Early Life and Career
Wilfrid Hyde White was born at the rectory in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, the son of William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide (née Drought). He was educated at Marlborough College, where he decided on an acting career — his uncle was the actor J. Fisher White. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his stage début as Maitland in the Evans-Valentine hit comedy Tons of Money (1922) at Ryde, Isle of Wight, and his London début as a juror in Beggar on Horseback (1925) at the Queen's.
He worked steadily on the stage, including a tour of South Africa in 1932 before making his film debut, in Josser on the Farm credited as "Hyde White" in 1934. He appeared in the George Formby comedy, Turned Out Nice Again (1941), and after a memorable supporting role in The Third Man, he became a fixture in British films of the 1950s. Two-Way Stretch displays the more roguish side to some of the characters he played in this period. His debonair charm was recognized by critics and audiences: " unfailing imperturbability and unruffled acceptance of every eventuality made him an ideal choice for light comedy of the drawing room school." From 1962-65 he also starred in the BBC radio comedy The Men from the Ministry.
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