Clifford McLaglen

Who was Clifford McLaglen?

Clifford McLaglen was a Stepney, London-born British film actor. He was the brother of several actors including Victor McLaglen, Oscar winner for best actor, The Informer, and nominated for best supporting actor The Quiet Man.

The other brothers were Leopold McLaglen, wrestler and inventor of a form of Jiu Jitsu which he taught to the armed forces and police in the old Empire and America; Lewis McLaglen actor and solder; Cyril McLaglen actor and horseman; Arthur Actor and unarmed combat professional, and sculptor; Kenneth McLaglen Actor and mineralogist; sister Lily Marian McLaglen actress Singer and pianist.

Clifford McLaglen was born Clifford Henrich McLaglen from Scottish Irish and Dutch ancestry. He, like all his brothers except the youngest two, Cyril and Kenneth, served in the First World War. He also served in the Second World War going out to Iceland to help guard Sir Winston Churchill for which he obtained a bulldog and polar bear badge. He also was part of a film unit at that time in the Army. His father was born in Cape Town and came to London to study as Clerk in Orders, eventually becoming Titular Bishop of Claremont in Cape Town but foregoing this to help with the work he dedicated to the helping of poverty stricken children in London and beggars. Lily often helped with this. Clifford worked in a tin mine in Cornwall before joining up in 1914. Later he worked for Sangers Circus riding horses and doing rope tricks and worked in vaudeville with his various brothers.