Robert Newton (June 1 1905 – March 25 1956) was an English actor. Son of the painter, Algernon Newton R.A. He was born in Shaftesbury, in Dorset, England, and died in Los Angeles, California, U.S., from a heart attack.
Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the most popular actors amongst the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially among British boys; he was cited as a role model by actor Tony Hancock and drummer Keith Moon.
Robert Newton (born June 10 1981, in Nottingham, England) is a British hurdling athlete. As of 2004 he is Britain's number one sprint hurdler. However, competing for Team GB at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Newton failed to qualify for the second round of the 110 m hurdles competition.
He is praised for being Britain's only openly gay professional athlete, as well as for his achievements.
Excessive drinking damaged him and a highly erratic film career was the result. He often found himself unemployable due to his unreliability. He died at age 50 of alcohol-related causes although the official report was a heart attack.
Was voted one of the top ten British money-making stars in the Motion Picture Herald-Fame Poll from 1947 to 1951.
Married four times and had three children: Sally, an actress, Nicholas and Kim.
Was assistant stage manager and painting scenery at the Birmingham Repertory Company as a teenager. He made his debut there in a production of "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" (1920). Became a stage star when Noel Coward cast him in the popular musical revue "Bitter Sweet" which ran for over a year at Her Majesty's Theatre. Later Coward had Newton take over from Laurence Olivier in his classic play "Private Lives" in New York.
From an artistic family. His mother was a writer and father a painter and member of the Royal Academy. His brother and sister were also painters.
The voice of Captian McAllister in "Simpsons, The" (1989) is based on his portrayal of Long John Silver.
Often credited with originating the style of speech generally equated with pirates. After his spectacular turn as Long John Silver in the Disney version of Treasure Island (1950), actors playing pirates in film, radio, television, and theatre, all tended to use (and still use) the same semi-Irish pirate brogue Newton came up with.
