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The Square Ring
''The Square Ring'' is a 1953 British tragi-comic drama, directed by Basil Dearden and made at Ealing Studios. It stars Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and Bill Owen. The film, based on a stage play by Ralph Peterson, centres on one night at a fairly seedy boxing venue and tells the disparate stories of the fighters and the women behind them. Premise Six stories that take place mainly in the locker room prior to and after various bouts during a single evening at a cheap boxing stadium: ex-champion Kid Curtis (the Docker Starkie role in the original play) attempting a comeback; Eddie Lloyd, a former amateur boxer making his professional debut; ‘Happy’ Burns a chirpy lightweight; Rick Martell, a crooked fighter planning to throw a fight; Whitey Johnson, a punch drunk ‘has-been’; and Rowdie Rawlings, a simple heavyweight. Danny Felton is the experienced ex-pro dressing room attendant. Cast Production The play debuted in October 1952 and was immediately successful. Film ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basil Dearden
Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life and career Dearden was born at 5, Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and his wife, Florence Tripp. Basil Dean Dearden graduated from theatre direction to film, working as an assistant to Basil Dean. He later changed his own name to Dearden to avoid confusion with his mentor. He wrote ''This Man Is News'' (1938), a hugely popular quota quickie and wrote and directed a film for TV ''Under Suspicion'' (1939). He was assistant director on ''Penny Paradise'' (1938), produced by Dean and directed by Carol Reed, and two George Formby comedies directed by Anthony Kimmins: ''George Takes the Air'' (1938), produced by Dean, and '' Come on George!'' (1939). Dearden was promoted to associate producer on two more George Formby films, which he also co-wrote: ''To Hell with Hitler'' (1940) aka ''Let George Do It'' and ''Spare a Coppe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Film Distributors
General Film Distributors (GFD), later known as J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors and Rank Film Distributors Ltd., was a British film distribution company based in London. It was active between 1935 and 1996, and from 1937 it was part of the Rank Organisation. General Film Distributors was created in 1935 by the British film distributor C. M. Woolf (1879–1942) after he had resigned from Gaumont British and closed his distribution company Woolf & Freedman Film Service.The Independent 1 July 1999: Obituary: Sir John Woolf Retrieved 2011-09-02 In 1936, J. Arthur Rank and the paper magnate [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Mail (Adelaide)
The ''Sunday Mail'' (originally titled ''The Mail'') is an Adelaide newspaper first published on 4 May 1912 by Clarence Moody. Through much of the 20th century, '' The Advertiser'' was Adelaide's morning broadsheet, '' The News'' the afternoon tabloid, ''The Sunday Mail'' a vehicle for covering weekend sport, and ''Messenger Newspapers'' covering community news. "Sunday Mail" is a business name of Advertiser Newspapers Pty Ltd, a private company that is part of News Corp Australia, which since 2004 has been a component of the U.S. multinational mass media company, News Corp. History ''Mail'' In 1912, Clarence Moody initially set up three newspapers – the ''Sporting Mail'' (1912-1914), ''Saturday Mail'' (1912-1917), and the ''Mail''. The first two titles lasted only a few years, and the ''Mail'' itself went into liquidation in late 1914. Ownership passed briefly to George Annells and Frank Stone, and then to Herbert Syme. In May 1923 News Limited purchased the ''Mail'' an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The News (Adelaide)
''The News'' was an afternoon daily tabloid newspaper in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, that had its origins in 1869, and finally ceased circulation in 1992. Through much of the 20th century, '' The Advertiser'' was Adelaide's morning broadsheet, ''The News'' the afternoon tabloid, with '' The Sunday Mail'' covering weekend sport, and ''Messenger Newspapers'' community news. Its former names were ''The Evening Journal'' (1869–1912) and ''The Journal'' (1912–1923), with the Saturday edition called ''The Saturday Journal'' until 1929. History ''The Evening Journal'' ''The News'' began as ''The Evening Journal'', witVol. I No. Iissued on 2 January 1869. From 11 September 1912Vol. XLVI No. 12,906 it was renamed ''The Journal.'' News Limited was established in 1923 by James Edward Davidson, when he purchased the Broken Hill ''Barrier Miner'' and the Port Pirie ''Recorder''. He then went on to purchase ''The Journal'' and Adelaide's weekly sports-focussed ''Mail'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Mills
Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes. In 1971, he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''Ryan's Daughter''. For his work in film Mills was knighted by Elizabeth II in 1976. In 2002, he received a BAFTA Fellowship from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and was named a Disney Legend by The Walt Disney Company. Early life John Mills was born on 22 February 1908 in North Elmham, Norfolk, the son of Edith Mills (née Baker), a theatre box office manager, and Lewis Mills, a mathematics teacher. Mills was born at Watts Naval School, where his father was a master. He spent his early years in the village of Belton where his father was the headmaster of the village school. He first felt the thrill o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Gauge
Alexander Gauge (29 July 1914 – 29 August 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Friar Tuck in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' from 1955 to 1959. Born in a Methodist Mission station in Wenzhou in China,Biography of Gauge Gauge was a well-known English character actor. Gauge attended school in before moving to . He served in the in |
Sydney Tafler
Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was born into a Jewish family, the son of Eva (née Kosky) and Mark Tafler, an antique dealer. His sister, Hylda, married the film director Lewis Gilbert. Another sister, Sheila, was also an actress. He was married to the actress Joy Shelton from 1941 until his death from cancer; they had three children – two sons, Jeremy and Jonathan, and a daughter, Jennifer, who became a child actress. Career After two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Tafler first appeared on stage in London's West End in 1936, with Sir Seymour Hicks in ''The Man in Dress Clothes''. His other stage roles included the menacing character of Nat Goldberg in a production of Harold Pinter's ''The Birthday Party'', directed by the playwright; a role he reprised in Will ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joan Sims
Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for playing Gran in ''Till Death Us Do Part'' (1967–1975), Madge Kettlewell in ''Sykes'' (1972–1978), Mrs Wembley, the cook with a liking for sherry, in '' On the Up'' (1990–1992), and Madge Hardcastle in '' As Time Goes By'' (1994–1998). Early life and education Sims was born on 9 May 1930, the only child of John Henry Sims (1888-1964), Station Master of Laindon railway station in Essex, and his wife Gladys Marie Sims, '' née'' Ladbrook (1896-1981). Sims's early interest in being an actress came from living at the railway station. She would often put on performances for waiting passengers. She decided that she wanted to pursue show business during her teens, and soon became a familiar face in a growing number of amateur productions locally. One o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Golden (actor)
Michael Golden (15 August 1913 – 1983) was an Irish stage, film and television actor, mainly active in England. His stage work encompassed Shakespearean roles at Stratford in 1947; and as police inspectors in the original West End productions of Agatha Christie's plays ''Verdict'' and '' The Unexpected Guest'' in 1958. Selected filmography * ''A Canterbury Tale'' (1944) - Sergt. Smale * ''Send for Paul Temple'' (1946) - Dixie * ''Hungry Hill'' (1947) - Sam Donovan * ''Escape'' (1948) - Detective Penter * ''Calling Paul Temple'' (1948) - Frank Chester * ''Noose'' (1948) - Moggie * ''Another Shore'' (1948) - D.O. Broderick * ''The Blue Lamp'' (1950) - Mike Randall (uncredited) * ''Pool of London'' (1951) - Customs Officer Andrews * ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1951) - Second reporter (uncredited) * ''Salute the Toff'' (1952) - Benny Kless * ''The Gentle Gunman'' (1952) - Murphy * ''The Square Ring'' (1953) - Warren * ''Operation Diplomat'' (1953) - Harrison * '' 36 Hours'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Byrne
Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside Ireland he is probably best known for his minor role as General Willard in ''Star Wars'' (1977) (named after George Lucas's friend and collaborator Willard Huyck), but viewers of horror films might also remember him as the sceptical Inspector Mulrooney in ''The Mummy'' (1959) and as the kindly Dr. Reginald Landers in ''Island of Terror'' (1966) and the rural inn owner from '' The Break''. He also appeared as Inspector O'Neill in the film ''Jack the Ripper'' (1959). He appeared in the TV series 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1957), Season 3, Episode 5 as the lord of the manor. Personal life Eddie Byrne was born in Dublin. He was married to Kitty Thuillier and had four children: Frank Byrne, Susan Byrne, Michael Byrne & Catherine Byrne. He died of a stroke in Dublin in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sid James
Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a middle-class Jewish family in South Africa, James started his career in his native country before finding his greatest success in the UK. Beginning his screen career playing bit parts in films from 1947, he was cast in numerous small and supporting roles into the 1950s. He appeared in the film ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' in 1951, starring Alec Guinness. His profile was raised as Tony Hancock's co-star in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first in the radio series and later when it was adapted for television and ran from 1954 to 1960. Afterwards, he became known as a regular performer in the Carry On films, appearing in 19 films of the series, with the top billing roles in 17 (in the other two he was cast below Frankie Howerd). His starring roles in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronald Lewis (actor)
Ronald Glasfryn Lewis (11 December 1928 – 11 January 1982), was an actor, best known for his appearances in British films of the 1950s and 1960s. Early life and career Lewis was born in Port Talbot, Glamorgan, the son of an accountant. He moved with his family to London when he was seven. During the war he was evacuated back to south Wales, where he attended Bridgend Grammar School. There he played Bassanio in the school production of ''The Merchant of Venice''. He decided to become an actor after seeing George Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cardiff. He studied at RADA, graduating in 1953. Early roles Lewis's first professional role was in Oscar Wilde's ''An Ideal Husband'' (1950) in repertory at Worthing. He was in ''The Square Ring'' at Hammersmith. Lewis had an uncredited bit part in ''Valley of Song'', set in Wales. He was credited for the film version of ''The Square Ring'' (1953), for Ealing; '' The Beachcomber'' (1954), as a native is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
