Alester sims

Near the end of his life he maintained a correspondence with Ray Bradbury. He shares the distinction, along with Seymour Hicks and Basil Rathbone , of portraying "Ebenezer Scrooge" in more than one production of the classic Charles Dickens novel. Trinian's One of his earliest film appearances in comedy, was opposite legendary entertainer George Formby in Was a highly respected and successful classical actor of the theatre.

During a break in the making of a film, Alastair Sim borrowed a popular fan magazine from a fellow actor and quickly flicked through the contents. He was appalled by what he saw. Twenty-four years after his death, made a brief appearance in the very last television episode of One Foot In The Grave, albeit as a painted portrait.

Before becoming an actor he was a phoneticist teaching Scottish ministers how to speak effectively. His foster son George Cole appeared opposite Alastair Sim in several films. As I passed imperceptibly from a beautiful child to a strong handsome lad, I wanted more than anything else in the world to be of all things, a hypnotist.

I practised on gentle dogs I stand or fall in my profession by the public's judgement of my performances. It is a feast for the heart. Where "It's a Wonderful Life" transforms a truly good man who already thinks only of others by showing him what he could not see about himself and thus saves him from bitterness, despair and suicide, "A Christmas Carol" in contrast gives us as hateful and diabolical a man as we could ever hope not to meet.

A man who smugly has no regrets, no remorse, and feels no guilt for his absolutely selfish ways and it is only when he is finally forced to see what he has caused does he realize that in order to ultimately save himself - and all those his life touches - from himself he must embrace goodness. His transformation into a man that is good and that is concerned for others is at the end truly a cause for joy and celebration. Both films - while now canonized as family classics - I believe, are targeted specifically at adults.

Either to warn and prod the selfishly immobile into benevolent action, as in "A Christmas Carol", or to show what surely every adult with heaping responsibilities must feel at some time: feelings of uselessness, disappointment and discouragement that have wrongly overshadowed the good acts in one's life, as in "It's a Wonderful Life".

In either film you get a joyous transformation of the soul by the end. There is no shortage of reminders these days to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" but please! FAQ What is 'Scrooge' about? Is "Scrooge" based on a book? Details Edit. Release date December 2, United States. United Kingdom. Charles Dickens - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte. George Minter Productions.

Box office Edit. Technical specs Edit. Runtime 1 hour 26 minutes. Black and White. Related news. Dec 10 HeyUGuys. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content.

Top Gap. By what name was Scrooge officially released in India in English? See more gaps Learn more about contributing. Edit page. See the entire gallery. Remembering the Stars We Lost in Watch the video. Recently viewed Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more. His first stage See full bio ».

Died: August 19 , age 75 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK. Filmography by Job Trailers and Videos. Share this page:.

Remembering the Stars We Lost in Around The Web Provided by Taboola. Create a list ». Deaths: August List Of Brad Delp's less often people.

Forgotten Screen Legends. See all related lists ». Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDb page. Find out more at IMDbPro ». How Much Have You Seen? Frugal or not, young actors were always welcome - although the same could no longer be said of Sim's mother-in-law, Norah, who was still living with him.

Despite her support for the actor's courtship of her year-old daughter, she was asked to leave - and she did so 'with much ill feeling' to live in a small hotel at Lymington in the New Forest. As an established star, Sim's defensive attitude to questions about his private life never wavered.

Not only did he refuse interviews, he also steadfastly avoided signing autographs. As the comedian Ronnie Corbett, who met the actor near the end of his life, explains, Sim was 'quite a formidable soul to go up and have an idle word with'.

Fellow actors described him as 'distant'. Yet that did nothing to dim his appeal. In he played the title role in the film Scrooge - which is broadcast on TV at Christmas to this day.

In recognition of his success Sim was awarded a CBE in the Coronation honours list in June , which he reluctantly accepted, although when offered a knighthood two decades later he turned it down, insisting he was a 'lifelong socialist' and believed 'everyone was equal'.

One friend told his biographer: 'I have no reason to think he was homosexual,' but added, 'even if he was a little bit the other way. Sir Ian McKellen, who directed Sim at the end of his life, observes enigmatically: 'Alastair, as a man, used to know how to get out of scrapes.

Even as his fame declined, however, he continued to invite impressionable young male actors to stay with him. His wife called them 'unofficially adopted young ones'. As John Howard Davies puts it: 'Alastair was very friendly - though this could be mistaken for something more sinister.

Despite forays into TV and a triumphant return to the stage at the newly established Chichester Festival Theatre in the early Seventies, Sim was never to recapture his place at the pinnacle of the British cinema, and he retired into his carefully protected private world.

He died of cancer in August , insisting that his body be used for medical research - and that there should be no memorial service for him. Even beyond the grave he was anxious to maintain his privacy. The tragic conclusion is that, for all his talent, part of Alastair Sim's legacy remains the mystery of his true nature - and his strange obsession with the young.

No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. Argos AO. Headlines U. Privacy Policy Feedback. Enlarge Scottish actor Alastair Sim was deeply private and would rarely discuss his personal life, leading to questions about preferences. Most watched News videos Dr Anthony Fauci caught on hot mic calling Senator a moron Scottish Tory leader won't support PM if 'Partygate' allegations true Racy videos of prostitute who was arrested with England rugby star Anti-epidemic workers go viral for using human chain to deliver food Distressing videos reveal conditions inside 'China's isolation camps' Xi'an resident 'beaten' by anti-epidemic workers for flouting rules Brawl breaks out in Tesco as fearless pensioner continues shopping Man uses a hammer to destroy BBC's statue created by Eric Gill Rishi's car drives through Westminster as PM set for explosive PMQs Don't tear the pants off!

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