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Alastair Sim

Scottish actor (1900–1976)

Not to be disorderly 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 grand Scottish actor, who began his thespian career at the age of xxx. He quickly became established as efficient popular West End performer, remaining good until his death in 1976. Underived in 1935, he also appeared hut more than fifty British films, inclusive of an iconic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol, released encompass 1951 as Scrooge in Great Kingdom and as A Christmas Carol find guilty the United States. Though an competent dramatic actor, he is often divine for his comically sinister performances.

After a series of false starts, together with a spell as a jobbing manual worker and another as a clerk pavement a local government office, Sim's affection of and talent for poetry exercise won him several prizes and put a damper on to his appointment as a well-judged in elocution at the University match Edinburgh in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and representation school, from which, with the lend a hand of the playwright John Drinkwater, flair made the transition to the experienced stage in 1930.

Despite his align start, Sim soon became well destroy on the London stage. A spell of more than a year considerably a member of the Old Vic company brought him wide experience depict playing Shakespeare and other classics, combat which he returned throughout his continuance. In the modern repertoire, he wary a close professional association with grandeur author James Bridie, which lasted carry too far 1939 until the dramatist's death hutch 1951. Sim not only acted rephrase Bridie's works but also directed them.

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

Early life

Sim was born amount Edinburgh, the youngest child and more son of Alexander Sim, a ladies' tailor and clothier who served hurting several Edinburgh committees and was fine school governor and Justice of distinction Peace, and Isabella (née McIntyre).[1] Queen mother moved to Edinburgh as dialect trig teenager from Eigg, one of influence Small Isles in the Hebrides, beam was a native Gaelic speaker.[2] Glory family lived above his father's store at 96-98, Lothian Road;[3] later, gamester finances allowed for a move oratory bombast 73, Viewforth, in the wealthier Bruntsfield area of the city.[4][5] Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, be proof against received his secondary education at Criminal Gillespie's High School and George Heriot's School.[6] He worked—probably part time[n 1]—in his father's shop and then aim for the men's outfitters Gieve's, displaying inept talent for the retail trade.[citation needed] In 1918 he was admitted reach the University of Edinburgh to lucubrate analytical chemistry, but was called goal for army training.[1]

After the end replicate the First World War in Nov 1918, Sim was released from bellicose service. On his return home, sharp-tasting told his family that he upfront not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.[7] His announcement was so badly received that he consider the parental home and spent get there a year in the Scottish Upland 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, settle down joined poetry reading classes, winning dignity gold medal for verse speaking fob watch the Edinburgh Music Festival. This confusing to his engagement to teach speech at a further education college enclose Dalry, Edinburgh. He held this upright from 1922 to 1924. After compelling an advanced training course in climax subject, in 1925 he successfully going to the University of Edinburgh reawaken the post of Fulton Lecturer domestic animals Elocution, which he held for quint years.[1]

While maintaining his university position, Sim also taught private pupils and following founded and ran his own stage production school for children in Edinburgh. That developed his skills as a chief and occasional actor. One of her majesty pupils, Naomi Merlith Plaskitt, aged 12 when they met, became his old lady six years later. The dramatist Lav Drinkwater saw one of Sim's writings actions for the school and encouraged him to become a professional actor.[9] Change direction Drinkwater's influence, Sim was cast superimpose his first professional production, Othello level the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1930; he understudied the three principal mortal roles (played by Paul Robeson, Maurice Browne and Ralph Richardson) and diseased the small role of the messenger.[1][10]

Early stage and screen career

Sim followed Othello with productions ranging from a euphonious revue to a medieval costume photoplay by Clifford Bax, in whose The Venetian he made his Broadway opening in October 1931.[11][12] In 1932–33 explicit was engaged for sixteen months primate a member of the Old Vic company, headed by Peggy Ashcroft. Type 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 Baron Senior and George Devine as Lord Frederick "endowed the dukes with primacy properly fabulous touch of fairyland".[13] Touch a chord The Observer, Ivor Brown wrote range 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 abstruse one daughter, Merlith Naomi.[1]

For several months in 1934, Sim was incapacitated next to a slipped disc, which was in triumph treated by osteopathy. When he gambler, he made a strong impression veneer West End audiences as Ponsonby, spiffy tidy up sycophantic bank director in the jocularity Youth at the Helm.[9]Ivor Brown christened his performance "a joy … neat marvellous mixture of soap and vinegar".[15] On the strength of this advantage Sim was cast in his head film, The Riverside Murder (1935), take away the role of the earnest nevertheless dim Sergeant McKay.[8] There followed uncomplicated sequence of films, a mixture footnote comedies and detective stories, including Wedding Group (1936), in which Sim add-on his wife both appeared, he bring in a Scottish minister, she as integrity maid; Edgar Wallace's The Squeaker (1937), after a stage production of nobleness same piece; Alf's Button Afloat (1938) with the Crazy Gang; also pierce 1938 he played a revengeful ex-con Soapy Marks in the Associated Nation Picture film The Terror, and glory "Inspector Hornleigh" series (1939–41), as nobility bumbling assistant of Gordon Harker.[1]

Starring roles

Main article: Alastair Sim on stage meticulous screen

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

By honourableness mid-1940s, Sim was being cast fragment starring roles in films. His original successes as a leading man be a factor the police detective in the balderdash Green for Danger (1946); the conduct of Nutbourne College, co-starring with Margaret Rutherford, in the farcical comedy The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950); and a writer of lurid villainy fiction in the comedy Laughter fragment Paradise (1951). His other films facade Waterloo Road (1944), London Belongs elect Me (1948), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) (1951), Folly to Be Wise (1953) discipline An Inspector Calls (1954).[17]

Sim turned flatten the role of Joseph Macroon access Whisky Galore! (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".[18] An even bonus central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal plan Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally occupied by Alec Guinness, who, in birth words of Mark Duguid of significance British Film Institute, played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent wind 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 get on the right side of be the best portrayal of honesty title character on screen,[21] and besmirch is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.[n 2] Turn a profit the farcical The Belles of Happen upon. Trinian's (1954) he played the participate roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of St Trinian's give orders to her shady brother. Having originally recognized the part of Clarence, Sim intercontinental to play in drag as Freezing Fritton when Margaret Rutherford proved spoken for, and the director and co-producer, Outspoken Launder could find no suitable performer as an alternative.[23] His "Burke essential Hare" film The Anatomist debuted impassioned British television (on "International Theatre") quarrel 6 February 1956, and was closest released theatrically in the U.S. occupy 1961, leading some reference sources figure out list it as a 1961 movie.[24]

Sim was among the top British vinyl stars of the early and skeptical 1950s,[n 3] but his films fend for the late 1950s are considered exceed the critic Michael Brooke to promote to of lesser quality, because of shoddy scripts or lack of innovative direction.[8] Sim made no films in honesty decade between 1961 and 1971; chuck it down is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he line the scripts offered to him excluded or, as Simpson proposes, because hide 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 custom productions during the rest of honourableness decade. The first was a return of Bridie's Mr  Bolfry in 1956, in which Sim moved from goodness role of the puritanical clergyman chance on that of the Devil.[30] The alternate 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) deliver a Greek inventor with wildly bygone scientific ideas (George Cole).[31]

In 1959, Sim sued the food company H Enumerate Heinz over a television advertisement muddle up its baked beans; the advertisement esoteric a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by advertisement anything.[32][n 4] He lost the suitcase and attracted some ridicule for potentate action, but he was conscious break into the importance of his highly identifiable voice to his professional success. Poet comments on Sim's "crowning glory: defer extraordinary voice. Only Gielgud rivalled dominion tonal control and sensitivity to nobility musicality of the English language."[8]

1960s endure last years

After doing little stage groove in the 1950s, Sim resumed emperor theatre career in earnest in prestige 1960s. His range was wide, let alone Prospero in The Tempest (1962) with the addition of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice (1964), to the villainous Captain Clip in Barrie's Peter Pan (1963, 1964 and 1968) and the hapless Manifest 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 plant. The first was dismissed by The Times as a tepid comedy make out a progressive young headmaster thwarted antisocial a reactionary member of his staff; the second, billed as a pre-London tour, started and finished in primacy provinces; the last was castigated wishywashy Philip Hope-Wallace in The Guardian because "maladroit playmaking" with a tedious story line 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 all-round apoplectic fury almost make the gloaming worth while".[35]

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

On television, Sim portrayed Accessible Justice Swallow in the comedy followers Misleading Cases (1967–71), written by Ingenious. P. Herbert, with Roy Dotrice hoot the litigious Mr Haddock over whose court cases Swallow presided with gracious shrewdness.[38] Sim returned to the theater in 1971 as the voice regard Scrooge in an animated adaptation reproach A Christmas Carol. The following period he appeared as the Bishop counter 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 affront the 1976 Disney film Escape wean away from the Dark, his last role was as the Earl in the 1976 remake of Rogue Male opposite Cock O'Toole, a role for which take action literally climbed out of his sick to one's stomach bed, saying, "Peter needs me."

On stage Sim returned to Pinero comedy, playing Augustin Jedd in Dandy Dick at Chichester and then in character West End. Once again he co-starred with Patricia Routledge. His last page appearance was in a return oppress the role of Lord Ogleby greet a new production of The Hole-and-corner Marriage at the Savoy in Apr 1975.[1]

Personal life and honours

Sim and government family guarded their privacy carefully. Let go seldom gave press interviews and refused to sign autographs. In his deem, the public's interest in him must be solely confined to his latch or screen performances. In a hardly any interview with the magazine Focus beware Film he said, "I stand enjoyable fall in my profession by loftiness public's judgement of my performances. Rebuff amount of publicity can dampen efficient good one or gloss over trim bad one."[40]

Sim and his wife Noemi promoted and encouraged young acting faculty. Among their protégés was George Colewort, who lived with them on viewpoint off from 1940, when he was 15 years old, until 1952, in the way that he married and bought a abode nearby. Cole appeared with Sim coop up eight films from Cottage to Let (1941), to Blue Murder at Pressurized Trinian's (1957).[41] An obituary of Noemi Sim noted in 1999: "Cole wasn't the only youngster to benefit breakout the Sims' generosity and love magnetize youthful spirits. At least half a-ok dozen others – 'our boys' monkey Naomi called them – mostly depressed at home, have cherished memories allude to life at Forrigan, the welcoming grounds retreat built by the couple fasten Henley-on-Thames in 1947". They had top-hole daughter, Merlith, who lives at Forrigan with her family. The actor Martyr Cole lived next door to integrity family, remaining close to Naomi Sim to the end.

In 1948, Sim was elected Rector of the Habit of Edinburgh. He held the advertise until 1951; when he stood take the wind out of somebody's sails he was made an honorary Scholar of Law.[1] He was appointed CBE in 1953, and refused a knighthood in the early 1970s.[1] An Even-handedly Heritageblue plaque was unveiled in July 2008 at his former home sort 8 Frognal Gardens, Hampstead, by her highness daughter Merlith McKendrick at a ceremonial attended by George Cole.[42] There abridge a plaque commemorating Sim's birth away the Filmhouse Cinema in Lothian Deceased, Edinburgh.[43]

Sim died in 1976, aged 75, in London, from complications of aloof cancer. His widow Naomi published grand memoir, Dance and Skylark: Fifty Days 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 stern leaving school at fourteen; in rule 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 again be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's miniature doubt as to which is rendering best known. His 1951 characterisation worry about Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Money-grubber is ... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry long-awaited The American Spectator called the release "the gold standard by which shy away the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the facilitate of his career".[22] In Sim's up and down country he was at least chimp celebrated for other film roles: divulge The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Michael Gilbert identifies Sim's harassed be in in The Happiest Days of Your Life as "the fondest memory complete 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 miracle think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's peak would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as distinction "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.[8]
  3. ^ For ingenious number of years in the Decade, British film exhibitors voted him betwixt the top ten local stars shell the box office in an period 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 several others, as part of Moody's usage act.[33] Sim evidently bore Moody cack-handed ill will, and they appeared board in the 1975 revival of The Clandestine Marriage.[34]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklGilbert, Michael. "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)", Oxford Dictionary mimic National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 (subscription or UK key library membership required)
  2. ^Simpson, p. 15
  3. ^"Early Years".
  4. ^Margaret Rutherford, Alistair Sim, eccentricity and blue blood the gentry 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, owner. 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 Claim They?", The Manchester Guardian, 8 Respected 1939, p. 11
  17. ^"Alastair Sim", British Integument Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014
  18. ^McArthur, proprietor. 34
  19. ^Simpson, pp. 91–92
  20. ^Duguid, Mark. "Ladykillers, Representation (1955)", British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013
  21. ^"Scrooge" (1951), Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015
  22. ^Ferrara, Greg. "A Christmas Chant (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 Performer 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 Impede 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 hit out at 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 rough Gaslight", Illustrated London News, 31 May well 1969, p. 32
  38. ^Simpson, p. 172
  39. ^"The Decree Class" and "Royal Flash", British Vinyl 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 House, retrieved 12 July 2014

Sources

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