"I say old man!"

Sidney Tafler

31/7/2016

Sidney Tafler, born 31st July 1916, was one of the most memorable British actors appearing in almost 70 films and almost 100 films throughout the period of the 1940's to the 1970's.

His many film appearances include Cottage To Let (1941), It Always Rains On Sunday (1947), The Little Ballerina (1947), No Room At The Inn (1948), Dance Hall (1950), Once A Sinner (1950), Scarlet Thread (1951), The Galloping Major (1951) which co-starred Basil Radford, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), Mystery Junction (1951), Time Gentlemen Please (1952), Johnny on the Run (1953), Operation Diplomat (19530, A Kid for Two Farthings (1955), The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), Reach For The Sky (1956), Carve Her Name With Pride (1958), Too Many Crooks (1959), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), The Bulldog Breed (1960), Carry on Regardless (1960), Runaway Railway (1960), The Sandwich Man (1966) and The Birthday Party (1968).

For fans of Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, he appeared alongside them in Passport To Pimlico (1949) where he played the part of Fred Cowan (pictured). He was of course married to the actress Joy Shelton whose first film appearance was in another film featuring Charters and Caldicott, namely Millions Like Us (1943).

His final film appearances was in The Spy Who Loved Me 1977.

His many TV appearances include The Gentle Killers (1957), Dial 999 (1958/1959), Citizen James (1960/1962), Hamlet (1961), Z Cars (1963), Man in a Suitcase (1968), Coronation Street (1969), Alexander the Greatest (1971/1972), Van der Valk (1973), Survivors (1976) and his final TV appearance in The Enigma Files (1980).

He died 8th November 1979 in Surrey.

Yvonne Owen

28/7/2016

Yvonne Owen the actress was born 28th July in 1923.

She appeared in over a dozen films during the 1940’s including the 1946 film A Girl in A Million which co-starred Joan Greenwood alongside Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne; Yvonne Owen played the part of Molly. She appeared with the two ‘chap’ actors in Quartet in 1948.

Other films that she appeared in include The Seventh Veil 1946, The Years Between 1946, Holiday Camp 1947 (1st image), Miranda 1948 (pictured with Margaret Rutherford), Third Time Lucky 1949, Marry Me 1949 and Someone at the Door 1950.

Married to Alan Badel, she died in December 1990.

Sally Ann Howes

20/7/2016

Birthday memories for Sally Ann Howes the British actress; she was born 20th July 1930. She was probably best known for her role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Truly Scrumptious n 1968.

Two of her earliest appearances were made with Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne - Dead of Night 1945 and Stop Press Girl 1949. In Dead of Night she played the teenager Sally O'Hara whilst in Stop Press Girl she had the leading role as Jennifer Peters.

The 'truly scrumptious' award winning actress appeared in film and stage productions on both sides of the Atlantic including roles in Halfway House 1944, Pink String and Sealing Wax 1945, Nicholas Nickleby 1947, The History of Mr Polly, The Admirable Crichton 1957, Brigadoon 1966 and Death Ship 1980.

Patricia Medina

20/7/2016

Patricia Medina the actress, was born 19th July in 1919. The vivacious English actress appeared in over 50 films produced both in the UK and the USA. Her first marriage to Richard Greene ended in divorce and she subsequently married Joseph Cotton in 1960. One of her first films was opposite Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, aka Charters and Caldicott, in Crook's Tour 1941 where she played the part of the hotel receptionist.

It was about this time that she was described as the most beautiful woman in England. Films that she appeared in include Don't Take It To Heart 1944, The Secret Heart 1946, The Three Musketeers 1948, The Fighting O'Flynn 1949, Valentino 1951, Siren Of Bagdad 1953, Mr Arkadin 1955, Snow White and The Three Stooges 1961 and The Killing Of Sister George 1968.

Jane Hylton

20/7/2016

Birthday memories for Jane Hylton, the actress born 16th July in 1927. The actress had a long film career including her role as the nurse in the Charters and Caldicott film A Girl In A Million in 1946 and also appeared with them in Passport To Pimlico 1949

Other films she appeared in include Holiday Camp 1947, Dear Murderer 1947, It Always Rains On Sunday 1947, Good Time Girl 1948, Here Come The Huggetts 1948 and You Pay Your Money 1957

Arthur Lovegrove

20/7/2016

Birthday memories for Arthur Lovegrove the actor born 15th July in 1913. The British actor appeared in over 120 film and TV productions many of them in uncredited roles. One of his earliest appearances was as the thug on the underground in the Ealing Studios classic Passport To Pimlico in 1949

Other films that he appeared in include Waterfront 1950, The Galloping Major 1951, The Runaway Bus 1954, The Quatermass Xperiment 1955, Carry on Admiral 1957, Carry On Cowboy in 1965. He also appeared in the Hammer Horror's production of The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll 1960 - he played the uncredited role as the cabby.

Eric Portman

20/7/2016

Birthday memories for Eric Portman born this day, 13 July in 1901. The Yorkshire born actor appeared in dozens of film and stage productions; his many film appearances included several produced by Powell and Pressburger. In 1943, he played a leading role in the Charters and Caldicott film Millions Like Us.

Other films that he appeared in include Hyde Park Corner 1935, Moonlight Sonata 1937, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing 1942, We Dive at Dawn 1943, A Canterbury Tale 1944, The Spider and the Fly 1949, Cairo Road 1950, The Colditz Story 1955, The Bedford Incident 1965 and Deadfall 1968.
Near the end of his life he played Number Two in the TV series The Prisoner,

Philip Leaver

20/7/2016

Philip Leaver the actor was born this day 11th July in 1904. One of his more memorable roles was as Signor Doppo in The Lady Vanishes 1938.

Other films he appeared in include Kate Plus Ten 1938, Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday 1939, Alibi 1942, The Silver Fleet 1943, Dr Morelle 1949, Old Mother Riley Meets The Vampire 1952 and Spaceways 1953, The Gamma People 1956.

Brenda Bruce

7/7/2016

Birthday memories for Brenda Bruce the actress 7th July 1918 in Manchester. She played the part of Brenda in the Charters and Caldicott film Millions Like Us 1943 - more about this film at www.chartersandcaldicott.co.uk/millions-like-us.html

Other films that she appeared in include Night Boat To Dublin 1946, I See A Dark Stranger 1946, Don't Ever Leave Me 1949, Peeping Tom 1960, That'll Be The Day 1973, Man In The Iron Mask 1976 and Splitting Heirs 1993. Her many TV productions include Dr Who.

Josephine Wilson

7/7/2016

.Birthday memories for Josephine Wilson, actress who was born 5th July 1904. As well as appearing in The Lady Vanishes - see www.chartersandcaldicott.co.uk/the-lady-vanishes.html (she played Madame Kummer who tries to pass herself off as the 'Miss Froy' that Iris saw), she appeared in many other classic movies. She appeared in Edna's Fruit Hat 1939 and The End of The Affair in 1955. She and her husband, Bernard Miles, co-founded London's famous Mermaid Theatre.,