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Curtain Up
''Curtain Up'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring Robert Morley, Margaret Rutherford and Kay Kendall. Written by Jack Davies and Michael Pertwee it is based on the play ''On Monday Next'' by Philip King. It was shot at Isleworth Studios in London with the exterior of the nearby Richmond Theatre standing in for that of Drossmouth. The film's sets were designed by the art director Geoffrey Drake. Plot In an English provincial town, Drossmouth, a second-rate repertory company assembles at the Theatre Royal on Monday morning to rehearse the following week's play, a melodrama titled ''Tarnished Gold''. Harry, their irascible producer, is highly critical of the play, which has been foisted on him by the directors of the company and is unenthusiastic about its prospects. The cast includes Jerry, a young and sometimes keen actor, Maud, a widowed actress who was once famous on the West End stage, Sandra, who is waiting for (and receives) a call fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Smart
Ralph Foster Smart (27 August 1908 – 12 February 2001) was a film and television producer, director, and writer, born in England to Australian parents. Biography Smart found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted with 'quota quickies': low-budget B-pictures to meet a legal commitment to the British film industry under the Cinematograph Films Act 1927. During the Second World War, Smart joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and served until 1945. Afterward he worked for the Rank Organisation and Ealing Studios, returning to Australia to direct several films beginning with '' The Overlanders'' and including '' Bitter Springs'' (1950), addressing the mistreatment of young Aborigines. Back again in Britain, he became an influential figure in ITC television, producing, directing or writing a number of television series and films, including the 1950s series ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' and ''The Inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or excessively sentimental, rather than action. Characters are often flat, and written to fulfill stereotypes. Melodramas are typically set in the private sphere of the home, focusing on morality and family issues, love, and marriage, often with challenges from an outside source, such as a "temptress", a scoundrel, or an aristocratic villain. A melodrama on stage, filmed, or on television is usually accompanied by dramatic and suggestive music that offers cues to the audience of the drama being presented. In scholarly and historical musical contexts, ''melodramas'' are Victorian dramas in which orchestral music or song was used to accompany the action. The term is now also applied to stage performances without incidental music, novels, films, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allmovie
AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine, who also founded AllMusic and AllGame. The AllMovie database was licensed to tens of thousands of distributors and retailers for point-of-sale systems, websites and kiosks. The AllMovie database is comprehensive, including basic product information, cast and production credits, plot synopsis, professional reviews, biographies, relational links and more. AllMovie data was accessed on the web at the AllMovie website. It was also available via the AMG LASSO media recognition service, which can automatically recognize DVDs. In late 2007, TiVo Corporation acquired AMG for a reported $72 million. The AMG consumer facing web properties AllMusic.com, AllMovie.com and AllGame.com were sold by Rovi in August ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid digital media, digital subscribers. It also is a producer of popular podcasts such as ''The Daily (podcast), The Daily''. Founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones (publisher), George Jones, it was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. The ''Times'' has won List of Pulitzer Prizes awarded to The New York Times, 132 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, and has long been regarded as a national "newspaper of record". For print it is ranked List of newspapers by circulation, 18th in the world by circulation and List of newspapers in the United States, 3rd in the U.S. The paper is owned by the New York Times Company, which is Public company, publicly traded. It has been governed by the Sulzberger family since 189 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Kydd
Samuel John Kydd (15 February 1915 – 26 March 1982) was a British-Irish actor. His best-known roles were in two major British television series of the 1960s, as the smuggler Orlando O'Connor in '' Crane'' and its sequel ''Orlando''. He also played a recurring character in ''Coronation Street''. Kydd's first film was '' The Captive Heart'' (1946), in which he played a POW. He made over 290 films, more than any other British actor, including 119 between 1946 and 1952. Early life and career An army officer's son, Kydd was born on 15 February 1915 in Belfast, Ireland, and moved to London as a child. He was educated at Dunstable School in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. During the mid-1930s Kydd was an MC for the Oscar Rabin Band and one of his "Hot Shots". He would warm up audiences with jokes and impressions (Maurice Chevalier was a favourite) and even some tap dance routines then introduce the other singers and attractions on the bill. During the late 1930s he had joined the Te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Cazabon
John Forde Cazabon (3 August 1914 – 22 June 1983) was an English actor and stage writer whose career began in Sydney, Australia. History Cazabon was born in Hertford, Hertfordshire, to violinist and composer Albert Cazabon (1883–1970) and Norah Cazabon née Delaney, a professional actress born in Australia. He had an older sister Norah Cazabon and a younger brother Robert Brendan Cazabon (born c. 1919), who was killed in action in 1941. In 1927 the family moved to Sydney, where Albert Cazabon had secured the post of musical director to the Prince Edward Theatre's orchestra, and Gladys, née Curtin, a professional actress born in Australia. Cazabon and sister Norah were members of Sydney's Impressionist Theatre in 1933 and in 1934, with their mother, joined the Independent Theatre and Pickwick Theatre Group, both run by Doris Fitton. They later joined Beryl Bryant's group. Albert Cazabon returned to London in 1936, living at Aberdeen Place, and was hired by the BBC, but Caz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joan Hickson
Joan Bogle Hickson, OBE (5 August 1906 – 17 October 1998) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She was known for her role as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series ''Miss Marple''. She also narrated a number of ''Miss Marple'' stories on audiobooks. Biography Born in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Hickson was a daughter of Edith Mary (née Bogle) and Alfred Harold Hickson, a shoe manufacturer. After boarding at Oldfield School in Swanage, Dorset, she went on to train at RADA in London. She made her stage debut in 1927, then worked for several years throughout the United Kingdom, achieving success playing comedic, often eccentric characters in the West End of London. She played the role of the cockney maid Ida in the original production of '' See How They Run'' at the Q Theatre in 1944, and then at the Comedy Theatre in January 1945. She made her first film appearance in 1934. The numerous supporting roles she played during her career included ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stringer Davis
James Buckley Stringer Davis, generally known as Stringer Davis (4 June 1899 – 29 August 1973), was an English character actor on the stage and in films, and a British army officer who served in both world wars. He was married to actress Margaret Rutherford. Early life Stringer Davis was born on 4 June 1899 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, son of Bank of England clerk George William Davis (1871–1948) and Ethel, daughter of J. Buckley Deakin, of Prince's Park, Liverpool. The Davis family were landed gentry, of Well Close, Brockworth, Gloucestershire; his first cousin was Admiral William Davis, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff from 1954 to 1957. The name "Stringer" came from a paternal great-grandfather, Miles Stringer, of Effingham Hill, Surrey, whose daughter Adelaide married William Davis, of Well Close. Davis attended the independent Uppingham School and received military basic training there. In August 1918, he volunteered for military service and was sent to the front i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Lamb (actor)
Charles Lamb (20 November 1900 – 19 March 1989) was a British stage, film and television actor. Previously an engineer, he made his theatre debut in 1924. His stage work included appearing in the original theatrical production of '' Brighton Rock'' at the Garrick Theatre in 1943. His longest running role was as Mrs Dale's gardener, Monument, in the radio soap opera ''Mrs Dale's Diary''. Selected filmography * '' Once a Crook'' (1941) - Joseph * ''Stop Press Girl'' (1949) - Green Line Conductor (uncredited) * '' The Galloping Major'' (1951) - Ernie Smart, Horse Owner * ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' (1951) - Mr. Richards (uncredited) * ''Appointment with Venus'' (1951) - Jean - the Cowman * '' Curtain Up'' (1952) - George * '' Come Back Peter'' (1952) - Mr. Hapgood * ''Genevieve'' (1953) - Publican (uncredited) * '' The Intruder'' (1953) - Glazier (uncredited) * '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1953) - 2nd Trap Door Stage Hand (uncredited) * ''Impulse'' (1954) - Mr. Palmer (Car Mechanic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joan Rice
Joan Rice (3 February 1930 – 1 January 1997) was an English film actress. Rice is best known for her role as Dalabo in the film '' His Majesty O'Keefe'' (1954) which co-starred Burt Lancaster. Apart from that she played Maid Marian in ''The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men'' (1952), played the graverobber's wife in ''The Horror of Frankenstein'' and appeared in ''Operation Bullshine ''Operation Bullshine'' is a 1959 British colour comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Donald Sinden, Barbara Murray and Carole Lesley. The working title of the film was ''Girls in Arms'' that features as a marching song in the fil ...''. For several years in the early and mid-1950s, Rice was considered one of 'Rank's top stars'. She was loaned to Adelphi Films to make ''The Crowded Day''. She was reputedly discovered working as a waitress in a Lyons Corner House in London, where she was crowned "Miss Lyons, 1949"; and thereafter trained at the Rank Organisation's The Comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlotte Mitchell
Charlotte Mitchell (born Edna Winifred Mitchell; 23 July 1926 – 2 May 2012) was an English actress and poet. Biography In the 1950s she provided lyrics, sketches, and occasionally acted in revues on London's West End. She was especially successful in her ventures providing lyrics for Madeleine Dring in ''Airs on a Shoestring'' (1953), ''Pay the Piper'' (1954), and '' Fresh Airs'' (1956), all productions of Laurier Lister. She was once (allegedly) the girlfriend of Peter Sellers, and appeared in ''The Goon Show'' episodes ''Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest'' (1954) as Maid Marian and ''Tales of Montmartre'' (1956) as Seagoon's love interest, Fifi. Charlotte Mitchell was married to the actor Philip Guard, from whom she separated in 1968, and was the mother of three children: actors Christopher Guard and Dominic Guard and animator and novelist Candy Guard. Charlotte lived in West London during the later part of her life and continued to be active as a poet. She appeared on B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lloyd Lamble
Lloyd Nelson Lamble (8 February 1914 – 17 March 2008) was an Australian actor who worked in theatre, television, radio and film. He lived and worked for most of his life in the United Kingdom. Biography Personal life Lloyd Lamble was born in Melbourne, Victoria, to William Henry Sylvester Lamble and Francis Alma Spencer Lamble (née Potter). He was the youngest of four children, all boys.Lamble, Lloyd Nelson. ''Hi Diddle Dee Dee: An Actor’s Life For Me.'' Typescript autobiography of Lloyd Lamble. 1994. (Manuscript sighted in the National Library of Australia, 29 November 2008) His father William Lamble was a viola player in the Sisserman String QuartetPersonal communication: Lloyd Nelson Lamble to Tim LambleCaptioned photo from unidentified newspaper in possession of Tim Lamble and in symphony orchestras in Melbourne; secretary of the Musicians' Union of Australia; a music teacher, pianist, organist, choirmaster and composer. His grandfather was a music professor. Lloyd was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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