John Gregson represented the sort of man 50s cinema loved: steady, reliable and safe. A middle-class Everyman who could be trusted to play the game with a straight bat.
He was born in Liverpool and didn't start professional acting until after the war when he joined the Liverpool Old Vic. He moved to London for stage work and was soon taking bit parts in films and signed up to Rank. He made steady progress up the career ladder until Genevieve made him a proper box office star.
He was perfect for the decade's dominant two genres: the light comedy and the war film. Therefore Rank kept him busy, though the films he made were undemanding fare. His film career was virtually over by the time the sixties started to swing, but he moved successfully into TV with the series Gideon's Way and co-starred with Shirley Maclaine in the sitcom Shirley's World.
| 1948 | Saraband for Dead Lovers |
| 1948 | London Belongs to Me |
| 1948 | Scott of the Antarctic |
| 1949 | Whisky Galore! |
| 1949 | Train of Events |
| 1950 | Treasure Island |
| 1950 | Cairo Road |
| 1951 | The Lavender Hill Mob |
| 1952 | The Brave Don't Cry |
| 1952 | Venetian Bird |
| 1952 | The Holly and the Ivy |
| 1953 | The Weak and the Wicked |
| 1953 | Genevieve |
| 1953 | The Titfield Thunderbolt |
| 1953 | Angels One Five |
| 1954 | The Crowded Day |
| 1954 | To Dorothy, a Son |
| 1954 | Conflict of Wings |
| 1955 | value for Money |
| 1955 | Three Cases of Murder |
| 1955 | Above Us the Waves |
| 1956 | Jacqueline |
| 1956 | True as a Turtle |
| 1956 | The Battle of the River Plate |
| 1957 | Miracle in Soho |
| 1958 | Sea of Sand |
| 1958 | Rooney |
| 1959 | Flight from Treason |
| 1959 | The Captain's Table |
| 1959 | SOS Pacific |
| 1960 | Hand in Hand |
| 1960 | Faces in the Dark |
| 1961 | The Frightened City |
| 1961 | The Treasure of Monte Cristo |
| 1962 | Live Now - Pay Later |
| 1962 | The Longest Day |
| 1964 | Tomorrow at Ten |
| 1967 | The Night of the Generals |
| 1971 | Fright |
