Noël Coward grew up at a time when British theater culture was experiencing its first ever upswing: in 1895, four years before Coward’s birth, Queen …
James Mason: The Classic Movie Actor (2.)
Continued from part one Although James Mason enjoyed some success in British cinemas in the mid-forties, he was anything but fond of the British film …
James Mason From Architect to Actor (1.)
When young James Mason began studying classical philology, who would have expected that he would one day become one of the most accomplished British character …
Louis de Funès: A Comedian on his Way to the Cinema (2.)
Continued from part one The comedian had a hard time leaving the theater stage behind: The theater had one great advantage. At every performance, a …
Louis de Funès: A Comedian is Born (1.)
He began his career not as an actor but as a pianist in various Parisian establishments: originally, de Funès was descended from Spanish immigrants who …
Alfred Hitchcock: Master of the Cinema
He went down in film history as the “master of suspense”: building suspense in a film that keeps the viewer glued to the cinema seat …
Judy Garland: Born As a Star
Show business was in the family: Judy Garland’s parents were both vaudeville performers and ran a cinema in northern Minnesota: in 1922, when Frances Ethel …
Maurice Jarre: Delicate Music For Monumental Films
During the preparations for the filming of Lawrence of Arabia, producer Sam Spiegel went in search of a film composer who could provide the music …
Romy Schneider: La Grande Dame
Because of her role in the film series of the same name from the fifties, she was identified by a large audience as the young …
Omar Sharif: The Exotic Actor
Director David Lean reportedly had a hard time casting the role of Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia (1962): Just before the shooting started, no …