Actor Newley dies

July 2024 · 5 minute read

Grammy winner co-wrote 'Stop the World'

Anthony Newley, the British actor who found success as singer, playwright, composer and lyricist, died Thursday at his home in Jensen Beach, Fla. Newley was 67.

He had been diagnosed with renal cell cancer in 1985 and, after the cancer went into remission for many years, found it had returned in 1997.

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Newley shot to fame as a 17-year-old playing the Artful Dodger in the film version of “Oliver Twist,” only his fourth film and a mere three years removed from his job as an office boy for an insurance company. His fruitful film career throughout the 1950s and early ’60s — he appeared in 28 pix between 1950 and 1963 — gave way to a musical and Broadway run that found him winning the 1962 Grammy for song of the year and half a dozen Tony noms for the musicals “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off” and “Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd.”

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Born Sept. 24, 1931, in London, Newley trained for the stage with the Dewsbury Repertory Co. and Italia Conti. He made his film debut at the age of 14 as the lead in “The Adventures of Dusty Bates.” His breakthrough came in 1948 in “Oliver Twist,” which led to a string of roles for Brit studio pics. He made his U.S. debut in 1956, appearing in six films that year.

His film credits include 1967’s “Doctor Doolittle,” “Sweet November,” which he produced in 1968, and “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humpee and Find True Happiness?” in 1969, which he produced and directed. His last film was 1975’s “Old Dracula.”

Newley’s stage career also began in 1946 with “The Wind of Heaven” at the Colchester Repertory Co. in England. With partner Leslie Bricusse, he wrote the book, music and lyrics for “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.” He starred as Littlechap in “Stop the World,” first in London in 1961 and then on Broadway.

He also starred as Cocky in “The Roar of the Greasepaint,” for which he wrote music and lyrics with Bricusse, in England (’64) and on Broadway (’65). In 1983, he penned, directed and starred in “Chaplin” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A.; it is one of his six stage directing credits.

“Stop the World,” which was turned into a film, spawned the hit songs “What Kind of Fool Am I?” and “Gonna Build a Mountain.” It was for the former that Newley won the Grammy for 1962 song of the year. Additionally, Newley and Bricusse composed the lyrics for the James Bond theme “Goldfinger.” Newley also composed the score for 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and the song “The Candy Man,” which was a No. 1 hit for Sammy Davis Jr.

After spending 1971 as host of his own show on ABC, Newley spent much of the 1970s as a nightclub performer. He made regular appearances in the 1980s on network variety shows and was featured in several TV movies.

Newley moved to Florida late last year after living in Surrey, England, for many years.

He was married three times, once to actress Joan Collins (1963-’71), and is survived by his mother, Grace, of Surrey, England; and four children, Tara, Alexander, Shelby and Christopher.

(Wires services contributed to this report.)

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