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

I always seem to manage to come back to this one – a very favourite film of mine for many reasons.

This is a US advertisement for the film

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men was released in Britain with ‘Hammer the Toff’ as the supporting film – I am told. However, my thoughts are that it would be much more likely to be on an ‘All Disney’ programme as above.

Also the film is titled ‘The Story of Robin Hood’ and not the longer version but I note with great pleasure that Joan Rice is shown in the star billing area – that is not the case sometimes in the later release AND some of the TV listings

That really annoys me – She was orginally Star Billed alongside Richard Tod – where she should be.

An added note here – Peter Lamont the famous James Bond Art Director – was employed on this film as a junior draughtsman – Uncredited.

I spoke to him once of the telephone during the making of ‘Goldeneye’ in 1995 but at that time did not know of his link to this film or I would certainly have asked him about it – and about any recollections of stories

I have written about this lovely actress before –.

She was actually in THREE of the Edgar Wallace Mystery series – Marriage of Convenience,  Clue of the Silver Key and  Return to Sender.

She was married to Dinsdale Landen the actor from 1959 until his death in 2003.

They met when she played Clara in a BBC TV adaptation of ‘Great Expectations’ – he played the leading role as Pip in 1959 – and they married 6 weeks later . What a romantic story.

They later lived in South Creake, Norfolk – where Dinsdale sadly died in 2003 at the youngish age of 71

Jennifer Daniel BELOW- a very attractive young lady – starred in ‘The Reptile’

We have mentioned her before but mainly with regards to her film career – however from 1958 she had been active in the Theatre starting up in Dundee Rep with a small part in ‘Jonah’s Ark’ and another one before coming down South later that year to have a significant role in ‘The Voice of the Turtle at the New Theatre in Hull.

Then she was in the West End in 1959 in ‘Fool’s Paradise’ at the Apollo Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue. She continued in many productions until 1981 when she was in ‘Dangerous Corner’ at the Ambassadors Theatre.

Before this she had played Lady Clarissa Eden in the stage play ‘Suez’ in 1977 which did a lengthy tour of the UK – very successfully too. I think she looked a lot like Lady Eden. Incidentally although Jennifer Daniel was much younger than Lady Eden, she actually died some time before her – mind you Lady Eden lived to be 101

Jennifer Daniel again played Lady Eden in the 1979 television drama “Suez 1956”. The show, produced by Michelangelo Productions, also featured other actors like Mark Brackenbury as Admiral Earl Mountbatten, and David Webb as Lt-Gen Sir John Bagot Glubb. 

Michael Gough played Sir Anthony Eden

Earlier than this she took the lead in ‘Dangerous Corner’ a play by J B Priestley – not one I know at all even though I am a big fan of this writer.

I watched an episode yesterday on Talking Pictures – not of the best quality production-wise but the very lovely Jennifer Daniel was in it so it became more watchable. The sets were not brilliant and some of the sword fights not convincing but all in all it was pleasant.

it seems that the producers were looking at building on the huge success of ‘The Adventure of Robin Hood’ and ‘Ivanhoe’ but it didn’t seem to work – Dermot Walsh did not have the charisma or the film star looks of either Richard Greene or Roger Moore so this series didn’t take on so well.

‘Richard The Lionheart’ portrays Richard I of England in a swashbuckling, family-friendly way. 

DERMOT WALSH

Filmgoers in the 1950s had to sit through many a dire, low-budget second-feature, made to satisfy the government ruling that a percentage of films shown in British cinemas must be home-grown rather than Hollywood imports. Dermot Walsh, who has died aged 77, starred in more than 20 such films.

He joined to the Abbey theatre school of acting, he spent three years with Lord Longford’s repertory company, and was in productions at the Gate and Croydon repertory theatre, before being spotted by a Rank talent scout.

His first three films were enjoyably e melodramas starring Margaret Lockwood, then at the peak of her stardom. Little noticed as a chauffeur in Bedelia (1946), Walsh made an impression later that year, in Hungry Hill. In this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel about an Irish family feud spanning three generations, he played Lockwood’s profligate son, although he was only eight years her junior. In Jassy (1947), he graduated to being her lover, and was well cast as a dispossessed heir whom the half-Gypsy Lockwood steals from sweet Patricia Roc.

Nothing else Walsh did in features was as good. A few feeble films followed, including Third Time Lucky (1949), in which he starred with Glynis Johns.

In the same year, he married Hazel Court, with whom he co-starred in My Sister And I (1948), the first of a number of plays and films they would appear in together. Back on the stage, he was in the first production of Shaw’s Buoyant Billions, as well as in Reluctant Heroes and JB Priestley’s Laburnum Grove.

In 1952, Walsh started his cycle of leading roles in shoestring second features, many of them murky crime thrillers, shot in two weeks, and middlingly directed by John Gilling and Lance Comfort. Despite the functional scripts, Walsh actually gave a good account of himself in, among others, The Frightened Man (1952), Ghost Ship (1952) and The Floating Dutchman (1953).

One of the better of these films, directed by Gilling, was The Flesh And The Fiends (1959) aka Mania, The Fiendish Ghouls and Psycho Killers, about the grave robbers Burke and Hare. In it, Walsh played the medical assistant to Peter Cushing’s Dr Knox, who bought the bodies for experiments. He also played straight man to Arthur Askey in Make Mine A Million (1959). The same year, in Crash Drive, he portrayed a racing driver who believes he cannot walk after an accident.

When the quota quickies faded, Walsh starred in the 39 episodes of the swashbuckling children’s adventure series Richard The Lionheart (1961-62). His last film appearance was in The Wicked Lady (1983), but he continued to act on stage until fairly recently, in The Rivals at Birmingham Rep, Joe Orton’s Loot in London, and Harold Pinter’s A Kind Of Alaska in Cambridge.

He and Court divorced in 1963; their daughter survives him, as does his son by Diana Scougall and two daughters by his third wife, Elizabeth Knox, who predeceased him.

——————————————————————————————————-

Another similar series – in my view much better – was ‘Sir Lancelot’ with William Russell with one series of this was actually filmed in colour

This series, which only consisted of only 30 episodes in all, was shown over two years 1956 and 1957. It starred William Russell as Sir Lancelot and apparently went well in the USA so that the last 14  episodes were made in Colour.  This would have been on film of course as  Colour Television Cameras were not around at that time. Mind you most of these series were made on film at the time.

 Above William Russell as Sir Lancelot – although he didn’t have the pipe in the show !!

Above William Russell as Sir Lancelot.

The producers went to a lot of trouble with the sets and costumes and they look splendid given the very limited television budgets. William Russell makes a lively and very personable hero and handles the action scenes with dash and enthusiasm.

In this 1957 RKO Radio Technicolor production Diana Dors starred in her first American production alongside Rod Steiger.

‘Half-Angel, Half Devil – she made him Half-man’ – this was from the American advertising release

Diana Dors slinked her way through thie film – the story of a party girl who marries wealthy windery owner Rod Steiger, and then quickly falls in love with rodeo performer Tom Tryon and then decides to murder her husband. The plan, however, backfires when she mistakenly kills Steiger’s best friend.

She manages to escape punishment for this murder but is eventually convicted for another murder that she did not commit.

John Farrow directed this one

It was one of the last films from RKO Radio

The Unholy Wife 1957

Diana Dors is seen on death row telling her story of how her own greed lead to her downfall. She is married to wealthy vineyard owner Rod Steiger whom she met in a bar, but bored spending the day taking care of his elderly mother, she is soon involved in an affair with rodeo horseman Tom Tryon.

Dian Dors proves here – something I have long known – that she is a very good actress. She more than holds her own with Rod Steiger – as she did with many of the male stars she worked with.

This was to be the first of three films for RKO but in the end there was the only one – the film did not do well so she was dropped from her contract. Apparently she sued RKO and was paid something like 200,000 US Dollars in compensation.

A few years before this, she had been offered the leading female role in ‘His Majesty O’ Keefe’ with Burt Lancaster but her husband Dennis Hamilton – her manager as well – would not let her go out to Fiji to make the film – instead he accepted a Summer Season at Blackpool.–

Eventually Joan Rice got the role and was very good

I am a great  fan of Joan Rice who took the part – and was very good in it, but I also am an admirer of Diana Dors who was a very good actor.

Above: Joan Rice and Burt Lancaster in a still from the film

It appears that Burt Lancster asked to see Diana at his suite at Claridges in London and indeed she did have this meeting alone with Burt but with her husband lurking somewhere below. She later tested for the part by darkening her skin a little, donning  a sarong, and wearing a black wig but Dennis would not let her take this part. It wouldn’t be much of a guess as to why.

I am pleased however that Joan Rice got the part – but can’t help but wonder what the film would have been like with Diana in that role – but more than that the effect it would have had on her future because she may well have seized the opportunity of such a big film as this. Her husband thought better of her spending months in Fiji on a South Sea Island with Burt Lancaster.

A friend of mine locally has just built this ‘pier’ at a lake nearby and it struck me immediately that I could just see Johnny Weissmuller sprint along this walkway and plunge headlong into the pool below – no doubt along with Crocs and Hippos – he would see the crocodiles off

That same friend – although not a film fan at all also acquired ths large scale model of a galleon that had been used in Hornblower.

BELOW – here it is floating on his pond – it is just small enough to fit

B

Starring Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo, Raoul Walsh’s 1951 adaptation of some of C.S. Forester’s classic seafaring novels is stirring stuff!

Here are some stills from the film – by no means one of my favourite films but OK

Filmed in Technicolor, and released by RKO Radio in their new Superscope wide screen process, this was

Dale Robertson who was borrowed from 20th Century Fox and Mari Blanchard borrowed from Universal starred but it was Vincent Price who stole the show

Plot: Sinbad, accompanied by his friend Omar Khayyam, is on the search for beautiful women and the legendary substance known as Greek Fire.

“Son of Sinbad” is a highly entertaining adventure with a funny story and a incredible cast of beautiful actresses, including Kim Novak in an uncredited role.

Son of Sinbad (1955)

Son of Sinbad (June 2, 1955)
Cast:        Dale Robertson as Sinbad
                Vincent Price as Omar Khayyam
                Sally Forest as Ameer
                Lili St. Cyr as Nerissa
                Mari Blanchard as Kristina
                Leon Askin as Khalif
                Jay Novello as Jiddah

Written by Jack Pollexfen, Aubrey Wisberg & Jeff Bailey
Directed by Ted Tetzlaff

In this film Sinbad is really more of a womaniser than an adventurer.

The real shining element here is Vincent Price, who is charming and very funny as Omar Khayyam. He’s basically a colleague of Sinbad but he ends up really being the star of the film. There is also the never ending array of scantily-clad women, including some very seductive dances. It’s a well-made and very colorful film, perfect matinee

Trivia:

• The film was shot in 1953 but delayed until 1955 due to Lili St. Cyr’s controversial belly dance. It was originally shot in 3D but by the time it was released, 3D was no longer popular and it was converted to the Superscope format. The dance scenes were supposedly censored but remain very risqué, especially for a film from the 1950s.
• While Vincent Price was only a supporting character in the film, his legendary status has helped elevate his performance as the standout of the film. He starred in this the same year House of Wax (1953) was released.
• Sally Forest is also known for The Strip (1951) with Mickey Rooney and The Strange Door (1951), also starring Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff.
• Mari Blanchard also played Queen Allura in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953).
• Leon Askin is best known for his role of General Burkhalter in Hogan’s Heroes (1965-1971).
• Jay Novello had 207 film and TV credits, including The Lost World (1960) and The Mad Magician (1954), as well as countless television appearances.
• Kim Novak is uncredited as one of the harem girls. She made her film debut the same year this was filmed and is best remembered for such films as Picnic (1955), Vertigo (1958) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958).
• Woody Strode is uncredited as one of the palace guards. He had made his film debut in 1941 but was still a few years away from achieving greater recognition at the time this was filmed in 1953. He is best remembered for such films as Tarzan’s Three Challenges (1963), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Pork Chop Hill (1959).