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Newton`s acting career began at the age of 16 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 1921 and was soon followed by performing in many plays in the West End of London. Amongst these were Bitter Sweet by Noel Coward, Horatio to Laurence Olivier`s Hamlet at the Old Vic theatre, and Private Lives on Broadway. From 1932 -1934 he was the actor manager of the Shilling Theatre in Fulham, London.

Newton`s film career included notable ruffians and villains, among them Bill Walker in George Bernard Shaw`s Major Barbara (1941), Bill Sykes in David Lean`s 1948 film version of Oliver Twist and Long John Silver in Walt Disney`s Treasure Island (1950). He also portrayed disciplinarians such as Inspector Javert in the 1952 Les Misérables, Dr. Arnold in the 1951 film version of Tom Brown`s Schooldays and Inspector Fix in his last film, Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture of that year.

Newton appeared in major roles in two films based on the novella The Vessel of Wrath, by W. Somerset Maugham. He played the Dutch contrôleur in the 1938 version (released in the U.S. as The Beachcomber), and the lead role of Edward "Ginger Ted" Wilson in The Beachcomber (1954). He starred as the Scottish hatter, James Brodie, in Hatter`s Castle, a 1941 film based on the novel by A. J. Cronin. He also played Ancient Pistol in Laurence Olivier`s 1944 film of Henry V and Lukey in Carol Reed`s Odd Man Out, his performance was later immortalised in Harold Pinter`s play Old Times.

He is best remembered for portraying the feverish-eyed Long John Silver in the Walt Disney version of Treasure Island. His Disney portrayal became the standard for screen portrayals of pirates and he is often credited with inventing the stereotypical "pirate voice". Newton has become the "patron saint" of the annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19.

He again played Long John Silver in an unrelated 1954 film, Long John Silver. The company made a 26-episode 1955 TV series, The Adventures of Long John Silver, shot at Pagewood Studios, Sydney, Australia.

Newton portrayed Bristol, England`s other famous pirate Blackbeard the Pirate, but was never able to shake off the legacy of Long John Silver.

His film career was cut short by chronic alcoholism, which led to his death from a heart attack in Beverly Hills, California in 1956 at age 50 in his wife`s arms. Newton had been married four times and had three children: Sally (b. 1930), Nicholas (b. 1950) and Kim (b. 1953). After some court battles, Newton`s eldest son was placed in the custody of his aunt and uncle.