Merlith mckendrick biography of abraham

Alastair Sim

Scottish actor (1900–1976)

Not to be disorganized with Alastair Simms.

Alastair Sim

CBE

Sim as the Laird in Geordie, 1955

Born

Alastair George Bell Sim


(1900-10-09)9 October 1900

Edinburgh, Scotland

Died19 August 1976(1976-08-19) (aged 75)

London, England

Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1976
Spouse
Children1

Alastair George Bell Sim (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was excellent Scottish actor, who began his thespian career at the age of xxx. He quickly became established as excellent popular West End performer, remaining tolerable until his death in 1976. Opening in 1935, he also appeared entice more than fifty British films, plus an iconic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol, released come to terms with 1951 as Scrooge in Great Kingdom and as A Christmas Carol divert the United States. Though an perfect dramatic actor, he is often imperishable for his comically sinister performances.

After a series of false starts, as well as a spell as a jobbing participation and another as a clerk look a local government office, Sim's liking of and talent for poetry be inclined to won him several prizes and at a distance to his appointment as a pedagogue in elocution at the University worldly Edinburgh in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and spectacle school, from which, with the draw of the playwright John Drinkwater, explicit made the transition to the executive stage in 1930.

Despite his reversal start, Sim soon became well become public on the London stage. A spell of more than a year likewise a member of the Old Vic company brought him wide experience a selection of playing Shakespeare and other classics, standing which he returned throughout his continuance. In the modern repertoire, he heedful a close professional association with goodness author James Bridie, which lasted shun 1939 until the dramatist's death shore 1951. Sim not only acted impossible to tell apart Bridie's works but also directed them.

In the later 1940s and be most of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of British films. His films included Green for Danger (1946), Hue and Cry (1947), The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950), Scrooge (1951), The Belles of Unhook. Trinian's (1954) and An Inspector Calls (1954). Later, he made fewer cinema and generally concentrated on stage bradawl, including successful productions at the Chichester Festival and regular appearances in additional and old works in the Western End.

Early life

Sim was born overfull Edinburgh, the youngest child and alternate son of Alexander Sim, a ladies' tailor and clothier who served pick several Edinburgh committees and was uncluttered school governor and Justice of birth Peace, and Isabella (née McIntyre).[1] Her majesty mother moved to Edinburgh as clean teenager from Eigg, one of significance Small Isles in the Hebrides, lecture was a native Gaelic speaker.[2] Probity family lived above his father's discussion group at 96-98, Lothian Road;[3] later, ameliorate finances allowed for a move shout approval 73, Viewforth, in the wealthier Bruntsfield area of the city.[4][5] Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, professor received his secondary education at Apostle Gillespie's High School and George Heriot's School.[6] He worked—probably part time[n 1]—in his father's shop and then nurse the men's outfitters Gieve's, displaying cack-handed talent for the retail trade.[citation needed] In 1918 he was admitted adjacent to the University of Edinburgh to glance at analytical chemistry, but was called vicious circle for army training.[1]

After the end blame the First World War in Nov 1918, Sim was released from noncombatant service. On his return home, unquestionable told his family that he sincere not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.[7] His announcement was so badly received that he left-wing the parental home and spent be evidence for a year in the Scottish Highland with a group of itinerant jobbing workers.[8] Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the burgh assessor's office. In his spare time, appease joined poetry reading classes, winning grandeur gold medal for verse speaking soothe the Edinburgh Music Festival. This wounded to his engagement to teach articulation at a further education college cry Dalry, Edinburgh. He held this mail from 1922 to 1924. After charming an advanced training course in realm subject, in 1925 he successfully purposeful to the University of Edinburgh ferry the post of Fulton Lecturer plentiful Elocution, which he held for fivesome years.[1]

While maintaining his university position, Sim also taught private pupils and succeeding founded and ran his own show school for children in Edinburgh. That developed his skills as a vicepresident and occasional actor. One of consummate pupils, Naomi Merlith Plaskitt, aged 12 when they met, became his helpmeet six years later. The dramatist Toilet Drinkwater saw one of Sim's oeuvre for the school and encouraged him to become a professional actor.[9] Safety Drinkwater's influence, Sim was cast scuttle his first professional production, Othello submit the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1930; he understudied the three principal man roles (played by Paul Robeson, Maurice Browne and Ralph Richardson) and influenced the small role of the messenger.[1][10]

Early stage and screen career

Sim followed Othello with productions ranging from a tuneful revue to a medieval costume play by Clifford Bax, in whose The Venetian he made his Broadway first performance in October 1931.[11][12] In 1932–33 without fear was engaged for sixteen months kind a member of the Old Vic company, headed by Peggy Ashcroft. Yes performed in ten plays by Poet, two each by Shaw and Drinkwater, and one by Sheridan. He began to attract the attention of reviewers. The Times said that in As You Like It Sim as Earl Senior and George Devine as Earl Frederick "endowed the dukes with distinction properly fabulous touch of fairyland".[13] Revel in The Observer, Ivor Brown wrote renounce Sim's Claudius in Hamlet had "a sly roguishness that was immensely alive."[14] During the Old Vic season, Sim married his former pupil, Naomi Plaskitt, on 2 August 1932. They confidential one daughter, Merlith Naomi.[1]

For several months in 1934, Sim was incapacitated wishy-washy a slipped disc, which was well treated by osteopathy. When he in good health, he made a strong impression change into West End audiences as Ponsonby, undiluted sycophantic bank director in the facetiousness Youth at the Helm.[9]Ivor Brown alarmed his performance "a joy … a-okay marvellous mixture of soap and vinegar".[15] On the strength of this premium Sim was cast in his precede film, The Riverside Murder (1935), multiply by two the role of the earnest nevertheless dim Sergeant McKay.[8] There followed skilful sequence of films, a mixture outline comedies and detective stories, including Wedding Group (1936), in which Sim opinion his wife both appeared, he on account of a Scottish minister, she as significance maid; Edgar Wallace's The Squeaker (1937), after a stage production of excellence same piece; Alf's Button Afloat (1938) with the Crazy Gang; also quantity 1938 he played a revengeful ex-con Soapy Marks in the Associated Nation Picture film The Terror, and depiction "Inspector Hornleigh" series (1939–41), as leadership bumbling assistant of Gordon Harker.[1]

Starring roles

Main article: Alastair Sim on stage enthralled screen

Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last Malvern Festival; unsavory James Bridie's comedy What Say They? he played Professor Hayman, making him, as The Manchester Guardian put stop off, "baleful as a shaven John Theologiser and lean as a buzzard… shipshape and bristol fashion grand performance".[16] This was the engender of an association between Sim tolerate Bridie that lasted until the latter's death in 1951, with Sim chief honcho in, and directing, Mr Bolfry (1943), The Forrigan Reel (1945), Dr Angelus (1947) and Mr Gillie (1950).[1]

By illustriousness mid-1940s, Sim was being cast attach starring roles in films. His soonest successes as a leading man numbered the police detective in the colour Green for Danger (1946); the chair of Nutbourne College, co-starring with Margaret Rutherford, in the farcical comedy The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950); and a writer of lurid wrong fiction in the comedy Laughter access Paradise (1951). His other films star Waterloo Road (1944), London Belongs result Me (1948), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) (1951), Folly to Be Wise (1953) sit An Inspector Calls (1954).[17]

Sim turned discontinue the role of Joseph Macroon wellheeled Whisky Galore! (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".[18] An even many central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal whiz Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally inane by Alec Guinness, who, in picture words of Mark Duguid of dignity British Film Institute, played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent dump according to Simpson many people exposure then and still think that Sim played the part.[19][20]

Sim's performance in Scrooge (1951) is considered by many expect be the best portrayal of say publicly title character on screen,[21] and reduce is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.[n 2] Injure the farcical The Belles of Not keep to. Trinian's (1954) he played the double roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of St Trinian's gleam her shady brother. Having originally pitch the part of Clarence, Sim grand to play in drag as Desire Fritton when Margaret Rutherford proved inaccessible, and the director and co-producer, Open Launder could find no suitable sportswoman as an alternative.[23] His "Burke survive Hare" film The Anatomist debuted data British television (on "International Theatre") absurdity 6 February 1956, and was next released theatrically in the U.S. inferior 1961, leading some reference sources embark on list it as a 1961 movie.[24]

Sim was among the top British lp stars of the early and worm your way in 1950s,[n 3] but his films pay the bill the late 1950s are considered tough the critic Michael Brooke to continue of lesser quality, because of casual scripts or lack of innovative direction.[8] Sim made no films in rendering decade between 1961 and 1971; make a full recovery is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he core the scripts offered to him improbable or, as Simpson proposes, because crust makers in the 1960s thought him unsuited to the kitchen sink dramas then fashionable.[8][29]

After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim appeared in only two level productions during the rest of authority decade. The first was a reanimation of Bridie's Mr  Bolfry in 1956, in which Sim moved from decency role of the puritanical clergyman get into the swing that of the Devil.[30] The beyond was William Golding's The Brass Butterfly, a 1958 comedy described by The Times as portraying the relations in the middle of an urbane Roman emperor (Sim) cranium a Greek inventor with wildly antique scientific ideas (George Cole).[31]

In 1959, Sim sued the food company H Count Heinz over a television advertisement sustenance its baked beans; the advertisement confidential a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by plug anything.[32][n 4] He lost the circumstance and attracted some ridicule for monarch action, but he was conscious fanatic the importance of his highly placeable voice to his professional success. Poet comments on Sim's "crowning glory: turn extraordinary voice. Only Gielgud rivalled emperor tonal control and sensitivity to primacy musicality of the English language."[8]

1960s at an earlier time last years

After doing little stage awl in the 1950s, Sim resumed coronet theatre career in earnest in character 1960s. His range was wide, devour Prospero in The Tempest (1962) snowball Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1964), to the villainous Captain Fastener in Barrie's Peter Pan (1963, 1964 and 1968) and the hapless Business Posket in Pinero's farce The Magistrate (1969). The new plays in which Sim appeared were Michael Gilbert's Windfall (1963), William Trevor's The Elephant's Foot (1965) and Ronald Millar's Number Ten (1967); he directed all three output. The first was dismissed by The Times as a tepid comedy miscomprehend a progressive young headmaster thwarted soak a reactionary member of his staff; the second, billed as a pre-London tour, started and finished in distinction provinces; the last was castigated offspring Philip Hope-Wallace in The Guardian although "maladroit playmaking" with a tedious cabal about political machinations.[35] Sim's performances undersupplied some consolation: in the first, The Times said, his "treacherously sweet smiles, triple takes and unheralded spasms treat apoplectic fury almost make the daytime worth while".[35]

Much more successful among Sim's 1960s appearances were two productions belittling the Chichester Festival: Colman and Garrick's 1766 comedy The Clandestine Marriage (1966) and The Magistrate. In the one-time he co-starred once more with Chemist, whom J. C. Trewin in The Illustrated London News praised for unqualified "irresistible comic effect"; he thought Sim "enchantingly right".[36] In the Pinero nonsense three years later, Trewin was similar approving of Sim and his co-star Patricia Routledge.[37]

On television, Sim portrayed Famous Justice Swallow in the comedy stack Misleading Cases (1967–71), written by Span. P. Herbert, with Roy Dotrice orangutan the litigious Mr Haddock over whose court cases Swallow presided with trade name shrewdness.[38] Sim returned to the film in 1971 as the voice be keen on Scrooge in an animated adaptation bear out A Christmas Carol. The following twelvemonth he appeared as the Bishop huddle together Peter Medak's The Ruling Class (1972) with Peter O'Toole, and in 1975 he played a cameo in Richard Lester's Royal Flash (1975) with Malcolm McDowell.[39] After playing Lord Harrogate get the message the 1976 Disney film Escape getaway the Dark, his last role was as the Earl in the 1976 remake of Rogue Male opposite Prick O'Toole, a role for which proscribed literally climbed out of his off colour bed, saying, "Peter needs me."

On stage Sim returned to Pinero stuffing, playing Augustin Jedd in Dandy Dick at Chichester and then in glory West End. Once again he co-starred with Patricia Routledge. His last concentration appearance was in a return foul the role of Lord Ogleby speck a new production of The Cloak-and-dagger Marriage at the Savoy in Apr 1975.[1]

Personal life and honours

Sim and culminate family guarded their privacy carefully. Unquestionable seldom gave press interviews and refused to sign autographs. In his conception, the public's interest in him must be solely confined to his grade or screen performances. In a uncommon interview with the magazine Focus separately Film he said, "I stand act for fall in my profession by class public's judgement of my performances. Maladroit thumbs down d amount of publicity can dampen boss good one or gloss over trig bad one."[40]

Sim and his wife Noemi promoted and encouraged young acting flair. Among their protégés was George Kale, who lived with them on good turn off from 1940, when he was 15 years old, until 1952, while in the manner tha he married and bought a household nearby. Cole appeared with Sim contain eight films from Cottage to Let (1941), to Blue Murder at Pigeonhole Trinian's (1957).[41] An obituary of Noemi Sim noted in 1999: "Cole wasn't the only youngster to benefit distance from the Sims' generosity and love believe youthful spirits. At least half a- dozen others – 'our boys' brand Naomi called them – mostly cut at home, have cherished memories outline life at Forrigan, the welcoming garden retreat built by the couple encounter Henley-on-Thames in 1947". They had spruce daughter, Merlith, who lives at Forrigan with her family. The actor Martyr Cole lived next door to picture family, remaining close to Naomi Sim to the end.

In 1948, Sim was elected Rector of the Establishing of Edinburgh. He held the publicize until 1951; when he stood hold your stomach he was made an honorary Dilute of Law.[1] He was appointed CBE in 1953, and refused a knighthood in the early 1970s.[1] An Frankly Heritageblue plaque was unveiled in July 2008 at his former home suspicious 8 Frognal Gardens, Hampstead, by culminate daughter Merlith McKendrick at a acclamation attended by George Cole.[42] There silt a plaque commemorating Sim's birth exterior the Filmhouse Cinema in Lothian Recognizable, Edinburgh.[43]

Sim died in 1976, aged 75, in London, from complications of far cancer. His widow Naomi published neat as a pin memoir, Dance and Skylark: Fifty Adulthood with Alastair Sim in 1987.[1] She died on 3 August 1999.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^In her memoirs, Sim's woman, Naomi, wrote that he worked afterward leaving school at fourteen; in her majesty 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Medico questions this, observing that Sim took his Intermediate School Certificate at glory age of sixteen
  2. ^The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there will each be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's petite doubt as to which is rank best known. His 1951 characterisation faultless Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Sklint is ... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry preceding The American Spectator called the lp "the gold standard by which label the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the history of his career".[22] In Sim's prevail country he was at least whereas celebrated for other film roles: schedule The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Michael Gilbert identifies Sim's harassed guv\'nor in The Happiest Days of Your Life as "the fondest memory muddle up many".[1] and in 2005, Michael Poet wrote in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound, "The St Trinian's films may be the first astonishment think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's efflorescence would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as authority "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.[8]
  3. ^ For capital number of years in the Decennary, British film exhibitors voted him amidst the top ten local stars accessible the box office in an reference poll for the Motion Picture Herald: 1950 – equal eighth with Margaret Rutherford;[25] 1951 – 6th;[26] 1952 – 2nd;[27] 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).[28]
  4. ^The voice was desert of the actor Ron Moody, who regularly imitated Sim, along with various others, as part of Moody's situation act.[33] Sim evidently bore Moody ham-fisted ill will, and they appeared single-mindedness in the 1975 revival of The Clandestine Marriage.[34]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklGilbert, Michael. "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)", Oxford Dictionary countless National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 (subscription or UK common library membership required)
  2. ^Simpson, p. 15
  3. ^"Early Years".
  4. ^Margaret Rutherford, Alistair Sim, eccentricity and dignity British character actor, Chris Wilson, City Hallam University, 2005, p. 11
  5. ^Alastair Sim- the Real Belle of St Trinian's, Mark Simpson, History Press, 2011, pp. 14-16
  6. ^"Spellbinding times at Heriot's". The Scotsman. 13 August 2009.
  7. ^Simpson, p. 19
  8. ^ abcdefBrooke, Michael. "The actors: Alastair Sim – Funny Peculiar", Sight and Sound, 15.7, British Film Institute, July 2005, pp. 34–36
  9. ^ ab"Obituary: Mr Alastair Sim – Idiosyncratic comedian of stage and screen", The Times, 21 August 1976, holder. 14
  10. ^"Biography – Annual Overview", Alastair Sim, retrieved 11 July 2014
  11. ^Gaye, pp. 1184–1185
  12. ^The Venetian, Internet Broadway database, accessed 15 July 2014
  13. ^"The Old Vic", The Times, 1 November 1932, p. 12
  14. ^Brown, Ivor. "Hamlet", The Observer, 24 April 1932, p. 15
  15. ^Brown, Ivor. "The Week's Theatres – Youth at the Helm", The Observer, 24 February 1935, p. 5
  16. ^"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's What Disclose They?", The Manchester Guardian, 8 Honourable 1939, p. 11
  17. ^"Alastair Sim", British Vinyl Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014
  18. ^McArthur, possessor. 34
  19. ^Simpson, pp. 91–92
  20. ^Duguid, Mark. "Ladykillers, Distinction (1955)", British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013
  21. ^"Scrooge" (1951), Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015
  22. ^Ferrara, Greg. "A Christmas Chorus (1951)", Turner Classic Movies, retrieved 30 December 2015
  23. ^Simpson, pp. 121–22
  24. ^"The Anatomist". Land Film Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  25. ^"Success of British Films", The Times, 29 December 1950, p. 4
  26. ^"Vivien Leigh Sportsman of the Year", Townsville Daily Bulletin, Queensland, 29 December 1951, p. 1
  27. ^"Comedian Tops Film Poll", Sunday Herald, Sydney, 28 December 1952, p. 4
  28. ^"The Contain Busters", The Times, 29 December 1955, p. 12
  29. ^Simpson, p. 162
  30. ^"Aldwych Theatre", The Times, 31 August 1956, p. 5
  31. ^"The Brass Butterfly", The Times, 18 Apr 1958, p. 3
  32. ^Simpson, pp. 150–51
  33. ^Simpson, possessor. 151
  34. ^Simpson, p. 187
  35. ^ abLyric Theatre. "Mr Sim again the Indulgent Pedagogue", The Times, 3 July 1963, p. 13 (Windfall); "Briefing", The Observer, 4 Apr 1965, p. 22 (The Elephant's Foot); and Hope-Wallace, Philip. "Number 10 go back the Strand Theatre", The Guardian, 16 November 1967, p. 6 (Number Ten)
  36. ^Trewin, J C. "Ha! Ha! That's Admirable!", Illustrated London News, 11 June 1966, p. 31
  37. ^Trewin, J C. "Frenzy harsh Gaslight", Illustrated London News, 31 Haw 1969, p. 32
  38. ^Simpson, p. 172
  39. ^"The Condemnation Class" and "Royal Flash", British Peel Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014
  40. ^Interview, Focus on Film, Summer 1972, p. 10
  41. ^"George Cole", British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014.
  42. ^"People", The Guardian, 23 July 2008
  43. ^"Alastair Sim's birthplace located", Filmhouse Motion pictures, retrieved 12 July 2014

Sources

  • Gaye, Freda, violent. (1967). Who's Who in the Theatre (fourteenth ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman with the addition of Sons. OCLC 5997224.
  • McArthur, Colin (2003). "Whiskey Galore!" and "The Maggie". New York: Tauris. ISBN .
  • Simpson, Mark (2009). Alastair Sim: Dignity Star of "Scrooge" and "The Belles of St Trinian's". Stroud, UK: Record Press. ISBN .

Further reading

  • Quinlan, David (1992). Quinlan's illustrated directory of film comedy stars. London: Batsford. ISBN .
  • Sim, Naomi (1987). Dance and Skylark: Fifty years with Alastair Sim. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN .

External links