George Rose; Award-Winning Character Actor

By BURT A. FOLKART

May 6, 1988 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

George Rose, the essence of what a British character actor would want to be, was killed when his car swerved into a ditch near the Dominican Republic city of Puerta Plata, police there said Thursday.

He was 68 and the Associated Press quoted Officer Jose Nunez as saying the accident that claimed the life of the two-time Tony-award winning actor--seen here only two months ago in “Drood”--occurred about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday near Puerta Plata, which is 160 miles northwest of Santo Domingo.

Nunez said Rose, who made his U.S. debut with the Old Vic in 1946, was alone in the car, which was traveling at an excessive speed when it swerved into the ditch and flipped over. Rose was believed killed instantly, but the wreck was not discovered until early Thursday.

Rose had a home in nearby Sosua, in addition to his permanent home in New York City, where he lived alone with several dogs and cats.

Strode the Stages

Winner of the Antoinette Perry award in 1976 for his portrayal of Alfred Doolittle in a revival of “My Fair Lady” and again in 1986 for “Drood,” the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ unfinished “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Rose strode the stages of the world, equally at home in drama, comedy and musicals.

It was a versatility he enjoyed. In an interview last February in connection with his appearance here, Rose said that the theatrical vehicle itself was not as important as the intimate contact with the audience.

“I always get such a feeling of satisfaction when I leave the theater after a good evening. . . ,” he said.

But, conversely, he said, “I’ve never left a TV studio at the end of a day’s work with anything but a profound sense of relief.”

After making his U.S. debut as Peto in a production of “Henry IV,” Rose first drew national attention in 1961 for his portrayal of The Common Man in “A Man for All Seasons.” In it, he assumed eight different mannerisms.

Highlight of Play

In 1964, his interpretation of the First Gravedigger in a production of “Hamlet,” starring Richard Burton, was singled out as a highlight of the play.

His later roles included Martin Ruiz, the conquistador-narrator in “The Royal Hunt of the Sun” (1965); Doolittle in the 1968 and 1976 revivals of “My Fair Lady”; the effeminate Henry in “My Fat Friend,” with Lynn Redgrave (1974); the knowing servant Hawkins in “The Kingfisher” (1978); Captain Hook in a 1979 revival of “Peter Pan,” with Sandy Duncan; Maj. Gen. Stanley in a 1981 run of “The Pirates of Penzance,” with Linda Ronstadt, and Mr. William Cartwright, the chairman of the English music hall where “Drood,” the play within a play with its multiple possible endings, is being staged.

Rose also had many film roles to his credit, including “The Pickwick Papers” (1952), “A Night To Remember” (1958), “Hawaii” (1966), “A New Leaf” (1971) and the film version of “The Pirates of Penzance.”

His television credits included the “Beacon Hill” series on CBS and NBC’s “Holocaust.”