Robert Newton was one of the great character actors — and great characters — of British cinema, best known today for his role as Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1950) and its 1954 sequel. His portrayal of Long John Silver and Blackbeard in The Pirate (1952) created an image so indelible that his vocal inflections became the paradigm for many people wishing to "talk like a pirate".

That role overshadows Newton's legacy, which is built on a host of first-rate work in films such as This Happy Breed (1944), Odd Man Out (1947) and Oliver Twist (1948), where his Bill Sikes is truly chilling. Oliver Reed, who played Sikes in the Oscar-winning musical Oliver! (1968), was influenced by Newton.