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E. E. Clive Born: August 28, 1879 (Some reports are 1883) Died: June 6, 1940 (at the age of 60)

E. E. Clive was born Edward Erskholme Clive onn August 28, 1879 in Blaenavon in Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.

Clive spent four years in medical studies at St Bartholomew's Hospital. At the age of 22 he got the acting bug and decided to start focusing on acting. Clive became an expert in every sort of regional dialect in the British Isles while touring the provinces for nearly 10 years.

In 1912, Clive moved to Boston in the United States and after working in Orpheum vaudeville circuit he would start his own stock company, the Copley Theatre Stock Company in Boston with himself as the lead. In 1915 he married Eleanor Ann Ellis (an English Actress). By the 1920's Clive made a name for himself as a producer and director on Broadway.

In the 1920's his stock company went to Hollywood (One of his repertory players was Rosalind Russell). Clive made his first big appearance in "The Invisible Man" (1933) as Constable Jaffers, a village police constable. Although his roles were minor roles normally they were always memorable. He would forever be typecast as English stereotypes such as Police, Butlers, Reporters, aristocrats, cabbies, etc ..., most of his characters were irritable or gloomy and normally comical. Clive could steel the scene in many films, always a noticible character.

In 1934, Clive played classic policeman in "Charlie Chan in London" (1934) as Detective Sergeant Thacker. In 1935, Clive played a great character role as the Burgomaster in James Whale's horror classic "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). Clive would play Sergeant Wilkes in "Dracula's Daughter" (1936).

Clive played a 'Bobby With Mustache' in "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back" (1934) and later would play 'Tenny' Tennison - Drummond's manservant in 8 instalments of Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond" series.

"Charge Of The Light Brigade" (1936)

"Tarzan Escapes" (1936)

"It's Love I'm After" (1937)

Clive would make his final appearance's as Mr. Naismith in Hitchcock's classic "Foreign Correspondent" (1940) and the same character name in "Flowing Gold" (1940).

"Mr Motos Last Warning" (1939)

The Little Princess (1939)

"Hound Of The Baskervilles" (1939)

On June 6, 1940, E. E. Clive died of a heart ailment in his Hollywood home. Clive was survived by his wife Eleanor Ann Ellis (1915) and their son, David John Clive.. Clive was a member of the Euclid lodge of Freemasons in Boston. It was state in the New York Times that he had acted in "1,159 Legitimate Plays Before Going Into Moving Pictures" although I cannot confirm this number in any way.

E. E. Clive would always play mostly bit parts and was type cast as the many british characters, but he always managed to add a bit of wit, whimsy and a lot of fun to his roles.