Any other notable films that Kenneth Griffith appeared in?

[Dan Kappes]

Kenneth Griffith did a really good job portraying Jack Phillips in this film.

Are there any other films that he starred in where his performance is as superb as this one?

 

[Seumas]

Much missed Welsh character actor, documentary filmmaker and all round eccentric.

Griffith never really played any starring film roles, just supporting roles, though he was often very memorable in them. He was also quite a familiar face on TV productions.

He made some excellent documentaries on a wide variety of subjects but his best known ones were on subjects like the Irish War of Independence and the Boer War. Some of them (there's a good he made about Thomas Paine) are on YouTube. I think his documentaries are what he probably wanted to be remembered by.

You might like to read this obituary of him to get a taste of what a colourful character he was off screen.

Obituary: Kenneth Griffith

Obituary: Radical film-maker whose splenetic manner undermined his effectiveness.

www.theguardian.com

And this detailed biography from the BFI asseses his film career more.

BFI Screenonline: Griffith, Kenneth (1921-2006) Biography

www.screenonline.org.uk

He makes a memorable cameo appearance in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" as the crusty old man who completely misunderstands what he's being asked ("Bride or bridegroom ?" - "Don't be ridiculous !")

 

[Dan Kappes]

I've just seen Four Weddings and a Funeral and Kenneth Griffith's cameo is indeed hilarious!

 

[Seumas]

Kenneth Griffith was a real character away from the film or TV studio. A bit of a professional contrarian, with strongly held views on matters and who relished an argument. He was a bit of an expert on the Anglo-Zulu War and the Boer War - his house in London was packed with artefacts from those two wars. He was also madly keen on stamp collecting and the sport of rugby.

Here are three of those documentary films Griffith was so passionate about making. His style of presenting and acting out all the parts in these films has to be seen, he really does get into the spirit of things.

(Disclaimer: Kenneth Griffith never made any secret of his left wing political sympathies. These films may contain statements that some people may not agree with or may find offensive)

"The Most Valuable Englishman Ever" (in two parts, the life and works of Thomas Paine)





"Black As Hell, Thick As Grass" (the Anglo-Boer War of 1879 with particular focus on the 24th Regiment and the Zulu's point of view)



"Hang Up Your Brightest Colours" (The life and death of Irish national hero Michael Collins. This film was banned from being shown on British TV for about twenty years because of the subject matter)



Kenneth Griffith's best documentary film is supposed to have been "Soldiers of the Widow" which was about the Boer War and contained interviews with the last few British veterans of the conflict but I can't find it anywhere online.

I think it's a shame Griffith never made a documentary film about the Titanic, it would have been an interesting experience anyway had he done so !