 19:13:13