Howard was born in Cliftonville, Kent, England, the son of Mabel Grey (Wallace) and Arthur John Howard. He was educated at Clifton College (to which he left in his will a substantial legacy for a drama scholarship) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), acting on the London stage for several years before World War II. His first paid work was in the play Revolt in a Reformatory (1934), before he left RADA in 1935 to take small roles.Although stories of his courageous wartime service in the British Armys Royal Corps of Signals earned him much respect among fellow actors and fans alike, files held in the Public Record Office reveal that he had actually been discharged from the British Army in 1943 for mental instability and having a psychopathic personality. The story, which surfaced in Terence Pettigrews biography of the actor, published by Peter Owen in 2001, was initially denied by Howards widow, actress Helen Cherry. Later, confronted with official records, she told the Daily Telegraph (24 June 2001) that his mother had claimed he was a holder of the Military Cross. She added that Howard had an honourable military record and had nothing to be ashamed of.
Major Calloway
Film 1949
Dr. Alec Harvey
Film 1945
Richard Wagner
Film 1973
Dr Stirry
Film 1986
Abbé Faria
Film 1975
Freddie Young (Distinguished Civilian)
Film 1966
Commander Frank Houghton
Film 1964
Capt. William Bligh
Film 1962
Mostyn
Film 1965
Lt. David Bayne
Film 1946
The Abbot
Film 1973
Maj. David Somers
Film 1950
Father Collins
Film 1970
Brigadier Croshawe
Film 1986
Captain Thompson
Film 1955
Film 1941
George Clement 'Clem' Morgan
Film 1947
Captain Peter Churchill
Film 1950
Sir Henry Rawlinson
Film 1980
Prof. Steven Stratton
Film 1949
Lt. Cmdr Hugh Alginon Fraser
Film 1952
Father
Film 1985
Comdr. Rice
Film 1975
Walter Morel
Film 1960
Father Malone
Film 1979
Morel
Film 1958
Trevor Dawson
Film 1971
Colonel Azarin
Film 1974
John Bullit
Film 1962
Father Silva
Film 1988
Peter Willems
Film 1951
Twinky's Grandfather
Film 1970
David Redfern
Film 1950
Yoshka Poliakeff
Film 1981
Paul Bellamy
Film 1974
Capt. Chris Ford
Film 1958
Supt. Bellamy
Film 1974
Inspector Lewis
Film 1955
Ejlert Lövborg
Film 1962
Grandfather
Film 1988
John Bain
Film 1960
Dr. Rank
Film 1973
Dr. Richard Whiteside
Film 1947
Clyde Massey
Film 1974
Georg Friedrich Handel
Film 1985
The Man
Film 1978
Saltie
Film 1980
Capt. Foster Fyans
Film 1976
Narrator
Film 1985
Guest at Theater Accepting Program (uncredited)
Film 1951
James Prothero
Film 1957
Maitland
Film 1986
Vicar
Film 1987
Gustave Kummer
Film 1982
Col. Tusker Smalley
Film 1980
Robert Hook
Film 1967
Narrator (fragment version)
Film 2017
Self
Film 1980
Officer on Ship (uncredited)
Film 1944
Program Controller
Film 1980
Benjamin Disraeli
Film 1963
Riviere
Film 1979
Uncle George
Film 1984
Krypton Elder (archive footage) (uncredited)
Film 1980
Napoleon
Film 1965
Briefing Officer
Film 1944
Lord Charles Somerset
Tv 1986
Dr. Derek Lester
Tv 1958
Doug Elliott
Tv 1955
Dan 'Saltie' Wicklow
Tv 1980
Mavor
Tv 1978
Self
Tv 1962
Narrator (voice)
Tv 1983
Don Consalvo Saccone
Tv 1976
Self
Tv 1957
Self
Tv 1974
Richard Wagner
Tv 1981
Sir Daniel Penwarden
Tv 1985
Self - Guest
Tv 1968