by Simon Callow
Australian Decca Y 5917 – ‘Oldest Christmas Story’ and ‘Story of the Three Wise Men’ (Reading with Musical Background).
Record No. 45770A – ‘The American Way Contests’, c. 1950, Radio Commercial.
Long-playing Records
AEI 2121 – ‘Greetings from Hollywood’ – from radio broadcast c. 1950, ‘Baby it’s cold outside’ with Elsa Lanchester and orchestral accompaniment.
Decca DL–5146. Decca DL-9071. ‘Moby Dick’.
Decca DL-8010 (from 78rpm listed above). ‘Mr Pickwick’s Christmas’.
Decca DL-8031 (USA); Brunswick LAT 8275 (UK); Coral CP 34, ‘Readings from the Bible’, (from 78rpm listed above).
Columbia OSL–166, 2-disc set recorded 1952, ‘Don Juan in Hell’ by George Bernard Shaw, with Charles Boyer, Cedric Hardwicke and Agnes Moorehead.
Capitol TBO 1650 (mono)/STBO 1650 (stereo) (2-disc set), ‘The Story-Teller: A session with Charles Laughton’ – excerpts on Ember LP CEL 907 m/s.
Pelican 114 – Radio Broadcast of 1945, ‘The Canterville Ghost’ with Margaret O’Brien.
RCA LPM 1136s – ‘Night of the Hunter’, reading based on the 1955 film and book; with chorus and orchestra.
Star-Tone 203 – ‘Calling All Stars’ – Radio Shows.
4-Murray Hill 937239 – ‘Hollywood’s Heroes on the Air’ – Radio Shows.
Vogue VA 160126, Hi-Fi Records 405, 1958, ‘Songs for a Smoke-Filled Room’, Elsa Lanchester, with Ray Henderson (piano) – remarks by Charles Laughton.
Vogue VA 160139, Hi-Fi Records 406, ‘Songs for a Shuttered Parlor’, Elsa Lanchester, with Ray Henderson (piano) – remarks by Charles Laughton.
ELSA LANCHESTER
78 rpm discs
Columbia 4125 – ‘Please sell no more drink to my father’ and ‘He didn’t oughter’ (‘Riverside Nights’), with Harold Scott, piano. Recorded in London on 26 August 1926.
Columbia DB 81 – ‘Don’t tell my mother I’m living in sin’ and ‘The Ladies Bar’ with Harold Scott, piano. Recorded in London on 14 February 1930. (Two takes of each song had already been recorded 14 January 1930 but were rejected.)
LP records
CBS SBRG 72063s – Stravinsky’s ‘The Flood’ (as Noah’s wife) (conducted by the composer) (recorded 1962).
Decca DL 4833/Brunswick LAT 8678 – Features extract from ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’.
Parlophone PMC 7141 – ‘All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing’ – ‘Great Movie Stars of the ’30s’ – features ‘Don’t tell my mother I’m living in Sin’ from 1930 Columbia 78 above.
Verve MG V-15015/HMV CLP 1417 – ‘Cockney London’ – Songs with Ray Henderson (piano).
Verve V–15024 – ‘Elsa Lanchester – Herself’ – An Intimate Musical Review (Censored by Charles Laughton).
Vogue VA 160126 (Hi Fi Records) – ‘Songs for a Smoke-Filled Room’ with Charles Laughton’s introductions.
Vogue VA 160139 (Hi Fi Records) – ‘Songs for a Shuttered Parlor’ with Charles Laughton’s introductions.
Sources
While I was writing this book, Elsa Lanchester was dying; just before I finished it, she was dead. I never spoke to her, but I did have access to the twenty-six boxes of material in the Charles Laughton Collection, donated to the University of California, Los Angeles in 1964. I have conducted over fifty personal interviews, and read (I believe) every extant published word written about Laughton, including biographies, scholarly studies, and movie magazines. John Beary and Oscar Lewenstein were kind enough to send me letters written by Laughton. But he was not a prolific letter-writer, and, for his own testimony about himself, I have had to rely largely on the two compilations that he published, Tell Me A Story and The Fabulous Country, which, both in their choice of material and in their linking commentaries, were held by Elsa Lanchester to give the best impression of what he was really like. I have quoted freely from them, and the one sustained piece of writing by him, from The Fabulous Country, is reprinted in the appendix to this book.
Otherwise my invaluable sources have been Charles Laughton and I, written by Elsa Lanchester in collaboration with Benita Armstrong, originally in serial form for the Daily Express, her second book, Elsa Lanchester Herself, and Charles Higham’s Charles Laughton. Mr Higham’s book was written, with full access to the papers, under Miss Lanchester’s auspices. These three books thus all reflect her viewpoint, and have therefore been used with respectful caution.
S.C.
Select Bibliography
Arce, Hector. The Secret Life of Tyrone Power. New York: William Morrow, 1979.
Bentley, Eric. The Brecht Memoir. New York: PAJ Publications.
Dean, Basil. Mind’s Eye. London: Hutchinson, 1973.
Eels, George. Robert Mitchum: a biography. London: Robson Books, 1984.
Guiles, F. Laurence. Tyrone Power: the Last Idol. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1979.
Halliwell, Leslie. Halliwell’s Filmgoer’s Companion. London: Paladin.
Hardwicke, Sir Cedric. A Victorian in Orbit. London: Methuen, 1961.
Kanin, Garson. Hollywood. London: Hart-Davis, 1967.
Korda, Michael. Charmed Lives. London: Allen Lane, 1980.
Koszarski, Richard. Hollywood Directors 1914–1940. London: Oxford University Press.
Kulik, Karol. Alexander Korda: The Man Who Could Work Miracles. London: W.H. Allen, 1975.
Leyda, Jay (ed.) Film Makers Speak. De Capo Paperback.
Mason, James. Before I Forget. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1981.
Massey, Raymond. One Hundred Different Lives. London: Robson Books, 1979.
Milland, Ray. Wide-Eyed in Babylon. New York: William Morrow, 1974.
Renoir, Jean. My Life and My Films. London: Collins, 1974.
Siodmak, Robert. Zwischen Berlin und Hollywood. Munchen: Herbig Verlag, 1980.
Taylor, John Russell. The Life and Work of Alfred Hitchcock. London: Faber, 1978.
Thomson, David. A Biographical Dictionary of the Cinema. London: Secker and Warburg.
Vinson, James (ed.) International Dictionary of Films and Film makers. Vols. 1–4. St James Press, Chicago.
Williams, Emlyn. Emlyn. London: Bodley Head, 1973.
Arden, Jane. The Party. London: Samuel French, 1960.
Bell, Lady. Angela. London: Benn.
Bennett, Arnold and Edward Knoblock. Mr Prohack. London: Chatto and Windus.
Berkeley, Reginald. French Leave. London: Samuel French, 1922.
Christie, Agatha. (Adaptation, Michael Morton). Alibi, London: Samuel French, 1929.
Dickens, Charles. (Adaptation, Cosmo Hamilton and Frank Reilly). Mr Pickwick. Unpublished.
Fagan, J.B. The Greater Love. Unpublished.
Forester, C.S. (Adaptation, Jeffrey Dell). Payment Deferred. London: Samuel French, 1934.
Owen, Harrison. The Happy Husband. Unpublished.
Merejkovsky, D. (Adaptation, Alford and Dale). Paul I. Unpublished.
Moore, George. The Making of an Immortal. London: Faber and Gwyer, 1927.
Morton, Michael. (After Jacques Duval). Beauty. Unpublished.
Walpole, Hugh. (Adaptation, Benn Levy). A Man With Red Hair. London: Macmillan.
Index
The page references in this index correspond to the printed edition from which this ebook was created. To find a specific word or phrase from the index, please use the search feature of your ebook reader.
Abbot and Costello meet Captain Kid, 219–20, 317
Advise and Consent, 149, 232, 274–5, 276, 277, 318
Agate, James, 16, 17, 21, 32, 38, 40, 53, 57, 61, 66, 68, 70, 71, 73, 75, 79, 81–82, 85, 91–2, 104, 112, 130, 133, 156, 165–6, 178
Agee, James, 158, 235
Ainley, Henry, 13
Alibi, 26–7, 43–4, 308
Allen, John, 78–9
Anderson, Judith, 223–4
Angela, 307
Arch of Triumph, 184, 316
Arden, Jane, 248–9, 259
Arnold, Malcolm, 228
<
br /> Aynesworth, Allan, 13
Badel, Alan, 226
Bagnold, Enid, 258, 259, 269
Bankhead, Tallulah, 29, 50, 51
Banks, Leslie, 130
Banks, Monte, 36
Barnes, Dr. Albert, 107
Barnes, Binnie, 60
Barnes, Kenneth, 11–13
Barnes Theatre, 13
Barrett, Wilson, 52
Barretts of Wimpole Street, The, 84–6, 313
Barrie, J. M., 112
Barrymore, Ethel, 185
Baylis, Lilian, 58, 67, 68, 72, 79, 83
Bazzi, Maria, 209
Beachcomber, The, 131
Beaumont, Binkie, 13
Beauty, 30, 308
Because of Him, 104, 177, 179
Belita, 34, 206, 207, 286
Bennett, Arnold, 18–20, 47
Bentley, Eric, 189, 194, 195, 197, 198, 201, 216, 230, 233, 259
Berlau, Ruth, 185, 190, 191, 194, 198
Bernstein, Sidney, 19
Bickford, Charles, 64
Big Clock, The, 186–8, 316
Birò, Lajos, 60, 102, 104
Blakemore, Michael, 255, 257, 263, 264, 265, 271
Blue Bottles, 306
Blue Veil, The, 311
Bogeaus, Benedict, 178, 200
Boland, Mary, 89
Boleslavsky, Richard, 93–4
Boyer, Charles, 152, 153, 215, 216
Brecht, Bertolt, 56, 84, 106, 168–81, 181–200
Bribe, The, 204–5, 317
Byam Shaw, Glen, 252, 253, 254, 257, 263, 264, 265, 267, 270
Caine Mutiny Court Martial, The, 230–3, 311
Canterville Ghost, The, 158–9, 316
Captain Kidd, 177–9, 316
Carter, Ken, 266–9
Casson, Lewis, 16, 17
Checkmate, 274, 276
Cherry Orchard, The, 15, 65, 66–7, 207–9, 306, 310
Cheston, Dorothy, 19
Chevalier, Maurice, 107, 108
Christie, Agatha, 26, 246
Chu-Chin-Chow, 8
Clair, René, 92, 113
Clements, John, 109, 217
Cochran, C. B., 15, 30
Cohn, Harry, 225, 226
Comets, 45, 46
Cooper, Gary, 50, 51, 56, 98, 203
Cortez, Stanley, 206, 220, 235–6, 239–40, 241, 242
Cotrell, Bill, 201
Cukor, George, 86, 87, 88
Cyrano de Bergerac, 96, 102–4, 179
Dane, Clemence, 124, 127, 128, 130
Daniell, Henry, 167, 178, 246
Dassin, Jules, 158
David Copperfield, 86
Day Dreams, 312
Dean, Basil, 29
Dell, Jeffrey, 38
Devil and the Deep, 48, 50–1, 312
Dharma Bums, The, 212
Dieterle, William, 134–5, 137, 225
Dietrich, Marlene, 113, 114, 246, 247
Disney, Walt, 63, 101
Don Juan In Hell, 215–9, 311
Donat, Robert, 60, 229
Doubleday, Nelson, 42
Douglas, Kirk, 252
Douglas, Melvyn, 48
Down River, 46, 312
Drake, Fabia, 69–70, 75
Drama Quartette, The, 215–19
Dudgeon, Elspeth, 49
Dull, Leonard & Orville, 157
Dupont, Ewald A., 46
Durbin, Deanna, 150, 158, 179, 283
Duvivier, Julien, 153
Eisler, Hanns, 173, 181, 184, 193
Elsa Lanchester – Herself, 272–3
Epic That Never Was, The, 118
Evans, Edith, 16, 258
Fabulous Country, The, 43, 293–305
Fagan, J. B., 16–17
Farquharson, Robert, 67
Farrow, John, 187
Fatal Alibi, 43–4
Fenby, Eric 7, 132
Fields, W. C. 56, 86, 90
Finney, Albert, 248, 251, 257, 262, 290
Fonda, Henry, 152, 230–2
Forever and a Day, 156, 315
Franklin, Sidney, 84, 85, 86, 227
Frazin, Gladys, 36–7
French Leave, 32, 309
Gable, Clark, 97–8, 100, 101
Gachet, Alice, 12, 107
Galileo, The Life of, 171, 172, 174–6, 177, 181–200, 269, 310
Gardner, Ava, 204
Gargan, William, 144, 147–8
Garmes, Lee, 104
Gielgud, John, 73, 206, 254, 258, 266
Girl from Manhattan, The, 200–1, 317
Gish, Lilian, 234–5, 236, 237–8
Gordon, Ruth, 43, 208, 209
Goring, Marius, 47, 65, 66, 68, 70, 76, 78, 79, 109
The Government Inspector, 13, 306
Granger, Stewart, 225, 226
Graves, Robert, 122
The Greater Love, 16–17, 306
Green, Dorothy, 11, 12
Gregory, Paul, 209–10, 213, 214–15, 221–2, 229, 230, 231, 233–4, 237, 241, 242, 243–4, 284
Guinness, Alec, 66, 83, 244, 247
Guthrie, Tyrone, 19, 57, 65–81, 84, 113, 124, 128
Hall, Peter, 257, 259, 262, 263, 264, 269, 271
Hambleton, Edward, 185, 186, 189, 269
Happy Husband, The, 307
Hardwicke, Cedric, 84, 92, 156, 215, 217, 226
Harris, Jed, 44, 217
Harrison, Rex, 127
Hayworth, Rita, 225
Henry VIII, 67–8, 309
Hitchcock, Alfred, 19, 56, 130–2, 185
Hobson’s Choice, 10, 90, 227–9, 318
Hobson, Harold, 268
Holm, Ian, 264, 269
Horner, Harry, 209
Houseman, John, 186, 190–1, 216, 217
Howard, Sidney, 144
Hubley, John, 189
Hunchback of Notre Dame, The, 134–9, 314
Hunt, Martita, 14
Huntley, Raymond, 109
I, Claudius, 113–22, 314
If I Had A Million, 55–6, 312
Importance of Being Earnest, The, 73, 310
In the Presence of Mine Enemies, 272
Isherwood, Christopher, 28, 213, 269, 277, 279, 287, 289–91
Island of Lost Souls, 54, 313
It Started With Eve, 150–1, 315
Jamaica Inn, 124, 130–2, 314
Jeans, Ursula, 65
Jenkins, Terry, 287–9, 291–2
John Brown’s Body, 221–5, 311
Kanin, Garson, 85, 89, 145–9, 208–9
Karloff, Boris, 49, 214
Keaton, Buster, 156
Kenton, Earle, 54
King Lear, 83, 179, 252–71, 311
Kipling, Rudyard, 35
Knoblock, Edward, 19
Komisarjevsky, Theodore, 13–15, 19–22
Korda, Alexander, 59–63, 96, 102–16, 120–22, 227, 279
Koster, Henry, 150, 155, 179, 220
Kubrick, Stanley, 252–3
Lanchester, Elsa, 5, 21–2, 27, 37–41, 44, 52, 54, 60, 69–81, 108–9, 124, 143, 153, 187, 218, 244, 251, 256–7, 263, 278–85, 289, 290, 295
Lasky, Jesse, 45, 50–1
Laughton, Elizabeth, 3–7, 29, 281
Laughton, Frank, 3–5, 281, 289–90
Laughton, Robert, 3–5, 7, 11
Laughton, Tom, 3–5, 7, 11, 131, 289
Lawrence, Gertrude, 109, 111
Lean, David, 227–9, 244
Leigh, Vivien, 127–8
Leonard, Robert Z., 157, 204
Leontovich, Eugénie, 207
Levy, Benn, 22–4, 45–8, 51
Life of Galileo, The, 171–2, 174–8, 180–200, 269, 310
Liliom, 15, 306
Livesey, Roger, 69, 71–2, 76, 79, 81, 108–9
Lloyd, Frank, 97
Lloyd, Norman, 169–70, 184, 186, 190, 192, 210
Lombard, Carole, 63, 144–7
Losey, Joseph, 44, 184–5, 190–1, 197, 199–200
Love For Love, 72, 80, 310
Lubitsch, Ernst, 55
Lugosi, Bela, 55
Lupino, Richard, 208, 245–6
Macbeth, 73–6, 78, 80, 82, 310
Macrae, Arthur, 88
Mailer, Norman, 242–3
Major Barbara, 244–5, 311
Making of an Immortal, The, 26, 307
Manessier, Albert, 56, 264
Man from Down Under, The, 157, 315
Man on the Eiffel Tower, The, 205–6, 317
Man with Red Hair, A, 22–5, 307
Mannin, Ethel, 281–2
March, Frederic, 84, 92
Marshall, Norman, 14
Mason, James, 65–71, 79, 81
Massey, Raymond, 31, 48–9, 117, 222–4
Maugham, Somerset, 124
du Maurier, Daphne, 124
du Maurier, Gerald, 8, 27, 51, 57, 79, 112
Maxwell, John, 124, 131
Measure For Measure, 68–71, 309
Medea, 18, 307
Mendes, Lothar, 53
Meredith, Burgess, 200, 206, 245, 278
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A, 259–63, 311
Milestone, Lewis, 184
Milland, Ray, 187
de Mille, Cecil B., 52–3
Miracle Can Happen, A, 200, 201
Misérables, Les, 92–6, 101, 314
Mitchum, Robert, 234, 236, 237–40, 285
Monroe, Marilyn, 220
Moore, Eva, 49
Moore, Henry, 56, 212
Moorehead, Agnes, 215
Morahan, Tom, 104, 124, 127, 130
Morgan, Henry, 187
Mr. Pickwick, 308
Mr. Prohack, 18–21, 307
Muggeridge, Malcolm, 35
Mutiny On The Bounty, 96–101, 314
McCarey, Leo, 88, 89
McLeod, Norman Z., 158
Naked, 18, 307
Naked and the Dead, The 242–3
Newton, Robert, 124, 130
Nichols, Dudley, 159, 163
Night of the Hunter, 234–43, 318
Nolte, Charles, 230–1
Novello, Ivor, 15
Oberon, Merle, 60, 114, 121–2
O’Brien, Margaret, 150, 158, 283
O’Casey, Sean, 30–1
O’Connor, Una, 160
O’Hara, Maureen, 130, 132, 133, 150, 158, 160, 161, 163, 283
O. Henry’s Full House, 220, 317
Old Dark House, The, 48–50, 312
Olivier, Laurence, 8, 18, 26, 43, 48, 77, 84, 138, 143, 171, 192, 206, 217–18, 240–1, 248, 252, 253–5, 258, 266, 271, 294
On Our Merry Way, 200, 201, 317
On The Spot, 32–8, 42, 309
O’Sullivan, Maureen, 54, 86, 187, 283
Owen, Reginald, 178
Paradine Case, The, 185, 316
