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Nicholas Phipps (23 June 1913 – 11 April 1980) was a British actor and screenwriter who appeared in more than thirty films during a career lasting from 1938 to 1970. He was born in London and appeared mainly in British comedy films, often specialising in playing military figures. He was also a screenwriter, sometimes working on the script for films in which he acted. Best known for his collaborations with Herbert Wilcox and Ralph Thomas, Phipps wrote some of the most popular British films of all time, including Spring in Park Lane (1948) and Doctor in the House (1954). He retired from acting in 1970. His script for Doctor in the House was nominated for a BAFTA.
Biography
Phipps began his association with Herbert Wilcox working on I Live in Grosvenor Square (1945). He wrote This Man Is Mine (1946) then had a big hit with Piccadilly Incident (1946) which he wrote for Wilcox and Anna Neagle, Wilcox's wife. They reunited on The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947) and Spring in Park Lane (1948), also successfully. Phipps also worked on The First Gentleman (1948) then was back with Wilcox and Neagle for Maytime in Mayfair (1948) and Elizabeth of Ladymead (1949).
Phipps wrote two films for Stewart Granger, Woman Hater (1948) and Adam and Evelyne (1949) then did a Wilcox movie without Neagle, Into the Blue (1950).
He wrote a script for David Lean, Madeleine (1950) and did one for Ralph Thomas, Appointment with Venus (1951)
He was one of several writers on I Believe in You (1952), and did a thriller for George Raft Escape Route (1952).
He did an Alec Guinness comedy, The Captain's Paradise (1953), then had one of the biggest hits of his career with Doctor in the House (1954) for Thomas. He did the sequels Doctor at Sea (1955) and Doctor at Large (1957), plus a similar comedy, True as a Turtle (1957).
Phipps focused on comedies The Captain's Table (1959); The Lady Is a Square (1959), the last for Wilcox; Doctor in Love (1960).
For Thomas he wrote No Love for Johnnie (1961). More typical was A Pair of Briefs (1962), The Amorous Prawn (US: The Playgirl and the War Minister, 1963) and Doctor in Distress (1963).
Partial filmography
Actor
- Pride o' the Green (1937) (TV movie) – Macleeves
- Two Gentlemen of Soho (1938) (TV movie)
- Hands Across the Sea (1938) (TV movie)
- Spring Meeting (1938) (TV movie)
- First Stop North (1939) (TV movie) – Roland Capel
- The Cate Revue (1939) (TV movie)
- Blackout (1940) – Man in Car (uncredited)
- You Will Remember (1941) – Earl of Potter
- Old Bill and Son (1941) – BBC Reporter
- The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947) – Phipps
- Spring in Park Lane (1948) – Marquis of Borechester
- Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948) – John Beresford in 1854
- Maytime in Mayfair (1949) – Sir Henry Hazelrigg
- Madeleine (1950) – Reporter (uncredited)
- Appointment with Venus (1951) – Minister
- The Captain's Paradise (1953) – The Major
- The Intruder (1953) – Regular Officer
- Doctor in the House (1954) – Magistrate
- Forbidden Cargo (1954) – Royal Navy Information Officer (uncredited)
- Mad About Men (1955) – Col. Barclay Sutton
- Out of the Clouds (1955) – Hilton-Davidson
- All for Mary (1955) – General McLintock-White
- Who Done It? (1956) – Scientist
- The Iron Petticoat (1956) – Tony Mallard
- Doctor at Large (1957) – Mr. Wayland – Solicitor
- Orders to Kill (1958) – Lecturer Lieutenant
- Rockets Galore! (1958) – Andrew Wishart
- The Navy Lark (1959) – Capt. Povey
- The Captain's Table (1959) – Reddish
- Don't Panic Chaps! (1959) – Mortimer
- Upstairs and Downstairs (1959) – Harry
- Doctor in Love (1960) – Dr. Clive Cardew
- The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) – Major
- A Pair of Briefs (1962) – Sutcliffe
- Summer Holiday (1963) – Wrightmore
- Heavens Above! (1963) – Director-General
- Foreign Affairs (1964) (TV series) – Ambassador
- Charlie Bubbles (1967) – Agent
- Some Girls Do (1969) – Lord Dunnberry
- Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969) – Golfer
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970) – Snaggot
Screenwriter
- More Fun and Games! (1939) (TV movie)
- First Stop North (1939) (TV movie)
- Look Here! (1939) (short)
- A Yank in London (1945)
- This Man Is Mine (1946)
- Piccadilly Incident (1946)
- A Word in Your Eye (1947) (TV movie)
- Kathy's Love Affair (1947)
- The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947)
- Affairs of a Rogue (1948)
- Spring in Park Lane (1948)
- Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948)
- Woman Hater (1948)
- Adam and Evelyne (1949)
- Maytime in Mayfair (1949)
- Into the Blue (1950)
- Madeleine (1950)
- Man in the Display (1950)
- Appointment with Venus (1952) aka Island Rescue
- I Believe in You (1952)
- Penny Plain (1952) (TV movie)
- Escape Route (1952) aka I'll Get You
- The Captain's Paradise (1953)
- Doctor in the House (1954)
- Doctor at Sea (1955)
- True as a Turtle (1957)
- Doctor at Large (1957)
- The Captain's Table
- Tommy the Toreador (1959)
- The Lady Is a Square (1959)
- Doctor in Love (1960)
- No Love for Johnnie (1962) (with Mordecai Richler)
- A Pair of Briefs (1962)
- Young and Willing (1962)
- The Amorous Mr. Prawn (1962)
- Doctor in Distress (1963)
Selected stage roles
- Spring Meeting (1938)
- Letter from Paris (1952)
