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Geoffrey Keen is a Actor British born on 21 august 1916 at Wallingford (United-kingdom)

Geoffrey Keen

Geoffrey Keen
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Nationality United-kingdom
Birth 21 august 1916 at Wallingford (United-kingdom)
Death 3 november 2005 (at 89 years)

Geoffrey Keen (21 August 1916 – 3 November 2005) was an English actor who appeared in supporting roles in many famous films.

Biography

Early life
Keen was born in Wallingford, Berkshire, England, the son of stage actor Malcolm Keen. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School. He then joined the Little Repertory Theatre in Bristol for whom he made his stage debut in 1932. After a year in repertory he stayed for a year in Cannes before being accepted for a place at the London School of Economics. In a last minute change of mind, he entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal after only one year. He had just joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1939 when the war started. Keen enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps, though also managed to appear in an Army instructional film for Carol Reed.


Career
Keen made his full film debut in 1946 in Riders of the New Forest but soon appeared in better known films for Reed such as: Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Third Man (1949). He quickly became one of the busiest character actors, typically doing five films a year. He also continued to perform on stage, for instance as Iachimo in Peter Hall's 1957 production of Cymbeline, and a sadistic Turkish General in Terence Rattigan's controversial Ross (1960).

Keen was cast mainly as establishment figures, including ministers, senior police officers and military figures, though he also appeared in working class roles in Chance of a Lifetime (1950) and Millions Like Us (1943). He often portrayed balding, cold-hearted, and sarcastic executives or lawyers. On television, he was one of the leads in BBC TV's long-running drama about the oil industry, The Troubleshooters, between 1965 and 1972.

On the big screen, he played the role of Frederick Gray, the Minister of Defence in six James Bond films between 1977 and 1987:


The Spy Who Loved Me (in this film Bond calls him "Freddie" – in private, after the briefing at the naval base – when Gray tells him that he is to go to Egypt.)
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View to a Kill
The Living Daylights
He also appeared in such notable films as The Spanish Gardener, Doctor Zhivago, Cromwell, and Born Free, as well as in numerous TV programmes. He even appeared in a leading role in the Hammer Horror Film Taste the Blood of Dracula that starred Christopher Lee, playing a rather sarcastic Victorian/Edwardian gentleman who is one of a circle of three seeking wicked pleasures who betray Dracula. In all, Keen had appeared in 100 films before he retired in 1991.

Best films

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
(Actor)
Cromwell (1970)
(Actor)

Usually with

Bernard Lee
Bernard Lee
(10 films)
John Glen
John Glen
(6 films)
Marianne Stone
Marianne Stone
(10 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Geoffrey Keen (87 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

The Living Daylights, 2h11
Directed by John Glen
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about children, Spy films, Films about terrorism, Political films
Actors Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo, Jeroen Krabbé, Desmond Llewelyn, Art Malik, John Rhys-Davies
Roles Minister of Defence
Rating66% 3.3484553.3484553.3484553.3484553.348455
James Bond—Agent 007—is assigned to aid the defection of a KGB officer, General Georgi Koskov, covering his escape from a concert hall in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia during the orchestra's intermission. During the mission, Bond notices that the KGB sniper assigned to prevent Koskov's escape is a female cellist from the orchestra. Disobeying his orders to kill the sniper, he instead shoots the rifle from her hands, then uses the Trans-Siberian Pipeline to smuggle Koskov across the border into Austria and then on to Britain.
A View to a Kill, 2h11
Directed by John Glen
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films about children, Spy films, Films about terrorism, Political films
Actors Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Christopher Walken, Patrick Bauchau
Roles Minister of Defence
Rating62% 3.1493353.1493353.1493353.1493353.149335
MI6 agent James Bond is sent to Siberia to locate the body of 003 and recover a microchip originating from the Soviet Union. Upon his return Q analyses the microchip, establishing it to be a copy of one designed to withstand an electromagnetic pulse and made by government contractor Zorin Industries.
Octopussy
Octopussy (1983)
, 2h11
Directed by John Glen
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films about children, Spy films, Films about terrorism, Transport films, Rail transport films, Political films, Arme nucléaire
Actors Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, Desmond Llewelyn, Kristina Wayborn
Roles Minister of Defence
Rating64% 3.2485853.2485853.2485853.2485853.248585
British agent 009 is found dead at the British embassy in East Berlin, dressed as a circus clown and carrying a fake Fabergé egg. MI6 immediately suspects Soviet involvement and, after seeing the real egg appear at an auction in London, sends James Bond—agent 007—to investigate and find out who the seller is. At the auction Bond is able to swap the real egg with the fake and engages in a bidding war with exiled Afghan prince Kamal Khan, forcing Khan to pay £500,000 for the fake egg. Bond follows Khan back to his palace in Rajasthan, India, where Bond defeats Khan in a game of backgammon. Bond escapes with his Indian colleague Vijay, evading Khan's bodyguard Gobinda's attempts to kill them both. Bond is seduced by one of Khan's associates, Magda, and notices that she has a blue-ringed octopus tattoo. Magda steals the real Fabergé egg fitted with a listening device by Q, while Gobinda captures Bond and takes him to Khan's palace. After Bond escapes from his cell he listens in on the bug in the Fabergé egg and discovers that Khan is working with Orlov, a Soviet general, who is seeking to expand Soviet control into Central Europe.
For Your Eyes Only, 2h8
Directed by John Glen
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films about children, Spy films, Seafaring films, Sports films, Films about terrorism, Transport films, Underwater action films, Political films
Actors Roger Moore, Julian Glover, Carole Bouquet, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Lois Maxwell
Roles Sir Frederick Gray
Rating66% 3.3485353.3485353.3485353.3485353.348535
The British spy boat St Georges, which holds the Automatic Targeting Attack Communicator (ATAC), the system used by the Ministry of Defence to communicate with and co-ordinate the Royal Navy's fleet of Polaris submarines, is sunk after accidentally trawling an old naval mine in the Ionian Sea. MI6 agent James Bond, code name "007", is ordered by the Minister of Defence, Sir Frederick Gray and MI6 Chief of Staff, Bill Tanner, to retrieve the ATAC before the Soviets, as the transmitter could order attacks by the submarines' Polaris ballistic missiles.
Moonraker
Moonraker (1979)
, 2h6
Directed by Lewis Gilbert, John Glen, Ernest Day
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about children, Space adventure films, Spy films, Films about terrorism, Dans l'espace, Space opera, Eco-terrorism in fiction
Actors Roger Moore, Michael Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel, Bernard Lee, Corinne Cléry
Roles Sir Frederick Gray
Rating61% 3.099683.099683.099683.099683.09968
A Drax Industries Moonraker space shuttle on loan to the United Kingdom is hijacked in mid-air and MI6 operative, James Bond, agent 007, is assigned to investigate. En route to England in a small charter plane, Bond is attacked by the crew and pushed out of the plane by the mercenary assassin Jaws. He survives by stealing a parachute from the pilot, whilst Jaws lands on a circus tent.
Licensed to Love and Kill, 1h34
Directed by Lindsay Shonteff
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy, Action
Themes Spy films
Actors Gareth Hunt, Nick Tate, Geoffrey Keen, Don Fellows, John Arnatt, Toby Robins
Roles Stockwell
Rating44% 2.217232.217232.217232.217232.21723
Secret Agent Charles Bind is called in to investigate the disappearance of Lord Dangerfield, a British diplomat. The trail leads Bind to Dangefield’s daughter Carlotta Muff-Dangerfield who is called “Lotta Muff”, an ambitious American Senator named Lucifer Orchid, and Bind’s counterpart in the forces of evil, Ultra One.
The Spy Who Loved Me, 2h6
Directed by Lewis Gilbert, John Glen, Ernest Day
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Films set in Africa, Films about children, Spy films, Seafaring films, Politique, Sports films, Films about terrorism, Transport films, Underwater action films, Submarine films, Political films, Arme nucléaire
Actors Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn
Roles Sir Frederick Gray
Rating69% 3.498363.498363.498363.498363.49836
British and Soviet ballistic-missile submarines mysteriously disappear. James Bond—MI6 agent 007—is summoned to investigate. On the way he escapes an ambush by Soviet agents in Austria, killing one during a downhill ski chase, and escaping via a Union Flag parachute. Bond learns that the plans for a highly advanced submarine tracking system are on the market in Egypt. There, he encounters Major Anya Amasova—KGB agent Triple X—his rival for the plans. They travel across Egypt together, tracking the microfilm plans, meeting Jaws—a tall assassin with steel teeth—along the way. Bond and Amasova later team up through a truce agreed by their respective superiors and identify the person responsible for the thefts as the shipping tycoon, scientist, and anarchist Karl Stromberg.
No. 1 of the Secret Service, 1h31
Directed by Lindsay Shonteff
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy, Action, Crime
Themes Spy films
Actors Nicky Henson, Richard Todd, Aimi Macdonald, Geoffrey Keen, Dudley Sutton, Sue Lloyd
Roles Rockwell
Rating46% 2.3402352.3402352.3402352.3402352.340235
Eccentric Arthur Loveday decides to do his bit for world peace by having influential financiers assassinated. With regular law enforcement agencies powerless to prevent their deaths, Her Majesty's Government sends in their top agent Charles Bind who is licensed to kill.
Holocaust 2000, 1h46
Directed by Alberto De Martino
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Science fiction, Horror
Themes Films about religion, Demons in film
Actors Kirk Douglas, Simon Ward, Agostina Belli, Anthony Quayle, Virginia McKenna, Spiros Focás
Roles Gynecologist
Rating55% 2.75862.75862.75862.75862.7586
Despite doomsday warnings from throngs of locals, wealthy industrialist Robert Caine (Kirk Douglas) makes the controversial decision to build a nuclear power plant near a sacred cave in the Middle East. But before Caine can reap the benefits of his latest bid for global domination, he discovers that his son, Angel (Simon Ward), is the Antichrist, who is planning to use his father's project to trigger the end of the world.
Living Free
Directed by Jack Couffer
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Adventure
Actors Nigel Davenport, Susan Hampshire, Geoffrey Keen, Edward Judd
Roles Kendall
Rating60% 3.0031353.0031353.0031353.0031353.003135
Lorsque les trois lionceaux espiègles d'Elsa commencent à faire des ravages dans les villages voisins, Joy et son mari sont contraints de les déplacer à des centaines de kilomètres dans une réserve naturelle.
Doomwatch
Doomwatch (1972)
, 1h32
Directed by Peter Sasdy
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Science fiction, Horror
Themes Environmental films, Seafaring films, Transport films
Actors Ian Bannen, Judy Geeson, John Paul, Simon Oates, George Sanders, Percy Herbert
Roles Sir Henry Leyton
Rating55% 2.757132.757132.757132.757132.75713
The waters surrounding an island become contaminated by chemical dumping, and people who eat fish caught in those waters become deformed and violent.
Sacco & Vanzetti, 2h
Directed by Giuliano Montaldo
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Historical, Crime
Themes Films about anarchism, Politique, Prison films, Documentary films about politics, Documentary films about anarchism, Political films, Films about capital punishment
Actors Gian Maria Volonté, Riccardo Cucciolla, Cyril Cusack, Geoffrey Keen, Rosanna Fratello, Milo O'Shea
Roles Judge Webster Thayer
Rating77% 3.8913553.8913553.8913553.8913553.891355
Un hold-up sanglant est commis le 15 avril 1920, dans le Massachusetts. Deux anarchistes d'origine italienne, Nicola Sacco et Bartolomeo Vanzetti sont arrêtés. Malgré le manque de preuves formelles, ils sont condamnés à mort et envoyés à la chaise électrique.
Taste the Blood of Dracula, 1h31
Directed by Peter Sasdy
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Fantastic, Horror
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Dracula films, Vampires in film
Actors Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Gwen Watford, Martin Jarvis, Linda Hayden, Anthony Higgins
Roles William Hargood
Rating62% 3.1474653.1474653.1474653.1474653.147465
Three English gentlemen - Hargood, Paxton and Secker - have formed a circle ostensibly devoted to charitable work but in reality they indulge themselves in brothels. One night they are intrigued by a young man who bursts into the brothel and is immediately tended to after snapping his fingers, despite the brothelkeeper's objections. The gentlemen are informed that he is Courtley, who was disinherited for celebrating a Black Mass.
Cromwell
Cromwell (1970)
, 2h19
Directed by Ken Hughes
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, War, Biography, Historical
Themes Political films, Films about capital punishment
Actors Richard Harris, Alec Guinness, Robert Morley, Nigel Stock, Geoffrey Keen, Dorothy Tutin
Roles John Pym
Rating69% 3.496553.496553.496553.496553.49655
Oliver Cromwell is a devout Puritan, a country squire, magistrate and former member of Parliament. King Charles I's policies, including the enclosing of common land for the use of wealthy landowners and the introduction of "Popish" and "Romish" rituals into the Church of England have become increasingly grating to many, including Cromwell. In fact Charles regards himself as a devout Anglican, permitting his French Queen to practise Roman Catholicism in private but forbidding her to bring up the young Prince of Wales in that faith. Cromwell plans to take his family to the New World, but, on the eve of their departure, he is persuaded by his friends to stay and resume a role in politics.