Swithin Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 I learned something about the English actor Miles Malleson (1888-1969) last week. Though perhaps best known for his movie roles (shown below as Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest; Dr. Tobler in The Brides of Dracula; and Windrush Sr. in I'm All Right Jack); he was also a playwright and screenwriter (as well as an adapter of Moliere's plays). Last week, I went to the world premiere of his 1933 play, Yours Unfaithfully, a play about open marriage. It's fascinating, timely, and received a good review in The New York Times. I'd like to see more of his work. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/theater/yours-unfaithfully-review.html?_r=0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayban Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 I learned something about the English actor Miles Malleson (1888-1969) last week. Though perhaps best known for his movie roles (shown below as Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest; Dr. Tobler in The Brides of Dracula; and Windrush Sr. in I'm All Right Jack); he was also a playwright and screenwriter (as well as an adapter of Moliere's plays). Last week, I went to the world premiere of his 1933 play, Yours Unfaithfully, a play about open marriage. It's fascinating, timely, and received a good review in The New York Times. I'd like to see more of his work. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/theater/yours-unfaithfully-review.html?_r=0 He was such a superb character actor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 He was also the poetry-writing hangman in Kind Hearts and Coronets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Ah, so THAT'S his name! Another one like PERCY HELTON. Years ago I used to watch MERV GRIFFIN'S daytime talk show, and he introdueced Percy by saying something like... "You've seen my next guest in countless movies and TV shows over the years, but probably never knew his name. Every time you saw him you probably thought, "Oh. THAT guy!" So, for ME , MILES was "THAT guy!" Sepiatone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomJH Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 One of my favourite Miles Malleson performances is as the Sultan in Korda's Thief of Bagdad who likes to collect toys. He's so enchanted with a large windup horse that he can ride through the skies that he agrees to his daugher's marriage to the evil Jafar (Conrad Veidt) in exchange for him. Malleson is charmingly naive and childlike in the role, making it impossible to dislike his character in spite of the fact that he is hardly the ideal father. He will later, however, meet his fate when Jafar introduces him to a new toy, a four armed Balinese statue of a maiden who will hold him in her arms. One of her hands, however, will hold a knife she will plunge into his back as she caresses him. This latter scene is noteworthy for an eroticism unexpected in an essentially innocent fantasy adventure of this nature. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 One of my favourite Miles Malleson performances is as the Sultan in Korda's Thief of Bagdad who likes to collect toys. He's so enchanted with a large windup horse that he can ride through the skies that he agrees to his daugher's marriage to the evil Jafar (Conrad Veidt) in exchange for him. Malleson is charmingly naive and childlike in the role, making it impossible to dislike his character in spite of the fact that he is hardly the ideal father. He will later, however, meet his fate when Jafar introduces him to a new toy, a four armed Balinese statue of a maiden who will hold him in her arms. One of her hands, however, will hold a knife she will plunge into his back as she caresses him. This latter scene is noteworthy for an eroticism unexpected in an essentially innocent fantasy adventure of this nature. miles malleson was also good as a doctor in The Brides of Dracula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Ah, so THAT'S his name! Another one like PERCY HELTON. Years ago I used to watch MERV GRIFFIN'S daytime talk show, and he introdueced Percy by saying something like... "You've seen my next guest in countless movies and TV shows over the years, but probably never knew his name. Every time you saw him you probably thought, "Oh. THAT guy!" So, for ME , MILES was "THAT guy!" Sepiatone he was pretty funny as the wine merchant in The Robe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Faiola Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 My gosh, Miles Malleson is UBIQUITOUS! Every other British film I see has his name in the credits. He was a wonderfully eccentric performer and a fine dialogue writer. I have a print of one of his earliest films - CITY OF SONG with Jan Kiepura. He played old even in 1931. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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