He was 88. Well, it's definitely been restored as far as the image goes. One was Precipice, a play about a ballet, which co-starred dancer Anton Dolin. Alright kids adventure, fleeing from the law and getting into a decent amount of trouble along the way. Got this dvd mainly for the nostalgia of the 50s and to show my grandchildren the old Liverpool waterfront with the Overhead Railway. There is no actual plot to the story but it is just a journey of a boy revolving the magnet. | (1997), Never Ever Produced by Michael Balcon. Unable to add item to List. (1996), The Old Curiosity Shop It was fun to see James Fox as child, he did well even back then. (2004), The Prince & Me He lives in New Brighton on the North West coast. I'd never seen such a machine, and it was disturbing to me. However, Johnny eventually manages to con it out of him by swopping it for an "invisible watch". [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. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 January 2019, Wonderful 1950 movie filmed on the Cheshire Wirral Peninsula featuring established stars such as Stephen Murray. The fashion-timing is wrong, as it's supposed to be 1958, but still the breakout moment for Suzette (Patsy Kensit), wardrobe assistant turned instant sensation, at the London runway show by "Henley Od" (James Fox), Anita Morris the reporter on the spot, in, Thoroughly Modern Millie - (Wide release trailer), When she comes to New York, Julie Andrews becomes, Lavender Hill Mob, The - (Original Trailer), An overlooked gold transporter with twenty years service plots to steal a million pounds of gold in the comedy, A convict's escape ignites passions in his hometown in. It was whilst in Baghdad that he decided to start the Reunion Theatre; this association was designed to help demobilised actors who had been out of the business for several years. [9] The British Film Institute's reviewer criticised it as "somewhat burdened by cumbersome moralising and too many credibility-stretching coincidences and misunderstandings" and described it as "an attempt to revisit the success of Clarke's earlier Hue and Cry". : After demobilisation Fox was considered too old to take on juvenile roles, and given that he had no experience as a lead actor, directors were wary of casting him in these parts. The grey jacket and short trousers he wears in "THE MAGNET . BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 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. An Ealing Studios film, The Magnet is a lesser known Ealing comedy. [2] [3] Contents 1 Early life 2 Pre-war career , Media Format There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please consider upgrading to a Pro accountfor less than a couple bucks a month, youll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages (example), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads! FAQ There's one or two chuckles to be had in some of the more satirical jabs, and there's sometimes a bit of ambition to the directing, but it's a very tame and bland film that isn't captivating or energetic enough to carry off its far fetched narrative. [2][3][5], Fox was an officer in the London Irish Rifles. 24. 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. 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. The association did this by performing extracts from well-known plays and inviting agents and producers to watch. Available for both RF and RM licensing. living now in New Brighton,where the film is set and mostly filmed,and being at an age the be able to remember the 50's well,I was actually born the year this film was made,but it was a total delight to watch,seeing the overhead railway again,the beach,the Perch rock,the indoor fairground,I spent half my youth in there,and spotting all the locations around was wonderful,every person over 50 living on the Wirral should see this little film,not many real "scouse" accents though !did anybody spot the businessman on the Overhead railwaysurely that was Arthur Lowe but not mentioned in the credits,wonderful wonderful film. I'd simply remembered that it existed, and was amazed to find something about it on this site. It's beautifully clear with not a mark on it. Fox left acting in 1973 when he joined a Christian missionary group, the Navigators, though he did act in the story of a suicidal woman saved by religion, "No Longer Alone" (1978). Although The Magnet is deemed to be a comedy, it relies more on the amusing aspect and if someone is not invested in that amusement he/she will find this movie uninteresting. All in all a lovely, timeless classic of a movie! (1950), The Choir Select from premium William Fox (Actor) of the highest quality. Billy has an older sister, actress and singer Lisa Zane. (1986), Comrades As an adult actor, William Fox changed his name to James Fox and co-starred in many films, including "The Servant" with Dirk Bogarde. Totally charming Ealing classic from 1950. AKA William Fox. He used to be Queen Elizabeth, this fella, before they turned him into Danny Kaye.". Following Staff College, Camberley, he spent the majority of the war stationed in North Africa and the Middle East. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. Wonderful post war film of ENGLAND as she was, with decent honest Englihmen and Ladies behaving in a true English way of decency and high standards. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. : An Ealing Studios production released through The J. Arthur Rank Organisation. : They are looking for him to give it back, thinking he's a poor waif, and he ends up on the run across the river in Liverpool, protected by a bunch of tough street kids, while his parents, Stephen Murray and Kay Walsh, search for him. [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. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Click Customise Cookies to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. As a fan of Hue and Cry, I was expecting something similar, which it is, but even better. After feeling guilt (and particularly the fear of being caught out) he hands the . This article was amended on Wednesday October 1 2008. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of serviceapply. I worked with many colleagues in Hackney (east London) where they was born bred and worked - most had a beautiful speaking voices and were well spoken. Johnny seems a bit odd, no wonder, because so do his parents. Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Young Johnny Brent (James Fox) guiles another boy at his school into giving him a influential magnet. A friend of mine recently told me of this film and was amazed that I was able to buy it at Amazon for the amazing price of 5.65 including P&P,just took 2 days ! THE MAGNET is an unusual Ealing Studios comedy, seemingly aimed at children but with plenty of satirical elements for the adults. Learn more. : James Fox plays a boy who comes into possession of a rare magnet on the beach, before finding himself engaging in various escapades with oddball people. William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor, from a well-known acting family. Sound recording: Len Hammond. T.E.B. Show more Show more Try YouTube Kids Learn more Little Big. (1989), Farewell to the King A lovely film giving us all a taste of nostalgia. 100 1 _ a Fox, William, d 1911-2008 100 0 _ a William Fox c British actor and writer (1911-2008) 4xx's: Alternate Name Forms (11) [2] [3] Contents 1 Early life 2 Pre-war career Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2018. He later learned that in 1945, a few days before the liberation of Manila, his parents had been shot by the Japanese. Toby Miniver The Magnet (Oct-1950), Do you know something we don't? Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. : We use cookies and similar tools that are necessary to enable you to make purchases, to enhance your shopping experiences and to provide our services, as detailed in our Cookie Notice. . More at Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. YGD is a gaming initiative for 10-18 year olds which explores how games are made and the skill required to make them through workshops, a video series and an annual competition. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. (2000), Mickey Blue Eyes Awards This jars and the film is not strong enough to survive it. 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. In many ways it is a typical "Ealing" film, although much location work takes place on Merseyside and, in particular New Brighton. This was so fun and charming, painting a vivid and strange picture of Johnny's interior life. The location shots are first class, and lend an authenticity to the proceedings. He appeared in several notable films of the 1960s and early 1970s, including King Rat, The Servant, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Performance, before quitting the screen for several years to be an evangelical Christian. 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. actor. Actor . [2][3], In 1939 Fox and Hillard were living in Dolphin Square, where they became annoyed by their neighbour Unity Mitford's habit of playing loud Nazi marching songs. He is again startled by a policeman and hides in the back of a Jacob's cream crackers van, which takes him to the Liverpool slums, where he comes into conflict with the local boys. The bike shop was Longworths in Rowson St. You went and chose your bike and Mr Longworth told you to come and collect it next week so he had time to put the seat at the right height, check the brakes,oil it for you and check the tyres. This film is very much of its time, and evokes a more gentler, long gone age. (1992), The 18th Annual American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Sir David Lean Looking forward to watching this film to see how Liverpool was in those days. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. [7] He was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (TD) in 1967.[8]. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Johnny is awarded the Civic Gold Medal. PLAY. Report this film. Their next two comedies - A Run for Your Money and The Magnet - had none of the same impact and are often left off the. One actor who benefited from this was Dirk Bogarde. "ObituaryWilliam FoxVersatile actor and connoisseur of the civilised life", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Fox_(actor)&oldid=1084098812, People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College, Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 April 2022, at 15:02. See James Fox full list of movies and tv shows from their career. The long, complicated adventure in the main body of the film is a good, very worthwhile one, but does not have quite the same legendary status as the beginning and ending. The opening and closing sequences of this film have haunted me all my life with their beauty and power, and are one of the main reasons why I have loved films all my life. English films from right after the war particularly those from Ealing or Archers are a pretty interesting pocket to mine. When the magnet gets Johnny into distress, he choose to give it away. Johnny is almost run over and sees it as karma and decides to get rid of the magnet. On stage his charm and . Wed 24 Sep 2008 19.01 EDT. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. As there is next to no hope of StudioCanal restoring this film properly, both sound as well as image and we're now stuck with this, whoever instigated this stupid policy of muffling the sound should be sacked as they are clearly incompetent. He achieved this, and was awarded the school's gold medal upon graduating. Actor: Vida Hope Actor: William Fox Actor: James . EXTRAS ARE: A nine minutes long introduction to the film by film historian Steve Chibnall and an image gallery of around thirty production stills, plus the original British quad poster. Clarke . Though The Magnet oozes middle-class wholesome 1950's family values, which can be seen these days as starchy and very straight-laced, this unusual offering from the Ealing Studios works well on many levels. original screenplay. 'The Magnet (1950)' is one of the studio's lesser-known comedies, but ranks among their most charming efforts. The Magnet (1950) directed by Charles Frend Reviews, film + cast Letterboxd Where to watch JustWatch Remove Ads The Magnet 1950 Directed by Charles Frend Synopsis A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. (2001), Lover's Prayer Though active on stage, his film appearances were few and include The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). His imagination - coupled with his stricken conscience - takes over, as the boy with the magnet becomes of interest to the local authorities. This film is one of the main reasons why I have loved films all my life. (2000), Up At the Villa 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. William Fox (actor) is Update Soon years old in 2022. Filmed on location in Birkenhead; New Brighton; Liverpool and Wallasey.The then eleven years old William Fox, in only his second film, gives an excellent performance as Johnny Brent, the son of well off parents (Stephen Murray and Kay Walsh), who covets a large magnet owned by Kit (Michael Brooke), a younger boy who is building sandcastles on the beach at New Brighton and who is watched over by his nanny (Gladys Henson). By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. User Ratings Fox enjoyed early success on the stage playing juvenile roles. Starring Stephen Murray, Kay Walsh, James Fox and Thora Hird. Pre-war career. It does do an effective job showing the way guilt couples with the normal blithe egocentrism of childhood to create a shadowy antagonistic web so vast that everyone around you is in on your shame and looking to bring you down. 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. 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. Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. His innocence and politeness (addressing his parents as "Mummy" and "Daddy") are heartbreaking - indeed, when we encounter a group of Scouse "toughs" later in the movie, they all politely say "goodnight" to each other too! (1990), Death on the Nile Directed by Charles Frend. Now everyone, including the police, are trying to find Johnny to give him a medal for giving the man the magnet that helped raise the money for the Iron Lung.Later, Johnny sees the little boy's nanny and overhears her telling her friend (Thora Hird) about her budgie, which she says has died of a broken heart. Of course, where else would you try to sell iron lungs, but at a bikini contest. He has traded in a magnet for an alleged invisible watch, and gives it away to clear his conscience yet can't escape what he did. Uneven, but for the most part entertaining. 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. (2000), Sexy Beast 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: (1993), Hostage 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. (1950), The Magnet : Mobilesite. (1990), She's Been Away No one wants it though and it keeps coming back allowing it to be repeatedly auctioned. (2011), The Kid (1966), King Rat And be careful buying your son or daughter a large magnet. Johnny mistakenly thinks she is talking about the little boy himself, and becomes convinced that he is guilty of murder and goes on the runThis is an utterly charming film, with the very photogenic William Fox holding the attention throughout. He did not return to acting until a decade later, but quickly enjoyed success in the role of a haughty but ultimately malleable aristocrat Effie Gray Brooke Shields Actress | The Blue Lagoon Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 May 2012. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2018. This part, one of Fox's finest, typified many of his subsequent roles: classy yet often duplicitous, prone to weakness, decadence, and bad judgment. Actor Born in London, the younger brother of Edward Fox, he began as a child actor (William Fox), playing the son in The Miniver Story (d. H.C.Potter, 1950) and starring as the mendacious owner of The Magnet (d. Charles Frend, 1950). Music by William Alwyn. Kay Walsh. They had a son and a daughter together. When I went to Liverpool I didn't understand a thing, wish I had met these people. 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. Perhaps Fox's finest work in this period came in the bizarre but galvanizing "Performance" (1970), as a vicious hit man on the lam who hides out at a reclusive rock star's (Mick Jagger) mansion and falls prey to a series of bisexual orgies and weird costume changes. , Johnny eventually manages to con it out of him by swopping it for ``. Known Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and a! 1966 ), the Choir Select from premium William Fox actor: Vida Hope actor: William Fox ( ). 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