This does seem an unlikely pairing but it seems that having met when they both did a Charity Event performance in 1955 called ‘NIGHT OF 100 STARS’, they liked each other and got on extremely well

She told a lovely story about having dinner with Tyrone Power andf then ,being taken home in his Jaguar She felt obliged to offer dinner back,but said to Tyrone,it will only be bacon and eggS to which he replied ‘ I would love bacon and eggs’ and he ‘looked forward to it‘

Joan forgot but ater a few days she received a telephone call from his manager / agent -saying that Tyrone kept asking when are we coming for bacon and eggs.

Joan was then in a panic thinking that she couldn’t give a movie star bacon and egg so her friend showed her how to make Caesar salad to go with it. The meal was a success.

They all enjoyed the meal and danced the night away to Songs for Swinging Lovers

This BELOW is a photograph from the event NIGHT OF 100 STARS, Tyrone Power did a song and dance number and Joan was one of the showgirls (below) dancing with him (others included Anna Massey, Jean Kent, and Brenda Bruce).

Tyrone Power did see Joan a few times, and they had a sort of romance until he was summoned back to Hollywood.

No this isn’t one of his films but in fact his Autobiography – at least as far as it went as this was published in 1947 so in fact, his life – and his film life – would have much more to be written about.

I have read one comment quite a while ago, from someone who had read ‘No Royal Road’ and he had found that the thing that struck him was that David Farrar seemed to have a very high opinion of himself.

This book is notoriously hard to find but I was lucky although I had searched regularly for it – not that I am a big fan of his but he was in memorable films of my youth.

I recall the story of a school trip by the Old Monrovians to Denham Film Studios where the film ‘Mr Perrin and Mr Traill’ was being made which also starred Marius Goring and Greta Gynt. Apparently all the actors particularly Edward Chapman were very helpful and friendly with the boys but David Farrar was not.

He appeared looking dis-interested, had a picture taken, and then just strode off and that’s the last the schoolboys saw of him.

He does come over as superior and supercilious and unfriendly.

‘Mr Perrin and Mr Traill’ is one of my favourite films

David Farrar was certainly happily married for a lot of years and it does sound as though his wife was very influential in his Theatre work and in the films he played in.

He did regret turning down the main ‘villain’ role in that big production of ‘Ivanhoe’ made in England and released in 1952 – a lavish MGM Technicolor production. The part went to George Sanders after his refusal – and David later said that he wished he had done it – it was the most interesting role in the film in his opinion.

David Farrar moved to Hollywood probably later than he should have done – he appeared in films there with limited success.

One of his later films ‘300 Spartans’ is well remembered to this day

When he retired from films, and after his wife died he went to live near his daughter in South Africa. He didn’t keep in contact with any of his colleagues in the film industry – and appeared to have few friends

No sooner had she finished with ‘The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men’ Joan Rice was signed for a leading role in this South Sea Adventure filmed in Fiji starring opposite Burt Lancaster.

Byron Haskin – who Walt Disney had hired previously to direct ‘Treasure Island’ at Denham Film Studios in England in 1949 – directed this one and as always, he made a very good job of it. In Technicolor and Widescreen this looked so impressive at the cinema when I saw it along with my brother at The Odeon, St. Albans.

Joan Rice acted well in this and was well treated by Byron Haskin who had no complaints about her – and she was respected and certainly not the subject of bullying s she was on ‘ The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

Memories of this film released in 1954 and one I saw at the Odeon in St. Albans are still crystal clear because in those days in the early days of TV which as we all know was in Black and White and on such a small screen, we had seen nothing of the South Sea Islands and here we were transported to Fiji in Technicolor on the giant Cinemascope  screen.

We saw a swashbuckling Burt Lancaster – previously having seen him in The Flame and the Arrow – and the very beautiful Joan Rice.

                                         The lovely star of this film – Joan Rice.

On a recent cruise holiday, my wife and I had called at Suva in Fiji and during the bus tour our guide asked if anyone had heard of or seen His Majesty O Keefe and I was able to say – Yes I have seen it about 50 times – and he said that the scene in Hong Kong with Burt Lancaster and Joan Rice had actually been filmed in the heart of Suva. He also showed us where some of the action shots were done. It seemed a film that they were quite proud of – and why not. It is a very good and enjoyable film. It wasn’t the first because Jean Simmons had been out to Fiji a year or more before to film The Blue Lagoon. I quite often think about those young actresses going out to Fiji in those days – even now it is a long way but then it must have taken ages – but what an adventure for them !!

Burt Lancaster plays a sea captain / adventurer IN 1870  who plies his trade in the South Seas and in Fiji sees an opportunity of making a lot of money from Copra. He does however fall in love with Joan Rice – who wouldn’t ? – and turns into a hero helping rescue the islanders from unscrupulous people.

Andre Morrell is very good – as he always was – he was something of a stalwart of this era although never in the starring role but pretty dependable. He would have gone out to Fiji also for the filming which was all done on the islands rather than back on studio sets.

Also cast were Abraham Sofaer and Benson Fong in quite good roles.

This is one of my own favourite films – it is exotic, colourful with a good story and a lovely leading lady in Joan Rice. I was never a big fan of Burt Lancaster though but he did well enough in this and he had the name to ensure some success for Warner Brothers with the film which cost around $1.55 million dollars to make in the early fifties – so it would be quite big budget.

After her return Joan Rice’s career just seemed to fade away even after The Story of Robin Hood and His Majesty O Keefe both major films with worldwide distribution and both financially very successful. I can never understand this because in both films she was good and very watchable. Something went wrong but what ?

An above average British film – a film that deserves to be better known

This well-made British science fiction story concerns the crew of a test rocket on which a lady reporter (Lois Maxwell) stows away. Kieron Moore plays the pilot of the rocket sent into orbit in connection with the test of a new “Tritonium bomb”. Donald Wolfit plays the bomb’s inventor.

After releasing he bomb, it’s internal propulsion system fails and it becomes attached to the hull of the spacecraft. All attempts to dislodge it are unsuccessful, so the bomb’s inventor takes drastic action to deal with the situation.

Director Paul Dickson presents an exciting and intelligent story. The special effects are both competent and exciting — which is no surprise in view of the fact that their creator, Wally Veevars, later worked on “2001”

The special effects include the space scenes, an underground space complex, and a rocket which is launched from a horizontal track, similar to “When Worlds Collide”. Well-designed sets and props (especially the ship’s interior and the spacesuits) enhance this wonderful British entry.

Satellite in the Sky – Start of the Take-off

Satellite in the Sky – The Spaceship speeding up the Ramp

Satellite in the Sky – We have lift-off

Satellite in the Sky – The Spaceship cruising along in space

One scene in Satellite in the Sky on the big wide screen that remains with me to this day is a brief shot when Keiron Moore looks out of the space craft from a side viewing area, and we are looking back with him towards the earth and other planets – and that was extremely well done although you could see that it was fake – it didn’t seem to matter anyway as the film was so enjoyable.  Now I see it again – as above – still pretty good, I would say.

Kieron Moore and Lois Maxwell on board the Spaceship

In Satellite in the Sky 1956 – we have that  grand thespian Donald Wolfit  – BELOW  who, to me, is the most interesting character in the film – and gives the best performance.

Satellite in the Sky should really have a far higher profile in British sci-fi history, or even as a classic British film but somehow it is a forgotten relic – which I think is unjust for such an expensive and, at times, impressive film.

Sir Donald Wolfit made quite a few films and was always good but he never ventured to Hollywood as people like Laurence Olivier did – both Shakespearean Actors of some note although Donald Wolfit had the edge. He could tackle – and did tackle on stage – all the major Shakespearian Characters whereas Olivier could not. His Othello was pretty poor.

If Donald Wolfit had gone to Hollywood I am certain that he would have fared very well indeed.

To finish we quote just two of the impressive Theatre reviews Sir Donald Wolfit received :-

From James Agate the influential Critic wrote :-

“I say deliberately that his performance on Wednesday was the greatest piece of Shakespearean acting I have ever seen”

AND

C.B. Cochran wrote :

‘In Donald Wolfit a new ‘giant’ has arisen .. It is my decided opinion that there has been no actor on our stage since Irving’s great days comparable to Wolfit in the great roles’

Edith Sitwell  after seeing him in King Lear wrote that the cosmic grandeur of his performance left her and her brother Osbert unable to speak