He was an English actor. He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire, where he was educated at Greenbank Road Primary School and later at St. Francis Xavier's College. He left school at 16, working first for a telephone company, then for Liverpool Corporation, as the city council was then known, before the Second World War started. During this time, he became interested in amateur dramatics, joining first his local Catholic church theatre group at St. Anthony's, Mossley Hill, and later the Liverpool Playgoers' Club. When war broke out, Gregson was called up and joined the Royal Navy as a sailor on minesweepers. At one point, his minesweeper was torpedoed and he was rescued from the sea with a knee injury. After being demobbed in 1945, he joined the Playhouse in Liverpool for a year, before going on to Perth Theatre in Perth, Scotland. Here he met his future wife, actress Ida Reddish from Nottingham, who at the time was using the stage name Thea Kronberg and had recently arrived from the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He was credited as 'John Gregson' in 40 films between 1948 and 1971 and on television from 1960 until his death. His most famous comedy role was in the film chosen for the Royal Film Performance in 1953, Genevieve, also starring Kenneth More, Dinah Sheridan and Kay Kendall. More was described as his "rival" in British cinema at the time, although Gregson tended to appear in fewer comedy films and more dramas. He also appeared in the Ealing comedies Whisky Galore!, The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Titfield Thunderbolt. His best known drama films include The Battle of the River Plate, Angels One Five and Above Us the Waves. He was featured in The Treasure of Monte Cristo and had a role in Treasure Island.
He was an English actor. He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, Lancashire, where he was educated at Greenbank Road Primary School and later at St. Francis Xavier's College. He left school at 16, working first for a telephone company, then for Liverpool Corporation, as the city council was then known, before the Second World War started. During this time, he became interested in amateur dramatics, joining first his local Catholic church theatre group at St. Anthony's, Mossley Hill, and later the Liverpool Playgoers' Club. When war broke out, Gregson was called up and joined the Royal Navy as a sailor on minesweepers. At one point, his minesweeper was torpedoed and he was rescued from the sea with a knee injury. After being demobbed in 1945, he joined the Playhouse in Liverpool for a year, before going on to Perth Theatre in Perth, Scotland. Here he met his future wife, actress Ida Reddish from Nottingham, who at the time was using the stage name Thea Kronberg and had recently arrived from the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He was credited as 'John Gregson' in 40 films between 1948 and 1971 and on television from 1960 until his death. His most famous comedy role was in the film chosen for the Royal Film Performance in 1953, Genevieve, also starring Kenneth More, Dinah Sheridan and Kay Kendall. More was described as his "rival" in British cinema at the time, although Gregson tended to appear in fewer comedy films and more dramas. He also appeared in the Ealing comedies Whisky Galore!, The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Titfield Thunderbolt. His best known drama films include The Battle of the River Plate, Angels One Five and Above Us the Waves. He was featured in The Treasure of Monte Cristo and had a role in Treasure Island.
