Henry V (1944 Film) - Cast

Cast

Listed in order of appearance.

• Leslie Banks as the Chorus. The Chorus sets the scene for the play and film, giving the required exposition. Leslie Banks was an actor who had appeared with Olivier in Fire Over England.

• Felix Aylmer as the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop helps tempt the King into his conquest of France. Olivier stages this scene partly as comedy, with the actor who plays the Archbishop in the Globe Theatre comically jumbling all his papers and losing his place in the script. Aylmer had appeared with Olivier in As You Like It, and would subsequently appear in Hamlet.

• Robert Helpmann as the Bishop of Ely. The Bishop helps the Archbishop in his persuasion of the King. In the film, he appears as a comic figure. Robert Helpmann was better-known as a ballet dancer and choreographer, but is perhaps best known to modern audiences (and to children) for his role as the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He also portrayed Don Quixote in Rudolf Nureyev's film version of the Minkus ballet.

• Vernon Greeves as The English Herald.

• Gerald Case as the Earl of Westmoreland.

• Griffith Jones as the Earl of Salisbury. Salisbury is a commander who fights at Harfleur and Agincourt. Jones was a veteran actor, later to become a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

• Morland Graham as Sir Thomas Erpingham. Erpingham plays a decisive role in the Battle of Agincourt.

• Nicholas Hannen as the Duke of Exeter. The Duke is the uncle to the king.

• Michael Warre as the Duke of Gloucester. Gloucester is the brother to the king.

• Laurence Olivier as King Henry V of England. Henry is the King of England, who is insulted by the French and compelled to invade them. He is a warrior king, who commands his troops from the front. This was Laurence Olivier's third Oscar-nominated performance, and his second appearance in a Shakespeare film.

• Ralph Truman as Mountjoy, The French Herald.

• Ernest Thesiger as Duke of Berri, French Ambassador. Thesiger was an actor who is most famous to modern audiences for playing Dr. Praetorius in Bride of Frankenstein.

• Frederick Cooper as Corporal Nym.

• Roy Emerton as Lieutenant Bardolph.

• Robert Newton as Ancient Pistol. Newton was a prolific actor who is most famous for playing Long John Silver in Walt Disney's version of Treasure Island.

• Freda Jackson as Mistress Quickly. Freda Jackson is perhaps best known for her role as Mrs. Gargery, Pip's nagging sister, in David Lean's Great Expectations.

• George Cole as the Boy. George Cole is an actor who gained popularity much later on as Arthur Daley in the TV series Minder. He also played the young Scrooge in the 1951 film Scrooge.

• George Robey as Sir John Falstaff. Falstaff is a companion to Henry. Robey was a music hall star who had also played Sancho Panza in two film versions of Don Quixote.

• Harcourt Williams as King Charles VI of France. Charles is the sick and old King of France. Williams later appeared as the First Player in the Laurence Olivier Hamlet, but his monologue on the death of Priam was omitted from the film.

• Russell Thorndike as the Duke of Bourbon. Bourbon fights at Agincourt and is captured. Thorndike was the brother of the famed actress, Dame Sybil Thorndike, and the author of the "Doctor Syn" books.

• Leo Genn as The Constable of France. The Constable was the commander of the French forces at Agincourt, and is killed by King Henry himself during the battle. Genn was a prolific actor, later portraying Petronius in Quo Vadis and Starbuck in John Huston's film version of Moby Dick.

• Francis Lister as the Duke of Orleans. Orleans is a nobleman who fights at Agincourt.

• Max Adrian as The Dauphin. The Dauphin is the cocky joint-commander of the forces at Agincourt. Adrian was a celebrated actor who appeared in several films and on television. In 1956, he portrayed Dr. Pangloss in the original stage production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide.

• Jonathan Field as The French Messenger.

• Esmond Knight as Fluellen, Welsh Captain in the English Army. Knight appeared in all three of Olivier's Shakespeare films, as well as his The Prince and the Showgirl.

• Michael Shelpy as Gower, Captain in the English Army.

• John Laurie as Jamy, Scottish Captain in the English Army. Laurie appeared in all three of Olivier's Shakespeare films, and went on to fame in the TV sitcom, Dad's Army.

• Niall MacGinnis as MacMorris, Irish Captain in the English Army. MacGinnis was an Irish actor who had many screen appearances.

• Frank Tickle as The Governor of Harfleur.

• Renee Asherson as Princess Katherine. Katherine is wooed by Henry and becomes his wife. Asherson was an actress who was married to Robert Donat.

• Ivy St. Helier as Alice.

• Janet Burnell as Queen Isabel of France. Isabel is the wife of Charles.

• Brian Nissen as Court, Soldier in the English Army. Nissen was an actor who made many screen and stage appearances and was later an announcer for Southern Television.

• Arthur Hambling as Bates, Soldier in the English Army.

• Jimmy Hanley as Williams, Soldier in the English Army. Hanley was an actor who made several screen appearances.

• Ernest Hare as A Priest. The priest weds Henry and Katherine.

• Valentine Dyall as the Duke of Burgundy. Burgundy is a French nobleman. Dyall was a character actor who later made appearances in The Goon Show and Doctor Who.