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Brewster's Millions (1935 Film)
''Brewster's Millions'' is a 1935 British musical comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jack Buchanan, Lili Damita and Nancy O'Neil. It is based on the 1902 novel and subsequent 1906 play, with the action relocated from the United States to Britain. Plot Jack Brewster, a pauper living in London and the heir to a fortune from his wealthy father, falls in love with Cynthia, a boarder in his boarding house "home." When Jack inherits his fortune, which includes £500,000 and the house, he falls prey to chorus girl Rosalie. His uncle then dies, leaving Jack six million pounds, on the condition that he become penniless in the next six months. At his house warming for his first inheritance, Jack learns of the second bequest, which require him not only to lose all his money, but to have no female entanglements and tell no one of its conditions. Jack goes on a wild spending spree, which includes producing a musical stage show starring Rosalie. He then takes the entire ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thornton Freeland
Thornton Freeland (February 10, 1898 – May 22, 1987) was an American film director who directed 26 British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949. Early success He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and originally worked as an assistant director during the silent era. In 1929 he directed his first film, the comedy ''Three Live Ghosts''. He enjoyed an early success with the Eddie Cantor Technicolor musical '' Whoopie!'' (1930) and much of his subsequent work was in musicals and comedies. In 1933, he directed ''Flying Down to Rio'' which launched the screen partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers although it had originally been designed as a starring vehicle for the Mexican actress Dolores del Río. The following year Freeland made a film version of the long-running Broadway revue ''George White's Scandals''. Britain In 1935 Freeland went to London to make the musical comedy '' Brewster's Millions'' starring Jack Buchanan. He was to work in Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British & Dominions Film Corporation
Imperial Studios were the studios of the British and Dominions Film Corporation, a short-lived British film production company located at Imperial Place, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. The studios (one of several facilities historically referred to as Elstree Studios) were active from 1929 to 1936, when they were destroyed by fire. The company relocated to Pinewood Studios but ceased production in 1938. History British and Dominions was one of the successors to British National Pictures, which began operations in 1925 and was taken over by British International Pictures in 1927. The British and Dominions Film Corporation was formed in June 1927 by Herbert Wilcox and was registered as a public company on 13 February 1928. As it had no studios of its own, its first films, which were silent, were made at Cricklewood Studios. In 1930, the company, which had been incorporated for the purpose of physically producing sound films, bought three new sound stages from British In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Hoey
Dennis Hoey (born Samuel David Hyams, 30 March 1893 – 25 July 1960) was a British film and stage actor, best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six films of Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Early life Hoey was born Samuel David Hyams in London to Russian-Jewish parents, another source says Irish and Russian-Jewish parents, who earned a living by running a bed and breakfast in Brighton, on the coast of the English county of East Sussex. He received his formal education at Brighton College, and originally planned to be a teacher. He served in the British Army during World War I. After a career as a singer, which included entertaining British troops during his war service, Hoey moved into theatre-acting in 1918, and later into cinema films. In 1931 he moved to the United States, and commenced a career in Hollywood. Film Hoey's first film was '' Tell England''. He is best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. He also port ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurence Hanray
Laurence Hanray ( Lawrence Henry Jacobs; 16 May 1874 – 28 November 1947), sometimes credited as Lawrence Hanray, was a British film and theatre actor born in London, England. He is also credited as the author of several plays and music hall songs. Laurence Hanray was born Lawrence Henry Jacobs in St John's Wood on 16 May 1874, the son of Angelo Jacobs (c. 1851–1910), a glass manufacturer, and Leah (née Nathan; 1850/1851–1946). His father changed his name to Angelo Jacobs Hanray, and with it the family name, after becoming bankrupt in 1897, although Laurence had been using the name Hanray professionally from at least 1892, when he appeared as a member of the Hermann Vezin Theatre Company in supporting roles in ''Hamlet'' and ''Macbeth'' at Her Majesty's Theatre, Dundee. Australian newspapers show he was in Australia and New Zealand from around 1901–04, appearing as Carraway Bones the undertaker in the farce ''Turned Up'' at the Theatre Royal, Perth, in May 1901, and s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Aynesworth
Edward Henry Abbot-Anderson (14 April 1864, Sandhurst, Berkshire – 22 August 1959, Camberley, Surrey), known professionally as Allan Aynesworth, was an English actor and producer. His career spanned more than six decades, from 1887 to 1949, and included the role of Algernon Moncrieff in the 1895 premiere of Oscar Wilde's ''The Importance of Being Earnest''. Aynesworth generally appeared in drawing room comedy and contemporary high-society dramas, usually avoiding old classics and modern plays about social problems. He retired from the stage in 1938, and made his final acting appearance in the film '' The Last Days of Dolwyn'' in 1949. Life and career Early years Aynesworth was born at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, the third son of Major-General Edward Abbot-Anderson and his first wife, Martha, ''née'' Birkett, who died the day after Aynesworth was born. The eldest son, John Henry, followed his father into the army, and rose to be a Brigadier-General; the middle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Emney
Frederick Arthur Round Emney (12 February 1902 – 25 December 1980) was an English character actor and comedian. Emney was born in Prescot, Lancashire,GRO Register of Births Mar 1902 Frederick Arthur R Emney 8b 725 PRESCOT1901 Census: RG13/500 f.123 p.3 Fred Arthur Emney aged 1 living in Camberwell, but born Liverpool, Lancashire the son of Blanche (née Round) and Fred Emney, a music hall entertainer. His great-uncle was the actor Arthur Williams. Emney junior grew up in London and was educated at Cranleigh School. He made his film debut in 1935, having previously worked in music hall. He became a familiar figure to screen audiences, usually playing the "posh fat bloke", usually gruff and invariably wearing a monocle. During the 1950s, he had his own television show which featured sketches and deft piano pieces often composed by him. Some were released on record. He had a short spell as straight man to puppets Pinky and Perky. His sister Joan Emney was an actress w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ian Maclean (actor)
Ian McLean (7 December 1887 – 1978) was an English stage and film actor. He is sometimes credited as Ian Maclean. He played supporting roles in around thirty British films, frequently playing police officers. Partial filmography * ''Brewster's Millions'' (1935) - McLeod * ''Jack of All Trades'' (1936) - The Fire Raiser * ''Mayfair Melody'' (1937) - Collecchi * ''The Street Singer'' (1937) - Police Inspector * '' The Singing Cop'' (1938) - Zabisti * ''Quiet Please'' (1938) - Woods * '' Thistledown'' (1938) - Rossini * ''Simply Terrific'' (1938) - Foster * ''Thank Evans'' (1938) - (uncredited) * ''The Return of Carol Deane'' (1938) - Prosecution * '' Marigold'' (1938) - James Paton * ''Too Dangerous to Live'' (1939) - Saunders * ''The Nursemaid Who Disappeared'' (1939) - Inspector Pike * '' Murder Will Out'' (1939) - Inspector * ''The Arsenal Stadium Mystery'' (1939) - Sgt. Clinton * ''That's the Ticket'' (1940) - Hercule * ''Two for Danger'' (1940) - Australian * '' Sailors Don' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sydney Fairbrother
Sydney Fairbrother (31 July 1872 – 4 January 1941) was a British actress. Born Sydney Tapping on 31 July 1872 in London to actor/playwright Alfred B. Tapping and actress Florence Cowell, she was educated at Blackpool and Bonn. She made her stage debut in Birmingham in 1890 with the famous ''Kendall Company'' and a few years later toured America with them. She came to the screen in 1915 in a film called '' Iron Justice'' and chiefly appeared in comedy roles. She retired in 1938 and died on 4 January 1941 in London, aged 68. Selected filmography * '' Iron Justice'' (1915) - Mrs. O'Connor * '' The Game of Liberty'' (1916) - Mrs. Bundercombe * ''Temptation's Hour'' (1916) * ''The Mother of Dartmoor'' (1916) - Mrs. Bolt * ''Auld Lang Syne'' (1917) - Mrs. Potter * ''Faith'' (1919) - Lavinia Brooker * ''A Temporary Gentleman'' (1920) - Mrs. Hope * ''Laddie'' (1920) - Mrs. Carter * ''The Children of Gibeon'' (1920) - Mrs. Gibeon * ''The Bachelor's Club'' (1921) - Tabitha * ''The Rotte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brewster's Millions (play)
''Brewster's Millions'' is a play written by Winchell Smith and Byron Ongley, based on the 1902 novel of the same name by George Barr McCutcheon. Producers Frederic Thompson and Elmer "Skip" Dundy staged it on Broadway in 1906. The play is about a young man who must spend a million dollars that he has inherited in order to inherit many millions more. Broadway production Thompson and Dundy previewed the play at the Taylor Opera House in Trenton, New Jersey, starting on October 11, 1906. It debuted on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre on December 31, 1906. The production transferred to the Hudson Theatre on February 25, 1907, with the same cast. The characters and cast from the Broadway production are given below: Waltz Australian composer Thomas Bulch Thomas Edward Bulch (30 December 1862 – 13 November 1930) was an English-born Australian musician and composer. Biography Bulch was born in New Shildon, Durham, one of thirteen children, living at 48 Adelaide Str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brewster's Millions
''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from another relative requires he must spend the $1 million in the first year or forfeit a $7 million inheritance from the other relative. It was adapted into a play in 1906, which opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway, and the novel or play has been adapted into films thirteen times, four of which were produced in India. Plot summary The novel revolves around Montgomery Brewster, a young man who inherits one million dollars from his rich grandfather. Shortly after, a rich uncle also dies. This uncle hated Brewster's grandfather, a long-held grudge stemming from the grandfather's disapproval of the marriage of Brewster's parents. The uncle will leave Brewster seven million dollars, but only under the condition that he keeps none of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nancy O'Neil
Nancy O'Neil (born Nancy Muriel Smith; 25 August 1907 - 5 March 1995) was an Australian-born British actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek .... Partial filmography Bibliography * Chibnall, Steve. ''Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' film''. British Film Institute, 2007. External links * Nancy O'Neil Obituary in ''The Independent'' 1907 births 1995 deaths British film actresses British stage actresses Australian film actresses Australian stage actresses Actresses from Sydney 20th-century British actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom {{UK-actor-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy Film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the oldest genres in film and it is derived from the classical comedy in theatre. Some of the earliest silent films were comedies, as slapstick comedy often relies on visual depictions, without requiring sound. When sound films became more prevalent during the 1930s, comedy films took another swing, as laughter could result from burlesque situations but also dialogue. Comedy, compared with other film genres, puts much more focus on individual stars, with many former stand-up comics transitioning to the film industry due to their popularity. In '' The Screenwriters Taxonomy'' (2017), Eric R. Williams contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character, and story. Therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
