He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. Following his death in , his ashes were interred near the tomb of his close friend, fellow English actor Sir Charlie Chaplin. Mabelβwho was "uncommonly well-educated" and had lived in London to study and begin work as an artist before returning to Yorkshire to care for her fatherβwas "attentive and loving" in raising her sons.
It was replaced in the mids by flats called Arncliffe Court. A small residential development opposite where the house once stood is now called James Mason Court. Mason was educated at Marlborough College and took a first in architecture at Peterhouse, Cambridge , where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time.
He had no formal acting training, and initially embarked upon it for fun. Featuring in many of these were Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. From to , Mason starred in many British quota quickies , starting with his first film Late Extra , in which he played the lead.
Albert Parker directed. Korda cast him as the villain in The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel He returned to features with I Met a Murderer based on a story by Mason and Pamela Kellino, who also starred with Mason and whom he would marry. Her husband Roy Kellino directed. Mason registered as a conscientious objector during World War II causing his family to break with him for many years , but his tribunal did not exempt him on the requirement for non-combatant military service, which he also refused.
He appealed against that aspect of the tribunal's decision, [9] but it became irrelevant once he was included in a general exemption for film work. Mason became hugely popular for his brooding anti-heroes, and occasional outright villains, in the Gainsborough series of melodramas of the s, starting with The Man in Grey The film was a huge hit and made him and co-stars Lockwood, Stewart Granger and Phyllis Calvert top-level stars.
