[Leslie Howard and Kay Francis in British Agent, 1934]
British Agent (1934) to air on TCM Friday, October 28, 10:45 AM EST, 7:45 AM PST [Please check your local listings] British Agent is a film based on the autobiography of R. H. Bruce Lockhart, a member of the British Secret Service. Lockhart's book, Memoirs of a British Agent, was also said to have inspired one of the
In March 1933 Leslie Howard was filming Captured! for Warner Brothers. The film co-starred Howard's friend, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Howard had met Fairbanks during the summer of 1925 when the two happened to be crossing the Atlantic aboard the RMS Majestic at the same time. Fairbanks was just fifteen years old and hadn't yet made his first film.
On Saturday, July 30, I posted on Facebook the 2014 BBC report on Leslie Howard's Death in which Estel Eforgan (Leslie Howard: The Lost Actor) and Tom Hamilton (Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave A Damn) were interviewed. I did not post on Monday or Tuesday so that I could devote all my time over the last week to an extensive update to my page:About the Ibis and Its Fateful Flight • Tuesday, June 1, 1943. The page is still not completely finished. I will be adding Estel Eforgan's and Ronald Howard's analyses as time permits. One of the advantages of a blog is that pages can be constantly updated with additional information as it is found and I will be updating the Ibis page until I have found every bit of info I can. I have found conflicting information and some new information that I had not seen before and will be investigating the sources of that information as well. The page includes information about the plane itself, the shoot down and corresponding newspaper articles, the theories about why the plane was targeted, and the passengers and crew. It contains pictures of the plane, the airfield in Portela and the monument at Cadeira, Spain. I hope that you will take the time to read it and draw your own conclusions.
[For those following my blog by email, this is my only scheduled post for the week and will be posted to Facebook in sections.] The next Leslie Howard film to be shown on TCM (Monday, July 25, 11:00am PST) will be the 1931 MGM remake of Never the Twain Shall Meet with Conchita Montenegro. The Peter B. Kyne novel of the same
It's Love I'm After is a 1937 film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland. It will be shown this weekend on TCM. [See your local listings] Howard chose this film at the time because he thought it would be a break from stress. He had just finished his tour of Hamlet which he produced, directed and starred in. Although Howard decided to close the show on Broadway after only 39 performances, the tour was very successful. But Howard was tired. He thought a comedy would be just the thing to bring in some cash and relax with his family. Howard had already worked with Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934) and The Petrified Forest (1936) and he was comfortable with her. He already has his mind on his next film, Pygmalion (1938), and was excited that he would be able to direct. Here is the trailer for It's Love I'm After.
My final post for the week and ending my theme (for now) of old time radio shows is one of Leslie Howard doing comedy. The recording is of three shows Howard appeared on for Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on the CBS radio network, December 6, 1936 ("Three Pairs of Rubbers") and February 14 ("Hamlet") and May 30, 1937 ("Aired In England"). I have edited the original recordings to include only the portion Leslie Howard appeared on and spliced them all together for one recording. I have listened to this recording many times and what I hear every time is the love the audience had for Mr. Howard. On the first episode you can sense their awe when he walked into the studio, almost forgetting to applaud, prompting Eddie Cantor to say, "It's really him. Leslie Howard in person." You can listen to all the Leslie Howard radio appearances I have been able to find by visiting my blog. They are in the "Photos and Magazine Mentions" Section under the "On The Radio" Tab or by simply visiting my Leslie Howard On The Radio YouTube site: LeslieHowardSteiner YouTube, Leslie Howard on the Radio. Again, thank you to Ginevra Di Verduno's site Inafferrabile (Elusive) Leslie Howard, Radio. Note: My recording is edited for Leslie Howard's appearances only. If you listen to the full recordings you will hear a commentator on the first show announcing King Edward's abdication of the throne in favor of Wallis Simpson. You will also hear the announcer refer to a scathing attack on American media by the Royal Family. It seems they somehow blamed American media for the whole fiasco. If you wish to listen to the entire December 6 show, if can be found here: Eddie Cantor Texaco Town, Full Show, CBS Radio, "Three Pairs of Rubbers," Leslie Howard 12-06-36. Have a great weekend!
[Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on CBS radio, three Leslie Howard
appearances, December 6, 1936, February 14 and May 30, 1937]
Today's post is from Ginevra di Verduno's YouTube site LeslieHowardForever. Leslie Howard and Greer Garson perform a scene from Goodbye, Mr. Chips with an introduction from Gertrude Lawrence during the NBC Tribute to the King and Queen broadcast on June 11, 1939, during the Royals' visit to the United States. The visit was prompted by an invitation from Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was a momentous occasion in the history of both countries. It was the first time a reigning British Monarch had set foot on American soil, ever. The invitation was at a great political risk to the President. Mr. Roosevelt planned every part of the tour, hoping to maximize its impact on the attitudes of Americans who were determined to keep America out of the impending war. Americans were thrilled about the visit and lined up to see the Royal Couple.
[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arriving
in Washington, D.C., June 8, 1939]
After two days in Washington, the Royal couple traveled to Hyde Park with the President and First Lady. It is there that they listened to the radio tribute.
[King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Hyde Park
during their Royal Visit, June 11, 1939]
The Royal visit is said to have changed American attitudes about Great Britain. The rest is history.
Today's show is Monsieur Beaucaire, a short novel written by Booth Tarkington (29 July 1869 - 19 May 1946) adapted into a radio play. It differs from the novel. Monsieur Beaucaire was produced for Lux Radio Theater and aired on CBS Radio Network June 21, 1937. It stars Leslie Howard, Elissa Landi, Pedro de Cordoba and Dennis Greene with an introduction by Cecil B. DeMille, Producer.
[Cecil B. DeMille always the showman, dressed in jodhpurs, as producer of the CBS Radio Theatre, 1937]
Monsieur Beaucaire is in reality the Duke de Orleans, played by Leslie Howard, who wants to marry for love. His cousin, King Louis XV of France, had the Duke imprisoned for refusing to submit to his arranged marriage. He has escaped to England and has fallen in love with Lady Mary. The story follows his efforts to win her love. Howard was fluent in many languages, including French, and does a very good job with his French accent. Also appearing on the show is Ray Jones, a photographer for Paramount in the 1930's. He gives a very interesting explanation of how still photography is used in film. If you are like me and watch your favorite movies over and over again until you know every scene, you may have wondered, as I have, why there are so many photos of movie scenes (production stills) that never appeared in the movie itself. This segment will answer your questions. Evelyn Keyes appears in a commercial for Lux Soap. You will remember her as Suellen O'Hara, Scarlett's sister, in Gone With The Wind (1939). At the time of this broadcast she had just been "discovered" by Cecil B. DeMille. If you are a fan of Gone With The Wind, you may remember that the production had been delayed many times. However, David O. Selznick used the delays to create a buzz for his film by advertising his search for Scarlett, holding casting calls all over the country (sort of like American Idol). The search for Scarlett always reminded me of the search for Cinderella. As Evelyn is leaving the studio, DeMille says what I think is, "Goodnight, Scarlett." It could have been, "Goodnight, starlet." I'm not sure. But I am sure that in 1937, Evelyn Keyes would have been salivating over the part of Scarlett, just like a million other girls.
[Evelyn Keyes, 20 November 1916 - 4 July 2008]
At the end of the show the announcer tells the audience that next week's guest will be Amelia Earhart who is at that time in Java. Earhart has promised to appear on the show in two weeks if she is late from her flight around the world. Of course, we now know that Earhart never makes it back.
[Amelia Earhart, c. 1935]
At the end of the show Howard discusses his plans for the near future. He never made either of the two movies he talks about. There was a sequel made to The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935), but Howard did not reprise his role. Bonnie Prince Charlie was made in 1948, after Howard's death, and starred David Niven. Howard did film Stand-in (1937) with Humphrey Bogart and Joan Blondell and then went on to film It's Love I'm After (1937) with Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, a film which can be seen in July on TCM.
[Leslie Howard and Elissa Landi are being introduced to CBS radio audiences by Cecil B. DeMille for the Lux Radio Theatre production of Monsieur Beaucaire, June 21, 1937]
[Leslie Howard and Elissa Landi in the Lux Radio Theatre
In today's post you will find a recording of The Gulf Screen Guild Show for the CBS radio network, starring Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, young Virginia Weidler, Mary Nash, Irving Pichel and Morgan Wallace. The announcer was George Murphy. It was performed on March 26, 1939. This is a very touching story of a young girl, adorably and brilliantly played by Virginia Weidler, whose time on earth is growing short. Her father, played by Leslie Howard, is doing his best to protect her and make her few remaining days enchanting. Their neighbor, and the Prince's "Godmother," is played by Kay Francis. It is called Never In This World and was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery (20 December 1893 to 10 February 1948). The show is directed by Sidney Franklin (21 March 1893 to 18 May 1972). The musical director is Oscar Bradley. I have incorporated pictures of the actors in the video covering the radio show. The only actor I could not find a record for was Morgan Wallace. I did find a Morgan Wallace, but he is white and the actor in the radio show is supposed to be "Nubian." Of course, it is possible that the actor portraying the Nubian in the show was white, as only the studio audience could see him. This would say a lot about the exclusion of minorities in the early days of radio and film which, sadly to say, continues to this day. Nevertheless, I did not want to take a chance and give credit to what appears to be the white Morgan Wallace if there was a black Morgan Wallace who performed the part. The recording is very good. It is a little bumpy in the beginning but the small "thumps" end as the story begins. In the middle of the show there is a spot where the volume goes down. Please do not turn up your sound because it comes back to full volume in a matter of seconds. The Gulf Screen Guild Show was "owned" by actors. The actors' fees were donated to the Motion Picture Relief Fund and went toward building and maintaining the Motion Picture Country House which continued in existence until very recently.
Leslie Howard was not only an accomplished writer, producer, director and actor on film and in the theater, he appeared on the radio as well. Here is a show he did for The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour, also known as The Rudy Vallee Show, for the NBC Blue Network, June 27, 1935. The show stars Leslie and his daughter, Leslie Ruth, aged 10. This episode is an encore to a show father and daughter did six weeks earlier which received an unprecedented outpouring of requests for a repeat from fans who missed the original episode and heard about it from their friends. It was the first time in the history of the show that a performance was repeated. The Howards' success led to their being featured on the cover of Radio Guide, February 22, 1936. Leslie had to be convinced to allow his daughter to appear with him on the cover.
Howard was a shy man and although he was happy about the success of the show and the acclaim his daughter received for her performance he often felt exploited by his own fame and he was wary of the sudden attention that was being focused on his daughter. Leslie and Leslie Ruth are performing a short scene, "The Enchanted Forest," from James M. Barrie's, Dear Brutus. They are performing before a live studio audience. I have added photos taken the day they appeared. I have edited the original program to only the Howards' appearance and to add Leslie Ruth's brief interview which actually appeared at the end of the show. The complete show is available at: Fleishmann's Yeast Hour/Rudy Vallee Full Show, Dear Brutus, June 27, 1935. (Joe Louis appears at the end of the show.) The audio is very good except for a bit of static during the audience applause.
Today is the anniversary of Leslie Howard's death. He died while serving his country in a civilian capacity on a mission to secure the support of England's Allies during WWII. Howard was returning to England from Portugal on June 1, 1943, when his civilian plane was shot down by Nazis over the Bay of Biscay and was never recovered. I am showing a video from Ginevra Di Verduno's YouTube site, Leslie Howard Forever. Ms. Di Verduno is my inspiration. She has kept Leslie Howard's memory alive through her YouTube site and through her pictorial blog, Leslie Howard Forever, and her word blog, Inafferrabile (Elusive) Leslie Howard. I encourage everyone to visit her sites. The video is actually a Happy Birthday video, not an In Memoriam video. But it is my favorite of all Ms. Di Verduno's beautiful and thoughtful videos and it is somewhat apropos considering that I started my Facebook page because the classic movie channel forgot Mr. Howard's birthday this year. [My series on Hollywood's influx of foreigners will resume tomorrow.] In Memory:
"Well, let me tell you something. You're a forgetful old fool. Any woman's worth everything that any man has to give: anguish, ecstasy, faith, jealousy, love, hatred, life or death. Don't you see that's the whole excuse for our existence. It's what makes the whole thing possible and tolerable. When you get to my age you'll learn better sense." ~ Alan Squier, The Petrified Forest, 1936
"I love all women; I love womankind. In the love of a good woman you have everything, all the wonders of the ages, the brown skinned girls who inflame your senses with the play; the cool, yellow-haired women who entice and escape you; the gentle ones who serve you; the slender ones who torment you; the mothers who bore and suckled you--all women whom God created out of the teeming fullness of the earth are yours in the love of one woman." ~ Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard once quipped that he "didn't chase women but...couldn't be bothered to run away." During his career he had affairs with several of his leading ladies. But, according to Leslie Howard's daughter, Leslie Ruth "Doodie" Howard, her father fell passionately in love with Merle Oberon while filming The Scarlet Pimpernel during the summer of 1934.
Their relationship must have lasted for some time. The two were seen together all over London. Howard's behavior become rather embarrassing to his friends and associates, with several of them even asking him to tone it down. But the affair continued as they both returned to the States after completion of the film. Howard appeared devoted to Oberon. Apparently, he was considering leaving his family for Oberon, at her insistence. When Howard's wife, Ruth Martin Howard, became aware of this she flew to New York with the children in tow to confront Howard and remind him of his family responsibilities.
[Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon holding hands, 1934]
"Doodie" remembers that, at the tender age of ten years old, she was left alone with Oberon to "bond," in a step-motherly sort of way. She recalls that she must have been a real horror because Oberon told Howard that she didn't like his daughter. Howard adored "Doodie" (as evidenced in the many photographs he took of and with her throughout their lives) and the way she remembers it, Howard promptly ended his affair with Oberon.
However, in January, 1935, after Howard began work in The Petrified Forest, Oberon appeared in New York ready for a showdown. Within a few days of her arrival, Howard was in the hospital too ill to report to work. Oberon had apparently triggered an attack of nerves and Howard developed boils. Not a very romantic ailment and not one for which Oberon was willing to administer aid. She took off and left Howard to repair his boils and the wounds he had caused to his family. He never again made the mistake of falling for one of his leading ladies. (He did have a long-term relationship with Violette Cunnington, but Cunnington was French and made it easy for Howard by, in the words of his son, agreeing to a "French solution," meaning no divorce.)
I love Raymond Massey (1896 - 1983), especially as Citizen Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel. A more dastardly foe of Sir Percy Blakeney there could not be. But, of course, he was always thwarted by the cunning of the Pimpernel.
[Raymond Massey as Citizen Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1934]
Massey said of his experience filming the movie, "I never had such fun working in a movie as I did on The Scarlet Pimpernel. Of all the heavies I have played on the screen, the most wicked and the most fun to do was Chauvelin. There was a spirit in that company, a feeling of confidence, a sort of élan which I have often found in the theater but never sensed in any other movie." During the filming of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Massey was not only starring in the play The Shining Hour on London's West End, but he was directing it as well. This meant long days for the director-actor but the film's producer, Alexander Korda, made it easier for him by making a car and driver available to Massey. This allowed him to get in a snooze during the one-hour trip to and from Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. Massey didn't have to worry about meals due to the fact that the play called for him to eat two full hot meals during his performance each night. (The play was known jokingly as "The Dining Hour.")
[Leslie Howard and Raymond Massey in The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1935]
The original director of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Rowland Brown, was fired on the first day of shooting. In Raymond Massey's autobiography, A Hundred Different Lives, he recounts how producer Korda watched Brown direct a scene and then told him what he was doing wrong. Brown told Korda that the film was going to be his way or he would walk. Korda replied, "Please walk," which Brown did. Korda had hired a new director, Harold Young, by the end of the day. Massey stated, "The next day Young ostensibly took over, but the direction throughout the months of shooting remained an unofficial but smooth collaboration," which I take to mean that Young figured out that one doesn't argue with the Hungarian. Raymond Massey also said of Korda, "Alex was Hungarian, imaginative, intelligent, extravagant. Although lacking business sense, he had an uncanny ability to find money, and he also had an uncommon feeling for quality." Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey in The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1935
In this scene of The Scarlet Pimpernel you see a fly land on Leslie Howard's right sleeve, which I have noted in the IMDb Trivia section for the movie. Apparently, Elstree Studios, where the movie was filmed, had a problem with flies as I have noticed flies in other scenes as well. The director, Harold Young, either didn't notice the fly or had already become resigned to them by the time this scene was filmed. Honestly, I watched the film at least fifty times before I noticed the fly, probably because I am mesmerized by Leslie Howard's lean in on Merle Oberon instead.
Leslie Howard and Edmund Breon in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Produced by Alexander Korda and London Films. Distributed by United Artists. Directed by Harold Young. Released in the UK December 23, 1934 and in the US February 7, 1935. Leslie Howard and Edmund Breon in The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1935
