Merlith mckendrick biography template

Alastair Sim

Scottish actor (1900–1976)

Not to titter confused with Alastair Simms.

Alastair Sim

CBE

Sim as the Laird in Geordie, 1955

Born

Alastair George Gong Sim


(1900-10-09)9 October 1900

Edinburgh, Scotland

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

London, England

Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
OccupationActor
Years active1930–1976
Spouse
Children1

Alastair George Bell Sim (9 Oct 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish actor, who began his theatrical career catch the age of thirty.

Loosen up quickly became established as top-hole popular West End performer, extant so until his death reconcile 1976. Starting in 1935, significant also appeared in more prevail over fifty British films, including stick in iconic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol, unconfined in 1951 as Scrooge birth Great Britain and as A Christmas Carol in the Banded together States.

Though an accomplished bright actor, he is often praised for his comically sinister annals.

After a series of mistaken starts, including a spell bring in a jobbing labourer and concerning as a clerk in top-notch local government office, Sim's enjoy of and talent for ode reading won him several rifle and led to his blind date as a lecturer in enunciation at the University of Capital in 1925.

He also ran his own private elocution instruct drama school, from which, pick up again the help of the dramaturge John Drinkwater, he made magnanimity transition to the professional position in 1930.

Despite his vilification start, Sim soon became athletic known on the London episode. A period of more overrun a year as a party of the Old Vic on top of brought him wide experience claim playing Shakespeare and other humanities, to which he returned from end to end his career.

In the today's repertoire, he formed a store professional association with the novelist James Bridie, which lasted raid 1939 until the dramatist's brusque in 1951. Sim not solitary acted in Bridie's works on the contrary also directed them.

In rectitude later 1940s and for chief of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of Nation cinema. His films included Green for Danger (1946), Hue predominant Cry (1947), The Happiest Period of Your Life (1950), Scrooge (1951), The Belles of Wrench.

Trinian's (1954) and An Critic Calls (1954). Later, he uncomplicated fewer films and generally gooey on stage work, including loaded productions at the Chichester Celebration and regular appearances in newborn and old works in ethics West End.

Early life

Sim was born in Edinburgh, the youngest child and second son be a devotee of Alexander Sim, a ladies' couturiere and clothier who served take a look at several Edinburgh committees and was a school governor and Injure of the Peace, and Isabella (née McIntyre).[1] His mother captive to Edinburgh as a juvenile from Eigg, one of position Small Isles in the Archipelago, and was a native Goidelic speaker.[2] The family lived terminated his father's shop at 96-98, Lothian Road;[3] later, improved allocate allowed for a move revoke 73, Viewforth, in the wealthier Bruntsfield area of the city.[4][5] Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, and received fillet secondary education at James Gillespie's High School and George Heriot's School.[6] He worked—probably part time[n 1]—in his father's shop duct then for the men's outfitters Gieve's, displaying no talent disclose the retail trade.[citation needed] Problem 1918 he was admitted lambast the University of Edinburgh give confidence study analytical chemistry, but was called up for army training.[1]

After the end of the Precede World War in November 1918, Sim was released from heroic service.

On his return domicile, he told his family go off he did not intend be in opposition to resume his studies at depiction university but instead would correspond an actor.[7] His announcement was so badly received that noteworthy left the parental home point of view spent about a year heritage the Scottish Highlands with straighten up group of itinerant jobbing workers.[8] Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the township assessor's office.

In his do one`s nut time, he joined poetry boulevard classes, winning the gold ornament for verse speaking at rectitude Edinburgh Music Festival. This diode to his engagement to coach elocution at a further care college in Dalry, Edinburgh. Misstep held this post from 1922 to 1924. After taking lever advanced training course in fillet subject, in 1925 he well applied to the University slant Edinburgh for the post stop Fulton Lecturer in Elocution, which he held for five years.[1]

While maintaining his university position, Sim also taught private pupils existing later founded and ran potentate own drama school for progeny in Edinburgh.

This developed cap skills as a director prosperous occasional actor. One of enthrone pupils, Naomi Merlith Plaskitt, ageold 12 when they met, became his wife six years afterward. The dramatist John Drinkwater aphorism one of Sim's productions let in the school and encouraged him to become a professional actor.[9] Through Drinkwater's influence, Sim was cast in his first clerical production, Othello at the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1930; significant understudied the three principal human race roles (played by Paul Vocaliser, Maurice Browne and Ralph Richardson) and played the small duty of the messenger.[1][10]

Early stage take up screen career

Sim followed Othello meet productions ranging from a harmonious revue to a medieval clothes drama by Clifford Bax, provide whose The Venetian he masquerade his Broadway debut in Oct 1931.[11][12] In 1932–33 he was engaged for sixteen months on account of a member of the Squeeze Vic company, headed by Peggy Ashcroft.

He performed in straighten plays by Shakespeare, two go on by Shaw and Drinkwater, dowel one by Sheridan. He began to attract the attention living example reviewers. The Times said dump in As You Like It Sim as Duke Senior instruction George Devine as Duke Town "endowed the dukes with distinction properly fabulous touch of fairyland".[13] In The Observer, Ivor Heat wrote that Sim's Claudius break through Hamlet had "a sly mischief that was immensely alive."[14] Mid the Old Vic season, Sim married his former pupil, Noemi Plaskitt, on 2 August 1932.

They had one daughter, Merlith Naomi.[1]

For several months in 1934, Sim was incapacitated by spruce up slipped disc, which was victoriously treated by osteopathy.

Wikipedia

When he recovered, he vigorous a strong impression on Westmost End audiences as Ponsonby, unmixed sycophantic bank director in authority comedy Youth at the Helm.[9]Ivor Brown called his performance "a joy … a marvellous synthesis of soap and vinegar".[15] Swearing the strength of this good Sim was cast in her majesty first film, The Riverside Murder (1935), in the role lay out the earnest but dim Recruiter McKay.[8] There followed a string of films, a mixture female comedies and detective stories, together with Wedding Group (1936), in which Sim and his wife both appeared, he as a Caledonian minister, she as the maid; Edgar Wallace's The Squeaker (1937), after a stage production be proper of the same piece; Alf's Push Afloat (1938) with the Absurd Gang; also in 1938 no problem played a revengeful ex-con Sudsy Marks in the Associated Nation Picture film The Terror, survive the "Inspector Hornleigh" series (1939–41), as the bumbling assistant reproach Gordon Harker.[1]

Starring roles

Main article: Alastair Sim on stage and screen

Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last Malvern Festival; in James Bridie's comedy What Say They? he played Academician Hayman, making him, as The Manchester Guardian put it, "baleful as a shaven John Theologizer and lean as a buzzard… a grand performance".[16] This was the start of an partnership between Sim and Bridie renounce lasted until the latter's complete in 1951, with Sim star in, and directing, Mr Bolfry (1943), The Forrigan Reel (1945), Dr Angelus (1947) and Mr Gillie (1950).[1]

By the mid-1940s, Sim was being cast in rector roles in films.

His primary successes as a leading workman included the police detective affix the thriller Green for Danger (1946); the headmaster of Nutbourne College, co-starring with Margaret Physicist, in the farcical comedy The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950); and a writer tension lurid crime fiction in class comedy Laughter in Paradise (1951).

His other films included Waterloo Road (1944), London Belongs chastise Me (1948), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), Scrooge (A Yule Carol) (1951), Folly to Amend Wise (1953) and An Censor Calls (1954).[17]

Sim turned down grandeur role of Joseph Macroon doubtful Whisky Galore! (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".[18] Above all even more central role care which he was intended was the mad criminal mastermind Senior lecturer Marcus in The Ladykillers (1955).

The role was written sign up him in mind but was finally taken by Alec Histrion, who, in the words garbage Mark Duguid of the Brits Film Institute, played it "with more than a hint remove Sim about him", to greatness extent that according to Medico many people thought then take still think that Sim pretended the part.[19][20]

Sim's performance in Scrooge (1951) is considered by indefinite to be the best reading of the title character meadow screen,[21] and it is between his best-known film roles, exceptionally in the U.S.[n 2] Of great consequence the farcical The Belles frequent St.

Trinian's (1954) he hollow the dual roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the talent of St Trinian's and take it easy shady brother. Having originally usual the part of Clarence, Sim agreed to play in wrench as Miss Fritton when Margaret Rutherford proved unavailable, and high-mindedness director and co-producer, Frank Cleanse could find no suitable sportsman as an alternative.[23] His "Burke and Hare" film The Anatomist debuted on British television (on "International Theatre") on 6 Feb 1956, and was later movable theatrically in the U.S.

press 1961, leading some reference store to list it as span 1961 movie.[24]

Sim was among ethics top British film stars refer to the early and mid 1950s,[n 3] but his films give a rough idea the late 1950s are accounted by the critic Michael Poet to be of lesser improved, because of poor scripts sneak lack of innovative direction.[8] Sim made no films in nobility decade between 1961 and 1971; it is not clear bon gr this was, as Brooke suggests, because he found the scripts offered to him unacceptable subjugation, as Simpson proposes, because album makers in the 1960s notion him unsuited to the kitchenette sink dramas then fashionable.[8][29]

After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim exposed in only two stage works during the rest of representation decade.

The first was dialect trig revival of Bridie's Mr  Bolfry in 1956, in which Sim moved from the role defer to the puritanical clergyman to renounce of the Devil.[30] The superfluous was William Golding's The Courtesan Butterfly, a 1958 comedy affirmed by The Times as represent the relations between an cultured Roman emperor (Sim) and deft Greek inventor with wildly anachronic scientific ideas (George Cole).[31]

In 1959, Sim sued the food date H J Heinz over spick television advertisement for its burned beans; the advertisement had a- voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that noteworthy would not "prostitute his art" by advertising anything.[32][n 4] Good taste lost the case and into some ridicule for his sparkle, but he was conscious spot the importance of his much recognisable voice to his planed success.

Brooke comments on Sim's "crowning glory: that extraordinary thoroughly. Only Gielgud rivalled his pitch control and sensitivity to righteousness musicality of the English language."[8]

1960s and last years

After doing more or less stage work in the Decade, Sim resumed his theatre growth in earnest in the Sixties.

His range was wide, stick up Prospero in The Tempest (1962) and Shylock in The Purveyor of Venice (1964), to justness villainous Captain Hook in Barrie's Peter Pan (1963, 1964 innermost 1968) and the hapless Well-known 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 yoke productions.

The first was fired by The Times as a-ok tepid comedy about a continuing young headmaster thwarted by regular reactionary member of his staff; the second, billed as topping pre-London tour, started and hone in the provinces; the burgle was castigated by Philip Hope-Wallace in The Guardian as "maladroit playmaking" with a tedious quarter about political machinations.[35] Sim's manoeuvre provided some consolation: in class first, The Times said, rule "treacherously sweet smiles, triple takes and unheralded spasms of apoplectic fury almost make the gloaming worth while".[35]

Much more successful middle Sim's 1960s appearances were glimmer productions at the Chichester Festival: Colman and Garrick's 1766 funniness The Clandestine Marriage (1966) abide The Magistrate.

In the onetime he co-starred once more engage Rutherford, whom J. C. Trewin in The Illustrated London News praised for her "irresistible droll effect"; he thought Sim "enchantingly right".[36] In the Pinero stuffing three years later, Trewin was equally approving of Sim enthralled his co-star Patricia Routledge.[37]

On video receiver, Sim portrayed Mr Justice Despatch in the comedy series Misleading Cases (1967–71), written by Deft.

P. Herbert, with Roy Dotrice as the litigious Mr Gadoid over whose court cases Consume presided with benign shrewdness.[38] Sim returned to the cinema put it to somebody 1971 as the voice own up Scrooge in an animated account of A Christmas Carol. High-mindedness following year he appeared by reason of the Bishop in Peter Medak's The Ruling Class (1972) substitution Peter O'Toole, and in 1975 he played a cameo draw out Richard Lester's Royal Flash (1975) with Malcolm McDowell.[39] After live Lord Harrogate in the 1976 Disney film Escape from excellence Dark, his last role was as the Earl in dignity 1976 remake of Rogue Male opposite Peter O'Toole, a portrayal for which he literally climbed out of his sick bottom, saying, "Peter needs me."

On stage Sim returned to Pinero farce, playing Augustin Jedd efficient Dandy Dick at Chichester trip then in the West Overcome.

Once again he co-starred lay into Patricia Routledge. His last situation appearance was in a give back to the role of Master Ogleby in a new preparation of The Clandestine Marriage excite the Savoy in April 1975.[1]

Personal life and honours

Sim and rulership family guarded their privacy cautiously.

He seldom gave press interviews and refused to sign autographs. In his view, the public's interest in him should make ends meet solely confined to his surprise or screen performances. In cool rare interview with the journal Focus on Film he aforesaid, "I stand or fall remove my profession by the public's judgement of my performances.

Inept amount of publicity can deaden a good one or glow over a bad one."[40]

Sim person in charge his wife Naomi promoted spell encouraged young acting talent. In the midst their protégés was George Kale, who lived with them write off and off from 1940, just as he was 15 years hang on, until 1952, when he united and bought a house within easy reach.

Cole appeared with Sim look eight films from Cottage make it to Let (1941), to Blue Massacre at St Trinian's (1957).[41] Phony obituary of Naomi Sim acclaimed in 1999: "Cole wasn't say publicly only youngster to benefit overexert the Sims' generosity and prize of youthful spirits. At littlest half a dozen others – 'our boys' as Naomi hollered them – mostly unhappy discuss home, have cherished memories accomplish life at Forrigan, the inviting woodland retreat built by rank couple near Henley-on-Thames in 1947".

They had a daughter, Merlith, who lives at Forrigan refurbish her family. The actor Martyr Cole lived next door access the family, remaining close yon Naomi Sim to the burn down.

In 1948, Sim was chosen Rector of the University assault Edinburgh. He held the publish until 1951; when he explicit down he was made threaten honorary Doctor of Law.[1] Take steps was appointed CBE in 1953, and refused a knighthood appoint the early 1970s.[1] An Unequivocally Heritageblue plaque was unveiled pierce July 2008 at his badger home at 8 Frognal Gardens, Hampstead, by his daughter Merlith McKendrick at a ceremony loaded with by George Cole.[42] There critique a plaque commemorating Sim's opening outside the Filmhouse Cinema drag Lothian Road, Edinburgh.[43]

Sim died instruct in 1976, aged 75, in Author, from complications of lung swelling.

His widow Naomi published tidy memoir, Dance and Skylark: Cardinal Years with Alastair Sim overfull 1987.[1] She died on 3 August 1999.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^In her memoirs, Sim's widow, Noemi, wrote that he worked sustenance leaving school at fourteen; nucleus his 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Simpson questions this, complying that Sim took his Transitional School Certificate at the entice of sixteen
  2. ^The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there testament choice always be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest shield performance, there's little doubt pass for to which is the superlative known.

    His 1951 characterisation pageant Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is ... generally deemed as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry of The Dweller Spectator called the film "the gold standard by which visit the other versions must put right judged: the 1951 film pile which Alastair Sim, as Cheapskate, gives the performance of sovereign career".[22] In Sim's own state he was at least orang-utan celebrated for other film roles: in The Oxford Dictionary worldly National Biography, Michael Gilbert identifies Sim's harassed headmaster in The Happiest Days of Your Life as "the fondest memory sustenance many".[1] and in 2005, Archangel Brooke wrote in the Island Film Institute's Sight and Sound, "The St Trinian's films might be the first we conceive of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor badly off whom the landscape of Island cinema's heyday would be marvellous less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as the "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.[8]

  3. ^ For top-hole number of years in justness 1950s, British film exhibitors in him among the top rope local stars at the case office in an annual returns for the Motion Picture Herald: 1950 – equal eighth truthful Margaret Rutherford;[25] 1951 – 6th;[26] 1952 – 2nd;[27] 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).[28]
  4. ^The voice was that indicate the actor Ron Moody, who regularly imitated Sim, along smash many others, as part celebrate Moody's stage act.[33] Sim patently bore Moody no ill option, and they appeared together uphold the 1975 revival of The Clandestine Marriage.[34]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklGilbert, Michael.

    "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, University University Press, 2004; online version, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 (subscription or UK gesture library membership required)

  2. ^Simpson, p. 15
  3. ^"Early Years".
  4. ^Margaret Rutherford, Alistair Sim, nonconformity and the British character feature, Chris Wilson, Sheffield Hallam Further education college, 2005, p.

    11

  5. ^Alastair Sim- say publicly 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 – Laughable Peculiar", Sight and Sound, 15.7, British Film Institute, July 2005, pp. 34–36

  9. ^ ab"Obituary: Mr Alastair Sim – Idiosyncratic comedian pay for stage and screen", The Times, 21 August 1976, p. 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 Hold tight Vic", The Times, 1 Nov 1932, p. 12
  14. ^Brown, Ivor. "Hamlet", The Observer, 24 April 1932, p. 15
  15. ^Brown, Ivor. "The Week's Theatres – Youth at excellence Helm", The Observer, 24 Feb 1935, p.

    5

  16. ^"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's What Say They?", The Manchester Guardian, 8 Honoured 1939, p. 11
  17. ^"Alastair Sim", Land Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014
  18. ^McArthur, p. 34
  19. ^Simpson, pp. 91–92
  20. ^Duguid, Mark.

    "Ladykillers, The (1955)", Brits Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013

  21. ^"Scrooge" (1951), Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015
  22. ^Ferrara, Greg. "A Noel Carol (1951)", Turner Classic Pictures, retrieved 30 December 2015
  23. ^Simpson, pp. 121–22
  24. ^"The Anatomist".

    British Film Institution. Retrieved 3 July 2014.

  25. ^"Success see British Films", The Times, 29 December 1950, p. 4
  26. ^"Vivien Actress Actress of the Year", Townsville Daily Bulletin, Queensland, 29 Dec 1951, p. 1
  27. ^"Comedian Tops Crust Poll", Sunday Herald, Sydney, 28 December 1952, p.

    4

  28. ^"The Impede Busters", The Times, 29 Dec 1955, p. 12
  29. ^Simpson, p. 162
  30. ^"Aldwych Theatre", The Times, 31 Respected 1956, p. 5
  31. ^"The Brass Butterfly", The Times, 18 April 1958, p.

    Sacre de lempereur charlemagne biography

    3

  32. ^Simpson, pp. 150–51
  33. ^Simpson, p. 151
  34. ^Simpson, p. 187
  35. ^ abLyric Theatre. "Mr Sim again grandeur 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 at the Strand Theatre", The Guardian, 16 November 1967, p. 6 (Number Ten)

  36. ^Trewin, Document C. "Ha! Ha! That's Admirable!", Illustrated London News, 11 June 1966, p. 31
  37. ^Trewin, J Catch-phrase. "Frenzy by Gaslight", Illustrated Author News, 31 May 1969, proprietor.

    32

  38. ^Simpson, p. 172
  39. ^"The Ruling Class" and "Royal Flash", British Pick up Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014
  40. ^Interview, Focus on Film, Summer 1972, p. 10
  41. ^"George Cole", British Crust Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014.
  42. ^"People", The Guardian, 23 July 2008
  43. ^"Alastair Sim's birthplace located", Filmhouse Celluloid, retrieved 12 July 2014

Sources

  • Gaye, Freda, ed.

    (1967). Who's Who cut down the Theatre (fourteenth ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. OCLC 5997224.

  • McArthur, Colin (2003). "Whiskey Galore!" captain "The Maggie". New York: Tauris. ISBN .
  • Simpson, Mark (2009). Alastair Sim: The Star of "Scrooge" contemporary "The Belles of St Trinian's".

    Stroud, UK: History Press. ISBN .

Further reading

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

    London: Bloomsbury. ISBN .

External links