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marriage. Davis died before Lang-Davis could achieve this goal. His will left everything to the already-deceased
Rutherford, meaning that the couple's estate would go to Davis's next of kin, his first cousin Lieutenant-Colonel William James Davis, of Well Close. Lang-Davis, who stood to receive nothing, then unlawfully sold a number of Rutherford and Davis's possessions, and produced a forged will wherein Davis left her everything. To explain the disappearance of the sold items, Lang-Davis claimed a burglary had taken place. Although eventually the truth was uncovered, and Lang-Davis, then aged 63, arrested and remanded in custody prior to a trial in 1975, she did not appear for the trial and a warrant for her arrest, although issued, was never executed. In 1985, it was thought that Lang-Davis was still at large.
231:, working as both an actor and director. In 1930, he met Margaret Rutherford, his future wife, for the first time. At the time, Rutherford was still largely unknown. She wrote in her autobiography about her first encounter with her husband-to-be: "I noticed his bright blue eyes, his casual elegant clothes and his polite way. I couldn't take my eyes off him... He had that special something. His name was Stringer Davis." He made his on-screen debut in a BBC television live drama
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275:(1948), which also featured Rutherford. Overall, Davis appeared in more than 20 films with his wife. In later years, she made it a condition of her contract that Davis would play a part in any film in which she appeared. This clause led to Davis being cast as the mild-mannered librarian Mr Stringer in the four adaptations of
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and Davis tended to her throughout a long and distressing illness. Rutherford died on 22 May 1972, aged 80. A down-on-her-luck former aspiring soprano, Violet Lang-Davis, was employed as
Rutherford's daily help and companion; after Rutherford's death, she stayed on to look after Davis, with an eye on
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Davis married
Margaret Rutherford in 1945 after a 15-year courtship. She was 53 and he was 46 at the time. Reportedly, his mother was the main reason for the long engagement because she was adamantly opposed to having Margaret Rutherford for a daughter-in-law, referring to her when talking to her son
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as "that older actress woman you have been seeing over the years." Only after the death of Ethel Davis did the couple finally marry. After their marriage, they remained totally devoted to one another, with Davis always at hand behind the camera whenever his wife was filming.
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He was discharged from military service in
September 1919, about 10 months after the conclusion of the war. Davis's parents separated shortly after his return from the war. His mother lived in a spacious house in
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Families: a directory of gentlemen of coat-armour, seventh edition, vol. 1, A. C. Fox-Davies, T. C. & E. C. Jack, 1905, p. 511
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The 40-year-old Davis put aside his acting career to volunteer again for military service in 1939. He served as a lieutenant in the
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and received military basic training there. In August 1918, he volunteered for military service and was sent to the front in the
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Davis had two careers, one in the military and the other in acting. He began his theatrical career as a member of the
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from 1954 to 1957. The name "Stringer" came from a paternal great-grandfather, Miles
Stringer, of Effingham Hill,
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on the stage and in films, and a
British army officer who served in both world wars. He was married to actress
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in August 1973, 15 months after
Rutherford's death. Rutherford and Davis are interred in the graveyard of
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Burke's Landed Gentry, 17th edition, ed. L. G. Pine, Burke's
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Burke's Landed Gentry, 17th edition, ed. L. G. Pine, Burke's
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clerk George William Davis (1871–1948) and Ethel, daughter of J. Buckley Deakin, of
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in the early 1960s. The gentle, timid Mr. Stringer gained good reviews.
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685:"Stringer Davis - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos - AllMovie"
215:, and Davis lived in its vicinity in a boathouse overlooking the
175:(1873-1942). The Davis family were landed gentry, of Well Close,
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documentary, Rutherford and Davis appear as themselves, 1965)
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After the war, Davis resumed his acting career with the film
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Towards the end of her life, Rutherford was diagnosed with
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250:and was one of the many British soldiers evacuated
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739:Margaret Rutherford- Dreadnought with Good Manners
703:Margaret Rutherford- Dreadnought with Good Manners
660:Margaret Rutherford: Dreadnought with Good Manners
143:(4 June 1899 – 29 August 1973), was an English
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633:Rutherford, Margaret; Robyns, Gwen (1972).
246:deployed in France. He participated in the
159:Stringer Davis was born on 4 June 1899 in
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127: 1945; died 1972)
764:Performances listed in Theatre Archive
570:(1967) – Italian Gardener (uncredited)
480:(1957) – Goodwood Steward (uncredited)
334:live BBC TV drama (1938) – George Dyer
308:Davis died peacefully in his sleep in
203:as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion,
635:Margaret Rutherford: An autobiography
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526:(1963) – 1st Councillor (uncredited)
412:(1953) – Shop Assistant (uncredited)
578:TV series (1973) – Museum Attendant
342:live BBC TV drama (1946) – Merriman
183:; his first cousin was Admiral Sir
16:English character actor (1899–1973)
472:TV series (1957) – Admiral Bingham
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596:Neil Norman (25 September 2009).
562:(1966) – Mr Stringer (uncredited)
814:20th-century English male actors
809:Male actors from Buckinghamshire
494:BBC TV drama (1960) – Clergyman
436:(1954) – Dr Graham (uncredited)
339:The Importance of Being Earnest
318:St James Church, Gerrards Cross
279:novels featuring Rutherford as
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799:English male television actors
420:(1954) – 2nd Transport Officer
355:The Happiest Days of Your Life
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547:The Stately Ghosts of England
189:Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
137:James Buckley Stringer Davis
50:James Buckley Stringer Davis
804:Male actors from Birkenhead
428:(1954) – Vicar (uncredited)
244:British Expeditionary Force
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457:The Smallest Show on Earth
242:and later was part of the
789:English male stage actors
350:(1948) – Museum Attendant
205:South Lancashire Regiment
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794:English male film actors
258:, with tours of duty in
229:Oxford Repertory Company
173:Prince's Park, Liverpool
658:Merriman, Andy (2009).
637:. London: W. H. Allen.
598:"Miss Marple's torment"
240:East Yorkshire Regiment
492:The Day After Tomorrow
464:(U.S.) (1957) – Emmett
358:(1950) – Reverend Rich
741:, London: Aurum, 2011
705:, London: Aurum, 2011
575:Thirty Minute Theatre
523:The Mouse on the Moon
518:(1963) – Hotel Waiter
388:(1952) – Board Member
139:, generally known as
718:. 29 September 2008.
559:The Alphabet Murders
542:(1964) – Mr Stringer
534:(1964) – Mr Stringer
510:(1963) – Mr Stringer
507:Murder at the Gallop
502:(1961) – Mr Stringer
444:(1956) – Cyril Borge
396:(1952) – Hall Porter
369:Sunday Night Theatre
320:, Buckinghamshire.
297:Alzheimer's disease
149:Margaret Rutherford
113:Margaret Rutherford
39:Margaret Rutherford
485:I'm All Right Jack
462:Big Time Operators
404:(1953) – Arbuthnot
401:Innocents in Paris
213:Reading, Berkshire
167:, England, son of
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662:. London: Aurum.
644:978-0-491-00379-7
488:(1959) – Reporter
441:Reach for The Sky
393:Castle in the Air
372:(1950) – The Dean
310:Chalfont St Giles
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81:(1973-08-29)
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784:1973 deaths
779:1899 births
515:The V.I.P.s
324:Filmography
281:Miss Marple
60:4 June 1899
773:Categories
583:References
550:(American
433:Aunt Clara
377:Curtain Up
177:Brockworth
161:Birkenhead
155:Early life
64:Birkenhead
56:1899-06-04
235:in 1938.
102:1938–1973
93:, England
70:, England
689:AllMovie
567:Arabella
165:Cheshire
68:Cheshire
460:(U.K.)
347:Miranda
272:Miranda
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223:Career
193:Surrey
107:Spouse
304:Death
123:(
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37:with
759:IMDb
664:ISBN
639:ISBN
366:BBC
262:and
76:Died
46:Born
757:at
552:NBC
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