Described by Philip French as a "classic British film archetype", Hyde-White often portrayed droll and urbane upper-class characters.

William Edward White, canon of Gloucester Cathedral, and his wife, Ethel Adelaide (née Drought).

[3] He then gained steady work on the stage in a series of comedies produced at the Aldwych Theatre in London.

He joined a tour of South Africa in 1932 before making his film debut in Josser on the Farm (1934) where he was credited as "Wilfrid Hyde White" (without the hyphen).

[3] He appeared in two episodes of the mystery series Columbo, starring Peter Falk as the rumpled detective.

[citation needed] Hyde-White had a long reputation as a bon viveur, gambled heavily and spent money recklessly.

[3] Hyde-White died from heart failure on 6 May 1991 at the age of 87, at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, having lived in the United States for 25 years as a tax exile.