Howard was born in Cliftonville, Kent, England, the son of Mabel Grey (Wallace) and Arthur John Howard. He was educated at Clifton College (to which he left in his will a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), acting on the London stage for several years before World War II. His first paid work was in the play Revolt in a Reformatory (1934), before he left RADA in 1935 to take small roles.
Although stories of his courageous wartime service in the British Army's Royal Corps of Signals earned him much respect among fellow actors and fans alike, files held in the Public Record Office reveal that he had actually been discharged from the British Army in 1943 for mental instability and having a "psychopathic personality". The story, which surfaced in Terence Pettigrew's biography of the actor, published by Peter Owen in 2001, was initially denied by Howard's widow, actress Helen Cherry. Later, confronted with official records, she told the Daily Telegraph (24 June 2001) that his mother had claimed he was a holder of the Military Cross. She added that Howard had an honourable military record and "had nothing to be ashamed of".
British Academy Film Awards
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Known For
Superman
(1978)
1st Elder
Brief Encounter
(1945)
Dr. Alec Harvey
Superman II
(1980)
Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Third Man
(1949)
Major Calloway
The Liquidator
(1965)
Mostyn
Triple Cross
(1966)
Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)
Gandhi
(1982)
Judge Broomfield
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1956)
Denis Fallentin
The Count of Monte-Cristo
(1975)
Abbé Faria
Operation Crossbow
(1965)
Professor Lindemann
Meteor
(1979)
Sir Michael Hughes
Battle of Britain
(1969)
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
White Mischief
(1987)
Jack Soames
The Offence
(1973)
Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1962)
Capt. William Bligh
Ryan's Daughter
(1970)
Father Hugh Collins
Full Filmography
Acting
Squaring the Circle
(1941)
The Way Ahead
(1944)
Officer on Ship (uncredited)
Brief Encounter
(1945)
Dr. Alec Harvey
The Way to the Stars
(1945)
Squadron Leader Carter
I See a Dark Stranger
(1946)
Lt. David Bayne
Green for Danger
(1946)
Dr. Barnes
So Well Remembered
(1947)
Dr. Richard Whiteside
They Made Me a Fugitive
(1947)
George Clement 'Clem' Morgan
The Passionate Friends
(1949)
Prof. Steven Stratton
The Third Man
(1949)
Major Calloway
Golden Salamander
(1950)
David Redfern
Odette
(1950)
Captain Peter Churchill
The Clouded Yellow
(1950)
Maj. David Somers
Outcast of the Islands
(1951)
Peter Willems
Lady Godiva Rides Again
(1951)
Guest at Theater Accepting Program (uncredited)
Gift Horse
(1952)
Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
The Heart of the Matter
(1953)
Harry Scobie
The Stranger's Hand
(1954)
Major Roger Court
Lovers' Net
(1955)
L'Inspecteur Lewis
The Cockleshell Heroes
(1955)
Captain Thompson
Run for the Sun
(1956)
Browne
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1956)
Denis Fallentin
Manuela
(1957)
James Prothero
Interpol
(1957)
Frank McNally
The Key
(1958)
Capt. Chris Ford
The Roots of Heaven
(1958)
Morel
Sons and Lovers
(1960)
Walter Morel
Moment of Danger
(1960)
John Bain
The Lion
(1962)
John Bullit
Hedda Gabler
(1962)
Ejlert Lövborg
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1962)
Capt. William Bligh
The Invincible Mr. Disraeli
(1963)
Benjamin Disraeli
Father Goose
(1964)
Commander Frank Houghton
Man in the Middle
(1964)
Major Kensington
Morituri
(1965)
Colonel Statter
Operation Crossbow
(1965)
Professor Lindemann
The Liquidator
(1965)
Mostyn
Von Ryan's Express
(1965)
Major Eric Fincham
Eagle in a Cage
(1965)
Napoleon
Poppies Are Also Flowers
(1966)
Sam Lincoln
Triple Cross
(1966)
Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)
Pretty Polly
(1967)
Robert Hook
The Long Duel
(1967)
Freddie Young
The Charge of the Light Brigade
(1968)
Lord Cardigan
Battle of Britain
(1969)
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
Ryan's Daughter
(1970)
Father Hugh Collins
Twinky
(1970)
Twinky's Grandfather
The Night Visitor
(1971)
Inspector
Mary, Queen of Scots
(1971)
William Cecil
Catch Me a Spy
(1971)
Trevor Dawson
Kidnapped
(1971)
Lord Advocate
Pope Joan
(1972)
Pope Leo
The Catholics
(1973)
The Abbot
The Offence
(1973)
Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant
Ludwig
(1973)
Richard Wagner
A Doll's House
(1973)
Dr. Rank
11 Harrowhouse
(1974)
Clyde Massey
Craze
(1974)
Supt. Bellamy
Persecution
(1974)
Paul Bellamy
Who?
(1974)
Colonel Azarin
Hennessy
(1975)
Comdr. Rice
The Count of Monte-Cristo
(1975)
Abbé Faria
Conduct Unbecoming
(1975)
Colonnello Benjamin Strang
The Adventures of Eliza Fraser
(1976)
Capt. Foster Fyans
Aces High
(1976)
Lieutenant Colonel Silkin
The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones
(1976)
Squire Western
Albino
(1976)
Johannes
The Last Remake of Beau Geste
(1977)
Sir Hector
Slavers
(1978)
Alec Mackenzie
Stevie
(1978)
The Man
Superman
(1978)
1st Elder
Hurricane
(1979)
Father Malone
The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight
(1979)
Riviere
Meteor
(1979)
Sir Michael Hughes
The Shillingbury Blowers
(1980)
Saltie
The Sea Wolves
(1980)
Jack Cartwright
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
(1980)
Sir Henry Rawlinson
The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'
(1980)
Self
Staying On
(1980)
Col. Tusker Smalley
Flashpoint Africa
(1980)
Program Controller
Windwalker
(1980)
Windwalker
Superman II
(1980)
Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)
Light Years Away
(1981)
Yoshka Poliakeff
The Missionary
(1982)
Lord Henry Ames
Gandhi
(1982)
Judge Broomfield
The Deadly Game
(1982)
Gustave Kummer
Inside the Third Reich
(1982)
Prof. Heinrich Tessenow
Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
(1984)
The King
The Bengal Lancers!
(1984)
Uncle George
Dust
(1985)
Father
Memory of the Camps
(1985)
Narrator
God Rot Tunbridge Wells!
(1985)
Georg Friedrich Handel
Time After Time
(1986)
Brigadier Croshawe
Christmas Eve
(1986)
Maitland
Foreign Body
(1986)
Dr Stirry
White Mischief
(1987)
Jack Soames
Hand in Glove
(1987)
Vicar
The Dawning
(1988)
Grandfather
The Unholy
(1988)
Father Silva
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
(2017)
Narrator (fragment version)