First gained attention on the London stage, notably in plays directed by Peter Brook, and began appearing in films in the mid-1950s. Pinter reprised an award-winning stage role in the film adaptation of Harold Pinter's "The Caretaker" (1964) and was also memorable in Roman Polanski's black comedy, "Cul-de-Sac" (1966). Though he can be effective in benign, avuncular roles, it is his ability to exude an oily menace that filmmakers have tended to exploit.