It is unknown whether Case actually attended
drama school, but his first stage appearance was in 1929 at
Camberwell Palace playing any small part that he could find. He claimed that he hated minor roles at the outset but every small part that he performed, he made sure that he was good in it, which gradually created his brand. when he changed touring company to play 'Paul Cairns' in the
crime drama Sexton Blake opposite Erica Tozer. In April 1931, Case and Tozer moved to a new
repertory company working out of the
Kings Theatre, Southsea and the
Royal County Theatre, Reading. They were married 7 months later, playing opposite each other in
The Fake. A few weeks later, they appeared together on stage as a married couple in a
farcical whodunnit called
The Barton Mystery, in which Case dreams that he has murdered his wife, reportedly performed by both to dramatic effect. Case continued to work on stage throughout the 1930s with, or without his wife, in
rep or the
West End, sometimes in
leading roles, but more often
supporting. Case began working in
feature films appearing first in 1933, initially in uncredited minor roles (
e.g. Sorrell and Son,
Action for Slander and
Dark Journey). Case went on a 25-week tour (1942 - 1943) with Coward around wartime Britain playing to
home troops, bringing the West End to the provinces with premier performances of
This Happy Breed and
Present Laughter, as well as a revival of
Blythe Spirit. The tour advertised collectively as "Noël Coward in his
Play Parade". After playing in twenty-two towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales, the tour ended with a six-week run at the Haymarket. In 1943, Case focused more on his film career playing
Westmoreland in
Laurence Olivier's
epic film adaptation of
William Shakespeare's
Henry V. The following year he made a brief appearance in
Gabriel Pascal's
Caesar and Cleopatra and for the next 18 years, he appeared in 2-3 films a year, some uncredited, mostly in supporting roles in
features but also starring in
B movies, or films for television (below). Case continued working on the stage, but he was defined by his screen roles as a
character actor, playing calm, trustworthy and dependable contemporary characters, characteristically senior police detectives with the occasional doctor, military officer or vicar. His screen persona crossed over into television which really took off in the 1960s, making guest appearances in all the major shows of the day from
Dr. Finlay's Casebook to
Morecambe and Wise. Case had always played comic roles from his earliest days on stage with Noël Coward and later on screen
sending up characters he was most respected for in familiar drama roles. His prolific screen visibility meant that he was rarely out of work in fifty years of acting, but his last big screen performance was in 1980 in
The Elephant Man.
Partial Credited Filmography •
Museum Mystery (1937) - Peter Redding •
The Lion Has Wings (1939) - Unnamed Character •
Cottage to Let (1941) - Squadron Leader Weston •
In Which We Serve (1942) – Captain Jasper Fry •
Henry V (1944) - Earl of Westmoreland •
Read All About It (1945) - Oliver •
Think it Over (1945 short) - Brigade Major •
Night Boat to Dublin (1946) - Inspector Emerson •
I See a Dark Stranger (1946) - Colonel Dennington •
The Ringer (1946) - Colonel Walford (for television) •
The Middle Watch (1946) - Captain Maitland (for television) • ''
Jean's Plan'' (1946) - Inspector of Police •
A Cup of Kindness (1947) - Jim Finch (for television) •
Dear Murderer (1947) - Police Constable Simms •
When the Bough Breaks (1947) - Doctor • ''Counsel's Opinion'' (1949) - Hotel Manager (for television) •
Man on the Run (1949) - Constable on Waterloo Bridge •
Now Barabbas (1949) - King •
Landfall (1949) - S / Ldr. Peterson •
Meet Simon Cherry (1949) - Dr. Smails •
The Man in Black (1949) - Doctor •
The Gay Adventure (1949) - 1st Military Policeman •
Golden Arrow (1949) - 1st Military policeman •
The Dancing Years (1950) - Rudi's Secretary •
No Highway in the Sky (1951) - Inquiry board member •
Assassin for Hire (1951) - Detective Sgt. Stott •
Cloudburst (1951) - Doctor •
Hunted (1952) - Deputy Assistant Commissioner •
Home at Seven (1952) - Sergeant Evans •
Wide Boy (1952) - Detective Sgt Stott •
The Fake (1953) - Peter Randall •
The Candlelight Murder (1953 short) - Superintendent Carron •
Final Appointment (1954) - Australian Official •
The Night Plane to Amsterdam (1955 short) - Inspector Carron •
Lady of Vengeance (1957) - Hawley •
The Flying Scot (1957) - Guard •
Barnacle Bill (1957) - Commander •
The Safecracker (1958) - Car Salesman •
Rockets Galore! (1958) - R.A.F. Officer •
The Carringford School Mystery (1958) - Mr. Ashworth •
Horrors of the Black Museum (1959) - Bookshop Manager •
A Touch of Larceny (1960) - Club Member •
Bomb in the High Street (1963) - Ventry •
Accidental Death (1963) - Police Inspector Ventry •
The Third Secret (1964) - Mr. Bickes •
Runaway Railway (1966) - Lord Chalk's assistant •
Vampyres (1974) - Estate Agent •
The Elephant Man (1980) - Lord Waddington ==Legacy==