Lyndsy Spence's Post About Margaret Lockwood on the History Press Blog

On July 4 2015 legendary English actress Margaret Lockwood was honoured with a blue plaque from the Heritage Foundation at the home where she lived the last years of  her life in Kingston upon Thames. Tuesday, July 15 2015, marked the 25th anniversary of Miss Lockwood's death at age 73. Next year will see the 100th anniversary of Margaret Lockwood's birth on September 15 1916. She was the top actress in the United Kingdom in the Forties and starred in such films as Bank Holiday (1938), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Night Train to Munich (1940), and The Wicked Lady (1945). She still has a fanatically loyal following in the United Kingdom, the Untied States, and elsewhere. It should come as no surprise that she is receiving so much attention of late.

My friend, author Lyndsy Spence, had the honour of writing a post on Margaret Lockwood, her fabulous career, and the installation of the blue plaque at her former home in Kingston Upon Thames. You can read it here. If you are a fan of Margaret Lockwood you will definitely want to read this well written piece. And if you are not already a fan of Miss Lockwood, Miss Spence's blog post is a good opportunity to learn about one of the greatest English actresses of the mid-20th Century.

Happy 10th Blog Anniversary to Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings!

 It was today on July 16 2005 that Laura started her blog Laura's Miscellaneous Musings. Given most blogs don't last beyond one post, this is quite an achievement! Indeed, I can only name a few other blogs older than Laura's Miscellaneous Musings. As someone who has also been blogging for a long time, I then want to congratulate Laura on reaching the 10 year mark!

You can read her post on her anniversary here.

BTW, the two lovely ladies in the picture above are Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell.

Jassy (1947)

 It is often the case that movie studios become associated with a particular genre of film. Although they would go onto produce films in many other genres, Warner Bros. is still associated with the gangster film to this day. While both studios produced films in many other genres, Universal Pictures and Hammer Films will probably always be associated with horror movies. To this day when many people think of MGM, lavish Hollywood musicals come to their minds. In the case of the British film studio Gainsborough Pictures, they will always be associated with what has become known as "the Gainsborough melodramas".

For the most part the Gainsborough melodramas were costume dramas, period pieces that could quite rightly be described as bodice rippers. At times they pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in movies in the Forties, particularly where the overly conservative MPAA Production Code Administration in the United States was concerned. Regardless, the Gainsborough melodramas were immensely successful. Indeed, when adjusted for inflation The Wicked Lady still ranks among the highest grossing films of all time in the United Kingdom. Starting with The Man in Grey in 1943, Gainsborough would see a good deal of success with such films as Madonna of the Seven Moons (1944) and  Fanny by Gaslight (1944). Margaret Lockwood was already something of a star before appearing in the Gainsborough melodramas, having appeared in such films as Bank Holiday (1938), The Lady Vanishes (1938), and Night Train to Munich (1940), but the films she made at Gainsborough would make her Britain's most popular actress in the Forties. Other actors featured in the films, such as James Mason, Stewart Granger, Jean Kent, and Patricia Roc, would become stars in the wake of their popularity.

Unfortunately after World War II the days of the Gainsborough melodramas were numbered. Films such as Caravan (1946) and The Magic Bow (1946) did not perform nearly as well as their predecessors at the box office. The end of the Gainsborough melodrama was certain when the Rank Organisation hired Sydney Box to run Gainsborough. Sydney Box and his wife Muriel did not particularly like the Gainsborough melodramas and preferred realism in films. The two of them made a decision to take Gainsborough in a different direction, that of a broader array of movies that were much more realistic than the bodice rippers of the past several years.

Before Sydney Box could take Gainsborough in a new direction, however, he would produce one last melodrama at the studio. His predecessor at Gainsborough, Maurice Ostrer, had left him with very little in the way of completed scripts. To keep the studio in operation, then, Mr. Box went ahead with what would be the final, official Gainsborough melodrama: Jassy (1947). Despite his dislike for the genre, Sydney Box decided to try to make Jassy the most lavish melodrama yet. It was shot in glorious Technicolor and boasted a bigger budget than the earlier films. Indeed, art director Maurice Carter noted that he was given a bigger budget for sets than he ever had been before.

While Jassy was shot in colour and had a bigger budget than previous Gainsborough melodramas, in many respects it is a much weaker film than its predecessors. Jassy was set in the 1830s in the fictional community of Mummerset, England. It centred on the character of the title, a half-Romany woman with second sight played by Margaret Lockwood. Like Margaret Lockwood's characters in some of her earlier films, Jassy rose from a common background to a higher station in society. Unlike Margaret Lockwood's previous characters in the Gainsborough melodramas, however, Jassy is hardly evil. She is a far cry from such wicked schemers as Hester in The Man in Grey or Lady Barbara in The Wicked Lady. Indeed, if there is a villain in Jassy it is Dilys, played by Patricia Roc, best known for playing the "good girls" in the Gainsborough bodice rippers. It is Dilys who more resembles the sort of roles Margaret Lockwood had previously played.

Despite the fact that the roles Margaret Lockwood and Patricia Roc play are reversed from what they had been in previous Gainsborough melodramas, Jassy is still in many respects a pale shadow when compared to the earlier films. Jassy is one of the weakest and least interesting characters in any of the Gainsborough melodramas. Indeed, she is wholly unassertive, remaining passive even as the worst things are done to her. The character may also be somewhat disturbing to many modern viewers, given the character largely draws upon stereotypes about "gypsies". The shortcomings of the character of Jassy might be more acceptable if not for the fact that the film's plot is at times far-fetched even for a Gainsborough melodrama. Indeed, the climax of the film is wholly unbelievable.

For all its weaknesses, however, Jassy is still a film very much worth watching. While Jassy is not a particularly interesting character, it is still fun seeing Margaret Lockwood play essentially a "good girl" and Patricia Roc play the villain. Indeed, Miss Roc is quite impressive as Dilys, making one wish that she had played "bad girls" more often. Both Basil Sydney and Dennis Price turn in good performances, playing landowners whose recklessness fuels much of the plot.

It must also be pointed out that  Jassy is also much more lavish than many of its predecessors. It was shot in striking Technicolor, adding a visual dimension to the film that is lacking in some of the earlier Gainsborough melodramas. The film also features some of art director Maurice Carter's best work. The sets in Jassy are most impressive. With a stronger plot and lead character, Jassy could easily have been the best over all production among the Gainsborough melodramas.

Jassy was not particularly well received by critics at the time of its release. Critics attacked the weaknesses of the film's plot, as well as the many cliches that had been used many times before in Gainsborough melodramas. The British public was a bit more forgiving towards Jassy. It proved to be a success at the box office, becoming one of the highest grossing film in the United Kingdom in 1947.

Sadly, its success did not guarantee there would be more Gainsborough melodramas. Sydney and Muriel Box were not fond of the genre and wanted to move in the direction of realism. As it was they may have been better off sticking with the ever popular bodice rippers. Gainsborough's films began performing more and more poorly at the box office, to the point that the Rank Organisation closed the studio in 1949 and moved most production to Pinewood Studios. Despite this, films would continue to be released under "Gainsborough Pictures" for the next few years. Sadly, in 1951 this even stopped and Gainsborough was no more.

As the last official Gainsborough melodrama, Jassy is a must see film for fans of Gainsborough, Margaret Lockwood, and Patricia Roc. While its story is much weaker than such classics as The Man in Grey and The Wicked Lady, it still has much to recommend it. The film features some impressive performances, as well as some striking use of Technicolor. It also features some incredible sets. Despite a weak script, Jassy is indeed a spectacle, a lavish film that it is a delight to the eye.

The Fall of Atticus Finch

There are perhaps only a few more beloved literary characters than Atticus Finch, lawyer and the father of protagonist Scout Finch in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Many attorneys were inspired to pursue careers in law because of Atticus Finch. Reportedly people even named their children "Atticus" in his honour (although I don't know anyone who did). In 2010 Book Magazine named Atticus Finch the seventh best fictional character in 20th Century fiction in their list "The 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900".  Immortalised in the film version by Gregory Peck, in the American Film Institute's 2003 list "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains", Atticus Finch was voted the top hero in cinema, beating out both Rick Blaine of Casablanca and Will Kane of High Noon. Very few fictional characters have ever been as admired as Atticus Finch.

Unfortunately, it seems many readers' fond memories of Atticus Finch may soon be marred forever. Before she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee wrote the novel Go Set a Watchman. It was Harper Lee's editor, impressed by the flashbacks to Jean Louise "Scout" Finch's past, who suggested that she instead write a novel set during Scout's childhood and told from Scout's point of view. Go Set a Watchman was then put aside as Harper Lee went to work on what became To Kill a Mockingbird. Eventually the manuscript for Go Set a Watchman would be rediscovered. It is set to be published this coming Tuesday, July 14 2015.

Go Set a Watchman has already seen its share of controversy. Some thought that because of her advanced age Harper Lee had been taken advantage of, and the Alabama authorities even investigated to see if she had been the victim of elder abuse. Ultimately, they concluded that she had not. That would hardly be the last controversy sparked by the publication of Go Set a Watchman, as yet another, perhaps even bigger one emerged on Friday with Michiko Kakutani's advance review of the book in The New York Times.

What Michiko Kakutani revealed in her review sent shock waves through the internet and horrified fans of To Kill a Mockingbird. Quite simply, in Go Set a Watchman Atticus Finch, the once beloved father figure and paragon of tolerance and equality, is a racist. What is more, he is not simply any racist. He is a racist who has attended a Klan meeting and supports segregation. He is a racist who says things like, "The Negroes down here are still in their childhood as a people" and “Do you want Negroes by the carload in our schools and churches and theatres? Do you want them in our world?” To say that fans of To Kill a Mockingbird were shocked would be an understatement. Many expressed their disappointment on Twitter and other social media sites. Some even vowed not to read Go Set a Watchman.

Admittedly the idea of Atticus Finch as a outright racist is a hard pill to swallow. While it is true that Go Set a Watchman is set in the Fifties, about twenty years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird, it is difficult to see how Atticus Finch could have changed so much.  It just doesn't seem possible that a man of integrity who insisted on treating all people with dignity could become an angry bigot who favours segregation and looks on African Americans as being in "...their childhood as a people." Granted To Kill a Mockingbird is told from Scout's point of view and she may have idealised her father as many of us do, but it seems unlikely that she would have glossed over his bigotry had he been openly racist even in the Thirties.

Of course, it must be taken into account that Go Set a Watchman was written before To Kill a Mockingbird. And it must also be taken account that, like most other writers, Harper Lee most likely revised her thoughts on the various characters when she went from writing Go Set a Watchman to writing To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the characters she obviously revised was Atticus Finch, who from Go Set a Watchman appears to have originally been a racist. In To Kill a Mockingbird he became the saint-like figure with whom we are more familiar. Atticus Finch's personality isn't the only thing that changed from Go Set a Watchman. At least one event portrayed in both books did as well. Apparently the famous trial, in which Atticus defended Tom Robinson against a charge of rape, has a completely different outcome in Go Set a Watchman. It must be also be noted that Go Set a Watchman is being published as it was written. Nothing has been changed from its final draft in the Fifties. Perhaps we should not be surprised that it would differ from To Kill a Mockingbird, even when one of those differences is that Atticus Finch is a racist.

Ultimately fans of To Kill a Mockingbird might wish to view the Atticus Finch of Go Set a Watchman as a completely different character from the Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird. Indeed, given the trial in Go Set a Watchman had a completely different outcome, they might wish to regard Go Set a Watchman as being set in a completely different reality, a mirror universe where Atticus Finch is a racist and segregationist. One has to wonder that Atticus Finch does not look like Gregory Peck with a goatee in that mirror universe as well.....

Omar Sharif Passes On

Legendary actor Omar Sharif died today at the age 83. The cause was a heart attack.

Omar Sharif was born Michel Demitri Chalhoub on April 10 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt. His family was Lebanese in descent, his father having originated in Zahlé, Lebanon. Young Mr. Sharif attended  Victoria College in Alexandria. It was while he was in school that he developed an interest in acting. He attended Cairo University where he earned a degree in mathematics and physics. He went on to study acting at the he Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Omar Sharif made his film debut in Siraa Fil-Wadi (1954), a film produced in Egypt. In the Fifties he appeared in such films as Shaytan al-Sahra (1954), Siraa Fil-Mina (1956), La châtelaine du Liban (1956), Ard el salam (1957), Goha (1958), Sayedat el kas (1959), and Lawet el hub (1960).

Omar Sharif was already an established star in Egypt when first role in an English speaking film,  Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), made him a star in the English speaking world. Mr. Sharif received a nomination for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role. It would only be a few years later that Mr. Sharif appeared in what may be his best known role, that of Yuri in Doctor Zhivago (1965). In the Sixties Omar Sharif also appeared in such films as The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Behold a Pale Horse (1964), El mamalik (1965), Genghis Khan (1965), La fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo (1965), Poppies Are Also Flowers (1966), The Night of the Generals (1967), Funny Girl (1968), Mackenna's Gold (1969), and Che! (1969).

In the Seventies Omar Sharif appeared in such films as The Last Valley (1971), Le casse (1971), The Tamarind Seed (1974), Juggernaut (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Ace Up My Sleeve (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Bloodline (1979), S+H+E: Security Hazards Expert (1980), and Oh, Heavenly Dog (1980). He played Captain Nemo in the TV mini-series L'île mystérieuse (literally The Mysterious Island).

In the Eighties Mr. Sharif appeared in such films as Green Ice (1981), Ayoub (1983), Top Secret! (1984), Grand Larceny (1987), Keys to Freedom (1988), Les possédés (1988), Mountains of the Moon (1990), and The Rainbow Thief (1990). He appeared on television in the mini-series The Far Pavilions and Peter the Great.

In the Nineties Omar Sharif appeared in such films as 588 rue Paradis (1992), Beyond Justice (1992), Ça-Va? (1996), Heaven Before I Die (1997), and The 13th Warrior (1999). He appeared on television in Catherine the Great and Gulliver's Travels. In the Naughts Omar Sharif appeared in the TV series Petits mythes urbains, the mini-series The Last Templar, and the TV movie Shaka Zulu: The Citadel. He appeared in such films as The Parole Officer (2001), Monsieur Ibrahim (2003), Hidalgo (2004), One Night with the King (2006), and J'ai oublié de te dire (2009). In the Teens he appeared in the films Un château en Italie (2013) and Rock the Casbah (2013).

In addition to acting, Omar Sharif was also one of the top 50 contract bridge players in the world. He  co-wrote a syndicated newspaper column about bridge for the Chicago Tribune, and also co-wrote several books on the game.

If Omar Sharif is a legend among actors, it is not simply because he appeared in two of the biggest films of the Sixties (Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago), but rather because he was incredibly talented. Indeed, there could be no two more different roles than his two most famous:  Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia and Yuri in Doctor Zhivago. Mr. Sharif's other famous roles would also be very different from those two: the German military officer Major Grau in Night of the Generals;  con artist, gambler, and Fanny Brice's husband Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl and Funny Lady;  and Che Guevara in Che!. Although best known for his work in drama, Mr. Sharif was also gifted when it came to comedy. He had a particularly funny role in the spy spoof Top Secret! in addition to appearing in Funny Girl and Funny Lady. Omar Sharif was a legend not simply because he appeared in two incredibly successful epic films of the Sixties, but because he played a wide array of roles throughout his career and did all of them well.

Book Giveaway at the Classic Movie Hub Blog

Many of you may know that I have had a book out for some time,  Television: Rare & Well Done. You might also be familiar with the many book giveaways that the Classic Movie Hub has conducted over the past few years. Well, right now the Classic Movie Hub is giving away two copies of Television: Rare & Well Done via Twitter.  this month. You can read all about the details of the contest at the Classic Movie Hub Blog.

Godspeed Jack Carter

Comedian Jack Carter died on June 28 2015 at the age of 93. His career spanned over 75 years and included hosting his own television show and appearances in films such as The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) and The Extraordinary Seaman (1969).

Jack Carter was born Jack Chakrin in Brooklyn, New York on June 24 1922. It was when he was in high school that he began performing. He appeared in summer stock productions and made his film debut in the short "The Devil's Daughter". That same year he appeared in the short "Straight to Heaven". He appeared on radio as a contestant on Major Bowes' Amateur Hour. It was in the early Forties he took the stage name "Jack Carter" and began working as a stand-up comic in nightclubs. During World War II he served in the United States Army Air Corps.

Following the war Jack Carter made his debut on Broadway in 1947 in the musical revue Call Me Mister. That same year he appeared in the films Sepia Cinderella (1947)  and Miracle in Harlem (1948).  In 1949 Jack Carter became the first host of Cavalcade of Stars on the Dumont network, the legendary variety show that would launch the career of Jackie Gleason (another one of the show's hosts).  In 1950 he moved from Dumont to NBC, where he hosted his own show, The Jack Carter Show, under the umbrella title of Saturday Night Revue under which was also included the legendary Your Show of Shows.

In the Fifties Jack Carter took over as the host of Stage Show, which was originally hosted by  Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. He also served as a guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar. He guest starred on such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Kate Smith Evening Hour, Tales of Tomorrow, Texaco Star Theatre, What's My Line, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Studio One, G.E. Theatre, The Eddie Fisher Show, Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall, and The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams. He appeared in the film It Happened to Jane (1959). He appeared on Broadway in Top Banana and Mr. Wonderful.

In the Sixties Jack Carter appeared on television on such variety and talk shows as The Tonight Show, Password All-Stars, The Judy Garland Show, The Jimmy Dean Show, The Joey Bishop Show, Art Linkletter's House Party, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Dean Martin Show; Hollywood Palace, and The Ed Sullivan Show. He also guest starred on such shows as The Roaring 20's, Hennesy, Make Room for Daddy, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dr. Kildare, Ensign O'Toole, Burke's Law, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Combat!, Ben Casey, Batman, The Lucy Show, I Dream of Jeannie, The Wild Wild West, Julia, The Name of the Game, and  Mannix. He appeared in the films The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) and Viva Las Vegas (1964).

In the Seventies Mr. Carter guest starred on such shows as The David Frost Show; Medical Centre; The Hollywood Squares; O'Hara, Treasury; McCloud; The Partners; The $25,000 Pyramid;  Cade's County; McMillan & Wife; Love, American Style; Match Game; Hawaii Five-O; Emergency!; Sanford & Son; The Merv Griffin Show; The Rockford Files, Ellery Queen; Switch; The Love Boat; and Archie Bunker's Place. He appeared in the films The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971), Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), The Amazing Dobermans (1976), The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington (1977), The Glove (1979), Alligator (1980), and The Octagon (1980).

In the Eighties Jack Carter appeared in such shows as Fantasy Island; Cover Up; Growing Pains;, Fame; Mike Hammer; Murder, She Wrote; and Tales from the Darkside. He appeared in such films as History of the World: Part I (1981), The Funny Farm (1983), Love Scenes (1984), The Trouble with Dick (1987), Death Blow: A Cry for Justice (1987), Satan's Princess (1989), Sexpot (1990), and Caged Fury (1990).

In the Nineties Jack Carter guest starred on such shows as Empty Nest, Blossom, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Cybill, Baywatch, Living Single, Caroline in the City, Coach, Diagnosis Murder, Touched by an Angel, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. He appeared in the films In the Heat of Passion (1992), The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992), Prima Donnas (1995), The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998), Pastry, Pain and Politics (1998), October 22 (1998), and
Play It to the Bone (1999).

From the Naughts into the Teens Jack Carter appeared as a guest voice on King of the Hill and appeared on such TV shows as Andy Richter Controls the Universe, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, Monk, Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Rules of Engagement, and the American version of Shameless. He appeared in the films One Last Ride (2004), Cougar Club (2007), The Great Buck Howard (2008), Let Go (2011), and Mercy (2014).

Jack Carter was an incredibly talented man. He was a gifted mimic, capable of doing convincing imitations of celebrities from Ed Sullivan to Ray Middleton. And while much of his humour would be considered sexist today, he could be very funny. He had a wonderfully acerbic sense of humour and was a master of the put-down. Of course, he was also wonderfully self-deprecating. Jack Carter probably put down no one more than himself; he once famously said he was not a "has-been", but a "never-was". Over all Jack Carter's comedy could be described as downright impetuous at times.

Of course, he was a frequent guest star on television shows, and he displayed a good deal talent as an actor. He played everything from a wild disc jockey (Hot Rod Harry in an episode of Batman) to a television host angry over the death of his son (on Dr. Kildare) to the over-protective manager of a boxer (on Combat!). Much as Jack Carter was able to mimic nearly any celebrity, he also seemed to have a knack for being able to play any role given him. While Jack Carter joked about being a "never was", in truth he was a very talented comedian and actor who "always was".