User:Smiffart

THE FILMS OF WALTER FORDE

Walter Forde was born Thomas Seymour Woolford on 21 April 1895 into a family steeped in theatrical tradition. One of their descendants had been the celebrated equestrian rider, Miss Woolford, whose performance at Astley's was once described by a young Charles Dickens:

Another cut from the whip, a burst from the orchestra, a start from the horse, and round goes Miss Woolford again on her graceful performance, to the delight of every member of the audience, young or old.[1]

Forde's father, known professionally as Tom Seymour, constantly toured the provinces, together with his ex-chorus girl wife, in variety and musical comedy. It was no surprise to anyone that their son made his stage debut at seven months as a babe-in-arms in the melodrama 'When Lights Are Low'. As he grew older, parts were written for him in his father's sketches, so consequently he never regularly attended school, although his talent as a prodigy pianist became apparent by the time he was 12. When he eventually entered films in 1919 it was obvious that his predilection for slapstick derived from his years in vaudeville as a knockabout pianist and juggler's assistant, not forgetting his skill at avoiding flying bottles thrown by the occasional disgruntled, inebriate patron. During the latter part of the war, while performing for the troops as a member of the Army Service Corps, it was suggested that he might like to consider a career in films. Immediately after his demob, Forde followed up the idea, approaching several British studios, all with a singular lack of success. He therefore decided to go it alone, forking out £100 of his own money to make what he later described as "the worst comedy possible"; a one-reel failure entitled THE WANDERER. A year later, in 1920, he made three two-reelers - THE HANDY MAN, NEVER SAY DIE, and FISHING FOR TROUBLE - at the Tuilerie Street studios in Hackney. These were a considerable improvement and The Kinematograph Weekly thought that "Walter Forde, a comedian new to us, has a big future" [2], although it must be said that at this particular time Forde's enthusiasm - taking the camera out on location whenever possible - far outweighed any ideas of plot originality he may have had. Over the next couple of years, six two-reelcrs written by, and starring, Forde were produced at the Zodiac studio; a converted hangar in Kingsbury, Hertfordshire. The first two – WALTER'S WINNING WAYS and WALTER FINDS A FATHER - were financed by American entrepeneur Joe Bamberger and his associate Mr. Lochner, and co-starred Marjorie Russell. The former was directed by William Bowman, the latter by Bamberger himself. It was during the filming of WALTER'S WINNING WAYS that Forde married his continuity girl, Adeline Culley, who was destined to support and advise her husband on many aspects of his career until their retirement in 1950. The money for the remaining four films[3] was provided by Forde's father, Tom Seymour, who also co-directed them with his son. F.Harold Bastick, one of Britain's pioneer cameramen, recalled working with Forde in those early films:

''I remember a day when I was called up by two Americans [4], who said that they had discovered the "world's greatest comic." I caught a glimpse of him through the office-door, and remembered that he had done crowd-work in a previous picture on which I had worked, THE MAGISTRATE [5], at Ealing Green. I also remembered that his name was Walter Forde''. ''The very first picture he made with us was rather "stolen" from him by - a horse! The opening close-up showed Walter telephoning; then the camera moved back, and you saw that he was on a pantechnicon [6] and was telephoning to his horse, which wore headphones. "D'you know the way?" asked a caption. The horse was then supposed to shake its head.All one morning we tried to make that horse shake its head. After hours of it, a stranger came by. "Hm," said he to Walter, "The horse is supposed to shake its head? I see." “I know that," yelled Walter, utterly exasperated by this time, "But - tell the horse!"'' [7]

The character portrayed by Forde on the screen was heavily influenced by the American screen comedians; Harold Lloyd in particular. Like Lloyd, Forde is normally seen in a lowly position, eager to better himself, the comedy springing from the extraordinary situations in which this rather ordinary young man would find himself - often through no fault of his own. It is interesting to note that in eight of the twelve Forde shorts made in England between l921 and 1925, Walter spends the best part of his time enthusiastically pursuing a better life via a succession of bosses' daughters or other equally well-off young ladies; and he usually emerges triumphant from the chaos although the courtships are never anything like straightforward. For example, in WALTER WINS A WAGER (1922) Forde infiltrates a gang of counterfeiters to prove the innocence of his employer, who has been imprisoned for passing dud coins, and in the process wins the hand of his boss's attractive daughter; and in WALTER THE SLEUTH (1926) he pretends to be a detective to please a wealthy man's daughter, and then falls foul of a gang of crooks while attempting to deposit the father's priceless diamond safely at the bank. Forde's screen costume, like Lloyd's, was nothing remarkable and always secondary to the characterisation - a straw hat, Oxford bags, striped tie, and blazer, but above all a persistent joviality whatever the circumstances. Not that he walked around the set sporting a permanent grin on his face. Forde was a past master of facial expression, as was noted by Morley Adams during a visit to the Kingsbury studios:

''His face seemed to be made of india-rubber. One moment his left eye seemed to be meandering off to see what was going on at the back of his neck, and the next it was going on a voyage of discovery to the tip of his nose. His mouth was the all-the-better-to-eat-you-with type, and the way it got mixed up with eyes and nose and ears would amuse a cat''.[8]

In 1923 Walter and Adeline sailed to the States. He had decided to try his luck in America, hoping for the success that was proving so elusive in England. During the ten months he was in Hollywood he worked for Universal in a number of one reel-comedies, and also directed several one-reel westerns[9]. But at the end of 1923 they returned home, his career no further advanced than before they went. Arriving back in England, Forde found British film production at a low ebb and spent the next two years playing piano accompaniment in cinemas, earning the grand sum of thirty shillings a week. By 1926 he was thankfully back in the film business proper, producing and starring in a series of six two-reelers for British Super Comedies. These included WALTER THE SLEUTH, WALTER'S PAYING POLICY, and WALTER'S DAY OUT[10]. Forde's leading lady was Pauline Peters, and it was with her husband George Smith, managing director of the Producers' Distribution Company, that he secured his next job - re-editing foreign films for the home market, including De Mille's KING OF KINGS, and the German DAS SUSSE MADEL starring Nils Asther. Four years earlier, in 1922, Cecil Hepworth had unwisely decided to 'go public'. The shares were disastrously under-subscribed, and by 1924 he was heavily in debt. Unable to meet the repayments, a receiver was called in and Hepworth Picture Plays Ltd. was no more. The tiny studios at Walton-on-Thames were purchased by Birmingham businessman Archie Nettlefold, who immediately commissioned Hepworth to direct the first film under the new regime. Unfortunately THE HOUSE OF MARNEY, was far too old-fashioned; a complete and utter disaster, both critically and at the box-office. The films that followed were no better. Close Up thought Harry Hughes' THE HELL CAT was

''.... one of the world's worst. Its story is as old and as hackneyed as the hills. There is not an original idea from the first reel to the last''.[11]

But, as luck would have it, when Forde signed with them in 1927 to direct and star in the first ever full-length British comedy, both Nettlefold and Forde's fortunes took a turn for the better. WAIT AND SEE [12],co-starring Forde with Pauline Johnson and Frank Stanmore, was trade shown February 1928 and received several encouraging reviews. The Kinematograph Weekly considered it

''.... a distinct success. It is quite ingenious in plot, and has plenty of laughs''.[13]

While The Bioscope were of the opinion that Forde

.... works hard in the principal part and succeeds in creating amusement by clever business and situations.[14]

Nettlefold's second comedy feature, WHAT NEXT?, featured Forde as a vacuum-cleaner salesman who buys a valuable Egyptian candlestick and is promptly pursued by a maniacal collector willing to do anything to get his hands on it. Forde's co-stars were again Pauline Johnson and Frank Stanmore, while Douglas Payne played the deranged collector, Cornelius Vandergilt. Forde's next film was not only his first in a purely directorial role, it was also his first non-comedy. THE SILENT HOUSE was adapted by Harry Fowler Mear from the successful stage play by John G.Brandon and George Pickett. With its 'Fu Manchu'-type villain (Gibb McLaughlin as the sinister Dr. Chan Fu) the film contained all the trappings of the old serials – mysterious deaths, hidden bonds and jewellery, secret wall panels and trapdoors. The hero and heroine are even trapped together while the floor on which they stand slides slowly away from under them. Released as late as October 1929, the film had a hard time competing with the new 'talkies', although Cedric Belfrage of Film Weekly had a few words of praise:

''In spite of the management's concerted efforts to keep me out, I finally broke into the Empire, by the old trick of paying for my tickets, and saw "The Silent House," which seemed to me a very good silent film. Quota or no quota, there is no reason for the Empire or any other palatial American-owned theatre to be ashamed of showing a production like this''. [l5]

In the December of 1928, Sidney Gilliat joined the Walton studios on a trial basis and promptly ended up as uncredited gag-man, title-writer, 'continuity girl', and assistant director on Forde's third feature-length silent comedy, WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT? He was also (under protest) a stand-in for Forde during rehearsals, and a bit player [16]. Finally released early in 1930 with a synchronised sound and musical accompaniment, WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT? ran for six months in London, supporting Ronald Colman's first talkie, the extremely dull and studio-bound BULLDOG DRUMMOND. The plot had Walter as the inventor of a wireless-controlled tank pursued by a gang of spies intent on obtaining the plans kept in his briefcase. The film was edited by Adeline Culley and one sequence, a chase up and down an underground station's spiral staircase, is particularly well done. Almost 100 shots, consisting of action at the top and bottom entrances to the stairs and in a single section of the stairs, were juxtapositioned to create the illusion of a chase that never actually took place. YOU'D BE SURPRISED! (1930) was Forde's last film as director and star. Directorial commitments meant that he would never again appear on screen as the star comedian. Made as a silent and released with a musical accompaniment, the film concerned the efforts of a songwriter (Forde) to bring his latest composition to the attention of an elusive theatrical manager. Along the way he is mistaken for an escaped convict, put in jail, eventually escaping handcuffed to a dangerous murderer. His co-stars were Joy Windsor and Frank Stanmore, and Sidney Gilliat, as assistant director, provided some additional gags, helped out with sound effects, and played several parts - including the pilot and observer of the same plane. Nettlefold's first all-talking production, THE LAST HOUR (1930), was adapted by Harry Fowler Mear from Charles Bennett's stage thriller[17]. Starring Stewart Rome, Richard Cooper and Kathleen Vaughan, THE LAST HOUR impressed The Bioscope as

.... an exciting story concerning the theft of secret plans for the production of a fatal death ray by the agents of a foreign power ....

although they considered the excellent performances of the cast did much to

.... gloss over the rather palpable improbabilities of the situation.[l8]

When production at Nettlefold was suspended in 1930 to facilitate the building of another sound stage, Forde moved to Twickenham and directed LORD RICHARD IN THE PANTRY for Julius Hagen. Based on a play first performed in 1919 [l9], the film starred Richard Cooper as a scatter-brained member of the aristocracy who, fearing arrest for the financial collapse of a company, masquerades as his own butler. Arnold Ridley's comedy thriller 'Third Time Lucky; was first seen at the Ambassador's Theatre in November 1929. Forde's film version for Gainsborough was produced by Michael Balcon at their Islington studios and was released in November 1931. THIRD TIME LUCKY was the first in a long line of successful films to emerge from the association of Forde and Balcon. Bobby Howes starred as the Rev. Arthur Fear, who ventures into the shadowy world of crime to save the honour of his blackmailed ward. With a screenplay by Angus MacPhail, who would later become story editor during those uniquely important years (1939-48) at Ealing, the film also featured Gordon Harker and Dorothy Boyd. Michael Balcon, who was production head at Gainsborough, had signed an agreement with Edgar Wallace to co-produce several film versions of Wallace's stage thrillers at British Lion's own studios at Beaconsfield[20]. Forde was picked to direct the first one, THE RINGER (1931), with a cast that included Gordon Harker, Franklyn Dyall and John Longden. A previous version had been made in l929 [21], and Forde would himself remake it in 1939 as THE GAUNT STRANGER. After seeing the film, Lionel Collier was of the opinion that

.... Walter Forde is one of the most versatile people we have working in British studios.[22]

THE RINGER was a popular success, regardless of the play containing a major plot flaw in the third act: a police inspector is told over the phone that The Ringer. (the villain of the piece) has just been spotted in Deptford, despite the fact that at that particular stage in the proceedings no one knows who he is or what he looks like! Forde was back at Islington for his next picture - THE GHOST TRAIN - which was released in January 1932 and starred the husband and wife musical-comedy team of Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge. Arnold Ridley's famous stage thriller, previously filmed as a silent[23], was set in the waiting room of a 'haunted' railway station somewhere in Cornwall, the ghost train being a front for gun-runners. The cast also included Ann Todd, Donald Calthrop and Angela Baddeley, with Forde doing a Hitchcock. and appearing as a passenger. Hulbert and Courtneidge were practically unknown entities outside of the theatre, although extracts from one of their stage shows had been filmed for inclusion in the 1930 ELSTREE CALLING. The success of THE GHOST TRAIN led to their appearance in a series of light musical-comedy films. Sadly, time has not seen fit to be kind to these, and it is ironic that the singing, dancing Hulbert is best remembered during that period for a film that contains neither; the non-musical BULLDOG JACK, made in 1935. Forde's final film for Twickenham, CONDEMNED TO DEATH (1932),was based on George Goodchild and James Dawson's 'Jack O'Lantern', a murder mystery first seen at Wyndham's Theatre in April 1931. The film starred Arthur Wontner, Jillian Lind, Edmund Gwenn and Gordon Harker, and despite a less than credible story-line it managed to maintain a powerful atmosphere of suspense right through to an equally strong climax. 1932 saw Michael Balcon as production head not only of Gainsborough's Islington studios, but also of the Shepherd's Bush studios, home of the newly-formed Gaumont-British Company, and for the next three years all of Forde's films would be made at one or other of these studios. The first in Gainsborough's series of Hulbert-Courtneidge musical comedies was directed by Forde in 1932. JACK'S THE BOY, released in the States as NIGHT AND DAY, had words and music by Douglas Furber and Vivian Ellis, a screenplay by W.P. Lipscomb, and was based on an original story by Hulbert and Furber. Originally, Michael Balcon had offered Forde the opportunity to direct Hulbert in a remake of the German film and play 'The Private Secretary'. Unfortunately, Forde seriously underestimated the screen potential of German actress Renate Muller, who was part of the deal, and declined to make the film. Victor Saville ended up directing it as SUNSHINE SUSIE, and it became one of the most successful British films of 1932 [24]. In JACK'S THE BOY, Hulbert played Jack Brown, son of Scotland Yard's police commissioner. A great disappointment to his father, he spends most of his time living it up at various night spots and arriving home in the early hours usually the worse for wear. When he rolls home late one night singing 'The Flies Crawled Up the Window', his father tears him off a strip and takes him to task for being a good-for-nothing'. From that moment Jack resolves to join the police force and prove his worth. Unbeknown to his frustrated parent he does just that, pretending he is off fishing whenever he has to be on duty. Jack's one ambition is to capture a gang of smash-and-grab jewel thieves, and with the help of cafe owner Mrs. Bobday (Cicely Courtneidge) he tracks them down to Madame Tussaud's. Convinced the jewels are hidden somewhere amongst the waxworks, the intrepid pair lie in wait for the crooks to return and retrieve their loot. Following a hectic cat-and-mouse chase among the wax figures, the police, led by Jack's father, arrive just in time to save them and arrest the crooks. Other members of the cast included Peter Gawthorne as Mr.Brown, Francis Lister as the gang boss, and Winifred Shotter as the romantic interest, Ivy. Described as an 'extravaganza with music' the film was an instant hit with both public and critics alike. Sydney Carroll thought it

''.... a riotously funny, good, clean, honest British picture .... bright, lively and extremely diverting always.''[25]

And The Picturegoer's Who's Who included it in their selection of noteworthy films released during 1932:

''Even if the story is not all that could be desired this picture deserves a place amongst the best of 1932 because of its infectious gaiety, bright music and, above all, the acting of the stars. Cicely Courtneidge gives a brilliant cockney study, while husband Jack's personality simply radiates jollity and conviviality. Walter Forde's direction, while not inspired, is extremely good. He puts the stars in the limelight all the while and leaves it to them to prove how very good British screen comedians can be.''[26]

ROME EXPRESS, made by Forde at the extensively refurbished Shepherd's Bush studios in 1932, was a technical triumph for both the director and the newly-formed Gaumont-British Picture Corporation. In spite of a middling storyline [27] the film was good enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with - and comfortably bear comparison to - its Hollywood competitors. Based on a story by Clifford Grey [28] with a screenplay by Sidney Gilliat, ROME EXPRESS became an immediate public and critical success, and was in no small way responsible for several more train thrillers, including THE LADY VANISHES (1938) and NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940), both scripted by Gilliat and Frank Launder from original stories by Ethel Lina White (the novel 'The Wheel Spins') and Gordon Wellesley, respectively. Basil Wright thought ROME EXPRESS a "first-class craftsman's job", and remarked that

''.... restrictions of the set .... might well have overpowered the interest of the story had not Forde concentrated every effort in building up the authentic atmosphere of a long-distance continental express''.[29]

In the early 30's many directors tended to keep the camera at a respectful distance from the actors. In ROME EXPRESS, where all but the opening scene takes place on the train, Forde had no option but to move in close, and it is this very restriction (the need to concentrate on detail and atmosphere) that makes the film so highly enjoyable. Universal, the distributor of the film in the States, offered Forde a Hollywood contract. There is little doubt that his decision to turn it down was due, at least in part, to his feelings of loyalty to the burgeoning British film industry. On the other hand, perhaps the painful memory of his previous frustrating encounter with the Hollywood studio system still remained. Whatever the actual reason, he stayed with Balcon and began work on his next film. Originally, he had been chosen to direct a version of H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds'. In fact, a script had already been prepared by Ivor Montagu and Frank Wells, the author's son, when there arose the question of who legally owned the film rights. Michael Balcon finally shelved the project when it was decided that Paramount had a prior claim [30], and assigned Forde to ORDERS IS ORDERS. Released at the beginning of 1934, ORDERS IS ORDERS was scripted by Leslie Arliss and Sidney Gilliat, and based on a play by Ian Hay and Anthony Armstrong [31]. With James Gleason as an American producer whose company 'invades' a British army camp with the intention of making a moving picture, ORDERS IS ORDERS,co-starring Charlotte Greenwood, Cyril Maude, Cedric Hardwicke, Ian Hunter, and a young Raymond Milland, has a great deal going for it. It is very enjoyable, but not one of Forde's best. Gleason wrote a lot of his own dialogue and it would appear, in this instance, that Forde tended to sit back and let the American's natural exuberance somewhat swamp the picture. As C.A. Lejeune, the critic, observed at the time, this may have been good business and it was certainly good manners but

.... those of us who believe in Forde as one of the two best directors in the country may grudge the subordination of his tough native humour to the modern wisecrack currency of the United States.[32]

Following another Jack Hulbert vehicle, JACK AHOY (1934), Forde directed CHU-CHIN-CHOW, Gainsborough's version of the Frederic Norton and Oscar Asche musical comedy [33]. Previously filmed by Herbert Wilcox as a silent in 1923, the new film starred George Robey, Fritz Kortner, Anna May Wong, John Garrick, and two members of the original stage production, Sydney Fairbrother and Frank Cochrane. Several of the 'behind the scenes' personnel were no less distinguished - in charge of costumes was Cathleen Mann (the Marchioness of Queensbury), and the technical adviser was Arthur Upham Pope, a professor of Persian art and archaeology. Edward Knoblock [34] and Sidney Gilliat were responsible for the screenplay although much of what they had written was altered by the time the film was released. Radio dramatist L.du Garde Peach was called in to provide additional dialogue more suitable for the music hall stage than a fantasy Arabia, several of their original scenes were replaced by Forde, and, according to Gilliat, much of the atmosphere and rhythm of the original script was missing from the completed film. Forde always thought it should have been made in colour. Nonetheless, the film did quite well, receiving favourable - though less than ecstatic - reviews from the critics. C.A. Lejeune, despite certain misgivings, was pleased that

....Gaumont-British have broken away for the first time from their careful refinement, and produced something that has guts as well as grace. [35]

while Stephen Watts described it as a

''....musical fairy tale .... transferred to the screen at colossal expense and with great mechanical ingenuity....the settings are quite gorgeous, the production highly polished, and the acting thoroughly competent .... George Robey is funny, indicating how funny he could be, given funny lines. Pearl Argyle, who is a beautiful dancer, is allowed to be only beautiful. Anna May Wong slips across that subtle personality of hers, with nothing much to pin it on, and Fritz Kortner, a German actor with a big reputation, has a field day of bravura as the brigand.'' [36]

Next came BULLDOG JACK [37],the final Forde/Hulbert film and, without a doubt, Forde's classiest comedy thriller. It marked the British film debut of Fay Wray and was the first time that the Hulbert brothers (Jack and Claude) appeared together on screen. The superbly funny screenplay by J.O.C. Orton and Sidney Gilliat was based on Jack Hulbert's original storyline, a burlesque of the 'Bulldog Drummond' character created by 'Sapper' (H.C.McNeile). The film was one of the biggest British successes of 1935 and was released in America under its original production title of ALIAS BULLDOG DRUMMOND. The Kinematograph Weekly were of the opinion that Forde

.... ably preserves the carefree outlook of the show and its spirit of burlesque, and times the culminating spectacular stunts with a sense of showmanship that is rewarded in a full quota of thrills and laughs.[38]

Indeed the film is great fun: one of those rare pictures that give the impression that everyone involved in its making enjoyed themselves tremendously.

BROWN ON RESOLUTION was based on the novel by C.S. Forester, and starred John Mills as Albert Brown, the illegitimate son of a naval captain, who holds a WWI German commerce raider at bay with only a rifle. It was the first time that the British Navy allowed the use of their equipment and personnel for anything other than a documentary film. Four warships [39] and nearly 300 extras were laid on for Gaumont-British over one weekend of location shooting at Nare Head, Cornwall. Balcon assigned the responsibility of the exterior location filming to Anthony Asquith. In a way it was a temporary demotion for Asquith - the director of UNDERGROUND(l928), A COTTAGE ON DARTMOOR(1929), and TELL ENGLAND(1931) among others - but there is no doubt that his work on RESOLUTION (retitled FOREVER ENGLAND for general release in the November of 1935) contributed a great deal to the film's overall appeal; a view shared by many of the critics. KING OF THE DAMNED, released in 1936, marked the end of Forde's association with Michael Balcon at the Gaumont and Gainsborough studios. With the American market in view, the film boasted Hollywood stars Conrad Veidt, Helen Vinson and Noah Beery, but died a death at the box office mainly due to its overall inanity. Supposedly located on an island penal colony somewhere in the southern hemisphere, the studio sets, all murky forests and misty swamps, lacked any real claim to reality. Even more bizarre was the sight of Miss Vinson strolling around this obviously fake sub-tropical landscape in exclusive Schiaparelli gowns while the sub-commandant of the colony, who goes by the name of Ramon Montez, spouts lines like "We've got three thousand men here, most of them the scum of the earth!" in an accent more at home on the playing fields of Eton. But the height of ridiculousness is reached only when the realisation dawns that several of the mutinous convicts, those "scum of the earth",apparent1y attended the same school as their gaoler. The organisational 'shake-up' at Gaumont-British, due to their failure to capture the elusive U.S. market, was responsible for Forde's next project, SOLDIERS THREE, being cancelled right in the middle of the preparatory work. Thousands of feet of background material, shot by Geoffrey Barkas and his unit in India, and an uncompleted screenplay by A.R. Rawlinson and Rudyard Kipling were put on the shelf to gather dust. Forde decided to leave Gaumont-British and work independently, and shortly afterwards the rights were purchased by MGM who eventually produced it in 1951. Capitol Films was formed in the autumn of 1935 by Max Schach, a producer and distributor from Austria. Forde was hired in May 1936 and began filming LAND WITHOUT MUSIC starring Richard Tauber, Diana Napier (Mrs. Tauber), and Jimmy Durante who was currently appearing at the London Palladium. Shot at Denham, the film was a Ruritanian musical comedy about a small kingdom on the borderline of poverty because its inhabitants all prefer to make music instead of money. Plans for Forde to direct a version of Dickens' 'The Pickwick Papers' were cancelled when Capitol Films became the victim of a once more declining industry. Moving to Vogue Films in 1937 Forde directed a musical with Ambrose and his Orchestra. KICKING THE MOON AROUND had songs by Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy, and a screenplay by Angus MacPhail, Roland Pertwee, Michael Hogan and Harry Fowler Mear. Apart from Ambrose the film also featured Evelyn Dall, Harry Richman, Florence Desmond and, in a very minor role, an eighteen-year old Maureen O'Hara. By the end of 1936 Michael Balcon had left Gaumont-British to take up the post of production head at MGM British. Following his production of A YANK AT OXFORD in 1937, a serious disagreement with Louis B. Mayer led to Balcon forming an independent production company in partnership with Forde. The intention was that Capad [40] would make low budget features at the Associated Talking Pictures studios at Ealing. Their first film was THE GAUNT STRANGER, directed by Forde in 1939: a remake of their 1931 Gainsborough success, THE RINGER. This time round Sonnie Hale appeared in the Gordon Harker part, while Patrick Barr took on the role of Inspector Wembury (originally played by John Longden, who now appeared as Inspector Bliss). The success of this film and the next one [41] resulted in Balcon being offered a seat on the board, and a directorship, at Ealing. A short while later he took over as head of production from Basil Dean who was returning to the theatre. The Balcon era at Ealing heralded an important change for the studio. While the name Associated Talking Pictures was retained for the parent company, all films produced by Balcon at the studio were now known as Ealing Films. LET'S BE FAMOUS, released in July 1939, was the first of several Ealing productions to come out of the renewed partnership of Forde and Balcon. Starring Jimmy O'Dea, Betty Driver and Sonnie Hale, the film had songs by Noel Gay and a screenplay by Roger MacDougall and Allan MacKinnon. Jimmy O'Dea and Betty Driver, who had appeared together only a year before in Carol Reed's delightful PENNY PARADISE [42], played stage-struck youngsters in what was virtually a musical comedy celebration of radio. Tiresome though it was, the exuberance and talent of the leading players somehow managed to shine through, with Betty Driver giving an excellent performance in a role similar to those played by 'Our Gracie'. Aneurin Bevan, then a young M.P., was parliamentary adviser on Forde's next Ealing film, THE FOUR JUST MEN, an updated adaptation by Angus MacPhail and Sergei Nolbandov of Edgar Wallace's celebrated novel [43]. Made during that unsettled period between Munich and the commencement of the Second World War, the film starred Hugh Sinclair, Griffith Jones, Francis L. Sullivan and Frank Lawton as the four gentlemanly patriots who save Britain by dealing out their own brand of justice to the traitorous, high ranking politician Sir Hamar Ryman (a persuasive performance from Alan Napier). The film reflected the current fear of many people that Britain had suddenly become susceptible to interference by foreign megalomaniacs, and for its re-release in 1944 a short epilogue was added, referring to the Second World War. CHEER, BOYS, CHEER was a fascinating sign of things to come. Made in 1939, it was a precursor of the Ealing comedies we came to know and love ten years later. Starring Edmund Gwenn, Peter Coke, Nova Pilbeam and Jimmy O'Dea, it was the last Ealing film to be released before the outbreak of the Second World War: a somewhat broad farce centred around the brewing industry and the conflict between a small, traditional family brewery and a much larger, ruthlessly efficient competitor. Despite their infiltration by a member of the large corporation, the small brewers manage to thwart a takeover bid when the son of one family marries the daughter of the other. As well as directing, Forde also made a brief appearance as a pianist. Following HAPPY FAMILIES, a short recruitment film made at Ealing for the Ministry of Labour's National Service Department, Forde directed INSPECTOR HORNLEIGH ON HOLIDAY (1939), the second fi1m [44] to feature Hans Wolfgang Priwin's popular radio character. Made at the Gaumont British studios, Islington, for Twentieth Century Productions [45], with a screenplay by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat - supposedly based on both the radio series and the novel 'Stolen Death' by Leo Grex, but in reality an original creation of the writers – the film starred Gordon Harker as Hornleigh and Alastair Sim as his bumbling Scots sergeant. Many consider Harker was miscast, myself included. I have always thought the roles should have been reversed (Sim as a Scots inspector, Harker as a cockney sergeant). Despite this, the film's brisk, lively direction and sense of humour successfully overcame the modesty of the budget. Hornleigh and Bingham are far from enjoying the miserable weather of a holiday at Brighthaven when they become involved in the mysterious death of a fellow boarder. The body recovered from the wreck of his sports car, which he supposedly drove over the edge of a cliff, turns out to be that of someone else. Our two heroes eventually uncover an insurance racket involving the illicit use of corpses from a London hospital. While of the opinion that the directional camping had

.... transcended the bounds of plausibility with occasional enthusiasm ....

the Motion Picture Herald [46] also acknowledged that

.... dramatically the story is ingenious...[and]...extracts the utmost comedy.

Forde's next film, CHARLEY'S (BIG HEARTED) AUNT, was made for Gainsborough at the Shepherd's Bush studios in 1940. Based on Brandon Thomas' famous farce it was substantially a vehicle for the talents of music hall and radio comedian Arthur Askey and was far from successful. It is ironic that of all Forde's output as director the majority of his 'straight' comedies - especially those featuring star comics, who all too often tended to dominate the proceedings - ended up as inferior products in comparison to his comedy thrillers. It was back to Ealing for SALOON BAR, based on the stage whodunit by Frank Harvey. Several of the original cast, including Gordon Harker, Mervyn Johns and Anna Konstam, appeared in the film which strived for authenticity with a set built from the discarded parts of over twenty demolished pubs. Although of no great merit or importance, this conventional murder mystery was ably directed by Forde with excellent performances from the cast, but good intentions could not disguise the film's origin. SAILORS THREE, released at the end of December 1940, was Forde's final feature for Ealing. Three British sailors on leave in a neutral South American port are somewhat the worse for drink when they return to the wrong ship - a German pocket battleship. Tommy Trinder, Claude Hulbert and Michael Wilding [47] played the mismatched trio who subsequently capture the German ship. Released in America as THREE COCKEYED SAILORS, the film included a couple of musical numbers - 'All Over the Place' by Noel Gay and Frank Eyton, and 'Sing a Happy-Go-Lucky Song by Harry Parr-Davies and Phil Park. In the third and final 'Hornleigh' film for Twentieth Century, Harker and Sim were supported by Phyllis Calvert and Edward Chapman. INSPECTOR HORNLEIGH GOES TO IT, released in May 1941, was written by Val Guest and J.O.C. Orton from a story by Frank Launder. 'It' turned out to be the pursuit and capture of a group of Fifth Columnists. The trail takes the two policemen from an army camp, via a dentistls surgery and an evacuated school, to the thrilling climax in the mail van of the night express to London: hence the American title, MAIL TRAIN. Forde next remade Arnold Ridley's THE GHOST TRAIN for Gainsborough, this time with Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch starring. It was a far more satisfying film than that which resulted from the previous occasion the director and stars had worked together, but Forde still preferred his earlier version with Jack Hulbert - he felt the story was too old-fashioned for the Forties. Warner Bros. had first leased Teddington Studios in 1931, purchasing them outright in 1934. Up until 1944, when the studios were severely damaged during a bombing raid, Warners churned out over 100 feature films mainly for British consumption only - very few were ever released in the United States. Forde made three films for them between 1941 and 1942, two of which -  ATLANTIC FERRY and FLYING FORTRESS – were given American releases. ATLANTIC FERRY, released in America as SONS OF THE SEA, was a dull propaganda piece stressing the advantages of Anglo-American co-operation. Starring Michael Redgrave and Valerie Hobson, the screenplay was written by Gordon Wellesley, Edward Dryhurst and Emeric Pressburger. Far removed from Forde's usual escapist output, this drama - set in the last days of the sailing ship – told the story of the first regular steamship sailing between England and America. Meticulous attention to period detail swamped any interest the drama may otherwise have held, and the result was a poor relation to the usual Warner biopic. 'The Cinema' described FLYING FORTRESS as a

''.... gripping story of how American playboy is regenerated through joining R.A.F. First rate production qualities .... Finely sustaihed direction, brilliant team-work portrayal, realistic American, Canadian and London backgrounds.''[48]

In spite of such a glowing recommendation, and the presence of the popular Richard Greene, the film made very little impression. Far better contributions toward the war effort were being made elsewhere; at Ealing, for example. The third and final Forde film for Warner Bros., THE PETERVILLE DIAMOND (1942), was based on the play 'Jewel Robbery' by Hungarian writer Ladislaus Fodor, and starred Anne Crawford, Donald Stewart and Oliver Wakefield. The film had previously been made by William Dieterle for Warner in 1932 [49]. But this type of sophisticated comedy very rarely survived an Atlantic crossing and, after a remarkably tense opening sequence, the film begins to slow down to a point where Forde feels obliged to introduce some of his famous chase scenes. Even these fail to save the film, and the final straw is when the President of the South American republic in which the story is set turns out to be none other than dear Felix Aylmer, sounding about as foreign as our old friend Ramon Montez. Anyone who remembers Cecil the Diver, Mrs. Mopp and Funf will know that the programme they featured in, I.T.M.A. (It's That Man Again), ran on radio for almost ten years from 1939. Forde's next project for Gainsborough was a film version of this popular BBC comedy show starring Tommy Handley as the mayor of 'Foaming at the Mouth'. Transferred to the big screen in a mere three weeks, Forde was the first to admit that the end result was very poor. The script, written by Howard Irving Young and Ted Kavanagh (the series' scriptwriter) was never completed and it was left to the director to make much of it up as he went along. TIME FLIES (1944) was the fourth and final comedy Forde made for Gainsborough. In this comedy fantasy, the Professor (Felix Aylmer), inventor of a time machine, whisks a group of people - Tommy Handley, Evelyn Dall and George Moon - back to the Elizabethan era where they encounter many of the famous historical characters from that period including Will Shakespeare (John Salew), Walter Raleigh (Leslie Bradley) and Queen Elizabeth I (Olga Linde). Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt appeared as a soothsayer and his nephew, and jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli played a troubadour. The film received mixed reviews and any credit must go to Forde who could always be depended upon to handle this type of material with a consumate skill. ONE EXCITING NIGHT, made in 1944 for Columbia British was a far-fetched tale of a girl welfare worker who foils a plot to steal a valuable painting. The film was of little dramatic interest, although half a dozen songs from star Vera Lynn - the 'Forces Sweetheart' - livened up the proceedings. The next two years of Forde's life were spent away from the cinema, directing Jack Hylton's production of 'Follow the Girls' at His Majesty's Theatre. Starring Arthur Askey, this successful musical comedy ran for 572 performances. It was back to the big screen for THE MASTER OF BANKDAM, directed by Forde in 1947. It was

.... one of those well-meant, exhausting melodramas of industry in which the good members of the family tussle with the bad, and one generation succeeds another, and we all go home thanking heaven we haven't to read the novel. [50]

Based on the novel 'The Crowthers of Bankdom' by Thomas Armstrong, the screen version had one of those plots so dear to the heart of today's TV soap operas and mini-series. Nestling in a gaunt Yorkshire valley of 1854, Bankdam is the smallest of the woollen mills in that area. Run by honest and thrifty Simeon Crowther (Tom Walls), the mill prospers, although as they grow older a rift develops between his two sons. Zebediah (Stephen Murray), the eldest, marries the social-climbing daughter of the local organist, while Joshua (Dennis Price) is happily married to a humble local weaver girl, Annie (Anne Crawford). Zeb's son, Lancelot (David Tomlinson), is raised as an intolerant prig, while Josh's son, Simeon (Jimmy Hanley), inherits all his grandfather's qualities. The growth in size and importance of Bankdam, during the l850's, led to heavy new looms being installed. When their weight breaks through the old rafters, Joshua is among those crushed under the debris. Old Simeon dies of a heart attack, blaming Zebediah's negligence for Joshua's death. Zebediah, who has never been strong, is now permanently ailing and gives power of attorney to his wastrel son who spends the firm's money on lavish entertainment. Unjustly sacking a worker, he causes a strike that spreads throughout the valley. Eventually Joshua's widow secretly contacts the dying Zebediah who realises that if the mill is to be saved he must sell his shares so that young Simeon can become Master of Bankdam. [51] CARDBOARD CAVALIER was Forde's final film. Made at Denham in 1949, this knockabout farce starred a sadly miscast Sid Field. Forde was far from satisfied with the end result. The problem was that the music hall comedian was no actor, and Forde would have preferred to have starred him in a remake of ALF'S BUTTON [52] - a far more suitable vehicle for his comedy talents and one in which his acting would not have mattered. CARDBOARD CAVALIER was a flop, and although Forde attempted to get other projects off the ground, he had to admit he did not have a producer's ability to set up a film and raise the finance. Culley was suffering a bout of ill-health, and having always worked closely with his wife, it may have been for this reason that they decided to visit his parents in America [53]. After several return trips, Walter and Culley moved to California for good in 1954. Throughout their working lives neither were known to partake much of the social side of the industry - but the few friendships they made were long-lasting, and they were generally well-liked and respected by their colleagues. Michael Balcon said [54] of his fifteen years association with Forde, that he had come to respect him as an artist as much as he liked him as a person, and Betty Driver recalled [55] that Forde was 'a joy to work with and for, and I enjoyed every moment of his company - he was strict, but great'. Culley died in 1967. Walter - an exceptional director who does not warrant the critical neglect both he and his films have suffered - eventually passed away in 1984 at the grand old age of 97.

'''BIBLIOGRAPHY & NOTES '''

[1] From a sketch entitled 'Astley's': one of many contributed to various publications by Dickens between 1833-36. It was later included in the collection 'Sketches By Boz', first published by Macrone during 1836-37.

[2] Kinematograph Weekly, 12 August 1920. [3] These were WALTER WINS A WAGER, WALTER'S TRYING FROLICS, WALTER MAKES A MOVIE, and WALTER WANTS WORK. All co-starred Pauline Peters and Tubby Philips.

[4] Bastick is here referring to Bamberger and Lochner.

[5] Directed by Bannister Merwin for Samuelson in 1921 and based on Arthur W.Pinero's play, this comedy film starred Tom Reynolds and Maudie Dunham.

[6] The film was WALTER'S WINNING WAYS, directed by William Bowman. Forde portrayed an assistant removal man, hence the scene being described.

[7] Film Pictorial, 9 September 1933.

[8] Picture Show, 23 December 1922.

[9] Of the U.S. one-reel comedies, only A RADIO ROMEO and GOOD DEEDS are traceable. It has so far proved impossible to obtain any information on the westerns, referred to by Forde in an interview with the Sunday Referee, 1 July 1934.

[10] The other three titles were WALTER'S WORRIES, WALTER THE PRODIGAL and WALTER TELLS THE TALE.

[11] Close Up, April 1929.

[12] See review by Garth Pedler. Flickers 48, pp.11-15.

[13] Kinematograph Weekly, 23 February 1928.

[14] The Bioscope, 23 February 1928.

[15] Film Weekly, 16 September 1929.

[16] Gilliat can be seen as a customer in a restaurant sequence filmed at the Mole Cafe in Weybridge.

[17] Bennett had been a child actor during the early days of the cinema and later scored a theatrical success with his play 'Blackmail', used by Hitchcock for Britain's first sound film.

[18] The Bioscope, 2 July 1930.

[19] Written by Sydney Blow and Douglas Hoare from the novel by Martin Swayne, the play opened on 11 November 1919 at the Criterion Theatre.

[20] As well as a successful author and playwright, Wallace was also chairman of British Lion.

[21] Directed by Arthur Maude for British Lion, this earlier version starred Leslie Faber, Annette Benson and Lawson Butt.

[22] Picturegoer, 21 November 1931.

[23] This earlier version, directed by Geza von Bolvary in 1927, starred Guy Newall and Ilse Bois. It was produced by Michael Balcon and Herman Fellner for Gainsborough and made in Germany.

[24] Renate Muller, as it turned out, proved to have a very pleasant singing voice, and projected a great deal of personal charm and vitality onto the screen. [25] Sunday Times, 26 June 1932.

[26] The Picturegoer's Who's Who and Encyclopedia of the Screen Today. 1st. edition. (Pub. Odham's Press, 1933), p.433.

[27] 'Blackmailed film star helps crooks steal painting aboard continental train': Denis Gifford, British Film Catalogue (Pub. David & Charles,1973).

[28] Entitled 'Twentieth Century Limited', the story was written by Grey in 1929 while he was in America working on the lyrics for Lubitsch's THE LOVE PARADE. It later served as the basis for John Paddy Carstairs' SLEEPING CAR TO TRIESTE, made for Two Cities in 1948.

[29] Cinema Quarterly, Winter 1932.

[30] Paramount eventually made their version in 1953. It was directed by George Pal and starred Gene Barry.

[31] [Orders are Orders` (described as a 'military diversion') opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in August 1932. A further film, ORDERS ARE ORDERS, was directed by David Paltenghi for Group 3 in 1954.

[32] The Observer, 9 July 1933.

[33] 'Chu-Chin-Chow' opened at His Majesty's Theatre in 1916, with music and lyrics by Norton and book by Asche, and ran for a record-breaking five years.

[34] Knoblock wrote 'Kismet`, the original Arabian Nights-type play which served as the inspiration for Asche's musical, in 1911. He later went to Hollywood, working as soriptwriter on the Doug Fairbanks' films, ROBIN HOOD and THE THIEF OF BAGDAD.

[35] The Observer, 2 September 1934.

[36] Sunday Express, 19 August 1934.

[37] See review by Gerald McKee. Flickers 40, pp.10-15.

[38] Kinematograph Weekly, 9 May 1935.

[30] These were Iron Duke, Broke, Curacao, and Neptune.

[40] Co-operative Association of Producers and Distributors.

[41] THE WARE CASE, directed by Robert Stevenson in 1938.

[42] PENNY PARADISE, directed by Carol Reed at Ealing in 1939, was an excellent little film about a Liverpool tugboat captain who is under the mistaken impression that he has won a large amount of money on the football pools.

[42] An earlier version had been made by George Ridgwell for Stoll in 1921.

[44] The first, called simply INSPECTOR HORNLEIGH, had been made in this country earlier the same year (1939) by the American director Eugene Forde.

[45] A British subsidiary, formed by Twentieth Century-Fox to produce low-budget quota films.

[46] Motion Picture Herald, 18 November 1939.

[47] John Mills was the original choice for the Wilding part, but he could not be released from the army.

[48] The Cinema, 10 June 1942.

[49] JEWEL ROBBERY starred William Powell, Kay Francis and Hardie Albright.

[50] New Statesman, 30 August 1947.

[51] Information taken from synopsis in the Daily Mail Film Award Annual, 1948 (Winchester Publications, 1948).

[52] W.A. Darlington's famous story of the Cockney private who discovers that one of his tunic buttons is made from the metal of Aladdin's lamp. First filmed in 1920 by Cecil Hepworth. [53] Tom Seymour, Forde's father, had been living in the States for over 25 years. When Forde and Culley returned to England late in 1923, Seymour had stayed on to become a gagman and writer for Laurel and Hardy.

[54] Balcon, Michael, 'A Personal Tribute', in Geoff Brown, ed., Walter Forde (BFI, 1977).

[55] Letter to the author, 29 August 1985.

Trevor Smith 2011