Donald Gray Biography

Donald Gray Age

Donald Gray was born on 3 March 1914 in Tidburys Toll, Fort Beaufort, Cape Province, South Africa. He is 64 years old as of 2019. Donald Gray died on 7th April 1978 at the age of 64 in South Africa

Donald Gray Wife

Donald Gray married Sheila Green in 1955 until 1978.

Donald Gray Actor

Donald Gray began his career in 1933, in the film company Paramount Pictures wanted to re-juvenate and diversify its contract players, and launched a competition known as the “Search for Beauty”; heats took place in nations across the English-speaking world.

Elred Tidbury entered in his native South Africa and was selected with Lucille du Toit, a dental nurse from Pretoria, as one of the winners. Colin Tapley, who would later appear opposite Gray in the TV series Mark Saber, was the New Zealand male winner.

Donald Gray Photo

In total, there were 30 finalists worldwide, who were screen-tested over six weeks at the end of 1933. Of the 30, bit player contracts were awarded to 10, and Tidbury was selected as the overall male winner with a bonus of US$1,000, with which he bought a car.

The overall female winner was Scottish actress Gwenllian Gill, who later followed Tidbury to Britain and became engaged to him; however, their engagement was broken off during the Second World War.

All the winners appeared in the 1933 film Search for Beauty, whose distribution was complicated by a ruling that it violated the Hays Code. Paramount kept Tidbury’s contact during 1934, but in 1935, when his passport expired, Tidbury left; he did not wish to become an American citizen.

By late 1935, he had re-appeared in Britain under the name Don Tidbury, and by the following year was calling himself Donald Gray.

He became an engineering salesman selling a boiler preparation, acted in repertory theatre, and appeared in several films for Paramount’s UK subsidiary, British & Dominions Film Corporation.

In 1936, he encountered director Albert Parker and was given the leading role in Strange Experiment after James Mason quit the production.

In 1938, he was chosen as the young lead in Alexander Korda’s film The Four Feathers and appeared in other films before returning to repertory theatre in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1939 and 1940.

He was well known for his starring role in the British TV series Mark Saber: 920 for providing the voices of Colonel White, Captain Black and the Mysterons in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and for being the reason that Donald Marshall Gray changed his name to Charles Gray when he became an actor. Perhaps not coincidentally, in some spin-off media Colonel White’s real name is stated to be Charles Grey.

Donald Gray Military service

Initially turned down for military service due to a duodenal ulcer, Gray later managed to enlist in the Gordon Highlanders, who had their barracks in Aberdeen and succeeded in becoming what he called an “ordinary Jock” (having claimed some Scottish ancestry).

In 1941, he was commissioned into the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, becoming battalion education officer at Llanberis in North Wales.

Gray left the Army briefly to appear with Dame Vera Lynn in the film We’ll Meet Again (1943). In 1944, he was injured by a German anti-tank shell in Caen, France, and his left arm was amputated.

Donald Gray Later life

After the war, Gray toured South Africa with his own repertory company, appeared in other films, and was contracted by the BBC’s radio repertory company. He left to appear in Saturday Island (1952) and then returned to the BBC, this time as a continuity announcer.

Gray then starred as the one-armed detective Mark Saber in the British TV series of the same name, which ran for 156 episodes from 1955 to 1961. It was originally titled Mark Saber, or The Vise: 1144 in the United States, but was later known as Saber of London and Detective’s Diary.

In 1957, The Vise was renamed, redeveloped, and transferred from ABC to NBC under the new title Saber of London. Following Mark Saber, Gray appeared in episodes of Dixon of Dock Green and Emmerdale Farm.

In his later years, his voice, based on that of fellow South African actor Basil Rathbone, brought his work in voice-overs, advertisements, and the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Trevor Jordan’s biography of Gray, Colonel White Meets Mark Saber, was being revised for release in 2012.

Donald Gray was also known by his stage known Eldred Tidbury He was educated Marist College Uitenhage then CBC Kimberley. He was South African winner Paramounts 1933 Search for Beauty which discovered Ann Sheriden and Colin Tapley.

He won 1000 dollar bonus and bit player film contract until 1935 when passport expired. Went to London changed the name to Don Tidbury appeared in Belles of St.Clements.In 1936 changed name to Donald and acquired butchers film service contract.

Appeared in Four Feathers and replaced Stewart Granger in rep in Aberdeen 1939. Rejected 1939 army duodenal ulcer but enlisted Private in Gordon Highlanders 1940. Made Lieutenant in Kings Own Scottish Borderers in 1941. 1942 made We’ll meet Again and promoted Captain.

Lost left arm in July 1944 at Caen to German anti-tank shell. 1946 toured South Africa with Where the Sun Shines. 1947 to 1951 in BBC radio Repertory company.

Left to make the Island of Desire. Returned to BBC 1952 as TV newsreader. 1955 to 1960 TVs Mark Saber. Typecast did get work in narrations and commercials but only seldom worked on TV after Captain Scarlet. Last appeared BBC TV in Hill of the Red Fox 1975. Died 1978 of a

Donald Gray Filmography

• Search for Beauty (1934) – South Africa Talent Contestant (uncredited)
• Come On, Marines! (1934) – Marine (uncredited)
• Wagon Wheels (1934) – Chauncey (as Eldred Tidbury)
• Father Brown, Detective (1934) – Don (as Eldred Tidbury)
• Here Is My Heart (1934) – Young Yacht Guest (uncredited)
• Rumba (1935) – Watkins (uncredited)
• Well Done, Henry (1936) – Jimmy Dale
• The Belles of St. Clements (1936) – Albert de Courcey (as Don Tidbury)
• Strange Experiment (1937) – James Martin
• Murder in the Family (1938) – Ted Fleming
• 13 Men and a Gun (1938) – Johann
• Sword of Honour (1939) – Stukely
• The Four Feathers (1939) – Peter Burroughs
• We’ll Meet Again (1943) – Bruce McIntosh
• The Idol of Paris (1948) – Police Inspector
• Saturday Island (1952) – William Peck
• The Diamond (1954) – Commander Gilles
• Burnt Evidence (1954) – Jimmy Thompson
• The End of the Affair (1955) – Party guest who is seen in the mirror kissing Sarah (uncredited)

Donald Gray Tv Shows

• Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
  1967 – 1968
• Saber of London
  1951 – 1960
• The Vise
  Since 1954

Donald Gray Death

Donald Gray died on 7th April 1978 (aged 64), South Africa. His cause of death is not yet known but the day of death is already recorded. Donald Gray was a hardworking man of great feature.