Clive Morton's professional journey began with a four-year stint at the East India Dock Company, which served as a precursor to his formal training at the esteemed Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. This marked the commencement of his acting career, which debuted on stage in 1920. However, it would take an additional 12 years for him to make his screen debut in 1932.
Throughout the subsequent four decades, Morton maintained a consistent career, with the exception of his wartime service in the British Army. His acting roles were often characterized by his portrayal of pompous upper-class characters, dignified aristocrats, officers, and executives. He had the privilege of appearing in some of the most iconic British films of the post-war era, including Scott of the Antarctic (1948),Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949),The Lavender Hill Mob (1951),and Laurence Olivier's Richard III (1955).
Morton's television credits include notable serials such as The Forsyte Saga (1967) and Wives and Daughters (1971). He also left a lasting impression on cult television enthusiasts with his impeccable performance as the decent, patriotic, yet gullible and ultimately doomed prison governor Colonel Trenchard in the classic Doctor Who (1963) serial The Sea Devils: Episode One (1972),opposite Roger Delgado's cunning Master.