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
Superman II
(1980)
Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Third Man
(1949)
Major Calloway
Brief Encounter
(1945)
Dr. Alec Harvey
Gandhi
(1982)
Judge Broomfield
The Count of Monte-Cristo
(1975)
Abbé Faria
The Liquidator
(1965)
Mostyn
The Offence
(1973)
Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1962)
Capt. William Bligh
Triple Cross
(1966)
Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)
Battle of Britain
(1969)
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
Meteor
(1979)
Sir Michael Hughes
Aces High
(1976)
Lieutenant Colonel Silkin
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1956)
Denis Fallentin
Ludwig
(1973)
Richard Wagner
Operation Crossbow
(1965)
Professor Lindemann
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
They Made Me a Fugitive
(1947)
George Clement 'Clem' Morgan
So Well Remembered
(1947)
Dr. Richard Whiteside
The Third Man
(1949)
Major Calloway
The Passionate Friends
(1949)
Prof. Steven Stratton
The Clouded Yellow
(1950)
Maj. David Somers
Odette
(1950)
Captain Peter Churchill
Golden Salamander
(1950)
David Redfern
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
The Cockleshell Heroes
(1955)
Captain Thompson
Lovers' Net
(1955)
L'Inspecteur Lewis
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1956)
Denis Fallentin
Run for the Sun
(1956)
Browne
Interpol
(1957)
Frank McNally
Manuela
(1957)
James Prothero
The Roots of Heaven
(1958)
Morel
The Key
(1958)
Capt. Chris Ford
Sons and Lovers
(1960)
Walter Morel
Moment of Danger
(1960)
John Bain
Mutiny on the Bounty
(1962)
Capt. William Bligh
The Lion
(1962)
John Bullit
Hedda Gabler
(1962)
Ejlert Lövborg
The Invincible Mr. Disraeli
(1963)
Benjamin Disraeli
Father Goose
(1964)
Commander Frank Houghton
Man in the Middle
(1964)
Major Kensington
Von Ryan's Express
(1965)
Major Eric Fincham
The Liquidator
(1965)
Mostyn
Operation Crossbow
(1965)
Professor Lindemann
Morituri
(1965)
Colonel Statter
Eagle in a Cage
(1965)
Napoleon
Triple Cross
(1966)
Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)
Poppies Are Also Flowers
(1966)
Sam Lincoln
The Long Duel
(1967)
Freddie Young
Pretty Polly
(1967)
Robert Hook
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
Kidnapped
(1971)
Lord Advocate
Mary, Queen of Scots
(1971)
William Cecil
The Night Visitor
(1971)
Inspector
Catch Me a Spy
(1971)
Trevor Dawson
Pope Joan
(1972)
Pope Leo
Ludwig
(1973)
Richard Wagner
The Offence
(1973)
Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant
The Catholics
(1973)
The Abbot
A Doll's House
(1973)
Dr. Rank
Who?
(1974)
Colonel Azarin
Persecution
(1974)
Paul Bellamy
Craze
(1974)
Supt. Bellamy
11 Harrowhouse
(1974)
Clyde Massey
The Count of Monte-Cristo
(1975)
Abbé Faria
Hennessy
(1975)
Comdr. Rice
Conduct Unbecoming
(1975)
Colonnello Benjamin Strang
Aces High
(1976)
Lieutenant Colonel Silkin
The Adventures of Eliza Fraser
(1976)
Capt. Foster Fyans
Albino
(1976)
Johannes
The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones
(1976)
Squire Western
The Last Remake of Beau Geste
(1977)
Sir Hector
Superman
(1978)
1st Elder
Slavers
(1978)
Alec Mackenzie
Stevie
(1978)
The Man
Meteor
(1979)
Sir Michael Hughes
Hurricane
(1979)
Father Malone
The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight
(1979)
Riviere
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End
(1980)
Sir Henry Rawlinson
The Sea Wolves
(1980)
Jack Cartwright
The Shillingbury Blowers
(1980)
Saltie
Windwalker
(1980)
Windwalker
Staying On
(1980)
Col. Tusker Smalley
The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'
(1980)
Self
Flashpoint Africa
(1980)
Program Controller
Superman II
(1980)
Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)
Light Years Away
(1981)
Yoshka Poliakeff
Gandhi
(1982)
Judge Broomfield
The Missionary
(1982)
Lord Henry Ames
Inside the Third Reich
(1982)
Prof. Heinrich Tessenow
The Deadly Game
(1982)
Gustave Kummer
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
God Rot Tunbridge Wells!
(1985)
Georg Friedrich Handel
Memory of the Camps
(1985)
Narrator
Christmas Eve
(1986)
Maitland
Time After Time
(1986)
Brigadier Croshawe
Foreign Body
(1986)
Dr Stirry
White Mischief
(1987)
Jack Soames
Hand in Glove
(1987)
Vicar
The Unholy
(1988)
Father Silva
The Dawning
(1988)
Grandfather
German Concentration Camps Factual Survey
(2017)
Narrator (fragment version)