James Donald, a Scottish-born actor, was born in Aberdeen on May 18, 1917. He began his professional stage career in the late 1930s, but it wasn't until 1943 that he gained stardom for his performance in Noël Coward's "Present Laughter," alongside Coward himself.
Subsequent post-war theatre work included "The Eagle with Two Heads" (1947),"You Never Can Tell" (1948),and "The Heiress" (1949) with Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft, and Donald Sinden.
James's film debut came in 1942, fitting comfortably into the stoic war-era mold with roles in military sagas such as "In Which We Serve" (1942) and "The Way Ahead" (1944).
He supported top-notch actors such as Spencer Tracy and Deborah Kerr in "Edward, My Son" (1949) and Elizabeth Taylor and Stewart Granger in "Beau Brummell" (1954).
James also led a number of films, including "White Corridors" (1951),in which he and Googie Withers play husband and wife doctors trying to balance career and marriage; "The Pickwick Papers" (1952) as "Nathaniel Winkle"; and "Project M7" (1953) as a scientist obsessed with his work.
He received excellent reviews for his work in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly for his portrayal of Theo Van Gogh in "Lust for Life" (1956) alongside Kirk Douglas, and his performances in the WWII POW dramas "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957),"The Great Escape" (1963),and "King Rat" (1965).
Throughout his career, James played intelligent, moral-minded, and honorable characters. He continued to perform on stage and gained TV exposure, earning an Emmy nomination for his role as Prince Albert opposite Julie Harris in "Victoria Regina" (1961).
James also played the part of the cruel-eyed stepfather Mr. Murdstone in the period remake of "David Copperfield" (1970) toward the end of his career.
He passed away on August 3, 1993, at the age of 76, due to stomach cancer.
