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Post by Richard Kimble on Nov 19, 2017 16:22:28 GMT
The Three Eunuchs: the background extras in this Biblical story ([probably Samson, 1914) are Hal Roach, Harold Lloyd, and Frank Borzage. I came across this pic when it was shown in Kevin Brownlow's great documentary on Lloyd. |
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Post by london777 on Nov 25, 2017 4:57:12 GMT
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Post by teleadm on Nov 25, 2017 17:25:42 GMT
 For one reason or another Peter Sellers directed himself (and Herbert Lom) in Mr Topaze 1961 |
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Post by teleadm on Nov 25, 2017 17:50:59 GMT
 The gentleman's name is Hugo Haas, he was a member of the Prague National Theatre drama company since the 1920s, emigrated to America in 1938 because of his jewish heritage. Though he had directed a few Czech movies, coming to America he became a character and bit part actor. He started directing B-movie dramas in Hollywood in 1951 and continued until 1962 ( Paradise Alley was actually made three years earlier, but couldn't find a distributer until 1962). Maybe his most known movie as a director is Lizzie 1957 that stared Eleanor Parker, Richard Boone and Joan Blondell. He moved back to Eurupe in 1962, but never found anyone who would finance his projects. He returned to Checkoslovakia and Prague during the Prague Spring of 1968, but had to exile again when the Soviet tanks rolled in, and died "with a broken heart" as they say in Vienna 1968.  Hugo Haas as an actor, sitting to the right, in King Solomon's Mines 1950 |
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Post by london777 on Nov 25, 2017 19:05:06 GMT
Another actor turned director I've remembered is Bryan Forbes, a jack of all trades. He started as an actor (which he remained throughout his career) in 1954. In 1960 he became a producer with a film I love, The Angry Silence. His producing career was intermittent, but he did some very good things, that in particular, as well as The Wrong Box. He began directing in 1960 with Whistle Down the Wind, followed by another personal favorite, The L-Shaped Room. Among his other notable directorial efforts are Seance on a Wet Afternoon, King Rat, The Wrong Box, and another that I love, The Whisperers. What a talent he was. He also qualifies for your long-running showbiz marriage thread. Married to actress Nanette Newman from 1955 to 2013 (his death). It was his second marriage but her only marriage. And he would be interested in our bookshops thread, too. He and Nanette ran a bookshop in Virginia Water, Surrey, an upmarket area near my town. I often saw him in the shop (how did he find the time?) but never her. Not mentioned in Wikipedia was his work to defend independent local bookshops against the encroaching multiples. That took up a lot of his time on various committees. Wow, I just noticed that you did not mention his screenwriting activities. He wrote the screenplays for around thirty movies, nearly all major productions like Chaplin and Of Human Bondage. And what about his other writing? Two volumes of autobiography and several novels. As head of EMI films for three years he made major efforts to boost the British Film Industry but backed too many losers. And throughout most of these activities he was believed to be suffering from multiple sclerosis. It was decades before it was found to be a wrong diagnosis. What a life! (I would have settled for being married to Nanette Newman!) |
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Post by teleadm on Nov 25, 2017 19:10:27 GMT
Another actor turned director I've remembered is Bryan Forbes, a jack of all trades. He started as an actor (which he remained throughout his career) in 1954. In 1960 he became a producer with a film I love, The Angry Silence. His producing career was intermittent, but he did some very good things, that in particular, as well as The Wrong Box. He began directing in 1960 with Whistle Down the Wind, followed by another personal favorite, The L-Shaped Room. Among his other notable directorial efforts are Seance on a Wet Afternoon, King Rat, The Wrong Box, and another that I love, The Whisperers. What a talent he was. What talents they all are! There is another one I just like by Forbes, filled with english dry wit (something i like):  |
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Post by spiderwort on Nov 25, 2017 22:07:22 GMT
Wow, I just noticed that you did not mention his screenwriting activities. He wrote the screenplays for around thirty movies, nearly all major productions like Chaplin and Of Human Bondage. And what about his other writing? Two volumes of autobiography and several novels. As head of EMI films for three years he made major efforts to boost the British Film Industry but backed too many losers. And throughout most of these activities he was believed to be suffering from multiple sclerosis. It was decades before it was found to be a wrong diagnosis. What a life! (I would have settled for being married to Nanette Newman!) Oh, london777 , I meant to include the writing! It got lost in the shuffle. So THANK YOU for mentioning it. He even received an Oscar nomination for writing The Angry Silence. He was an incredibly talented guy, as I said. And thanks for the mention of his long marriage and of his bookstore (what a joy that must have been for him). One thread here often leads to another, doesn't it?
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Post by Primemovermithrax Pejorative on Jan 2, 2018 6:45:47 GMT
I re-watched Two On A Guillotine and noticed the name William Conrad as director-producer.
That fat guy William Conrad from Cannon? The "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century announcer" William Conrad?
Yep.
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Post by london777 on Jan 8, 2018 17:38:46 GMT
Fred F Sears died in 1957 aged only 44. He had only started his dual careers as a screen actor and director at the age of 33 but in that brief eleven years he still managed to notch up 77 credits as actor and an impressive 44 credits as director of low-budget quickies. I watched The Miami Story (1954) last night. Not bad at all for a poverty row quicky.  |
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Post by teleadm on Jan 23, 2018 19:08:02 GMT
 Anna Hofman-Uddgren (1868–1947) became Sweden's first female movie director, after a long career as a theatre actress, between 1911 and 1912 she directed at least six movies (or at least six are known), including a commercial with Greta Garbo.  Later she became a cinema manager, seen here selling tickets. |
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Post by spiderwort on Jan 24, 2018 20:47:22 GMT
Anna Hofman-Uddgren (1868–1947) became Sweden's first female movie director, after a long career as a theatre actress, between 1911 and 1912 she directed at least six movies (or at least six are known), including a commercial with Greta Garbo. Later she became a cinema manager, seen here selling tickets. Thank you for this information, teleadm. I had no idea. And it sounds to me like her story would make a wonderful film in itself - poignant ending notwithstanding (or maybe she was okay with it, though that seems unlikely). Thanks again for including her. Historical records like these are so important - and interesting, too. And I know so little about cinema in your part of the world, save the obvious Bergman and a few others. It's fascinating to see how the web was spun from the beginning of film, and how, so often, there were important women involved in its creation. |
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