Putney Vale
The men and women who were interred or cremated at the Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in Putney Vale, London, England.
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- Actor
- Producer
Stanley Baker was unusual star material to emerge during the Fifties - when impossibly handsome and engagingly romantic leading men were almost de rigueur. Baker was forged from a rougher mould. His was good-looking, but his features were angular, taut, austere and unwelcoming. His screen persona was taciturn, even surly, and the young actor displayed a predilection for introspection and blunt speaking, and was almost wilfully unromantic. For the times a potential leading actor cast heavily against the grain. Baker immediately proved a unique screen presence - tough, gritty, combustible - and possessing an aura of dark, even menacing power.
Stanley Baker came from rugged Welsh mining stock - and as a lad was unruly, quick to flare, and first to fight. But like his compatriot and friend Richard Burton, the young Baker was rescued from a gruelling life of coal mining by a local teacher, Glyn Morse, who recognized in the proud and self-willed lad a potent combination of a fine speaking voice, a smouldering intensity, and a strong spirit. And like Burton, Stanley Baker was specially and specifically tutored for theatrical success. In fact, early on, Burton and Baker appeared together on stage as juveniles in The Druid's Rest, in Cardiff, in Wales. But later, by way of Birmingham Repertory Theatre and then the London stage, Stanley Baker charted his inevitable course toward the Cinema.
Film welcomed the adult Baker as the embodiment of evil. Memorable early roles cast the actor in feisty unsympathetic parts - from the testy bosun in Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) to his modern-day counterpart in The Cruel Sea (1953), to the arch villains in Hell Below Zero (1954) and Campbell's Kingdom (1957) to the dastardly Mordred in Knights of the Round Table (1953) and the wily Achilles in Helen of Troy (1956). For a time there was a distillation of Baker's screen persona in a series of roles as stern and uncompromising policemen - in Violent Playground (1958), Chance Meeting (1959), and Hell Is a City (1960). But despite never having been cast as a romantic leading man, and being almost wholly associated with villainous roles, Stanley Baker nevertheless became a star by dint of his potent personality.
Although now enthroned by enthusiastic audiences Stanley Baker was obviously aware he need not desert unsympathetic parts - and his relish in playing the scheming Astaroth in Sodom and Gomorrah (1962) and the unscrupulous mobster Johnny Bannion in The Concrete Jungle (1960) was readily evident. But soon there were more principled, if still surly characters, in The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Games (1970), Eva (1962), and Accident (1967), the latter two films reuniting Baker with the American expatriot director of The Criminal, Joseph Losey. Stanley Baker also established a fruitful working relationship with the American director Cy Endfield, following their early collaboration on Hell Drivers (1957). When Baker inaugurated his own film production company - it was Endfield he commissioned to write and direct both Zulu (1964) and Sands of the Kalahari (1965), with Baker allotting himself the downbeat roles of the martinet officer John Chard in Zulu and the reluctant hero Mike Bain in The Sands Of The Kalahari.
Baker must have felt more assured in disenchanted roles - as further films from Baker's own stable still promoted the actor in either criminal or villainous mode - as gangster Paul Clifton in Robbery (1967) and the corrupt thief-taker Jonathan Wild in Where's Jack? (1969). The success of Baker's own productions was timely and did much to enhance the prestige of what was then considered an ailing British film industry. Stanley Baker also took the opportunity to move into the realm of television, appearing in, among other productions, the dramas The Changeling (1974) and Robinson Crusoe (1974), and also in the series How Green Was My Valley (1975).
Knighted in 1976 it was evident that Stanley Baker may well have continued to greater heights, both as an actor and a producer, but he succumbed to lung cancer and died at the early age of forty-eight. But his legacy is unquestioned. He was a unique force on screen, championing characterizations that were not clichéd or compromised. He established his own niche as an actor content to be admired for peerlessly portraying the disreputable and the unsympathetic. In that he was a dark mirror, more accurately reflecting human frailty and the vagaries of life than many of his more romantically or heroically inclined contemporaries. There have forever been legions of seemingly interchangeable charming and virile leading men populating the movies - but Stanley Baker stood almost alone in his determination to be characterized and judged by portraying the bleaker aspects of the human condition. Consequently, more than twenty-five years after his death, his sombre, potent personality still illuminates the screen in a way few others have achieved.Cremation Location- Actor
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Arthur Askey was a diminutive British comedian, born in 1900. He began his professional career as a music hall performer in 1924, but it wasn't until 1938's Band Waggon (1940) (which lasted for three seasons), that he became a household name in England. His film debut was in the 1937 British feature Calling All Stars (1937), but then, in 1939, Band Waggon (1940) swooped in again and made him a film star with a film following on from when Arthur and co-star Richard "Stinker" Murdoch were evicted from their beloved flat. Film stardom carried Arthur through to the mid-1940s, but it wasn't till 1956 when he starred in another film, Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956). He started his own television show: The Arthur Askey Show (1961), where, of course, he was the main player and that carried on till his retirement. He died in 1982.- Robert Beatty graduated with a B.A. from the University of Toronto and started in amateur dramatics with the Hamilton Player's Guild. For a while, he made a living as a cashier for a gas and fuel company. In order to further hone his acting skills, he made his way to London in 1936 (on the advice of Leslie Howard) to train for acting at RADA. He made his theatrical debut in "Idiot's Delight" at the Apollo, and from there obtained regular work on both stage and screen in bit parts and walk-ons, eventually making his breakthrough on radio as a broadcaster for the BBC. He was famously on hand, reporting eyewitness accounts of the London Blitz for the Overseas News Service during the war years.
On the strength of this, Beatty was promoted to more substantial film roles, beginning with San Demetrio London (1943), in which he played a brash, alcoholic American sailor mellowed by his good-natured British crewmates in the best 'stiff-upper-lip' tradition. This seemed to set the tone for his future screen personae, for he was henceforth typecast as tough, down-to-earth Canadians or Americans, many of them cops or gumshoes in low budget potboilers. That notwithstanding, he had his share of quality assignments as well, notably as loyal friend to IRA fugitive James Mason in Odd Man Out (1947); as a plausible Lord Beaverbrook in The Magic Box (1951); as Lieutenant William Bush, best friend and second-in-command to Gregory Peck's Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951); and as a washed-out heavyweight prizefighter in The Square Ring (1953). Throughout his career, Beatty's stock-in-trade was masculinity, dependability and forthrightness.
Immensely popular on radio, Beatty provided the voice for private eye Philip Odell in a long-running series for the BBC "Light Programme" between 1947 and 1961. From the late 1950's, he also became increasingly prolific on television and as a narrator of documentaries. If his face was not yet recognisable enough, he appeared in commercials for a hair care product. For two years, Beatty starred in his own half-hour series, Dial 999 (1958), as a Canadian mountie seconded to Scotland Yard. On the big screen he was cast as Dr. Ralph Halvorsen in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Towards the end of his lengthy career, he gave one of his finest performances, a thoroughly convincing impersonation of President Ronald Reagan in the documentary-drama Breakthrough at Reykjavik (1987).Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?) - Londoner James Beck took to the Theatre at the end of his National Service, playing roles as diverse as Shylock to Archie Rice in "The Entertainer". His role as Cockney spiv Private Walker in Dad's Army made him a familiar face, if not a familiar name. His life was cut short before a potentially much more interesting career.Plot: Cremated at Putney Vale
- Anthony Blunt was born on 26 September 1907 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The Art of Claude Lorrain (1970) and Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? (1952). He died on 26 March 1983 in London, England, UK.
- Lillian Board was born on 13 December 1948 in Durban, Natal, South Africa. She died on 26 December 1970 in Munich, West Germany.Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?)
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Scottish-born Derek Bond was a leading man of post-war British films fondly remembered for his portrayal of the titular hero in Ealing Studios' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947), an adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel.
The actor was born in Glasgow on January 26, 1920, the son of a commercial traveler and a beautician. Educated at the Haberdashers' Askes School in Hampstead, he originally sought out a career as a reporter/journalist. When that didn't pan out he turned to acting, training with the Finchley Amateur Dramatic Society and making his professional theatre debut with "As Husbands Go" in 1937. A member of the Colchester Repertory Company (where he met his first wife), he played a number of both comedic and dramatic roles until his burgeoning career was interrupted by WWII. Commissioned with the Grenadier Guards' 3rd Brigade, he was awarded the Military Cross after seeing action and suffering serious wounds in North Africa. Captured at one point, he served as a POW in Italy, where he produced and appeared in a number of army shows.
Following the war he returned to his acting career and was picked up by Ealing Studios. Life certainly imitated art when he made his film debut as a British POW in the stirring war drama The Captive Heart (1946) starring Michael Redgrave, Redgrave's wife Rachel Kempson and a virtual "Who's Who" supporting cast of British names. The film was set in a German WWII POW camp. Stardom was officially clinched when Ealing entrusted Bond, in only his second film role, to play the Nickleby lead opposite the renowned Cedric Hardwicke as his cruel Uncle Ralph. Bond also had a choice role portraying the doomed South Pole explorer Capt. Oates in Scott of the Antarctic (1948) opposite John Mills. Throughout the late 1940s the staid, classically good-looking actor played lead and second lead roles alongside a number of established or up-and-coming leading lovelies of the British cinema, including Jean Kent and Googie Withers in The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947), Jean Simmons in The Inheritance (1947), Phyllis Calvert in Broken Journey (1948), Ursula Jeans in The Weaker Sex (1948), Susan Shaw in Marry Me (1949) and Rona Anderson in Poet's Pub (1949).
Bond continued primarily in the "B" film ranks in the 1950s with a steady dose of light comedy (Tony Draws a Horse (1950), The Caretaker's Daughter (1952), Trouble in Store (1953)) and crime drama (The Quiet Woman (1951), The Hour of 13 (1952), Rogue's Yarn (1957), Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958)). He also was utilized on TV in the next decade as a co-presenter of Picture Parade (1956) for more than two years before joining "Tonight," an early-evening current-affairs program. Among his other series work included episodes of William Tell (1958) and The Saint (1962) and a notable recurring role on Callan (1967) starring Edward Woodward. A bright presence on the West End light comedy stage, his theatre resume included "A Scent of Flowers" (with a budding Ian McKellen), "Your Obedient Servant", "The Secretary Bird", "Murder at the Vicarage", "No Sex Please, We're British" and "The Mousetrap". He also wrote a number of plays for both TV and radio.
Bond was elected president of the British Actors' Equity Association during the 1970s. An outspoken, conservative leader, he resigned in 1986 amid political controversy and pressure from left-wing opponents, which prompted his amusing memoir, "Steady Old Man! Don't You Know There's a War On?" in 1990. Married three times, he passed away at age 86 on October 15, 2006, and was survived by his third wife, a son from his first marriage and a daughter from his second.- He read history at Oxford and wanted to do something on current affairs so on leaving on the advice of BBC's Hue Weldon joined ITN at the birth of ITV, He spent his first 2 years behind the scenes before starting newscasting, He says that he was very bad for about a year before he got the hang of things. Reads books on politics and current affairs to keep on top of things He moved away from newscasting and just did one day a week and his own nightly show - Dateline, He has 2 homes, a chelsea flat and a house in Sussex, and goes abroad for about 3 months of the yearPlot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?)
- Sheila Burrell was born on 9 May 1922 in Blackheath, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Paranoiac (1963) and The Feathered Serpent (1976). She was married to David Sim and Laurence Payne. She died on 19 July 2011 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK.
- Peter Cheyney was born on 22 February 1896 in London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Callaghan remet ça (1961), Diplomatic Courier (1952) and Les femmes s'en balancent (1954). He died on 26 June 1951 in London, England, UK.
- Ivy Compton Burnett is known for ITV Playhouse (1967) and La substitution (1973).Plot: Cremated
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sandy Denny was born on 6 January 1947 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Crush (2001), The Dancer Upstairs (2002) and The Subject Was Roses (1968). She was married to Trevor Lucas. She died on 21 April 1978 in Wimbledon, London, England, UK.- Additional Crew
Jacob Epstein was born on 10 November 1880 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for Statues also Die (1953). He was married to Margaret Dunlop. He died on 21 August 1959 in London, England, UK.- Additional Crew
Alf Gover was born on 28 February 1908 in England, UK. He is known for The Final Test (1953) and Badger's Green (1949). He was married to Marjorie Brooke. He died on 7 October 2001 in England, UK.Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?)- Actor
- Transportation Department
James Hunt was known as Hunt The Shunt for his many accidents in lower formulas. He started his F1 career in 1973, driving for the maverick Hesketh team. Known for its wild parties and eccentric attitude, Hesketh wasn't taken too seriously by rival teams, but after competitive outings in 1974 and 1975, including a win in the Dutch Grand Prix and another in a non-championship race, Hesketh and Hunt were now a force to be reckoned with.
James joined McLaren for 1976 after the Hesketh team folded, and after a controversial and dramatic season, which saw him disqualified twice and re-instated as the winner in one race, his friend and rival Niki Lauda nearly being killed in the German Grand Prix and a run of bad luck in the early part of the season, James snatched the title in the dramatic final race in Japan in torrential rain, to the delight of Britain.
James had two more season at McLaren in which he won another 3 races, but by 1979, his interest and motivation was waning. He tried to save Ronnie Peterson from his burning Lotus in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, but his friend died that night. He and Niki Lauda had both decided that enough was enough (Lauda was to change his mind and make a comeback in 1982, however) and both retired before the 1979 season was over. Their mutual friend Jody Scheckter gave up at the end of 1980 for the same reason.
James became a controversial and very entertaining commentator for BBC's Grand Prix show, winning him a whole army of new fans, but on 15 June 1993, his life was cut short, and he died from a heart attack. He was just 45 years old.
James had two sons, Tom and Freddie.cremation location- Len Hutton was born on 23 June 1916 in Fulneck, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was married to Dorothy Dennis. He died on 6 September 1990 in Kingston-upon-Thames, England, UK.Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?)
- Actress
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Best known for playing Matron--as in "Ooh, Matron!"--in four films: Carry on Nurse (1959), Carry on Doctor (1967), Carry on Again Doctor (1969) and, of course Carry on Matron (1972). Key roles included: Grace Short in Carry on Teacher (1959), Sophie Bliss in Carry on Loving (1970) and Peggy Hawkins in Carry on Cabby (1963). She was married to John Le Mesurier (Sergeant Wilson in Dad's Army (1968)), but left him for another man. They divorced but remained friends. An unexpectedly attractive woman in her time, she played parts which depended upon and mocked her weight. Only in Carry on Cabby (1963) was she allowed to escape her dragon persona and play the romantic lead opposite Sidney James. She died prematurely at the age of 58 from a heart attack.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The character actor Andrew Keir (originally Andrew Buggy) was born in 1926 in the coal-mining town of Shotts in Lanarkshire, Scotland, of Irish Catholic extraction, and raised there with his five brothers John, Tom, Michael, Patrick, and Hugh, and a sister, Maggie. The son of a coal miner, Keir worked in the coal mines from age 14 to 20, at which point he joined the Glasgow Citizen's Theatre to train as an actor. Shortly thereafter, Keir established himself professionally in British theater, television, and film, debuting in The Lady Craved Excitement (1950). His bluff, no-nonsense demeanor was perfect for authoritarian and military roles, especially Roman soldiers, as in Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and The Viking Queen (1967).
He hooked up with Hammer Productions early on (his debut film) and continued the association in a number of horror films, e.g., Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971). One of his best-known and most popular performances was that of the title role in Quatermass and the Pit (1967). Keir made numerous appearances in television throughout his career, notably in Adam Smith (1972) and in the Australian series The Outsiders (1976). Keir, true to his heritage, frequently played Scotsmen, especially in the latter part of his career.Plot: Cremated- Alexander Kerensky was born in Simbirsk, Russia, in 1881, the son of a lower-ranking nobleman in the Russian aristocracy. As a law student he gained renown for his skillful defense of socialist activists arrested by the Czarist police, which may well have contributed to his political party, the Socialist Revolution, being outlawed in 1912. That same year he was elected to the Russian Duma (Parliament).
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the overthrow of the Czar, Kerensky was named Minister of Justice in the Provisional Government. He was appointed Minister of War in May of that year, and since Russia was still involved in World War I, he made preparations for a new offensive against the Germans. Unfortunately, the Russian military had become dispirited, disenchanted and demoralized after a series of crushing defeats and staggering losses (the Battle of Tannenberg alone cost them more than 100,000 dead, brought about mainly because of stupefyingly inept and incompetent leadership), and its soldiers were in no mood or condition to continue fighting for a cause they no longer believed in. In addition, the Russian people themselves were sick of the war and the deprivations that came with it, and the country was being convulsed by strikes, riots and all manner of civil strife. In July of 1917 the Bolsheviks attempted to seize power in the city of Petrograd, and Kerensky sent Cossack troops there to crush the revolt. Later that month he was appointed Prime Minister. He found himself clashing with Gen. Kornilov, commander of the Russian army, who wanted to clamp down on the country and turn it into a military dictatorship. In November of 1917 the Bolsheviks again took advantage of the chaotic conditions in the country and mounted another revolt. This time Kerensky couldn't put it down, and as the revolt spread he was forced to flee Moscow. He sought refuge in London and became part of a Russian "government in exile", but his somewhat heavy-handed methods alienated many of the groups that formed the opposition, especially the White Russians. There was a strong resistance to the Bolsheviks inside Russia itself, and the White Russians had formidable military forces that fought them across Russia, but the resistance finally ended in the 1920s with the Red Army triumphant. Kerensky stayed in England, becoming the editor of a socialist revolutionary newspaper, "Dni", and wrote several books decrying the Communist takeover of his country. In 1940 he moved to the US, where he wrote more books and headed a foundation called the Study of War and Revolution at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
He died in New York City in 1970.Plot: AS - Jim Laker was born on 9 February 1922 in Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He was married to Lily Laker. He died on 23 April 1986 in Putney, London, England, UK.Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered at the Oval Cricket Ground)
- Mrs. John Lavery was born in 1887 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to John Lavery. She died in 1935 in Ireland.Plot: AS
- Director
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- Editor
An important British filmmaker, David Lean was born in Croydon on March 25, 1908 and brought up in a strict Quaker family (ironically, as a child he wasn't allowed to go to the movies). During the 1920s, he briefly considered the possibility of becoming an accountant like his father before finding a job at Gaumont British Studios in 1927. He worked as tea boy, clapper boy, messenger, then cutting room assistant. By 1935, he had become chief editor of Gaumont British News until in 1939 when he began to edit feature films, notably for Anthony Asquith, Paul Czinner and Michael Powell. Amongst films he worked on were Pygmalion (1938), Major Barbara (1941) and One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942).
By the end of the 1930s, Lean's reputation as an editor was very well established. In 1942, Noël Coward gave Lean the chance to co-direct with him the war film In Which We Serve (1942). Shortly after, with the encouragement of Coward, Lean, cinematographer Ronald Neame and producer 'Anthony Havelock-Allan' launched a production company called Cineguild. For that firm Lean first directed adaptations of three plays by Coward: the chronicle This Happy Breed (1944), the humorous ghost story Blithe Spirit (1945) and, most notably, the sentimental drama Brief Encounter (1945). Originally a box-office failure in England, "Brief Encounter" was presented at the very first Cannes film festival (1946), where it won almost unanimous praises as well as a Grand Prize.
From Coward, Lean switched to Charles Dickens, directing two well-regarded adaptations: Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). The latter, starring Alec Guinness in his first major movie role, was criticized by some, however, for potential anti-Semitic inflections. The last two films made under the Cineguild banner were The Passionate Friends (1949), a romance from a novel by H.G. Wells, and the true crime story Madeleine (1950). Neither had a significant impact on critics or audiences.
The Cineguild partnership came to an end after a dispute between Lean and Neame. Lean's first post-Cineguild production was the aviation drama The Sound Barrier (1952), a great box-office success in England and his most spectacular movie so far. He followed with two sophisticated comedies based on theatrical plays: Hobson's Choice (1954) and the Anglo-American co-production Summertime (1955). Both were well received and "Hobson's Choice" won the Golden Bear at the 1954 Berlin film festival.
Lean's next movie was pivotal in his career, as it was the first of those grand-scale epics he would become renowned for. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was produced by Sam Spiegel from a novel by 'Pierre Boulle', adapted by blacklisted writers Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman. Shot in Ceylon under extremely difficult conditions, the film was an international success and triumphed at the Oscars, winning seven awards, most notably best film and director.
Lean and Spiegel followed with an even more ambitious film, Lawrence of Arabia (1962), based on "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", the autobiography of T.E. Lawrence. Starring relative newcomer Peter O'Toole, this film was the first collaboration between Lean and writer Robert Bolt, cinematographer Freddie Young and composer Maurice Jarre. The shooting itself took place in Spain, Morocco and Jordan over a period of 20 months. Initial reviews were mixed and the film was trimmed down shortly after its world première and cut even more during a 1971 re-release. Like its predecessor, it won seven Oscars, once again including best film and director.
The same team of Lean, Bolt, Young and Jarre next worked on an adaptation of Boris Pasternak's novel "Dr. Zhivago" for producer Carlo Ponti. Doctor Zhivago (1965) was shot in Spain and Finland, standing in for revolutionary Russia and, despite divided critics, was hugely successful, as was Jarre's musical score. The film won five Oscars out of ten nominations, but the statuettes for film and director went to The Sound of Music (1965).
Lean's next movie, the sentimental drama Ryan's Daughter (1970), did not reach the same heights. The original screenplay by Robert Bolt was produced by old associate Anthony Havelock-Allan, and Lean once again secured the collaboration of Freddie Young and Maurice Jarre. The shooting in Ireland lasted about a year, much longer than expected. The film won two Oscars; but, for the most part, critical reaction was tepid, sometimes downright derisive, and the general public didn't really respond to the movie.
This relative lack of success seems to have inhibited Lean's creativity for a while. But towards the end of the 1970s, he started to work again with Robert Bolt on an ambitious two-part movie about the Bounty mutiny. The project fell apart and was eventually recuperated by Dino De Laurentiis. Lean was then approached by producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin to adapt E.M. Forster's novel "A Passage to India", a book Lean had been interested in for more than 20 years. For the first time in his career; Lean wrote the adaptation alone, basing himself partly on Santha Rama Rau's stage version of the book. Lean also acted as his own editor. A Passage to India (1984) opened to mostly favourable reviews and performed quite well at the box-office. It was a strong Oscar contender, scoring 11 nominations. It settled for two wins, losing the trophy battle to Milos Forman's Amadeus (1984).
Lean spent the last few years of his life preparing an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's meditative adventure novel "Nostromo". He also participated briefly in Richard Harris' restoration of "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1988. In 1990, Lean received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement award. He died of cancer on April 16, 1991 at age 83, shortly before the shooting of "Nostromo" was about to begin.
Lean was known on sets for his extreme perfectionism and autocratic behavior, an attitude that sometimes alienated his cast or crew. Though his cinematic approach, classic and refined, clearly belongs to a bygone era, his films have aged rather well and his influence can still be found in movies like The English Patient (1996) and Titanic (1997). In 1999, the British Film Institute compiled a list of the 100 favorite British films of the 20th century. Five by David Lean appeared in the top 30, three of them in the top five.Plot: Cremated in crematorium- Director
- Producer
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Belonging to an important family clan in Wisconsin, Joseph Losey studied philosophy but was always interested in theater and thus worked together with Bertolt Brecht. After directing some shorts for MGM, he made his first important film, The Boy with Green Hair (1948), for RKO. While he was filming The Prowler (1951) in Italy he was summoned to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the congressional committee charged with "rooting out" Communist "subversion" in the motion picture industry. Unwilling to subject himself to the committee's well-known intimidation tactics, Losey decided to seek exile in Great Britain. In the following years he used a pseudonym--"Joseph Walton"--for his films, which were of minor quality. He regained his prestige with the thrillers Chance Meeting (1959), The Concrete Jungle (1960) and Eva (1962). From that point on his films varied between top-quality work like Accident (1967) and much lower-quality projects such as Modesty Blaise (1966), which was a box-office success, and Galileo (1975), which wasn't.cremation location- Actor
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Daniel Massey was an English actor of Canadian descent, best known for portraying his godfather Noël Coward (1899-1973) in the critically acclaimed film "Star!" (1968). For this role he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It was his only Academy Award nomination.
Massey was the son of Canadian actor Raymond Massey (1896-1983) and English actress Adrianne Allen (1907-1993). He was raised by his mother, following his parents' divorce. His paternal uncle was Canadian diplomat Vincent Massey (1887-1967), who became the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada (term 1952-1959).
Massey was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. He made his film debut as a child actor, in the war film "In Which We Serve" (1942). The film depicted the Battle of Crete (1941) and its aftermath.
Massey did not return to film roles until the late 1950s. His early roles included the comedy film "Girls at Sea" (1958), the military-themed comedy "Operation Bullshine" (1959), the comedy-drama "Upstairs and Downstairs" (1959), the music-hall themed drama and "The Entertainer" (1960). He played the leading role of John Fellowes (Daniel Massey), an officer in the Grenadier Guards, in the military-themed drama "The Queen's Guards" (1961).
His next major role was as an incompetent thief in the crime comedy "Go to Blazes" (1962). He had a supporting role in the historical comedy "The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders" (1965), which was an adaptation of the novel "Moll Flanders" (1722) by Daniel Defoe (c. 1660-1731).
Massey received his best known role in the film "Star!" (1968), and received his nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Award was instead won by rival actor Jack Albertson (1907-1981). Massey's next found a critically acclaimed role in television. He played the openly gay character Daniel in the historical drama "The Roads to Freedom" (1970). The series was an adaptation of a trilogy of novels: "The Age of Reason" (1945), "The Reprieve" (1945) and "Troubled Sleep" (1949) by Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980). They depicted the last years of the interwar period in France and the Fall of France (1940) in World War II.
Massey played the historical figure Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (1532-1588) in the historical film "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1971). In the film. Dudley was depicted as a court favorite of Elizabeth I of England, (played by Glenda Jackson) and as a suitor for Mary I of Scotland (played by .Vanessa Redgrave).
Massey next has a role in the anthology horror film "The Vault of Horror " (1973), which adapted several classic horror stories published by EC Comics. It was his first appearance in a comic book adaptation. He played the French dramatist Victorien Sardou (1831-1908) in the biographical film "The Incredible Sarah" (1976).
Massey was mostly reduced to supporting roles in the religious drama "The Devil's Advocate" (1977), the fantasy film "Warlords of Atlantis" (1978), and the horror comedy "The Cat and the Canary" (1979). He only appeared in a hand full of films in the 1980s, but played the historical judge Mervyn Griffith-Jones (1909-1979) in "Scandal" (1989). The film was loosely based on the political scandal Profumo affair, which had damaged the reputation of the Conservative Party in the early 1960s.
Massey was in poor health in the 1990s, and his career consequently suffered. His last film role was voicing Jesus' disciple Cleopas in the animated Biblical drama "The Miracle Maker" (1999). The film was an an adaptation of the Gospels of the New Testament, and was released following Massey's death.
Massey died in March 1998, suffering from Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting the white blood cells. He was buried at Putney Vale Cemetery in southwest London. The cemetery is located at the small community of Putney Vale, within the London Borough of Wandsworth.Plot: Cremated in crematorium (ashes scattered?)