Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. He was initially trained to join a ski battalion which was to be sent to Finland to aid that country in the Winter War against the Soviet Union. Kay Walsh. It's not that Ealing were scared of accents, they ventured into Wales and Scotland, but for the most part they didn't stray out into the Provinces and if they wanted to imbue their characters to with, err character, they gave them a touch of the Cockney. Younger; produced the musical "Chess" on both the Broadway and London stages; formerly married to Natasha Richardson. Scene from the classic movie "The Magnet" (1950) in which William (later James) Fox sets his eyes on a younger boy's favorite toy. Film data from TMDb. Mrs. Brent. 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. Classic Evocation of 1950 Wirral and Liverpool Childhood. One was Precipice, a play about a ballet, which co-starred dancer Anton Dolin. His parents travelled extensively, and whilst still an infant he had visited Madrid, Paris and London. As the boy continues to feel guilty for stealing the magnet, the magnet comes back to him in an unexpected way. (1990), She's Been Away It's rather like the sound you used to hear through the ear piece of an old telephone. IMDb Stephen Murray Kay Walsh James Fox Meredith Edwards Gladys Henson Thora Hird Michael Brooke Wylie Watson Julien Mitchell Anthony Oliver Molly Hamley-Clifford Harold Goodwin Joan Hickson Joss Ambler Sam Kydd Russell Waters James Robertson Justice, 79mins : After a characteristically stressful Physiology exam, decided to settle down with a movie, and what better than an offering from that beloved British institution, Ealing Studios? Following this success Fox co-founded an acting troupe, based in the West Country, where they converted a former swimming baths in Teignmouth into a theatre. He saves the life of one boy who had fallen through a disused pier. Of course, where else would you try to sell iron lungs, but at a bikini contest. When I went to Liverpool I didn't understand a thing, wish I had met these people. His attempts to dispose of the magnet are humorously futile, until he unloads the stolen object onto a kindly engineer, who interprets the gift as a noble gesture of Dickensian kindness. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. (2004), The Mystic Masseur If you agree, well also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie Notice. William Hubert Fox TD (26 January 1911 20 September 2008) was a British character actor and writer. Their next two comedies - A Run for Your Money and The Magnet - had none of the same impact and are often left off the. 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. 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) . (1997), Doomsday Gun The film moves at a solid pace and, although it's not always successful, it's certainly never dull. Fox, es un actor canadiense-estadounidense retirado. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. (1978), The Arp Statue It's beautifully clear with not a mark on it. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Directed by Charles Frend. I must go against the grain of most reviewers here and despite the waste of the good actress Kay Walsh this film is in my opinion utterly boring. (1988), Here are a few different size Movie Posters for. 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). , Media Format The Magnet is a 1950 British comedy film featuring Stephen Murray, Kay Walsh and in his first starring role James Fox (then billed as William Fox). In 1930 Fox left drama school and won a role in London's West End performing in an eight-month run of W. Somerset Maugham's new play The Breadwinner at the Vaudeville Theatre.Following this success Fox co-founded an acting troupe, based in the West Country, where they converted a former swimming baths in Teignmouth into a theatre. When the magnet gets Johnny into distress, he choose to give it away. The pier and ferry are no longer there but the Floral Pavilion and Wilkie's fairground (where they try to influence the pinball machine with the magnet) are. Charles Frend. Born on June 17, 1912; daughter of Lucy Glitters Worthington and Frederick Lonsdale; mother was married to Dr. Henry Worthington but had three daughters by Lonsdale; Noel Coward wrote his famous song "Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs. Worthington" about her; died on December 1, 1999; had stormy marriage to husband punctuated with separations and infidelities on both sides. Birth Place: London, England. 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. William Fox (actor) is Update Soon years old in 2022. (2000), Mickey Blue Eyes Author. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. Try again. He encounters a medical originator (Meredith Edwards), who is holding sales for the hospital, and resolves to let the man have the magnet namelessly. The story involves a young Wallasey boy, Johnny Brent (Fox), who obtains the eponymous magnet by deception, leading to much confusion. It very much reminded me of a proto Children's Film Foundation movie and, indeed, director Charles Frend would go on to shoot such pictures. His parents were amateur actors and managed a medical technical school. Essentially a feature length Just William story, this very minor effort from the Ealing Studios is a comparatively toothless and uninteresting release from the studio. : Right. There is a young boy in the film who is injured (or sick) and ends up in an "iron lung" machine because he needs help breathing. This movie suffers in the middle section where it wanders off to nowhere and only the end make it worthwhile. The actor William Fox, who has died aged 97, was also a soldier, playwright, wine-merchant - and connoisseur of the civilised life. Dr. Brent. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 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. Directed by Charles Frend. The characters are, in the main, well portrayed and it's good to see another bravura performance from that most underrated of character actors, Meredith Edwards. 'The Magnet' (1950) is a gentle comedy about childhood, guilt and half-truths starring a young James Fox (then known by his real name, William Fox) as Johnny Brent, a mischievous boy who tricks a younger boy (Keith Robinson) into giving him his magnet in return for an 'invisible' clock. 2023 TV GUIDE, A FANDOM COMPANY. [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. (1983), Country 'The Magnet (1950)' is one of the studio's lesser-known comedies, but ranks among their most charming efforts. 2023 Getty Images. An Ealing Studios film, The Magnet is a lesser known Ealing comedy. Eric Shorter. So much so that I bought the remastered DVD of it.As an adult actor, William Fox changed his name to James Fox and co-starred in many films, including The Servant with Dirk Bogarde. His birthplace is Manila. Production manager: L.C. Ealing often sent their crews to exotic locations and the claim in the opening credits that this fanciful whimsy was filmed at Ealing Studios - unusually without Alec Guinness - is ironically promptly contradicted by its's vivid rendering by cameraman Lionel Banes of the Merseyside locations around which a young 'William' Fox (as he was then called) is pursued; although Banes does also do an atmospheric job on the interiors. 25-Mar-1952) [1] [2] Su carrera en el cine y la televisin comenz a finales de los aos 70.Entre sus papeles se destacan: Marty McFly en la triloga de Regreso al futuro (1985-1990); Alex P. Keaton en Enredos de Familia (1982-1989), por la cual gan tres . We also use these cookies to understand how customers use our services (for example, by measuring site visits) so we can make improvements. As a territorial soldier Fox was amongst the first to be called up in 1939 upon the declaration of war with Germany. 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! (1992), The 18th Annual American Film Institute Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Sir David Lean Since his return to acting in the early 80s, Fox has been more prolific than ever, alternating offbeat, small-scale efforts ("Pavlova" 1983, "As You Like It" 1992), with mainstream Hollywood fare ("The Russia House" 1990, "Patriot Games" 1992) and prestigious historical epics. His guilt sparks a chain of misplaced assumptions that lead to a search being mounted for the boy, who has run away after becoming convinced that he is wanted for murder. The modern RSC was formed in 1960. Please try again. : Johnny mistakenly thinks she is talking about the little boy himself, and becomes convinced that he has caused the death of the boy. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. | (2009). While little Johnny worries that his crime will be the death of him, his anxious parents (Stephen Murray and Kay Walsh) become concerned about his odd behaviour. Clarke . (1998), Anna Karenina Its a strange mix of experiments of all types. 1947, with Lord Mountbatten (James Fox), representing the United Kingdom, in the bio-pic, King Rat (1965) -- (Movie Clip) The British Are Impressed, American Corporal King (George Segal, title character), the leading hustler at the Japanese P.O.W. This is a long way from the great ' Passport to Pimlico ' but to be fair whoever reads this must make up their own minds. , Language 1934 was Fox's busiest year to date; he performed in five stage plays in the West End. 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 ! BAFTAs destination for youngsters to come and discover the magical worlds of film, television and games. camp in Singapore, has summoned talented Brit Marlowe (James Fox), whom he had not previously met, sidekick Max (Patrick O'Neal) attending, in Bryan Forbes'. [7] He was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (TD) in 1967.[8]. : [2][3][5] Rees petitioned for divorce in 1937. Profession Actor. An Ealing Studios production released through The J. Arthur Rank Organisation. The father, a trained psychiatrist, attempts to apply Jungian psychoanalysis to his son, and smugly reaches an entirely erroneous conclusion. Music by William Alwyn. While he was receiving military training he also happened to be playing a Nazi officer in a play called Weep for the Spring, about life in Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Clarke. William Gilbert was an English physician and natural philosopher who wrote a six-volume treatise that compiled all of the information regarding magnetism and electricity known at the time. The relationship did not survive the divergence of their careers. TMDb : (2001), The Golden Bowl Show more Show more Try YouTube Kids Learn more Little Big. Entitled De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure ("On the Magnet, Magnetic Bodies, and the Great Magnet of the Earth"), the work . 1950 I also enjoyed hearing the Northern accents on the scruffy boys who rough-up then adopt Johnny once they find out they have a common enemy in the police. (1996), The Old Curiosity Shop Aspect Ratio (1998), Jinnah He rejected an offer to join the Broadway cast of the play, opting to join a company led by John Gielgud at the Old Vic Theatre. : (1966), King Rat Substandard "boys will be boys" tale, even more substandard Ealing comedy. The film is funny, sharp-witted, and intelligent in its satire. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (1986), Comrades Third parties use cookies for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalised ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Stephen Murray. A fugitive from the waxworks. A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. In 'The Magnet,' resourceful youth Johnny Brent (William Fox) cheats another boy out of an expensive magnet, before realising that this sin might eventually catch up to him. 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. One of his roles involved helping to administer the meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in Tehran in 1943. And be careful buying your son or daughter a large magnet. He wins them over by convincing them he is a fugitive from the police. (2001), The Knights of the Quest [8], The film has not achieved the general popularity of better-known Ealing comedies such as Passport to Pimlico and The Lavender Hill Mob, although it is described as "a mild-mannered affair and the comedy gives way to a decidedly poignant conclusion". Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Less farcical than many of Ealing Studios most famous productions, 'The Magnet' is, nevertheless, well worth watching for it's genuine characters and it's insightful take on postwar Britain. Letterboxd Limited. William [James] Fox. 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(1964), Tamahine While the storyline of The Magnet can become a bit too unbelievable at times, on the whole, it is a fine morality story with a solid leading performance from a young James Fox (credited as William Fox). (2004), Cambridge Spies | . (1987), New World Only the small independent filmmakers in America have a chance at making a film like this. , ASIN English films from right after the war particularly those from Ealing or Archers are a pretty interesting pocket to mine. He has since appeared in a wide range of film and TV . (1968), Thoroughly Modern Millie He later learned that in 1945, a few days before the liberation of Manila, his parents had been shot by the Japanese. (2000), Up At the Villa Billy . , Actors (2005), Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance He's left to himself, apparently he has no friends, and wanders around on his own. (1997), Never Ever | This Liverpool set Ealing Comedy is oddly devoid of Scousers until the back end of the film when the boy central to the plot crosses paths with a group of street urchins. Fox was married twice; first when aged 21, to the actress Carol Rees, with whom he had a daughter. He enjoyed early success on the stage playing juvenile roles. (1991), The Russia House Directed by Charles Frend. William Hubert Fox TD (26 January 1911 - 20 September 2008) was a British character actor and writer. 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 was expected to go on to Oxford University and thence into the petroleum industry; this was not to be. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Young Johnny Brent (James Fox) guiles another boy at his school into giving him a influential magnet. So, this is Liverpool accent, huh? Looking forward to watching this film to see how Liverpool was in those days. (original screenplay) Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by William Alwyn Cinematography by Lionel Banes . He would also appear in an opera as Haushofmeister in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos at Glyndebourne.[2][3]. (1992), Patriot Games He was related to the Hanbury and Neilson acting dynasty, through his mother, whose sister was the stage actress Lily Hanbury.Their first cousin Julia Neilson was married to the actor Fred Terry . Brooke Shields Actress | The Blue Lagoon 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. 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. 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. In the US he had been offered an audition by Warner Bros., but turned it down since his new love, Patricia Hillard was acting in Oxford. When he later re-encounters the original boy on the beach he swaps the medal for his old "invisible watch" and clears his conscience. (1964), The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima , Writers A delightful comedy of mistaken identity, misinformation, and chinese whispers. 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. This review may contain spoilers. [4][6], James Fox (then known as William) had appeared in The Miniver Story earlier in the year, and this was his first starring role, at the age of 11;[3] his performance was largely appreciated, being described by the British Film Institute's reviewer as "certainly lively enough as the over-imaginative Johnny". 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). Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2021. After several successful productions Fox handed over the chairmanship of the Reunion Theatre to Laurence Olivier. so after all the stories from Nan and granddad about how great New Brighton was you get to see for yourself. William Fox Date of Birth: 19th May 1939 Country of Birth: UK Notes later credited as James Fox Filmography The Magnet (1950) (as Johnny Brent) The Miniver Story (1950) One Wild Oat (1951) Page Last Modified: 4th October 2017 Page Added: 8th May 2003 Page Views: 12510 Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Films rated under 7 that just deserve better! He played opposite Peggy Ashcroft in As You Like It, and their performance was painted by Walter Sickert. 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. Its as if everything is reset in a cultural medium and tastes need to be rediscovered or even reinvented. (1984), Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes The Magnet is a 1950 British comedy film featuring Stephen Murray, Kay Walsh and in his first starring role James Fox (then billed as William Fox). The actor William Fox joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1951, not the Royal Shakespeare Company, as we reported in his obituary above. After a six-year interruption for military service in World War II, his acting career did not reach the heights of his early years. WATCHED. 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). It is very amusing having Fox listen to adults having conversations that have nothing to do with him and getting more guilt-ridden with every adult boys he hears. Pre-war career. Johnny is awarded the Civic Gold Medal. The iron lung maker, rather bizarrely demonstrating his equipment in the middle of a seaside beauty contest, tells the story of the magnet at various fund-raising events, exaggerating wildly and portraying Johnny as everything from a spoiled brat to a Dickensian ragamuffin. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2013. i was bought up in the area this film was made and this was made 25 years before i was. [2][3][5], Fox also acted in and wrote radio dramas. 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. (1999), Circle of Passion William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor. Gentle Ealing comedy about childhood, guilt and half-truths starring a young James Fox (then known by his real name, William Fox) as Johnny Brent, a mischievous boy who tricks a younger boy (Keith Robinson) into giving him his magnet in return for an 'invisible' clock. Born: 19-May-1939 Birthplace: London, England Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Actor Nationality: England Executive summary: A Passage to India Father: Robin Fox (theatrical agent) Mother: Angela Worthington (actress) Brother: Edward Fox (actor, b. (1981), No Longer Alone (1990), The Mighty Quinn Feels a lot like a short stretched painfully to feature length, and even then only just. With his distinguished middle-aged bearing, Fox has usually incarnated a series of old guard authority figures: David Lean specifically asked for him for "A Passage to India" (1984), and Fox was also effective as a British statesman who misguidedly gives in to his own prejudices and weaknesses while placating the Nazis in the name of peace in "The Remains of the Day" (1993). Rudkin. If you wish a change and want to compare the scum and low standard fare served up today, with a truly great ENGLISH film then buy this and treasure it as a shining example of how great a country was before the scum and riff raff took over. (1971), Performance writer. 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! , Package Dimensions A wonderful, poignant and heartwarming movie. This part, one of Fox's finest, typified many of his subsequent roles: classy yet often duplicitous, prone to weakness, decadence, and bad judgment. They hide him in a building on the disused pier. William Fox. [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. Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Report this film. I bought this black & white video recently from a street vendor in St Albans market, Hertfordshire as part of a job lot of three Ealing comedies he was selling for 15.The others were "Whisky Galore" and "Passport to Pimlico".The other comments written below adequately deal with the basic plot, so I shall not elaborate further on that.What is interesting is to see the young William Fox play the juvenile lead small boy and whose later stage name was changed to James Fox (brother of Edward Fox) who later became well known in the film "The Servant" and "Performance".I was born in 1946 and this film was produced in 1950 so those scenes shown of early post war Britain have a reminiscence for me, when I remember those bomb sites, school dinners, food rationing which extended up to 1955, and an altogether more simple life.In those days children went "out to play" with their friends much more than todays TV/computer bound generation. 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. His film credits included roles in The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Secret Partner (1961), The Queen's Guards (1961), She Always Gets Their Man (1962), Ransom (1974), Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) and Mata Hari (1985). 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. The film is directed by Charles Frend, who also commandeered the excellent 'A Run for Your Money (1949)' which succeeded despite being a veiled reworking of Capra's 'Mr Deeds Goes to Town (1936).' 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.