John Gielgud

John Gielgud in The Loved One

John Gielgud (1904 - 2000)

Film Deaths

• Julius Caesar (1953) [Cassius]: Stabbed in the stomach by Michael Ansara, following John's own orders.
• Richard III (1955) [George, Duke of Clarence]: Stabbed in the stomach with a sword, then drowned in a vat of wine, by Michael Gough and Michael Ripper.
• Hamlet (1964) [The Ghost]: Plays the ghost of Richard Burton's father, who was murdered by Alfred Drake pouring poison in his ear. (It only depicts the ghost as a disembodied voice).
• The Loved One (1965) [Sir Francis Hinsley]: Commits suicide (off-screen) by hanging himself from the diving board of his swimming pool. His body is shown afterwards when Robert Morse discovers him, then again in the funeral home when Rod Steiger prepares him for his funeral. (Thanks to Sammy)
• Chimes at Midnight (1965) [Henry IV]: Dies from an unspecified illness.
• The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) [The Elder Pope]: Dies (off-screen) following a heart attack; his death is revealed when we hear the bells toll while David Janssen is broadcasting a report about John's collapse. His body is shown afterwards lying in state.
• Julius Caesar (1970) [Julius Caesar]: Stabbed repeatedly by Jason Robards Jr., Richard Johnson, Robert Vaughn and the other conspirators in the senate.
• Caligula (1979) [Nerva]: Drowned when Malcolm McDowell pushes John's head under in the bath, even though John was already dying from having slit his wrists. (Historically inaccurate, Nerva died from starvation).
• Arthur (1981) [Hobson]: Dies of unspecified causes (off-screen), with Dudley Moore at his bedside at a hospital. He however reprised the role as a spirit in Arthur II: On the Rocks.
• Sphinx (1981) [Abdu-Hamdi]: Throat chopped with a large blade by Martin Benson.
• The Wicked Lady (1983) [Hogarth]: Smothered with a pillow by Faye Dunaway.
• Plenty (1985) [Leonard Darwin] Dies off-screen of old age and/or sickness.
• The Whistle Blower (1986) [Sir Adrian Chapple]: Shot in the chest with his own gun when Michael Caine twists his wrist around, making him pull the trigger as John snaps a concealed pistol to snatch back the written confession he's a traitor (with Michael arranging the scene to look like a suicide), his body is later seen slumped in his chair as Michael steals the confession.
• Haunted (1995) [Dr. Doyle]: Dies (off-screen), presumably of old age/natural causes, several years before the story takes place; towards the end of the movie Aidan Quinn discovers that John has been a ghost all along.
• The Portrait of a Lady (1996) [Mr. Touchett]: Dies in bed of old age. We last see him having a big yawn as Nicole Kidman sits by the bed and the next scene is his funeral. (Thanks to Brian)
• Hamlet (1996) [Priam]: Seen during Charlton Heston's dramatised monologue about the events, John is cut down by an unseen Pyrrhus, an event which is witnessed by Judi Dench, who cries out in grief.

TV Deaths

• Hamlet (1970 TV) [The Ghost]: Once again, plays the ghost of Richard Chamberlain's father, who was murdered by Richard Johnson pouring poison in his ear. (I haven't seen this version, so I don't know whether the murder was depicted on-screen or not.)
• Richard II (King Richard the Second) (1978 TV) [John of Gaunt]: Dies (I can't recall the exact cause) after delivering a speech to Derek Jacobi. (I haven't seen this, but I've read a summary of Shakespeare's play.)
• The Far Pavilions (1984) [Cavagnari, the British Resident]: Shot in the stomach when the unpaid Afghan soldiers, hoping the British will pick up the tab, storm the building when John refuses to do so. (Thanks to Brian)
• War and Remembrance: October 28, 1944 - March 18, 1945 (1989 TV) [Aaron Jastrow]: Executed by gas chamber in Auschwitz while making his final prayer. Unlike in many other Holocaust-related films, we actually see the gas chamber in action, so this scene may be difficult to watch. We later see his body being cremated in the Auschwitz crematorium.
• Merlin (1998 mini-series) [King Constant]: His shadow is seen while he is being executed by command of Rutger Hauer.

Gallery

John Gielgud in The Shoes of the Fisherman

John Gielgud (far left) in Julius Caesar (1970)

John Gielgud's play-within death in Hamlet (1996)