British-born Stars

[Film_Fatale]

> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}

> I love Criterion. About once a year, I splurge on a Criterion film- that's all I can afford unfortunately. It is one of the few cases where I check whether a movie is out on Criterion first, before ordering. I think my first Criterion purchase was "Pygmalion", and I have never stopped admiring their work since then.

 

I love Criterion, too - I've admired their work since they were releasing movies on laserdiscs. Of course, I don't buy very many of their DVDs, most of them I just rent or get at the library.

[MissGoddess]

Grrr...I haven't been able to find those verses written by Grace. Now I wish I had

taken a photograph of the document when I saw it at the exhibition. I swear, you would think

it had been penned by a Victor McLaglen or Richard Burton rather than the Princess of Monaco.

[vecchiolarry]

Hi Randy,

 

Great topic!!!

 

Let's not forget those wonderful Dames:

Sybil Thorndyke

Edith Evans

Peggy Ashcroft

Gladys Cooper

Cathleen Nesbitt

Kathleen Harrison

 

and if we're including Ireland:

Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Sullivan

Anna Lee

Sara Allgood

 

Larry

 

FYI: Olivia and Joan were born in Tokyo and Merle and Vivien were born in India.

All had British fathers and the De Havilland girl's mother was American, Merle & Vivien had half Indian (???) mothers (which both denied!).......

[JackFavell]

That's OK , MissG. I don't want my mind opened up too much anyway! Maybe I can find it in a biography or something. I read two of Guinness's books, and I can't remember much about either one, so maybe it's time to go back and check them out again.

 

I always thought it was funny, because the part of Guinness' books that I remember the most, is the fact that Dame Sybil Thorndike (I think) told him he should give up acting immediately- that he would never be an actor, just go open a grocery or something. She was so sure he had nothing to offer, and look at what he became!

[FrankGrimes]

No Charlie Chaplin for the Goddess?

 

1. Cary Grant

2. Boris Karloff

3. George Sanders

4. James Mason

5. Ray Milland

6. Rex Harrison

7. Charles Laughton

8. Herbert Marshall

9. Claude Rains

10. Tom Conway

11. Robert Donat

12. John Williams

13. Cedric Hardwicke

14. Leo G. Carroll

15. Alan Napier

 

 

1. Madeleine Carroll

2. Deborah Kerr

3. Ida Lupino

4. Vivien Leigh

5. Jean Simmons

6. Elsa Lanchester

7. Angela Lansbury

8. Elizabeth Taylor

9. Greer Garson

10. Anna Lee

11. Julie Christie

12. Jean Gillie

13. Frieda Inescort

14. Nova Pilbeam

15. Dame May Whitty

[MissGoddess]

> {quote:title=FrankGrimes wrote:}{quote}

> No Charlie Chaplin for the Goddess?

>

 

That was a scandalous ommission, as are several that appear on your list. I don't

know what I was smoking that I left off Chaplin, Grant, Milland, Marshall and Jule Christie.

 

Excellent lists!

 

But Deborah was Scottish and I left off all Celts. My list radically changes if the Celts

are allowed in the door.

 

Deborah and Ida BEFORE Vivling?

 

 

> 1. Cary Grant

> 2. Boris Karloff

> 3. George Sanders

> 4. James Mason

> 5. Ray Milland

> 6. Rex Harrison

> 7. Charles Laughton

> 8. Herbert Marshall

> 9. Claude Rains

> 10. Tom Conway

> 11. Robert Donat

> 12. John Williams

> 13. Cedric Hardwicke

> 14. Leo G. Carroll

> 15. Alan Napier

>

>

> 1. Madeleine Carroll

> 2. Deborah Kerr

> 3. Ida Lupino

> 4. Vivien Leigh

> 5. Jean Simmons

> 6. Elsa Lanchester

> 7. Angela Lansbury

> 8. Elizabeth Taylor

> 9. Greer Garson

> 10. Anna Lee

> 11. Julie Christie

> 12. Jean Gillie

> 13. Frieda Inescort

> 14. Nova Pilbeam

> 15. Dame May Whitty

[JackFavell]

I too feel bad that I left off Laughton(!) Lanchester, Marshall, and Christie!

 

Christie made me realize that I have left the sixties out of my list altogether. I may keep it that way, but wanted to mention Albert Finney who is a wonderful actor and in the last few years has done some great unsung work.

[MissGoddess]

Finney was marvelous in Under the Volcano. I did not care much for the film but I came

away upon a recent second viewing more impressed by him than I ever was before. I tend

to think of him and Peter Finch together.

[Film_Fatale]

> {quote:title=JackFavell wrote:}{quote}

> Christie made me realize that I have left the sixties out of my list altogether. I may keep it that way, but wanted to mention Albert Finney who is a wonderful actor and in the last few years has done some great unsung work.

 

Well if it makes you feel any better, I'd forgotten about Finney and Christie, too.

[Snorky]

Hey, Frank.

[randyishere]

Time for some clarification.

 

If you look at my original post, it reads "does anyone like british-born or raised stars?"; raised also being a key word.

 

Errol Flynn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, to an aussie father. He was raised in a british vein. He attended schools as a boy in merry old England and had his very first acting jobs on the british stage and some british film. My intent for this post was folks who got their start in british film and/or stage, or born or raised in Great Britain or British colonies. If they eventually came to America, better for us.

 

Olivia and Joan were born in Tokyo to at least one british parent (my research book says both parents were brits) and raised in a british vein.

 

I know Vivien and Merle were born in India, a british colony. Viv had two brit parents, Merle had one. Both beauties got their feet wet in the british cinema.

 

Hi back to you, Miss G. You can include your Irish favorites also, especially if they got their acting start in british film/stage.

 

Let's make the cutoff date people who had an impact in film before 1970, as this is a classic film fan forum for the most part.

 

Lastly, i would like to add four people to my original favorites list who i forgot: the great Basil Rathbone, and the beautiful June Duprez, Maureen O'Hara, and the skating star/actress Belita.

[Film_Fatale]

If anyone else is watching/recording *The Private Life of Henry VIII* tonight, it's sure to be a showcase for some first-rate British actors, starting of course with Charles Laughton in the title role.