Search Results for: Roy Fowler

Script editor and chief writer of the television series Upstairs, Downstairs. Married to Jean Lodge (actor), father of Charles Shaughnessy (actor)

Son of Michael Balcon Jonathan Balcon gives a very personal life history tribute to his father.Michael Balcon and his family history.. Michael Balcon was in the army of WWI then worked for Dunlop tyres. Balcon in 1919 formed the Motion Picture company making ad films. 1923 made Woman to Woman film for cinema. Balcon then founded Gainsborough Picture mid 1920's and acquired Islington Studios. Many anecdotes from his father's life involving all the early cinema days.Many stories about the making of Michael Balcoln's memorable films like Dunkirk.

 Clive Donner was among the leading film directors of swinging London. The four films that made his name were a low-budget adaptation of Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker (1963); Nothing But the Best (1964), a wicked satire on the British class structure; the farcical What's New Pussycat? (1965); and the coming-of-age comedy Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968).His debut movie, The Secret Place (1957),was  a heist drama shot on location in the East End, had David McCallum .The Heart of a Child (1958) concerned a boy and his St Bernard dog, Rudi, in the Alps. Some People (1962), filmed on location in Bristol, was unabashed publicity for the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme – with its profits going to that organisation. It centred on three alienated youths who are encouraged by a liberal-minded choirmaster, Mr Smith (Kenneth More), to form a rock band.Donner was born in West Hampstead, London. His grandparents were Polish immigrants, his father was a concert violinist and his mother ran a dress shop. Aged 17, after leaving Kilburn polytechnic and starting work as an office clerk, he went to Denham Studios for one of his father's recording sessions for The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943).Michael Powell, the film's director, got him a job in the cutting rooms there. Donner worked on a number of films before national service in the Royal Army Educational Corps, and then gained experience at nearby Pinewood Studios as an editor on such films as Scrooge (1951), The Card (1952) and Genevieve (1953). After directing his first features, Donner worked in television while struggling to get The Caretaker made. Finally, a consortium including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Noël Coward and Peter Sellers put up a minimum of £1,000 each.The film starred Alan Bates and Pleasence, who had created the roles on stage, and it won the silver bear at the 1963 Berlin Film Festival. Faithful to the claustrophobic comic menace of the stage play, with Donner's use of closeups and the atmospheric black-and-white cinematography by Nicolas Roeg, Nothing But the Best, written by Frederic Raphael, starred Bates as an opportunistic young clerk who wants to crash into the upper classes. He is taught by Denholm Elliott, a down-at-heel gent, to pass himself off as a toff. Shot in bright colours by Roeg, the film captures the 60s' shallow glitter.Heralded by Tom Jones in Burt Bacharach's title song, What's New Pussycat? is a wildly undisciplined sex comedy with Peter Sellers as a crazy psychiatrist, and a bevy of "pussycats", called such by Peter O'Toole, the libidinous hero. Woody Allen, who is credited with the screenplay and makes his feature film debut, loathed it, claiming that his script was butchered. It was a huge box office success, and Donner's biggest hit.It was followed by Luv (1967), his biggest flop. Extremely bankable after Pussycat, Donner was invited to Hollywood to direct Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk and Elaine May in an adaptation of Murray Schisgal's Broadway three-hander. Donner's next project, back in Britain, was Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, written by Hunter Davies and set in the Hertfordshire new town of Stevenage, where Barry Evans is the 17-year-old virgin desperate to get laid in the new sexually permissive society. Alfred the Great (1969) was an ambitious attempt to escape into the past, though David Hemmings carried over his trendy Blow-Up image into his portrayal of the 9th-century king of the Anglo-Saxons, faced with Michael York as the savage Viking Guthrum. The epic failed to please the critics and the public, but at least enabled Donner to meet Australian-born Jocelyn Rickards, who designed its costumes. They were married soon after, and remained so until her death in 2005.Active as a director of TV commercials and movies till the mid-90s, Donner returned intermittently to feature films. The TV movies were mostly remakes of better films, such as Oliver Twist (1982) and A Christmas Carol (1984), Rogue Male (1976), a remake of Fritz Lang's Man Hunt (1941), was one of Donner's best, and his favourite. written, by Frederick Raphael, it starred O'Toole as an aristocrat who plans to assassinate Hitler before war becomes inevitable. Vampira (1974), starring David Niven, whose castle has been taken over by Playboy bunnies; The Nude Bomb (1980), a spin-off of the 60s sitcom Get Smart; Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981), with Peter Ustinov as the oriental detect

Rose Tobias Shaw was a Polish theatre, film and television  casting director.  She moved with her family in 1933.  Her film credits include Madhouse  (1974), The Seven - Per - Cent Solution(1976), Equus  (1977),  The Wild Geese (1978), Otto Preminger’s last film,  The Human Factor (1979),  Escape To Victory ( 1981) , Lassiter 1984),  The Jewel In The Nile (1985) and  Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988) . Her television  credits include the British television shows Danger Man ( 1967-1968), The Prisoner ( 1964- 1967) and The Man In A Suitcase ( 1967 -1968) Shaw was affectionately known as the ‘Queen of the Mini-series’ for her casting of multi-episodic projects in the  including   The Bourne Identity ( 1988) Till We Meet Again ( 1989) and Around the World in 80 Days ( 1989)  She was credited with discovering acting talents including George C Scott, Elliot Gould and Kim Novak, and Pierce Brosnan. She was briefly engaged to acclaimed Broadway director and choreographer Jerome Robbins before marrying British actor Maxwell Shaw. He died in 1985.    ROSE TOBIAS SHAWDISC 1Born Stuttgart, to Jewish Polish family. Family returns to Poland but father goes to USA, where he becomes a communist. In 1933 rest of family emigrates to USA and live in New York. Memories of arriving and going through Ellis Island. Description of boat journey and eating endless bananas which put her off bananas for years. Before leave, brother dies from tragic accident.  Quickly adapts to life in USA, learns English and forgets Polish. At the end of depression and life very hard, father a window cleaner. Goes to High School, takes commercial course. Leaves school at 16. Describes herself as having energy. Took dance classes, and initially had ambition to be show dancer but then realises too late. Starts to mix with dancers and actors, but always has day jobs. Briefly joined young communist league, her father was an active communist. Father takes out American citizenship during World War II. Works in a communist summer camp but didn’t like the experience, often belittled but made her interested in words and language. Move to the Bronx. Somehow not affected by unAmerican activities committee, but by Aliens Act, many of neighbours disappeared to the Soviet Union but never heard of them again. Had a series of jobs to subsidise dance classes, Woolworths, cafeterias. Through girls sharing flat with gets job as telephonist with PR company. They decide she is overqualified and sack her. But recommends her to a fashion agency. Met Philip Barber of Barber Robinson and get taken on. They represented ANTA and gets offered a job of PRO of world tour of Porgy and Bess, Then meets Ted Ashley who gets her a job at CBS Radio. Works on Strike It Rich, public send in letters about people who are in dire straits. Finds the job too depressing and quits. Works on shows like What’s My Line for a couple of months. Then opening for Lester Gottlieb, then gets research job. Sexually harassed by Henry White. Works for Mike and Buff Wallace on a chat type show, finding people for show, every show there was an entertainer. Then Porgy and Bess came up. Taken under wing of Lee Gershwin, who taught her a lot. Comes back to CBS and acts as holiday relief until taken on permanently by Bob Fryer in the casting department. Takes to casting like a duck to water. Cast both light entertainment and drama. Worked for Robert Mulligan, Sidney Lumet, who didn’t like. Description of casting for television and how she found her cast. Role of casting director to bring in new people. Discussion of black list and when it came in. She said it didn’t seem to operate until she worked with David Susskind in 1956. Goes back to Porgy and Bess and all the countries she visits. Talks about John Frankovich. Gets offered job at Susskinds, and she knew a lot of people already there. Did live television, did a lot of classics, she used to go regularly to London to see English actors because put on lots of classic English dramas — used Hurd Hatfield and Denholm Elliott, Clive Revill. Father dies, and reconciled with mother. In 1960 met Maxwell Shaw who came over to do The Hostage, great love of her life and they’re together for 25 years until he dies. Misses him greatly but had a very good marriage. DISC 2 Leaves Henry White sitting in a restaurant, when he becomes an independent producer years later. Wants to have family but after miscarriage never becomes pregnant. CBS producer, who worked with Lew Grade, something Cowan, but can’t remember the name. But in 1952 gets call from Lew Grade’s office that miniseries is going to be made by this producer and would she be interested in doing the casting. And she stays for 7 years. At the end of 1969 decides, round running home and going into office made too many demands, and has built up sufficient reputation, so goes freelance. Had been asked to become producer but didn’t want to work out at Elstree. Talks about working with Patrick McGoohan and how good an actor he was. Offered James Bond. Says she never made any real discoveries but gave Pierce Brosnan his first big part. Bad experience with Richard Bradford. Memories of Lew Grade and Bernard Ingham. Talks about certain men in the industry seem to dislike women on principal. Worked on SOS Titanic, mini-series for EMI. Allowed to work on features by Lew Grade but became Queen of the mini-series. But did work on Sidney Lumet films, such as Equus. Would liked to have done more features, but always seemed to be caught up in mini-series when films came up. About to go through a list of titles. DISC 3 Seven Per Cent Solution. Little Night Music, problems with Liz Taylor’s having casting approval. Greek Tycoon and Mort Abrahams. Love and Bullets Charlie with Loraine Chase. Wild Geese. Jacques Demy and Lady Oscar. Nijinsky. Cukor and How Green is My Valley. Human Factor and Otto Preminger which was his first solo production. Jeffrey Archer anecdote. 150% credit on Murder is Easy. Arthur the King and problems of producer’s wives interfering with the casting. Jaclyn Smith as Florence Nightingale, but her name guaranteed the deal. Problems with actors who like a drink. Taipai, produced by Rafaela de Laurentis. Told to put together a non- star cast. Father turns up, to check casting. And loss Ackland says no thanks. Goes back to blacklist and how it operated at David Susskind’s. Queenie with Mia Sara. Retires in 1990. Goes to India for a film and loved it so much decided to go on extended holiday. But talks about end of ACTT and how it coincided with end of closed shop and the proliferation of casting actors, all of whom worked for peanuts and lack experience. Had sufficient money and taken up travel. In past year went to Spain three times, New York, Lakes in Italy, DISC 4 Talks about two biggest disasters, Quilp and Sarah. And dangers of working with friends. These  films being produced by Helen Strauss, based in New York, and while they got on well fine when friends, she discovered working for her turned into a nightmare. END    

Lusia Krakowska was born in 1924 in Danzig. She and her jewish family fled from the Nazis in 1938. In the book by Mira Ryczke Kimmelman “Echoes from the Holocaust: A Memoir”, there is a brief description of Lusia and her sister Janka's journey. They  escaped to Warsaw in September, while their parents had managed to leave for England before the outbreak of war. Now they seemed trapped in Warsaw. Later however, their parents paid someone to smuggle the two sisters out of Poland. Travelling through Austria and Hungary, they were reunited with their parents in England in the summer of 1940. Lusia went on to join the Polish Film Unit at Denham Studios. She became a documentary film editor. In 1953 she  worked with director on Anthony Simmon's  the Venice film festival grand prix winning   documentary "Summer By The Sea" which captured working-class Londoners’ ritual of taking the train to Southend for a cheap and cheerful summer’s day out. Its images were accompanied by cockney music-hall songs, a technique they  replicated in Bow Bells (1954), an evocation of Simmon's own East End childhood – a ship gliding down the Thames, Billingsgate fish market, terraced houses, allotments, rubbish-strewn streets and gasworks. ( See Anthony Simmon's interview 420)

Daughter of producer Sir Michael Balcon, wife of the poet Cecil Day-Lewis, and mother of actor Daniel Day-Lewis and Tamasin Day-Lewis, RADA-trained Jill Balcon (born in London on 30 January 1925) worked in repertory and as a BBC announcer before entering films as Madeleine Bray in Nicholas Nickleby (d. Alberto Cavalcanti, 1947). She scrapped memorably with Jean Kent in Good-Time Girl (d. David Macdonald, 1947), but after three more small roles was away from films until two '90s appearances for Derek Jarman - in Edward II (1991) and Wittgenstein(1993) - and as Lady Bracknell in the play-within-the-film in An Ideal Husband (UK/US, d. Oliver Parker, 1999).Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film

Constance Cummings was born in Seattle and made her stage debut at the age of 16. She graduated to Hollywood but came to England after marrying (1933) British playwright Benn W. Levy and continued her career both in films and on stage. Among many notable film performances were those in Busman's Honeymoon (1940) and Blithe Spirit(1945). Her theatrical work ranged from Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1938)  to a 1971 revival of Eugene O’Neil’s  Long Day’s Journey into Night, opposite Laurence Olivier. Her most notable performance was on Broadway as a stroke victim in Wings (1979), for which, at age 68, she won a Tony Award for best actress. She was made a CBE in 1974.

… died in 2006 in Kensington, London, England, UK. behp0408-julian-spiro-summary[Roy Fowler notes that there is not much detail on anything due to the subject’s failing memory. DS]Writer-producer-direc…

British film director, producer and screenwriter, who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as Reach for the Sky (1956), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Alfie (1966), Educating Rita (1983) and Shirley Valentine (1989), as well as three James Bond films: You Only Live Twice (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). L E W I S G I L B E R T   [Partial Filmography]6 . 3 . 2 0 . L o n d o n .1932 - child stage actor; F i l m a c t o r ;London Films, Assoc Brit., RKO, Mayflower.R A F ; U S A F F i l m U n i t1 9 4 4 - 4 6 - D o c s , R e a l i s t , G a u m o n t  I n t e r n a t i o n a l .1 9 4 7 - T H E L I T T L E B A L L E R I N A1 9 4 9 - M A R R Y M EUNDER ONE ROOF1950 - ONCE A SINNERTHERE IS ANOTHER SUN1951 - SCARLET THREAD1 9 5 2 - C O S H B O YT I M E G E N T L E M E N P L E A S EE M E R G E N C Y C A L L ® ^1953 - JOHNNY ON THE RUNA L B E R T  R. N.1954 - THE GOOD DIE YOUNGTHE SEA SHALL NOT HAVE THEM1955 - CAST A DARK SHADOW 1 9 5 6 - R E A C H F O R  T H E  S K Y1 9 5 7 - T H E  A D M I R A B L E  C R I C H T O N .1958 - A CRY FROM THE STREETS; CARVE HER NAME WITH PRIDE1959 - FERRY TO HONG KONG1 9 6 0 - S I N K T H E B I S M A R KLIGHT UP THE SKY1961 - THE GREENGAGE SUMMER /THE MUTINEERS 1962  HMS DEFIANT W M < : n r r i A M T ^1964 - THE SEVENTH DAWN1 9 6 5 - A L F I E1967 - YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (Tests  for OLIVER)1 9 7 0 - T H E  A D V E N T U R E R S1 9 7 1 - F R I E N D S1 9 7 4 - PA U L & M I C H E L L E1975 - OPERATION DAYBREAK1 9 7 6 - S E V E N  N I G H T S  I N  J A PA N1977 - THE SPY WHO LOVED ME1979 - MOONRAKER1 9 8 3 - E D U C AT I N G  R I TA1984 - NOT QUITE JERUSALEM1 9 8 9 - S H I R L E Y VA L E N T I N E1991 - STEPPING OUT1995 HAUNTED