He rejected an offer to join the Broadway cast of the play, opting to join a company led by John Gielgud at the Old Vic Theatre. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Produced by Michael Balcon. A boy tricks into stealing a powerful magnet from a younger boy but the magnet gets him into all sorts of trouble that he decides to give it away. (1992), As You Like It : This is a long way from the great ' Passport to Pimlico ' but to be fair whoever reads this must make up their own minds. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. But it works and the money is raised. Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. I have knocked one star off my rating for the lack-lustre sound quality. The man tells the story of the little boy and the magnet at various fund-raising events, but each time exaggerating wildly about the boy to gain sympathy from the people at the auctions and portraying Johnny as everything from a rich, spoiled brat to a Victorian mudlark and ragamuffin to a penniless street urchin who gave all he had in the worldthe magnetto help those even worse off than himself. I remember seeing this film on the children's' matine in the 1950's - I enjoyed it then, and it has lost none of its charm now. Alright kids adventure, fleeing from the law and getting into a decent amount of trouble along the way. Pre-war career. Johnny seems a bit odd, no wonder, because so do his parents. One of his roles involved helping to administer the meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in Tehran in 1943. (1993), Hostage [5], Given its setting, however, authentic local accents are absent until almost the end of the film, in a scene filmed in the shadow of the Liverpool Cathedral. - Read William Fox's Times Obituary, 2018. Music by William Alwyn. (1994), Shadow on the Sun James Fox. The other boy's nanny is not happy with the swap. See it and enjoy. Click Customise Cookies to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. Right. Anyway that is what father psychiatrist says and while saying that looks as if he needs one of his own. 11 year old Johnny Brent (Fox) is home from school during a scarlet fever outbreak, but not making much attempt to stay isolated. Its a strange mix of experiments of all types. [2][3][5] After the war he continued to hold a reserve commission as a captain and honorary major until 1961, when he reached the age limit for service. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Theatrical impresario. These activities led to his devoting less time to actingthough he continued to perform, notably in television shows such as The Duchess of Duke Street, When the Boat Comes In and Yes, Prime Minister. Learn more. He meets an eccentric iron lung maker who is raising funds for the local hospital, and gives him the magnet to be auctioned for charity. The pier and ferry are no longer there but the Floral Pavilion and Wilkie's fairground (where they try to influence the pinball machine with the magnet) are. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2017. this came promptly and in good packaging. [3] Leslie Halliwell similarly described it as a "very mild Ealing comedy, not really up to snuff". 1947, with Lord Mountbatten (James Fox), representing the United Kingdom, in the bio-pic, King Rat (1965) -- (Movie Clip) The British Are Impressed, American Corporal King (George Segal, title character), the leading hustler at the Japanese P.O.W. He later learned that in 1945, a few days before the liberation of Manila, his parents had been shot by the Japanese. (1964), Tamahine They hide him in a building on the disused pier. The grey jacket and short trousers he wears in THE MAGNET are exactly the same early 1950s style that Andrew Ray wore in The Yellow Balloon, which was made two years later in 1952.THE STUDIOCANAL DIGITALLY RESTORED DVD, OPTD2823. The actor William Fox joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1951, not the Royal Shakespeare Company, as we reported in his obituary above. User Ratings (2010), Sherlock Holmes Try again. Letterboxd Limited. On stage his charm and . : [2] [3] Contents 1 Early life 2 Pre-war career Though active on stage, his film appearances were few and include The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). William Hubert Fox TD (26 January 1911 - 20 September 2008) was a British character actor and writer. As far as I know, William / James is still alive and will be 80 years old next year, which gives some idea of just how long ago this film was made. Unconfirmed13724 Woolner: One Wild Oat Hooper, the Porter: 1951: Lavender Hill Mob Gregory: 1951: No Place for Jennifer Paula's Counsel: 1951: Queen's Guards Mr. Walters: 1960: Ransom Ferris: 1974: Omen 3: The Final Conflict Diplomat: 1981: When he is acclaimed as a hero, he is shamed by his own sense of guilt. After a characteristically stressful Physiology exam, decided to settle down with a movie, and what better than an offering from that beloved British institution, Ealing Studios? [2][3][5], In 1930 Fox left drama school and won a role in London's West End performing in an eight-month run of W. Somerset Maugham's new play The Breadwinner at the Vaudeville Theatre. Versatile actor and connoisseur of the civilised life, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, William Fox as Caesar in George Bernard Shaw's play Caesar and Cleopatra. After six years service Fox was demobbed with the rank of major (and had had a spell as an acting lieutenant-colonel). T.E.B. Stephen Murray is a psychiatrist who uses jargon that is nonsense most of the time and the mention of Jung had me in fits of unwanted laughter. (1996), The Old Curiosity Shop In the US he had been offered an audition by Warner Bros., but turned it down since his new love, Patricia Hillard was acting in Oxford. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. What a refreshing sight this film was to be enjoyed with my ten year old son, who by coincidence, was the same age as the protagonist in this film. And be careful buying your son or daughter a large magnet. William Fox was born on January 26, 1911 (died on September 20, 2008, he was 97 years old) in Manila, Metro Manila as William Hubert Fox. As Johnny carries on to feel bad for taking the boy's magnet, he goes off to Liverpool, where the magnet comes back to him in a surprising way. | : Inspired by this, and fortified by "lunch at L'Ecu de France", Fox joined the Territorial Army. Following this success Fox co-founded an acting troupe, based in the West Country, where they converted a former swimming baths in Teignmouth into a theatre. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2012. (2000), Up At the Villa To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: James William Fox, Charles Frend directs this Ealing comedy-drama in which a boy steals a powerful magnet from a younger boy, which gets him into all sorts of trouble. Billy has an older sister, actress and singer Lisa Zane. actor. Gentle Ealing comedy about childhood, guilt and half-truths starring a young James Fox (then known by his real name, William Fox) as Johnny Brent, a mischievous boy who tricks a younger boy (Keith Robinson) into giving him his magnet in return for an 'invisible' clock. It is very amusing having Fox listen to adults having conversations that have nothing to do with him and getting more guilt-ridden with every adult boys he hears. Some elements are predictable - he thinks the police are out to get him when in fact they want to reward him - but there's some local character here from the Liverpudlian kids and some strong talent from cameoing stars like Harold Goodwin, Sam Kydd and Thora Hird. After watching his father board the ferry to his work as a psychologist in Liverpool, he spends the rest of the morning playing on the beach. It's beautifully clear with not a mark on it. Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. If you wish a change and want to compare the scum and low standard fare served up today, with a truly great ENGLISH film then buy this and treasure it as a shining example of how great a country was before the scum and riff raff took over. , ASIN William [James] Fox. He is the son of influential talent agent Robin Fox, and brother of actor Edward and theatrical producer Robert. Fox's career showed great promise with his role as a boy whose life gets complicated once he acquires "The Magnet" (1951), but he soon gave up acting to finish school. Uneven, but for the most part entertaining. Of course Ealing had previously released comedies, but Passport to Pimlico, Whisky Galore and Kind Hearts and Coronets came out within three months of each other, all were critically and commercially successful and they merged in people's minds as a unique form of British comedy - in fact the three films are very different and the idea of Ealing Comedy was more happy accident than an aesthetic movement or studio strategy, but once the idea was planted Ealing sensibly ran with it. Whether youve taken your first steps in the industry or are just starting out, youll find plenty here to motivate and help you along the way. There is no actual plot to the story but it is just a journey of a boy revolving the magnet. More at Robin Fox was born in the parish of St George Hanover Square, Westminster, the son of Hilda Louise (Alcock), an actress, and Arthur William Fox, the son of industrialist Samson Fox. This pleasant, easy-going film has all the hallmarks of an Ealing classic, with a particularly excellent and likable performance from its young star. Alleged to mean "Big James with the beard": "The Magnet Movie Review (1950) from Channel 4 Film", "Port Cities: Culture and Ethnicity Differences in Liverpool Chinese Community", The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Magnet_(film)&oldid=1129726443, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Michael Brooke (as Michael Brooke Jr) Kit, This page was last edited on 26 December 2022, at 21:08. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2013. i was bought up in the area this film was made and this was made 25 years before i was. 'The Magnet (1950)' is one of the studio's lesser-known comedies, but ranks among their most charming efforts. Sound supervisor: Stephen Dalby. [3][4], The Magnet was filmed on location in and around New Brighton, Wallasey, the Wirral, Cheshire, Liverpool, Ealing and at Ealing Studios, London, in black and white. Mighty Quinn, The (1989) -- (Movie Clip) Are You Being Police Polite? The Daniels handpicked the 61-year-old actress to appear in the cover spread - dubbed 'Coolidge vs. Haute Squad 5: Attack on Neo Runway City - and coincidentally all three attended Emerson College Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile, Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (28-Feb-2009), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (13-Jul-2005), Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun (15-May-1988), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (30-Mar-1984), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (16-Jun-1965), Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos This jars and the film is not strong enough to survive it. (1983), Pavlova Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Classic Evocation of 1950 Wirral and Liverpool Childhood. In 1949 Ealing Studios release three films that established the Ealing Comedy. This Liverpool set Ealing Comedy is oddly devoid of Scousers until the back end of the film when the boy central to the plot crosses paths with a group of street urchins. Clarke. : , Run time He's left to himself, apparently he has no friends, and wanders around on his own. His mum realises something is wrong and tries to make him feel useful. During the 1950s and 1960s Fox's career was mixed; he did a season at Stratford and took on several West End comedies. (1997), Doomsday Gun He was born and raised into an affluent British family deeply rooted in the acting world. (1985), A Passage to India It's all a bit forced, if somewhat harmless, though I'm not sure it would play to kids today unaccustomed to scarlet fever quarantines, unmonitored outdoor play, iron lungs, and having no toys better than a magnet. He played opposite Peggy Ashcroft in As You Like It, and their performance was painted by Walter Sickert. Aspect Ratio Feels a lot like a short stretched painfully to feature length, and even then only just. After a six-year interruption for military service in the Second World War, his acting career did not reach the heights of his early years. Mobilesite. It very much reminded me of a proto Children's Film Foundation movie and, indeed, director Charles Frend would go on to shoot such pictures. , Actors He was related to the Hanbury and Neilson acting dynasty, through his mother, whose sister was the stage actress Lily Hanbury.Their first cousin Julia Neilson was married to the actor Fred Terry . (1998), Jinnah They leave him a tin of soup and some dry macaroni. He overhears and misinterprets some information he believes is connected with the boy he stole from. The Times, 19 October 1950, page 2: First advertisement for. (1992), A Question of Attribution (1964), The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima Born on June 17, 1912; daughter of Lucy Glitters Worthington and Frederick Lonsdale; mother was married to Dr. Henry Worthington but had three daughters by Lonsdale; Noel Coward wrote his famous song "Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthington" about her; died on December 1, 1999; had stormy marriage to husband punctuated with separations and infidelities on both sides. Some of the satire (on the profession of psychology, and in the way a false scenario causes the cash for the iron lung to be raised) is lacking in subtlety, but there are a couple of surreal scenes (young Johnny depicted as various types of urchin as the eccentric inventor parlays the story of the generous child into a fairy tale) which must have been quite innovative in 1950. I'd never seen such a machine, and it was disturbing to me. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. So, this is Liverpool accent, huh? The Magnet (1950) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Charles Frend Writing Credits T.E.B. Rank of major ( and had had a spell as an acting lieutenant-colonel ) acting lieutenant-colonel ) an acting )!, apparently he has no friends, and music options are waiting for you of actor and. Be careful buying your son or daughter a large magnet our Terms of and! 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