Two
years later he appeared in another James Clavell screenplay (with Bryan
Forbes) 'King Rat' (1965) this time dealing with treachery and double
dealing inside a Japanese POW camp. Another brilliant piece of character
acting with an especially lovely screen where he gives a dying POW his
boots. Unfortunately again type cast and not really given the opportunity
to expand he plays an allied doctor (sensitive, caring, moral and pragmatic)
reminisces of Bridge…
He
did, however, have another moment of glory in Hammer's Quartermaster
and the Pit (1967), where his Professor Roney, another sardonic idealist,
saves the world from destruction.
Like
the original version of ‘The Thing From Another World’, this is a film
where the dialogue and the performances make you forget we are dealing
with strange creatures from another planet. In point of fact, ‘Quatermass
and the Pit’ uses a bare minimum of special effects to create its thrills
and chills and relies more on the actors. Chilling in its day it was
a big box office success.
Like
every other British Character Actor he spent his time when not making
films in plays. His repertoire was diverse, in 1953 he played with Kenneth
Williams in 'Slightly Soiled' and in in 1963 with Susannah York in 'The
Wings of The Dove' in London’s West.
Film
roles started to become rarer and rarer as the 1970's wore on and he
made some memorable TV appearances, the last of which was the role of
Murdstone in the 1970 all-star adaptation of David Copperfield. It is
truly a shame that he was not offered more roles and perhaps also that
he did not receive Queens honours. He was nominated for an Emmy in the
the category 'Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading
Role' for 'Victoria Regina' (1961).
James
Donald died of stomach cancer at the age of 75.