At 22, E.E. Clive began acting professionally in London; in 1912, a decade later, he moved to the U.S. and produced, directed, and acted in stage productions. Clive broke into films in 1933, when he was in his early 50s, and remained a busy screen actor until his death. He often played no-nonsense Englishmen or dour but likeable butlers, statesmen, and officials.