Film Stars of the day – or even today – must always be available to sign autographs for their fans and most do so, after all it is the fans that put them where they are and most appreciated that
I have come across these pictures from the very early fifties that I found interesting
ABOVE – Enid Blyton signs for John Howard Davies
ABOVE – Maxwell Reed signs – not a good look with that cigarette drooping from his mouth
ABOVE – Probably my favourite of these photographs shown the lovely Natasha Parry using this very lucky man’s back in order to sign. She is smiling too – he must be pleased !!
ABOVE – J Arthur Rank no less, signs for children at the Children’s Club Choir Festival. He came from Hull and was a staunch Methodist – he has my admiration for the way he built and sustained the film industry in this country over the years.
Talking, as we are, of Autographs, I came across this fascinating piece from an Australian newspaper :-
Teenager’s autograph book captures big names of 1950s Australian radio, film
Long before selfies with celebrities or following someone famous on Twitter, fans hounded stars for their autographs — often scribbled in a little leather book.
As a Sydney teenager in the 1950s, Lesley Cansdell collected dozens of signatures of her favourite Australian radio and film personalities.
Her autograph book, recently acquired by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), includes more than 90 signatures and handwritten comments from the big names of the day.
They include Chips Rafferty, Ruth Cracknell, John Meillon and Muriel Steinbeck.
I often think back to the days when, certainly in our village, an entrepeneur of the time would hire the local village hall and put on a full programme of films much as any cinema would offer.
There would be the normal supporting picture, then maybe a Pathe News and trailer for the Coming Shortly ones – I loved these trailers – then on to the ‘big picture’
They were wonderful evenings – maybe once a week and usually in winter.
The films shown had been major releases but after only a few years they came available for hire for shiows such as these. I do remember seeing ‘Distant Drums’ and ‘Angels One Five’ in maybe 1954 or 1955 so they were not that old.
Anyway I have come across trade advertisements of the time for film hirers which are fascinating as below :-
Many of these above are well known and well remembered but I am very much intrigued by the company ‘Warner Bros. Sub.Standard Division– I can’t imagine any company advertising anything with the term ‘sub standard’let alone the film world.
ABOVE – Ron Harris of Maidenhead had some really interesting ones- for instance ‘Kiss of Death’ with Victor Matureis a good film
These advertisements came from a very interesting little magazine from March 1950
BELOW – I am repeating an article from this same magazine that I did a couple of years or so ago which deals with a particular Village Film Show from Little Shelford in Cambridgeshire – this is NOT my village I hasten to add but a very similar operation to what I would remember :-
We are now going back to the very early fifties – At that time a visit to the Cinema was a big event and when the Cinema came to your village What a thrill that would be. I can confirm that because in the Village where I live in the mid 50;s we had a ‘once a week’ professional film show with a full programme including Newsreel, Advertisements, Supporting Picture and the ‘big’ film.
However I have come across this article that centres on two brothers who, after the War, purchased equipment and set up a travelling cinema – this is the one at Little Shelford Nr Cambridge.
ABOVE – Russell Oddyis setting up the ‘film stills’ board outside of the entrance. This evening the ‘big’ picture will be ‘Mrs Miniver’ plus supporting programme
Russell hen went inside to set up the projection room and make sure that all was ok there/
The projection room was made in such a way as to eliminate the projector noise from the main hall
Russell Oddy was born in 1916 and at the age of 11 he had his own hand-cranked projector and held little shows in his father’s woodshed
ABOVE Russel’s brother Douglaswas busy at the other end of the hall setting up the screen and the curtains that he made to open and shut professionally when the film programme was about to start
Outside a large crowd gathered – the Hall is next to the local Pub ‘The Chequers’ and the Pub Landlord Mr Beebe is very supportive of the venture – in fact his wife had attended and enjoyed the first house showing
ABOVE – Tickets Please !!
The audience were all given a brochure / programme on the film
ABOVE: Ice Cream is served just before the main feature
ABOVE – The queue for the ‘second house’ in the cold and rain – the rain later turned to snow
ABOVE – The second house audience is seated and ready. Just a view also at the back of the Hall of the small box like projection room which was soundproofed. Also a Poster for ‘Mrs Miniver’ on the side wall of the Hall
Much of the material above was taken from a magazine article dated March 1950 – so the pictures would have been taken just before then – maybe January or February 1950 – or even March 1950
A footnote about Russell an d Douglas Oddy
Russell had been in the forces during the War in the RAF on flying duties uin the Middle East. Later after being grounded, he worked in the Entertainments branch and after a while he was put in charge of setting up and running an open air cinema in the desert. This gave Russell the insight and interest in 16 mm films and after the War, with a budget of savings of £ 50 he and his brother Douglas who had been a Prisoner of War and had also some savings teamed up to set up the type of operation there now was at Little Shelford, Nr Cambridge.
Their first venture was at Bourn, Cambridgeshire where the programme was ‘Rainbow on the River’ and ‘Beau Chumps‘
After that the films steadily were more ‘up to date’ and they operated at least at a couple of locations including Little Shelford
Actor Anthony Quayle in his younger days – Pictured Below
He Joined the Royal Artillery as a gunner on the 8th Sept 1939 and was commissioned as a Lt in January 1940. Joining a coastal artillery unit in Gibraltar Quayle was to return to the UK in 1941 and did a stint as a intelligence officer for the HG “auxiliary units” in Northumberland a job which stood him in good stead for his later work with SOE in Albania .
Contracting Malaria and jaundice whilst in Albania he was repatriated home to the UK in April 1944 and continued intelligence work until the end of the war .
Anthony Quayle was reluctant to speak about much of his wartime experience but was ironically often seen in war films later – The Guns of Navarone , Lawrence of Arabia , Ice Cold in Alex and The Eagle has Landed.
However it is in this film that I remember him well – playing the most menacing of roles as Slade, opposite Gordon Scott as Tarzan in Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure
He comes to a sticky end as does his crooked colleague played by Sean Connery
Another film with Anthony Quayle was nowhere s good as the Tarzan one – ‘East of Sudan’ which was set in Africa – the other stars were Sylvia Sims, Derek Faulds and a very young Jenny Agutter
It was colourful with a lot of action but some of the rear projection shots around the elephant stampede were far from convincing.
ABOVE – All looking so young and all going on to become very well known in acting circles – Derek Faulds, Sylvia Sims and Jenny Agutter.
Veteran colonial Private Baker teams up with freshly arrived gentleman Murchison to evacuate the Emir’s daughter and her English governess from southern Barash.
It involves a perilous journey on the Nile. They must face crocodiles, Arab slavers, and a backward tribe, where King Gondoko’s missionary-raised brother Kimrasi saves and joins them.
Once in Khartoum, they find the revolt has reached there and the men join the fight.
Anthony Quayle had first trod the boards as an actor, when he joined The Old Vic in 1932. From there he launched a career that saw him appear on stage next to John Gielgud in the highly acclaimed 1937 production of Richard II and his direction of play, Crime and Punishment at the Globe Theatre in 1959 drew a great deal of praise.
He saw himself as primarily a stage actor and was in these films to boost his earning which they certainly did.
He was married to the very beautiful Dorothy Hyson – they had three children together – two daughters and a son – and remained happily married until his death in 1989
ABOVE Dorothy Hyson
Dorothy Hyson with the great George Formby in ‘Spare a Copper’ ABOVE
I do remember this, as a child, being a 6 part serial on the BBC. I had thought that this had been written by Francis Durbridge who at the time seemed to have his stories mystery drama on BBCTV all of the time it seemed – must admit that they were always good. However this was one that he hadn’t written
Anyway quite quickly after this went out, it was made as a film and from what I can find, the film did well at the Box Office
Richard Conte is the visiting American actor for this British-made thrillerwith Russell Napier (Harrington ) charged with investigating the deaths of British nuclear scientists.
A monkey creature seems to have been present at each of the killings.
The song and the theme tune from the BBC serial and from the film is quite well known – in fact at the time time very well known
Richard Conte came over to England to make this film and here he is in a scene with Rona AndersonABOVE.
Also cast was Colin Tapley who was mentioned in the last Article . – ‘The Steel Key’.
I am always drawn to this actor because of where he was born, and he had such a film career both in Hollywood where he was in the first major Technicolor film ‘Becky Sharp’ and other quite big films before War came and he joined the forces. Upon his return he again went to Hollywood and was in the blockbuster ‘Samson and Delilah’ before coming back to England and a long run of films such as this one.
I mention the place he was born Dunedin in New Zealand – somewhere I have been to twice and each time fell in love with the place.
After the War he had returned with his wife briefly before heading back to England. He and his wife had a son who died aged 3 and who is buried in Wanaka New Zealand close to Dunedin and this is where Colin was laid to rest in December 1995 – next to his boy
ABOVE Colin Tapley in ‘Becky Sharp’ 1935 in Hollywood
I watched The Steel Key today and enjoyed it – with Terence Morgan at his most dashing as the confidence trickster Johnny O’Flynn who meets and falls in love with the lovely Joan Rice. Throughout the film, he is able to keep ahead of the police headed up by Insp Forsythe (Raymond Lovell) in his bid to outwit a ruthless gang behind a plot to steal a rare chemical formula.
Colin Tapley plays the villainous boss in a very suave and polite style – something Colin was always able to do
Follow the twist and double twist double twist in the storyline – and you may well feel dizzy by the end
Joan Rice is very good in this one = virtually at the end of her film career. I can never understand why that should be because she was a capable and very attractive actress
ABOVE –Joan Ricetalking to Colin Tapley – by this time she had begun to suspect that all was not what it seemed and she was very suspicious.
ABOVE – The sanatorium. Old Quarry Hall on Springbottom Lane in Bletchingley, Surrey that was also seen in the film ‘Blackout’ SEE MORE DETAILS below
ABOVE – Terence Morgan keeps watch – a good job he did
Joan Rice ABOVE tells of her concerns as Terence Morgan listens intently– BELOW
An exciting scene BELOW
ABOVE and BELOW – A thrilling sequence at Newhaven when Terence Morgan – or most likely his stunt man, leaps from the side onto the passing boat. It is all done in one take so there were no tricks here
An impressive leap
ABOVE – Michael Balfour turns the boat round for home.
Below taken from the Reelstreets site
Old Quarry Hall
Old Quarry Hall, Springbottom Lane, Bletchingley, Surrey
Old Quarry Hall a 15-bedroom country house once stood on the corner of Springbottom Lane and White Hill Lane and appeared in the 1950 film Blackout as “The Grange”, as well as the 1953 film The Steel Key as “Crabtrees Sanatorium”.
The property dated from the 1880’s but was acquired by Patrick’s Great Grandfather in 1908. Born in Liverpool in 1868, he was of German Jewish descent and was educated in Germany from the age of 12. He went on to become Chairman of the London based metals trading firm Brandeis Goldschmidt & Co Ltd. He and the Company led the development of the London Metal Exchange to becoming the most important of the world’s metals markets, indeed, following the first World War he helped the Government in the disposal of scrap metal.
Paul Kohn-Speyer, a serious collector of antiques and artefacts from around the world, expanded the Old Quarry Hall Estate during his ownership. Indeed, his own visiting card shows that he owned a considerable amount of land on either side of Springbottom Lane, almost 200 acres, as well acquiring another substantial property in Chaldon to the north.
His death in October 1942 necessitated the break-up of his Estate. His widow Anna, moved to another property that they had owned, with much of the furniture, a good example of which can be seen in the following photograph, was auctioned a year later.
Old Quarry Hall was used as offices by the Guarantee Trust Company of New York towards the end of WWll but in 1948 it was leased, firstly to Tempean Films and later to Stirling Film Distributors. Thereafter, without regular maintenance the property quickly fell into disrepair, indeed even the lead had been taken from the roof. Paul Kohn-Speyer’s Trustees knew that the sensible way forward was to dispose of the Estate and needless to say, three “prestige” properties stand there now.
Maybe these pictures will help us to identify the inclusion of the Hall in other Tempean Films.
This was on Talking Pictures TV last week – ‘The Delavine Affair’ from 1954
In the film,Peter Reynolds stars as a reporter who finds himself the number one suspect in a murder case, however he holds one important clue that links the murder to a recent jewel theft. He then turns detective in order to clear his name. Aiding him are his wife and photographer friend.
Peter Reynolds is very nearly in every scene and in this film, and unusually takes the role as the hero
Honor Blackman has the leading female part as Peter Reynold’s wife. and it is a pleasure to see Katie Johnson here in a small role, just before she was to play her career-defining role in The Ladykillers.
The film is mostly studio-bound,
Rex Banner ( Peter Reynolds) is running a freelance reporting agency with his wife Maxine (Honor Blackman) One evening he gets a phone call from an old contact, Gospel Joe, telling him to visit, because he has some very useful information.
On reaching the old man’s flat, Rex finds the him dead on the floor, apparently having been battered with an iron bar. In his hand Joe clutches a news clipping about a major theft, a few months before, of the Delavine jewels.
Naturally Rex concludes that Joe was murdered for what he knew about the burglary.
Rex (Peter Reynolds) arrives for his rendezvous with Gospel Joe.
Just then Inspector Johnson (Neil) of the Yard arrives, having received a telephone tip-off that Rex would be there. It’s obvious someone is trying to frame Rex for the murder
Inspector Johnson (Peter Neil, left) questions Rex (Peter Reynolds)
A complete coincidence leads the journalist to diamond dealer Julius Meyerling (Swanwick), whom he instantly suspects of having been approached by the Delavine thieves. Meyerling denies the suggestion forcefully, but his sultry wife Lola (Vernon) seems to have more to tell—enough that Rex agrees to meet her later.
The trail eventually leads Rex to a remote farm in Ashdown Forest, about thirty miles from London, where deaf Fred Bissett (Daly) and his unnamed wife ( Katie Johnson) live as tenants. It is here that the diamonds are hidden, and here that the murderer is unmasked . . .
The Delavine Affair is quite an enjoyable little filmbut keep in mind what this was, a B feature, just over an hour long, with a small budget!
Honor Blackman a few years later earned what would become worldwide fame as Cathy Gale in the TV series The Avengers (1962–4) and then as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964). Gordon Jackson is probably best remembered for his TV work as the butler Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–5) and as secret service boss George Cowley in The Professionals (1977–83).
Michael Balfour was one of those stalwarts of UK stage and screen whose face became immediately recognisable. Michael had the most astonishing career – I remember that during the early fifties he seemed to be in nearly every drama on Television – one I recall was when he played ‘Mogs’ in ‘Gravelhangar’ a serial that over 6 weeks – very exciting for us youngsters at the time.
Last but certainly not least, not so long after The Delavine Affair Katie Johnson went on to achieve immortality as the sweet old widow Mrs. Wilberforce in The LADYKILLERS (1955).
Maxine (Honor Blackman), Rex (Peter Reynolds) and loyal photographer Sammy (Michael Balfour).
Peter Reynolds’s story is a sad one – he died at the age of just 53 in a tragic domestic fire thought to have been caused by his falling asleep while smoking a cigaretteat his home in Sydney Australiain 1975
BELOW – These are TWO scenes from ‘The Last Page’ in which Peter played the ‘baddie’ – he was very good and sinister too
This was in many ways similar in style to ‘The Flame and the Arrow’ although nowhere near as popularand nothing like as good.
In the opening sequenceCaptain Vallo (Burt Lancaster) swings by rope across the screen, astounding the audience . “Gather round lads and lasses! You’ve been shanghaied for the last ride of the Crimson Pirate!” Vallo tells us to believe only what we see, before performing the same stunt in reverse! “No. Only half what you see”, he adds with a wink.
In the early 1950s, as he was pushing himself as an actor and star, Burt Lancaster did a series of films where the settings were quite colourful. Soon after this he was heading to Fiji to film ‘ HIS MAJESTY O’KEEFE’ which also starred Britain’s own Joan Rice
His role in The Crimson Pirate was colourful, as a cheerful Captain Vallo who even wears outrageously crimson coloured pants. This is a salute to his silent film hero Douglas Fairbanks Sr., who had played THE BLACK PIRATE. Like Fairbanks (who would do his famous “cutting the sail of the captured boat with his cutlass, and descending to the deck that way”
Burt Lancaster turned this film into a showcase for his acrobatic skills with his old partner Nick Cravat (as the mute Ojo), trying to recapture Consuelo (Eva Bartok) and trying to even the score with Baron Gruda (Leslie Bradley) the Spanish colonial governor, and try to prevent a mutiny by his own crew, led by Humbell Bellows (Torin Thatcher )
However the most memorable part of this adventure comedy was the involvement of James Hayter and Noel Purcell as two local patriots who are trying to free the colony of the Spanish government.
James Hayter plays Professor Prudence. He is a scientist and an inventor.
He gets involved with Burt Lancaster and designs a set of weapons for them to use against the impregnable Spanish fortress on the island.
An early art directing credit for future James Bond production designer Ken Adam, along with British horror director Vernon Sewell on the second-unit.
Burt Lancaster was reunited with director Robert Siodmak who gave him his first film role in The Killers (1946).Burt had a very bad and quick temper and had threatened a number of Film Directors that he worked with – notably later in his career, Michael Winner who he threatened to kill three times. What a volatile character Burt Lancaster was – people wouldn’t stand for that nowadays and rightly so, Unpleasant man !!
One of his nastiest altercations came in February 1984, in Mexico, on the set of the film Little Treasure. Burt Lancaster, then 70 and recovering from heart bypass surgery, brawled with his 35-year-old female co-star Margot Kidder. The actress, who rose to fame as Lois Lane in the Superman movies, was playing Lancaster’s estranged daughter.
“I wanted to do something in a scene he didn’t want me to do, and I said ‘No, you don’t understand,’ and he started whacking me… I virtually whacked him back ,” the late Kidder said in 2009. She admitted she had hurled a “horrible” insult at Lancaster, shouting “You washed-up old f–!” at him, during a brawl that left both with bloody cuts.
In this filmBurt Lancaster shows off his gleaming grin and acrobatic prowess. He is clearly having a great fun.
Eva Bartok is very good. She brings glamour and grit to the heroine role.
The film also features a notable role for Christopher Lee as the island governor’s right-hand man.
Taxi driver, Tom Manning (Richard Attenborough), is led to an abandoned bomb-site by an eight-year-old girl as an April fool prank. The girl is later found murdered and Manning is picked up by Scotland Yard for questioning and is arrested and charged with murder.
The trial is scheduled for London’s Old Bailey. Manning’s wife, Jill (Cathy O’Donnell) , convinced he is innocent, fights for and wins the sympathy of Defence Solicitor, Peter Tanner (Derek Farr), and he is opposed at the trial by his father, prosecuting attorney Geoffrey Tanner (Ian Hunter).
The trial is presided over by Justice Harrington, whose wife is in hospital undergoing an operation. It soon becomes evident, following the testimony of prosecution witness Horace Clifford, that the evidence points to Manning’s guilt.
During a recess, Peter Tanner sees Clifford outside the courthouse, giving candy to a young girl.
Derek Farr identifies the candy as being the same brand as that found on the murdered girl. The judge’s wife has died, but the trial resumes with Tanner recalling Clifford for cross-examination.
This is a classic Black and White movie, that has been colorized.
It was filmed while Richard Attenborough was starring in the first run of Agatha Christie’s London West End play The Mousetrap, in which he appeared for two years.
The screenplay by Katherine Strueby and Guy Morgan is based on an original story by Gordon Harboard and Jack Roffey, in turn based on a true story.
It is shot at Shepperton Studios and on location in London.
It did well. On a budget of £49,216, the UK box office was £94,602, but it was the final film of the independent producer George King.
It was released by British Lion (UK) and Associated Artists (US).
ABOVE Richard Attenborough in the Colorised version
Solicitor Derek Farr meets Richard Attenborough.
ABOVE :Solicitor Derek Farr chats with Cathy O Donnell
ABOVE :Solicitor Derek Farr in action in the court room
Eight O’Clock Walk (1954) Richard Attenborough in the dock
Eight O’Clock Walk (1954)
They are not in the leading roles but two actors I like are in this one – Bruce Seton and Kynatson Reeves
Bruce Seton I will always think os as Fabian of the Yard in that classic fifties TV Series. He was great and just seemed t fit the part.
Kynaston Reeves will always be ‘Quelch’ to me in the role he took in the Billy Bunter series. Also much later he was in ‘Fiend Without a Face’ – great British Horror Film. Bit unfair really because he was an actor who was around a long time and was in so many TV and film productions as well as many Theatre roles
This Picture ABOVE is one showing the BBC Studio for a ‘live’production of Billy Bunter. Just look how tight the whole thing is – to the right we have the boys in their room then behind that could be one of he school corridors – then on to the school room with a view through the window. To the left there looks to be the school garden or outside area even with small trees and shrubs. All seems to be done with two cameras.
The ABOVE photograph was taken in Studio H of the Lime Grove Studios
The ABOVE Picture shows a scene which you can see was done at the Studio On the set above towards the left of the picture in the ‘outside’ area.
It shows Headmaster Quelch played by Kynaston Reeves on the floor with Billy Bunter Gerald Campion looking on.
It is Easter , and once again I want to post pictures from the film The Robe on this site.My father’s favourite actor in his favourite film – he was very moved by Victor Mature’s performance in this film particularly in the scene shown below.
A few days ago, I did an article on this site about ‘The Big Fisherman’ and made the comment that I didn’t think Howard Keel in the leading role, had much Box Office appeal.
You have to say the exact opposite to that with Victor Mature
At the time the film was made Richard Burton was not that well known in the USA and so it fell to Victor Mature for the financial pulling power and he was up to is. In fact this film really rocketed Richard Burton up to Star status – and also Jean Simmons
ABOVE: Victor Mature in a superb piece of acting in the film. My Dad loved this scene and the acting performance of Victor Mature – and so did his co-star Richard Burton who was also full of praise describing Victor as a ‘wonderful man’ after having played opposite him in The Robe
ABOVE : Another still from the film :
In a previous Post I did say that producers loved Victor Mature because all the films he appeared in made money – and here is a classic example.
The Robe was the highest grossing film of 1952 – and the next one Demetrius and the Gladiators was 4th biggest of 1954. We must also remember that only a few years before in 1949 he had played Samson in Samson and Delilah which again was the biggest grossing film of that year.
Above: Jay Robinson as Caligula
Also cast was Jay Robinson in his film debut as Caligula, stealing much of the proceedings from the films’s actual stars Richard Burton and Jean Simmons. Though his performance bordered dangerously on outrageous camp, his depraved Roman emperor nevertheless remains a most indelible image when reminded of the film. After his Film debut in The Robe, Jay went on to reprise the role as Caligula in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) again with Victor Mature and this time Susan Hayward
This was a big film – and went equally big at the Box Office. I remember my Father taking us to see it on the huge Cinemascope Screen – with Stereophonic Sound – and it did not disappoint in any way. Tremendous Film.
Richard Burton spoke very highly of Victor Mature calling him a ‘wonderful man’ – and I have to say that he lifted the acting honours with his convincing performance.
He was a very good film actor. He was also well loved by film producers – the reason for that was that when he was in a film it usually made money and that tends to add a sparkle to the eyes of such people.
Victor Mature in The Robe
Victor Mature in The Robe
Victor Mature in The Robe
The Alfred Newman music from the film – a record release.
Interesting item above which I spotted for sale – at this time and later, it was possible to buy 8 mm home movies with scenes straight from the film. I have one of Treasure Island and one of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men – both from Walt Disney – but I have not got this one.
These were only short films of maybe 5 to 10 minutes with selected scenes and with no sound on some of them. I don’t think the two Walt Disney films I have , have any sound.
ABOVE – a signed photograph of Victor Mature in the Robe
BELOW – a scene from the film
After this he played the same role of Demetrius in the follow-up ‘Demetrius and the Gladiators’ – both films doing extremely well at the Box Office.
My Dad loved Victor Mature in The Robe so much so that after this film, he went to see nearly every film that he was in. He was my Dad’s favourite actor. I do remember him going to see ‘Zarak’ – a film that was made in England and again one that did very well financially.
King of Kings 1961– A later Biblical Epicand a very good one
King of Kings is a 1961 American epic film directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by Samuel Bronston for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The film tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth from his birth and ministry to his crucifixion and resurrection. It stars Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus, with Siobhán McKenna, Robert Ryan, Viveca Lindfors, Ron Randell, Hurd Hatfield, and Rip Torn.
Nicholas Ray was hired as director. Ray then hired screenwriter Philip Yordan to write a new script.
Filming commenced in April 1960, and right through to October 1960. Financing of the film was initially provided by Pierre S. du Pont III, but Bronston appealed for more funding from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was interested in the film following its success with Ben-Hur (1959).
With MGM now involved, rewrites and additional scenes were added to the film. Reshoots took place in December 1960 and again in May 1961.
The film premiered at Loew’s State Theatre in New York City and was a box office success.
Miklós Rózsa was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
King of Kings 1961
The story of Jesus has been told and re-told and this version, underrated when first released, is one of the best.
KING OF KINGS is a wonderfully dignified and entertaining film.
Jeffrey Hunter delivers a good performance as Jesus
Wonderful scenery, and photography, with spectacular scenes. – What a film on the big Cinemascope Screen –
Can we please hire a Cinema able to show these two films as they should be shown
Well here we have a cast on top British Film actors all recognisable and very well know in that era.
Jack Hawkins plays the main character, a retired Colonel called Hyde . Pensioned off after 25 years loyal service in the military, he puts his meticulous planning skills to good use by plotting a bank robbery.
In order order to carry out the robbery, Hyde needs a team of experts.
Colonel Hyde carefully identifies seven former army officers to help put his plan into action, who have all fallen on hard times for one reason or anoth
Nigel Patrick is Major Race, a small time gambler and crook.
Bryan Forbes BELOW who both wrote and acted in this film is married but something of a womaniser.
His wife in real life is also in the film– in fact she plays Terence Alexander’s wife = he is another one of the gang BELOW
Richard Attenborough above as Lexi Roger Livesey BELOW plays Padre – I always liked him in films and remember ‘I Know Where I’m Going” – quite a few years before this one
Kieron Moore is Captain Stevens BELOW.
Above – Norman Bird
BELOW – A young lad doing what many of us did in the day – collecting Car Numbers – and this proved the ultimate undoing of this well planned robbery
It really is a good and absorbing film – we really wanted them to get away with it but they seemed quite a mottled crew – who knows what might have happened to them all.
As it happens seeing them all loaded into a Police van we have a good idea of what did happen to them