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Confirm Or Deny
''Confirm or Deny'' is a 1941 war drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Don Ameche, Joan Bennett and Roddy McDowall. It was produced and distributed by Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Jo Swerling, based on a story by Samuel Fuller and Henry Wales. An uncredited Fritz Lang worked on the film as director. Plot In September 1940, American war correspondent "Mitch" Mitchell is stationed in London, working for Consolidated Press of America, which represents 1000 newspapers. Mitch is anxiously waiting for news of the expected German invasion of Britain from a reporter on the Continent (the United States being neutral at the time), determined to scoop his competition. He manages to rent Sir Titus Scott's wire from Penzance in Cornwall for a week to save forty minutes (for an exorbitant amount, much to the dismay of his boss, H. Cyrus Stuyvesant). The information is to come by coded radio and homing pigeon messages. Twelve-year-old Albert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archie Mayo
Archibald L. Mayo (January 29, 1891 – December 4, 1968) was a film director, screenwriter and actor. Early years The son of a tailor, Mayo was born in New York City. After attending the city's public schools, he studied at Columbia University. Film Mayo moved to Hollywood in 1915 and began working as a director in 1917. His films include ''Is Everybody Happy? (1929 film), Is Everybody Happy?'' (1929) with Ted Lewis (musician), Ted Lewis, ''Bought!'' (1931) with Constance Bennett, ''Night After Night (film), Night After Night'' (1932) with Mae West, ''The Doorway to Hell'' (1930) with James Cagney and Lew Ayres, ''Convention City'' (1933) with Joan Blondell, ''The Mayor of Hell'' (1933) with James Cagney, ''The Petrified Forest'' (1936) with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, and ''The Adventures of Marco Polo'' (1938) with Gary Cooper. Mayo retired in 1946, shortly after completing ''A Night in Casablanca'' with the Marx Brothers and ''Angel on My Shoulder (film), Angel o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homing Pigeon
The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica''), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practice referred to as " pigeon post". Until the introduction of telephones, they were used commercially to deliver communication; when used during wars, they were called "war pigeons". The homing pigeon is also called a mail pigeon or messenger, and colloquially a homer. Perhaps most commonly, the homing pigeon is called a carrier pigeon; this nomenclature can be confusing, though, since it is distinct from the English carrier, an ancient breed of fancy pigeon. Modern-day homing pigeons do have English carrier blood in them because they are in part descendants of the old-style carriers. The domestic pigeon is derived from the wild rock dove (''Columba livia'' sspp.); the rock dove has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Hoey
Dennis Hoey (born Samuel David Hyams, 30 March 1893 – 25 July 1960) was a British film and stage actor, best remembered for playing Inspector Lestrade in six films of Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Early life Hoey was born Samuel David Hyams in London to Ellis and Leah (Green) Hyams, both of Russian Jewish descent, who ran a bed and breakfast in Brighton, East Sussex. Hoey received his formal education at Brighton College, and originally planned to be a teacher. He served in the British Army during World War I. After a career as a singer, which included entertaining British troops during his war service, he moved into theatre-acting in 1918, and later into cinema films. In 1931, Hoey moved to the United States and commenced a career in Hollywood. Film Hoey's first film was '' Tell England''. He is best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. He also portrayed the master of Harrow in '' The Foxes of Harrow'' and appeared ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lumsden Hare
Francis Lumsden Hare (17 October 1874 – 28 August 1964) was an Irish-born American film and theatre actor. He was also a theatre director and theatrical producer. Early years Hare was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. He studied at St. Dunstan's College in London. Career Hare appeared in more than 35 Broadway theatre, Broadway productions between 1900 and 1942. In 1908, he made his Broadway debut in the play What Every Woman Knows (play), ''What Every Woman Knows'', starring Maude Adams. Throughout his career, he occasionally also did double duty as director (''Peter's Mother'' [1918]) or producer (''What Every Woman Knows'' [1926 revival], Elmer Gantry#Adaptations, ''Elmer Gantry'' [1928], etc.) He began appearing in films in 1916. ''The New York Times'' critic Mordaunt Hall praised his performances repeatedly: * ''Scotland Yard (1930 film), Scotland Yard'' (1930): "Lumsden Hare's interpretation of the knowledgeful Scotland Yard commissioner is intelligent and well-spoke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Bevan
Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris; 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films from 1916 to 1952. He died just before new audiences discovered him in Robert Youngson's silent-comedy compilations. The Youngson films mispronounce his name as "Be-VAN"; Bevan himself offered the proper pronunciation in a ''Voice of Hollywood'' reel in 1930: "Bevan" rhyming with "seven". Career Bevan was born in the country town of Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He went on the stage at an early age, traveled to Sydney and spent eight years in Australian light opera, performing as Willie Bevan. He sailed to America with the Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company in 1912, and later toured Canada. Bevan broke into films with the Sigmund Lubin studio in 1916. When the company disbanded, Bevan became a supporting actor in Mack Sennett movie comedies. An expressive pantomimist, Beva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queenie Leonard
Queenie Leonard (born Pearl Walker; 18 February 1905 – 17 January 2002) was a British actress. She was the last surviving cast member of ''And Then There Were None'' (1945) until her death in 2002. Biography She was born as Pearl Walker in Manchester, Lancashire, England in 1905 and began performing on stage with her father when she was 14 years old. She debuted on film in 1931. She had already amassed 20 years of stage and screen experience when, in 1941, she made the first of more than 30 Hollywood films. She also appeared in cabaret in Britain and in the United States, starred in a one-woman show, acted in television sitcoms, and provided voices for Disney animated films. She retired in 1968. Her last appearance was in 20th Century Fox's '' Star!''. Leonard was married to film designer Lawrence P. Williams from 1936 to 1947, and to actor Tom Conway from 1958 to 1963. Both unions were childless and ended in divorce. Leonard was legally blind for part of her life. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claud Allister
Claud Allister (born William Claud Michael Palmer, 3 October 1888 – 26 July 1970) was an English actor with an extensive film career in both Britain and Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 70 films between 1929 and 1955. Life and career He was born in London. After receiving his education at Felsted School in Essex, he began his career as a stockbroker's clerk in the City of London, but gave up a life in the City of London, Square Mile on deciding that he preferred the stage, upon which he made his début in 1910. He toured England's repertory theatres playing minor parts up to the outbreak of World War I, when he was commissioned into the British Army as a Subaltern (military), subaltern, and saw active service with the Suffolk Regiment and the Machine Gun Corps. Post-war he returned to acting, appearing in the West End theatre, West End in ''Bulldog Drummond (play), Bulldog Drummond'', and in 1924 went to America to perform on the stage there initially. In 1929 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helene Whitney
Helene Whitney (born Kenyon Fortescue, July 4, 1914 – March 28, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films in the late 1930s and 1940s. She was known as Helene Reynolds after her marriage. Biography Whitney was born Kenyon Fortescue in 1914, but was known as Helene.Ancestry.co Historical Person Overview: Kenyon "Helene" Fortescue accessed May 2017. Through her mother, Grace Fortescue, she was a grandniece (and cousin twice removed) of , who invented the telephone. Through her father ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Blore
Eric Blore Sr. (23 December 1887 – 2 March 1959) was an English actor and writer. His early stage career, mostly in the West End of London, centred on revue and musical comedy, but also included straight plays. He wrote sketches for and appeared in variety. In the 1930s Blore acted mostly in Broadway productions. He made his last London appearance in 1933 in the Fred Astaire hit '' Gay Divorce''. Between 1930 and 1955 he made more than 60 Hollywood films, becoming particularly well known for playing butlers and other superior domestic servants. He retired in 1956 for health reasons, and died in Hollywood in 1959 at the age of 71. Life and career Early years Blore was born in Finchley, a north London suburb, on 23 December 1887, son of Henry Blore and his wife Mary, ''née'' Newton.Parker, p. 77 He was educated at Mills School, Finchley, and after leaving school he worked for an insurance company."Mr Eric Blore", ''The Times'', London, 3 March 1959, p. 12 He was drawn to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Shields
Arthur Shields (15 February 1896 – 27 April 1970) was an Irish actor on television, stage and film. Early years Born in Portobello, Dublin into a family who were members of the Church of Ireland, Shields started acting in the Abbey Theatre when he was 17 years old. He was the younger brother of Oscar-winning actor Barry Fitzgerald. They were the sons of Adolphus Shields, who "was well-known in Dublin as a labour organiser" although the 1901 census listed his occupation as "press reader", and Fanny Sophia Shields (née Ungerland), who was German. Irish nationalist activity Along with six others of the Abbey Players, Shields fought in the Easter Rising of 1916. He was interned for six months in the Frongoch internment camp in Frongoch, Wales. His obituary in ''San Mateo County Times, The Times'' of San Mateo, California, reported, "... upon his release he was decorated by the Republic of Eire." Stage Shields returned to the Abbey Theatre and had a varied career there from 1914 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raymond Walburn
Raymond Walburn (September 9, 1887 – July 26, 1969) was an American character actor of stage and screen who appeared in dozens of Hollywood movie comedies and an occasional dramatic role during the 1930s and 1940s. Life and career Born in Plymouth, Indiana, Walburn in the early 1900s moved to Oakland, California, following high school with his mother and began acting on stage, which was also his mother's profession. There he was placed in an acting school associated with the Liberty Theatre, the principal stock company in Oakland, and made his professional stage debut at the age of 18, playing the Second Witch in "MacBeth." Following extensive touring in stock shows, he took his first Broadway bow in the opening of the most popular and successful "The Greyhound" in 1912. After a long period of struggle and a number of theater misfires, his career was interrupted by military service in the United States Army in 1917-1918 where he served in a heavy artillery corps in Fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Underground has its origins in the Metropolitan Railway, opening on 10 January 1863 as the world's first underground passenger railway. The Metropolitan is now part of the Circle line (London Underground), Circle, District line, District, Hammersmith & City line, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. The first line to operate underground electric locomotive, electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the Northern line. The network has expanded to 11 lines with of track. However, the Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London; there are only 33 Underground stations south of the River Thames. The system's List of London Underground stations, 272 stations collectively accommodate up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
