These are two top film stars of the era who starred  together in such films as ;-

Androcles and the Lion, The Robe, Affair with a Stranger and The Egyptian.

Victor Mature remains one of my favourite film actors and Jean Simmons adorns any film that she was in. Very beautiful she was. I think of The Blue Lagoon and So Long at The Fair

I featured some Cars owned by British Film Stars a few weeks ago – and now I have come across some more that might be interesting.

This on shows a Ford Zephyr Zodiac  from  around 1956  owned by Sheila Sim who, as we know was married to Richard Attenborough.

She is pictured above talking to Denholm Elliott, during the filming of ‘The Night My Number Came Up’

Below we have what is described as ‘ Probably the keenest among British Women Stars is Susan Stephens. One day, she hopes to compete in the Monte Carlo Rally. Her choice of car – a Red Jaguar.

I wonder if she ever find compete in the Monte Carlo Rally ?  I will try to find out.

The above pictures are taken from the Film Annual – Preview of 1956

The Queen and Princess Margaret, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, went to the Royal Film Performance at the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square. The Royal party was received by Mr Reginald Bromhead before being presented to a galaxy of film personalities and stars.

This was the first film Premier that The Queen had attended since her accession to the throne.

The music and Mario Lanza’s singing are particularly good here. The operatic excerpts from Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, L’Africaine and Cavalleria Rusticana are masterpieces in themselves, and there’s also a great rendition of Granada, the charming duet Because You’re Mine and the welcome reappearance of Be My Love. Lanza is in sensational voice.

Because You’re Mine looks wonderful, being shot in glorious Technicolor while the sets are colourful.  In supporting roles, a very funny and charming James Whitmore and sparkling Spring Byington stand out.

Doretta Morrow, apart from singing beautifully, is a less-than-winning partner for Lanza.   Apparently she and Mario Lanza did not get on at all well.

The film though was well received and well liked.

I don’t know when this pictures would have been taken – with such a Christmas feel to it as Roy sings Christmas Carols. Maybe this was taken in the late forties or early fifties but by then he was a very established star – although on looking again, Roy seems a bit older so this could have been around the early to mid fifties.

One thing I often think underlines his place in films,  is that when he appeared in Son of Paleface in 1952 he actually shared star billing alongside Bob Hope and Jane Russell – so at that time he was not second billed to anyone.

I couldn’t resist including below a great Matte shot from Son of Paleface – I just love the technique :-

Recently we did a Post on TruColor which was the process used by Republic Pictures – and this film came from that Studio, and is in  TruColor.

It is billed as ‘The Warmest, Happiest, most Wonderful Picture Ever !

This would be one of the last from Republic – and one of the last in  TruColor.

This exceptionally effective and emotional small film is one of Republic’s very best, and one of their last that was creatively and carefully produced as the studio died. In lovely-odd storybook Tru-colour that really suits, and with an excellent cast, especially the always gorgeous Anne Sheridan and Steve Cochran COME NEXT SPRING with its Max Steiner Score, and Tony Bennett theme song has remained unloved an unappreciated for far too long.   Apparently Martin Scorsese puts it forward as being an influence to him in that he thought that it should be studied by film makers to see how well a small budget with love and care can result in an excellent tough, real, romantic family drama.

The real and crumbling backwoods town they all vist in one scene is probably as close to real surviving 1920s small Town America as we would ever genuinely see. Look for this film and get settled and enjoy it.

The Above is a Still from film – Still features Ann Sheridan, Steve Cochran, Sherry Jackson and Richard Eyer.

For some reason whenever I hear the word ‘Spring’ I inevitably think of this film – ‘Come Next Spring’ which I remember.  I thought Ann Sheridan & Steve Cochran were near the end of their careers and this was their swansong and did they know how to capture the whole essence of a small town community going through a crisis. It is warm, gentle and has a loving nature running all through it as though they all knew that the studio was near the end like a lot of the cast in their careers.

Filmed in True Color and produced by Steve Cochran’s  own Robert Alexander Productions, Come Next Spring  was released by Republic Pictures in 1956.

With locations shot in Sacramento, the Film was set in rural Arkansas during the 1920s. Steve Cochran playing Matt Ballot returning home after some years of heavy drinking. Considered a disgrace by the local community, he finds himself struggling to win the love of his wife  Anne Sheridan and children.

Little Rock was chosen for the premiere on February 1, 1956.

Steve Cochran making a guest appearance, signing autographs:

A square dance, in front of the theatre, as part of world premiere:

The location of the above photograph is not definitely known.

Steve Cochran had formed his own independent Production Company in 1955, called Robert Alexander Productions (his birth name was Robert Alexander Cochran)

In 1950, while working together on Warner Brothers’ “THE LION AND THE HORSE”, Sherry Jackson introduced her young widowed mother to writer Montgomery Pittman, Steve Cochran’s best friend.(Sherry Jackson’s father was killed in an automobile accident in 1948.) This meeting between Pittman and Jackson’s mother culminated in their marriage two years later, with Steve Cochran acting as best man for his friend Pittman.

In 1955, Montgomery Pittman turned his writing talent to providing a challenging vehicle for his vastly-talented young step-daughter and came up with COME NEXT SPRING. Steve Cochran bought the story for his just-formed Robert Alexander Productions.

Steve Cochran then SOLD it to Republic Pictures Corporation, for an undisclosed amount of money…plus the proviso that he would star in the film and Sherry Jackson would play the role of Annie Ballott. Republic agreed to the terms, laid out the money… and Robert Alexander Productions and erstwhile-producer Steve Cochran made a graceful exit, while (uncredited)Republic staff took over the production of this now-recognised great film, directed by  R. G. Springsteen.

Film Director “Bud” Springsteen did himself proud. – maybe it was because Montgomery Pittman was standing near-by =- who knows !!

I always liked this film – and in fact it was one of the first I ever bought on VHS Video – which I still have – as pictured below.

It is a tense drama – and one you suspect you know what is happening but are never sure.

The Dark Waters of the Bayou are the setting for this mysterious thriller.

A young woman , Merle Oberon, is the sole surviving member of a family whose boat was torpedoed by the Nazis. Alone in the World, she arrives at her Aunt and Uncles mansion in the lugubrious swamps in the deep South of America, and then her troubles really start.

All devotees of spooky horror stories will revel in the pleasures to be found here. The Question is – Dare you take the plunge into these Dark Waters … ?

Well, a great Christmas Present came through our letterbox just four days before Christmas – the latest Winter Edition of Movie Memories – packed with articles, pictures and Readers Letters covering so many Films and Film Stars of that golden era – and how well it is presented – really impressive. It seems to get right to the heart of what we want to know and read – and uncovers such facts and introduces us to details of the stars we knew something about but maybe did not know well.

Please subscribe to this magazine and you will not be disappointed :  

moviememoriesmagine.com  

In this issue  Thoughts and Memories of Roger Moore, Adele Jurgens and Mari Blanchard,  RobertMontgomery, Merle Oberon, plus films like The Boys with Richard Todd, and a brilliant article on Lash LaRue as well as Dennis Price.  Snippets on films like The Band Wagon, Calamity Jane and The Quiet Man among many others. Plus there are many Readers Letters – readers from all over the world.

On the back cover of the magazine is a Film Poster for ‘Dark Waters’ starring Merle Oberon with Franchot Tone and Thomas Mitchell. Not a Fifties film really – released in 1944 – a dark brooding melodrama set in the deep South of America where a young girl who had survived a naval attack in World War 2 – had come back to live with her Aunt and Uncle to recover – little did she know what she had come back to !!!

If you wish to subscribe to this excellent magazine – and I think that every film fan should be – just go to the web site   :-

moviememoriesmagine.com  

Trucolor was preceded by Magnacolor – used mainly in Republic Pictures films. We have discussed TRUCOLOR on this Blog before, I know but it is quite fascinating.

Roy Rogers starred in Nineteen Trucolor films for Republic Pictures from 1947 up to 1950 but for whatever reason, even as early as 1952, some of these were re-issued in Black and White. It seems that by the  early fifties Television had really knocked the market for B Westerns at the cinema, so these were released in Black and White mainly to save costs Many Roy Rogers films were sold to TV in 1956 but with some cuts to the running time. That sadly meant that a lot of the original footage was discarded and thrown away – so unless a Private Collector has them – and they may well have a copy – then these would be lost.  

By the early Seventies it was discovered that some of the old Nitrate Colour Films were unstable and therefore unsafe and so they were destroyed. I do have a Video of the film Come Next Spring made in 1956 and this was in Trucolor and to be honest it was very good colour I thought. Other films in Trucolor – The Last Command (1955)  and   Montana Belle, a Western starring Jane Russell as outlaw Belle Starr in 1948. This film was made by  independent producer Howard Welsch for intended release by Republic Pictures but was bought back by RKO, to whom Jane Russell was under contract, and released by them in 1952. Republic also made a South Seas adventure Fair Wind to Java (1953)  Nicholas Ray made notable use of Trucolor for his  1954 western, Johnny Guitar, which starred Joan Crawford. Trucolor went on location to Europe as William Dieterle filmed the life of Richard Wagner in Magic Fire (1956) and  Lisbon (1956) directed by and starring Ray Milland.  However, John Ford refused to film The Quiet Man (1952) in Trucolor despite Republic’s head Herbert J. Yates insisting on the process, so Technicolor was used.

One of theTRUCOLOR films of Roy Rogers has recently come to light in its original uncut form – Sunset in the West :- Directed by William Witney Starring Roy Rogers, Estelita Rodriguez, Penny Edwards, Gordon Jones, Will Wright, Foy Willing And The Riders Of The Purple Sage

The availability, or absence, of the Roy Rogers Trucolor films of late 40s and early 50s is mentioned above – but here is some GOOD NEWS !!. The arrival of one of these FILMS in Colour and uncut is always worth celebrating — and we get this next one, Sunset In The West (1950), on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Another one is Bells of Colornado from 1950, again in Trucolor and the only Roy Rogers film in Trucolor to get an official DVD release at the time.

Also – just come across this Promotional Gift from the era which  is very colourful – as below :-

It is a Playing Card Set in a special tin box. It looks quite stylish.

This wonderful colour plate is from the 1954  F.Maurice Speed Film Review Annual

These Film Annuals were among my own favourites as they contained so much information on every film that had been released that particular Year with the Director, Cast and Release Date.   Also you would get a section on next year’s films – and one on the Walt Disney releases.  I once heard F.Maurice Speed  of the Film Review Annual, speaking on Radio 2 along with another Film Expert. He was very interesting and I could have listened to him for hours as he had so much information on the film era that I love.

The above picture is of course a Publicity Still from River of No Return

Just watched this thriller on the Talking Pictures Channel here in the UK. This is a great channel for us fans of older films – they show them all day, every day – so when  I get the chance I try to tune in. Anyway back to this particular film which is quite an unusual story with plenty of twists – even half way through the film it seemed to be wrapped up but then comes a shock revelation and we are back in there trying to fathom out what is going on. When John North played by Richard Todd, a budding author, pulls the communication cord of a late night train that is taking him away on a weekend with his publishers wife,   he sets in motion a series of events that lead to a train crash, a murder and a police man hunt. As our adventure opens a very angry looking man leaves his house and walks down the street. A moment later a gorgeous young blonde leaves the same house and a man steps out of the shadows to greet her. Together they board a train out of London, and we learn that she is the wife of a prominent publisher and the man she is running away with is an author that her husband publishes. We learn that he is running away from his wife to start a new life with the wife of his publisher. As they head to Paddington Station to board a train, Johnny thinks that a man in a mackintosh is following them but isn’t quite sure . . . Aboard the train Johnny starts getting second thoughts . . . . He is enchanted and filled with lust for the beautiful blonde in his arms, but he also has a loving wife at home. Deep regret and remorse fills him suddenly and he leaves the train booth and stands in the train walkway filled with confusion . . . . Looking up the hallway he spots the man in the mackintosh coat staring at him . . . . . Looking quickly up the other end of the hallway he sees his publisher staring at him . . . . The man whose wife is waiting for him in the coach behind him . . . . In a panic he reaches for the emergency chain that will bring the train to a screeching halt, and as the train slows he jumps off and heads home to his waiting wife . . . . AND then the story really kicks into gear.

Interesting thing here about the TWO of the leading actors in this film.   They both have taken leading roles in productions about Robin Hood A couple of years after this film was made RICHARD TODD was cast as Robin Hood for Walt Disney in The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men – and a year or so after that film Alexander Gauge was cast as Friar Tuck in the long running TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood – a hugely popular Television series it was too, that did really well in the USA as well as here.

He was perfectly cast in this role and he was very good as Friar Tuck.

Above – James Donald and Alexander Gauge in The Pickwick Papers.

Alexander Gauge (1914-1960) actor, best known for playing Friar Tuck in ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ from 1955 to 1960. He was born in a Methodist Mission station in Wenzhou, China, but grew up in California before moving to England. He worked on the New York stage in 1945, before becoming a hit in the London theatre production of ‘The Seven Year Itch’.

Physically he was a corpulent character actor, who performed on the New York stage in the 1940s, and then played a succession of minor villains in British films. He is fondly remembered as Friar Tuck in Richard Greene’s TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). Unfortunately, he found little gainful employment thereafter and committed suicide with barbiturates at the age of just 46.

In 1960, aged just 46, but plagued by gambling debts, he took his own life with an overdose of pills. The Verdict though is that he died from a Brain Tumour – very sad however that his life should end this way at such a young age.