This film showed up on Talking Pictures a couple of days ago. It was not a film I had remembered but it had the lovely Jeanne Crain in the leading role and Michel Rennie

The storyline and the action took place on an Ocean Liner – the story of a wife and her husband who set off on a cruise and after a short time the husband disappears and no-one seems to have any knowledge of him being there, or any record or any sightings – and so his wife Jeanne Crain is seen to be either mistaken or even unhinged.

Michael Rennie appears as the Liner’s Doctor and he is obviously attracted to Jeanne Crain – as he would be.

As an English Actor, I was surprised that – in this film – he seemed to adopt a half-hearted American accent.

The story did remind me a bit of the film ‘So Long at the Fair’ in 1948 with David Tomlinson and Jean Simmons – and in that a young lady’s brother disappears during the night while they are visiting Paris – and there is no trace of him at all – even his Hotel Room does not exist. Enter Dirk Bogarde who like Jean Simmons just knows that something is not right.

If you have not seen this film – Please do. I can’t give any more away except to say that nothing is as it seems.

So Long at the Fair 1950 BELOW – ‘What a Film’ I really like this one – my daughter loved it

BELOW – A Full Set of Film Stills from the British Release of Dangerous Crossing

Classic Conversations: Chatting with Barbara Rush on Her 93rd Birthday

This is a copy of an interview that Danny Miller did with Barbara Rush a couple of years ago.

She had appeared in ‘Harry Black’ a feature on which I did recently

Danny Miller: Happy Birthday, Barbara! 

Barbara Rush: Oh, thank you, Danny! I’ve made it this far!

We’ve talked about your films and co-stars a lot, but today I just wanted to chat for a bit about what it was like being a “star” back when you first made a splash in Hollywood. 

A star? Oh goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever used that word in my life. I’m just a movie actress, sweetheart, I’ve never even had a passing thought that I’m a star!

Well, you are one, whether you like it or not! 

I was just happy to have a job! I was working at the Pasadena Playhouse with a bunch of former GIs after the war. We’d do different scenes and it was fun because I got to do all of the women’s parts. Movie scouts used to come to see us from time to time and one day one of these people approached me and asked me if I wanted to do a screen test at Paramount. 

Were you reluctant in any way to do that? Did you have your heart set on working in the theater?

Are you kidding, Danny? I said, “I get to go to Paramount? Thank you! What time should I be there?” (Laughs.) I honestly couldn’t believe they were interested in me. So I did the test and, to my utter surprise, they liked it and put me under contract.

How long between signing the contract and getting your first film?

They put me right away into the movie version of the long-running radio and TV show The Goldbergs which starred Gertrude Berg. 

Right, Debby, the shiksa girlfriend, I love that movie! Do you remember the first time you saw yourself up on the big screen?

I really don’t, but I used to go to the rushes whenever I got the chance. I remember Laurence Olivier came to talk to us once at Paramount and he told us it was very important for actors to watch the rushes to see what you liked and what you didn’t like. I know some actors don’t like to see themselves in that way but I always found it helpful.

You never had issues with the way you looked on screen? Of course you were always so gorgeous, why would you?

I never thought too much about my appearance, to be honest. I was just happy whenever it seemed that I knew what I was doing!

Did being under contract immediately change your life in a big way?

Well, I moved! I had been living with this couple in Pasadena and taking care of their child. The father was a doctor and I think the mother was part of the Gamble family which was pretty famous in Pasadena. 

I never heard this. 

I was probably making about $15 a week at the Pasadena Playhouse so it was a good living arrangement where I not only didn’t have to pay rent, they paid me a little bit. But when I started at Paramount they moved me over to the Studio Club with a bunch of other actresses which was just wonderful. There were so many great people there, I remember being good friends with Peggy Dow, remember her? And Marilyn Monroe was there for a while. It was really fun, like being in a sorority! 

Oh, how cool, it sounds like Stage Door. 

Yes, very much so! I remember being close this wonderful girl named Renata that was being trained by the famous opera singer Lotte Lehman. We had a little stage at the Studio Club and people would get up and perform, it was really fun. Renata was just great but her parents made her quit, I wonder whatever happened to her. I had such a wonderful time at the Studio Club. We had a very pretty dining room and you could invite a male guest which I used to do a lot because I had just met (first husband) Jeffrey Hunter. 

Where did you meet him? 

He was doing a screen test on the lot and I happened to run into him. 

And you thought, “Oh, look at that handsome young actor, he’s cute?”

I thought a lot more than that! (Laughs.) It was more like “Wow!” And “Look at those blue eyes!” So I invited him to the Studio Club for dinner and the lady who was in charge got us tickets to a show, I think it was at the Shrine. We started going out quite a bit.  

Did the studio have any issues with you two dating? I think he was at Fox when you were at Paramount, right?

I don’t think they cared that much. We were kind of in the same boat in terms of our careers at that time. But we had so much fun. I think I brought a lot of culture into his life and he enjoyed it. We were very young.

And then you got engaged pretty quickly?

Yes, he decided we should get married. He gave me a ring, his parents came out from Wisconsin, it was all planned. And then one day he came to me and said, “Barbara I don’t think I can get married, I’m having second thoughts.”

What.

I said, “That’s fine, we don’t have to.” And then I went off on location in Sedona to do a picture called Flaming Feather with Sterling Hayden and Forrest Tucker. They have these Indian caves in Sedona and I remember in one scene I was slung over the villain’s back, I think it was Richard Arlen. I was just hanging there, looking down while he was dragging me to the caves, and all of a sudden, I look up and there’s Jeffrey Hunter who had come to Arizona to say that he wanted to get married after all. He stayed for the rest of the shoot and then we slipped off to Las Vegas and got married. 

Did the studio mind that you didn’t have a big wedding?

Oh, they definitely wanted us to have one when I first told them about it but we fought them and said we didn’t want anything like that. By then, Hank (Jeffrey Hunter’s real name) was getting a lot of attention at Fox. Then, a few months later he said to me, “Barbara, I don’t think we should be married,” but this time I said, “Too late, Hank! I’m not going for that again!” That kind of thing went on and on but then I got pregnant and we had Christopher. Hank wasn’t there, he was off in England making a film.

Did he ever pressure you to stop your career after having a child?

Oh, never! And I had no intention of doing so. My mother helped take care of the baby.

It sounds like you were an ideal studio contract player in many ways. Did you like being under contract?

Definitely! I had a job and I was getting paid! 

You made so many movies in those early years. How did you find out what your next film would be?

They’d just tell you. I don’t remember every trying out for a part, I would just be informed what the film was and where to go.

And you never objected or worried that some of them weren’t good parts?

No, Danny, I just wanted to work. I honestly didn’t think about it. I made a lot of movies for Paramount and then went to Fox. The only role I ever really wanted to do was The Three Faces of Eve. I wanted that so badly, as did every other actress in town, but Joanne (Woodward) got it and won the Oscar.

You would have been amazing in that part. Did you fantasize about winning an Oscar yourself?

No, I never thought like that. 

At the very least, you should have been nominated for Bigger Than Life, that was such an amazing performance. 

I was only mad that James Mason wasn’t nominated for that picture. He was extraordinary.

He was, but so were you! You sound like one of the most grounded people to ever step foot in Hollywood.

I was just realistic. I loved to work, I enjoyed being there, and I would have happily done anything they asked me to, I never refused a role. 

We’ve talked about the studio’s crazy decision to make you an Indian girl with Rock Hudson in Taza, Son of Cochise. I love the film but you never even thought to yourself, “This is ridiculous!”

Oh, no, why would I? I loved my gorgeous Indian costumes and we had such fun making that picture, I’ve told you how much I loved working with Rock! I had a wonderful time on location in Utah. My character’s name was Oona and Rock always called me “Oona, Dos, Tres!”

Did you like your performances in those earlier films?

I learned how to act from the actors I worked with, like James Mason, for example. I just watched everything they did. That was better than any acting class. Working with Paul (Newman) or on The Young Lions with Brando, Dean Martin, and Montgomery Clift was an acting school in itself. I remember a scene in that when Dean Martin and I were discussing how he was trying to avoid going to war. Montgomery Clift gave me such great advice for that scene. He told me to make it more confusing. He thought it was too obvious that I was trying to get information from Dean so he told me to hide that and be much more subtle. After the scene, Hope Lange came up to me and said, “Oh Barbara, I wish I could do what you do!” And I said, “I didn’t do a thing, that was all Montgomery Clift!”

Do you look at your films now and think you got progressively better?

I never thought of it that way, I just tried to be that person, whoever she was, and not Barbara Rush. 

Did you ever ask a director if you could do a scene over again? 

Only when we got the dialogue wrong, then I would say something. Other than that, I always left it to the director. Fortunately, I worked with some of the best like Douglas Sirk. He was such a wonderful director, I always thanked him for hiring me.

As low-key as you are about your acting, you seem to have always had a lot of confidence.

Oh, the first time I worked with Frank Sinatra I was a basketcase! Warren (Cowan, Barbara’s second husband) represented Frank so I knew him a little socially, but I never dreamed I’d make a film with him. I was completely intimidated, even more so because I knew Frank hated to rehearse. I was so nervous that I called Carolyn Jones who had just worked with Frank. And she told me what to do. I came up to him on set and said, “Mr. Sinatra, can I talk to you?” And then said, “First of all, call me Frank, what can I do for you, Barbara?” And I said, “I’m from the stage and I know you don’t like rehearsing, but I have to rehearse at least one time, I don’t think I can do the scene otherwise.” And he said, “Baby doll, of course I can do that for you. CLEAR THE SET! Barbara and I are going to rehearse.”

That’s sweet. And I so love your films together, I thought you had great chemistry.

He was so nice to me and he would find a way to give me my gorgeous wardrobes. I remember we were making Robin and the 7 Hoods together when President Kennedy was assassinated. Howard Koch drove onto the lot to tell us the news, it was just awful. Frank was very close to the Kennedys and he was just was devastated, he just kind of shriveled up. We had to shut down the picture for a few days, and then as soon as we came back, Frank Jr. was kidnapped so that ended it for good. Frank never came back to the picture.

How did they ever finish the movie?

With some very careful editing! I had been rehearsing this big musical number I was going to perform with Frank called “I Like to Lead When I Dance” and I was thrilled I was going to sing and dance in a movie with Frank Sinatra! I was so excited and rehearsed for a long time. But because of everything that happened, we never got to do it. It’s probably my biggest disappointment from my entire career!

I would have loved to have seen that! Legend has it that Sinatra could have a very bad temper, you never witnessed that?

He never got angry with me. If he felt he was respected, he would do anything for you. You can’t believe all of the people in Hollywood he helped, often anonymously like Lee J. Cobb who was having a very hard time. He would have his secretary send cashier’s checks to people who needed money. I remember how much Frank loved Dean Martin. Dean had such a different style of working. He’d come to the set and say, “Tell me what we’re going to do today.” So different from Frank. I remember being at Dean’s home once for dinner and he had a hole-in-one earlier that day and was so excited he said it was the best day of his life! I loved his singing, and Frank’s, and also Sammy Davis, Jr., who I knew very well. You just can’t ask for better voices than those. 

I remember seeing photos of you presenting at the Academy Awards. Was that a fun thing to do?

Oh, yes. But probably different than it is today. I did my own hair and makeup and I remember asking them if I could walk out barefoot because my shoes were killing me, I had a hard time with high heels. I remember driving to the Oscars one year with Paul Newman, I think it was at the Shrine. The parties were fun, but I always wanted to go to a real ball, like the one Audrey Hepburn goes to in War and Peace. But I’ve never been invited to one. 

What?! Get this woman to a ball immediately! We’ll have a birthday ball in your honour!

Oh, thank you, I’m ready!

Here is an interesting and very rare photograph I have of child star Bobby Henrey – fresh from the success of ‘The Fallen Idol’ chatting with Sir Philip Warter, Chairman of ABC with his wife and daughter.

The picture was taken at the London Premiere of ‘The Third Man’ in September 1949 at The Plaza in The Haymarket

The World Premiere was actually held at the Ritz Cinema in Hastings on 1st September 1949, a few days before the London one – in the evening. Hastings might seem an odd location, but it was chosen by the distributors, British Lion who were experimenting at the time with the idea of having premieres shown in regional cinemas away from London.

Bobby Henrey didn’t stay on long in films – but he did appear as himself a few years later in a 1962 ‘This is Your Life’ BBC programme – the subject being Dora Bryan who had appeared with him in ‘The Fallen Idol‘ – SEE BELOW

Back to ‘The Third Man’ – The crowds certainly turned out for this film

I have also just come across the photograph BELOW – must have been around the same time as the film showing is ‘Trottie True’

ABOVE – London in 1949 – the film ‘Trottie True’ was showing and that was also released in September of that year

As we are in London’s Theatre Land – actually Cinema Land – I couldn’t help but include the one below from September 1956 – not that long afterwards but it seems somehow an eternity away from 1949 – The Rock n Roll revolution had just begun – at the London Pavilion

Harry Black was made on location in India and was a very good production that should have fared much better at the Box Office.

Lord Brabourne, after he left the forces, went into Film Production and this film was his first venture in his own right.

After demob, he had gone to work for film producer Herbert Wilcox and met a newly demobbed third assistant director, Richard Goodwin. They were to set up their own company, and the first film Lord Brabourne produced was Harry Black and the Tiger, starring Stewart Granger.

A tiger is on the prowl in a remote corner of India and the government have contracted white hunter Stewart Granger for the job of killing it. The job gets personal with Stewart Granger when he discovers the that tiger is in the vicinity of a tea plantation run by Anthony Steel and his wife Barbara Rush who’s always had a thing for Granger – which complicates things. There are some flashback sequences telling how the three main players have arrived to the point they are now. Steel did not go through with his part of an escape plan during World War II and as a result Granger lost a leg. Both men are in love with Barbara Rush, but Granger bowed out and now fate has conspired to cast them together again. Anthony Steel proved to be weak and cowardly during the war, but now Granger questions his own fitness for the job especially after getting mauled by the tiger but he has become obsessed with killing the beast Stewart Granger looks the part, very much as he did in such a big hit in King Solomon’s Mines. Later on he did a film called The Last Safari in the Sixties and it was not a success – Stewart Granger said years later that he was in one of the best films ever made in Africa which was ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ and the worst made in Africa which was ‘The Last Safari’. Victor Mature was in a very good one in Africa called ‘Safari’ in the early sixties. In this film look for I.S. Johar and Kamala Devi as Stewart Granger’s guide and his Indian nurse when he is recovering from his encounter with the tiger. I S Johar also appeared with Kenneth More in ‘North West Frontier’ in 1959 and very good he was.

Director: Hugo Fregonese Writers: Sydney Boehm, David Walker (novel)   Stars: Stewart Granger, Barbara Rush, Anthony Steel, I.S. Johar, Martin Stephens, Frank Olegario, Kamala Devi

BAFTA Awards 1959 Nominee Best British Actor I.S. Johar

The book was published in 1956. The New York Times called it “a most intelligent novel”. Film rights were purchased by 20th Century Fox. Lord Bradbourne was assigned to produce, in part because he was son-in-law of Lord Mountbatten, former viceroy of India, and thus had many contacts in the country.

I. S. Johar, the well-known producer, writer and director of Indian independent films, made his American acting debut in this picture.

Barbara Rush had not long divorced her first husband Jeffrey Hunter when she journeyed to London and then to India for this film.

In February 1958 she set off to Mysore, India, for the filming of Harry Black. She stopped over in Bombay and was the guest of honour of a film magnate there who presented her with 17 saris, a different one to wear each night – and then in May 1958 she met Indian Prime Minister Mr Nehru

This film dates back to 1949 and was made at the Studios of Exclusive Films. An early Hammer Film with quite a meagre budget – the Dr Morelle stories had been broadcast as plays on BBC Radio in the War years and afterwards – and that had been very successful.

It was hoped that a film version would capitalise on that but, like Dick Barton Special Agent the public preferred it on Radio.

In the case of Dick Barton, it was mainly because the actors chosen just did not fit the public’s perception of how they looked at all. When we listen to an Audio Drama – as I frequently do – we see the characters in our minds very clearly.

I always remember someone telling me that when asked why they liked Radio Drama – the answer came back ‘because the scenery is better’

I know what they mean.

Valentine Dyall had done a lot of Radio work – in fact that is where he is probably best known – as the ‘The Man in Black’

A Hammer – Edward G, Whiting production released by Exclusive Films. 
Ernest Dudleys famous character of “Monday Night at Eight”. Adapted from a play by Wilfred Burr. 
Recorded by United Programmes 

Black & White 73 minutes

Heiress Cynthia Mason disappears in mysterious circumstances just as she is about to come into her inheritance and elope with her boyfriend, Peter Lorimer. Worried by her disappearance, her friend Miss Frayle, who is also assistant to amateur detective Doctor Morelle, takes it upon herself to investigate.
Masquerading as a housemaid, Miss Frayle travels to Cynthia’s remote West Country mansion home, where she encounters her friend’s intimidating, wheelchair-bound stepfather, Mr Kimber.
Miss Frayle soon finds herself out of her depth and, when Bensall, the butler, is murdered and she finds her own life to be in danger, she makes a desperate telephone call to her boss, Doctor Morelle, begging him for help 

The Above Picture is of ‘this magnificent building set in it’s own beautiful grounds that has just become the home of production activity lined up for Exclusive Films’ – that was the 1949 caption from one of the first rate Cinema Magazines of the day. It is Oakley Court, Near Windsor.

Interestingly Valentine Dyall worked there on a film shortly after this – a role he was famous for – the film was ‘The Man in Black’

However this Dr Morelle film was mainly shot around Cookham – more towards Henley on Thames.

This film is based on stories written by Ernest Dudley. It was a long-running series, initially starring Dennis Arundell in Wartime years and afterwards – it was very popular. In the 1950s, the role was taken by Cecil Parker with Sheila Sim as Miss Frayle.

There were also short stories, and even a stage play. In fact BELOW we can see a programme from the 1950 stage play at the theatre in Kew with Dennis Arundell as Dr Morelle and Jane Grahame as Miss Frayle. I would think that was a good one to see – I have not heard of any Dr Morelle stage productions.

Jane Grahame was actually the wife of Ernest Dudley the creator and writer of the Dr Morelle stories. She was also the original Miss Frayle in the Radio series – the same role as she had in this stage production

I really wish that the Dr Morelle stories could be done again on Radio or Television – I think they could prove entertaining and draw a good audience.

This was in the summer of 1952

As we celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne, in her very first year we can look back, in Cinema terms, and see just how much things have changed. During the summer ‘Tarzan’s Savage Fury’ with Lex Barker was released and just look at the queues – incredible. This was at the Scala Cinema in Worcester. It strikes me that if this film were to be put on again in a leading cinema today, maybe you would have a job to sell even a few seats – but just look at this in 1952.

I remember Peter Haigh reviewing this film and we saw clips from it on the small TV screen we had – in fact the type we all had. It looked very exciting and in those days, with only the one channel, such a promotion there would give a great boost to the film – as it did in Worcester.

Sol Lesser’s ‘Tarzan’s Savage Fury’ which stars Lex Barker is proving one of the most successful of all the Edgar Rice Burroughs series. Currently on RKO Radio Release, the film is gaining much added publicity via the ‘live trailer’ of a ‘Tarzan and Jane’ on tour. The players are seen on the canopy of the Scala, Worcester, where great queues line the Theatre. Their appearance received front page prominence in the Worcester Evening News and Times

Above – I have tried to close in on this picture above – not entirely successfully but enough to see the look-alike Tarzan and Jane on the Balcony.

The Scala Cinema (1922-1973) was previously a theatre, it opened as a cinema on 27th November 1922 and was the first cinema in Worcester to have CinemaScope installed in 1954.

Back to the film – Lex Barker does and did a great job as  Tarzan because he just looked the part, and was athletic enough to cope with the demands of this role in five films –  I wish he had stayed longer as Tarzan  though.

BELOW – Dorothy Hart with Lex Barker – Tarzans Savage Fury 1952

This film is well worth watching for the action and physicality that Lex Barker brings to the Tarzan role, and also for Dorothy Hart’s presence and fine acting.

Here in England at the time, was a Television programme Picture Parade on BBC Television  – in the very early days of Television,  which reviewed new cinema releases.

However I do remember him reviewing this film and showing clips from it one night- and as a small boy to see these scenes from a new and exciting Tarzan film was thrilling – I remember it to this day – and even the clip of film which had Tarzan swimming across a river. 

Peter Haigh was replaced in 1962 and went to live in Portugal, where he opened a waterside restaurant. In 1957, he had married the film star Jill Adams.

Interestingly Cy Endfield directed this film – the very last one he did in the USA before he was black-listed for allegedly – and wrongly – being a Communist party member. He then came to England and a few years later had some success with ‘Hell Drivers’ and then came the big one for him – he wrote the screenplay, Produced the Film and Directed it – it was ‘Zulu’

He died in England where he and his family had made their home – in the Cotswold Area.

I have to start by writing about a particular pub in Mayfair which I used to frequent quite a few years ago when I worked in an Office in Grosvenor Street just around the corner from The Iron Duke on Street.

This has come back into my mind because I am attending a business forum meeting next week at this very pub.

Now to Peter Bull – the subject of this article. He was the only famous actor who I ever saw in my years down there working and it was in this Pub that I stopped for a quick half on my way home and he was sitting there chatting to his friends. Even then in that relaxed pose, he seemed larger than life and quite theatrical as you would expect

Peter Bull pictured above as the German Captain in ‘The African Queen’

Peter Bull has had a long career as an actor, notably in plays such as Luther and Waiting for Godot. He has also made several forays into theatrical management as well as appearing many films including an early visit to Hollywood.

He had become a friend of Robert Morley after they appeared in stage productions in the West Country together before the War and when Robert got a part in ‘Marie Antoinette’ in Hollywood which was a big budget film released in 1938. Peter went along to Hollywood and got himself a small role which he claimed was cut when the film was released – I am not sure that it was

He had a very distinguished career in the Royal Navy and became Captain of his own ship and saw action

He survived though and came back into Civvy Street and back into the Theatre putting on his own productions

By his own admission, these were not always successful but he did have some very good shows which went on tour throughout the UK.

He is seen above in a much later film with Fiona Fullerton as Alice in 1972 – he was quite scary as the Queen of Hearts – as this still from the film shows.

He periodically appeared in films – well quite regularly really – but his focus and interest lay more with the Theatre, I think.

He had a long fascination with Teddy Bears and had a collection of around 250 at his London home but he said that they were not all in the living room – quite a lot of them lived in the hallway.

I always liked Peter Bull – he seemed to be a real character and something of a ‘one-off’

His appearance as the Queen of Hearts I found quite disconcerting and frightening

I have just watch this film on Talking Pictures and really loved it. In the Credits at the end was the caption ‘made at Denham Film Studios’ so this made it extra good for me as I loved those Studios.

One thing that struck me was the sheer size of some of the sets which was a hallmark of the Denham Films as they were able to make use of the huge sound stages there.

ABOVE: Helen Backlin and David Tomlinson, co-stars in the 1949 British film ‘The Chiltern Hundreds’, do some ride-sharing around the Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire

However local locations were used for some of the exterior Scenes – and they were mainly around Denham Village and Denham Railway Station – however the bottom one which was the large stately home in the film was actually filmed at St Osyth’s Priory Nr Clacton On Sea as it’s location.