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The Moonraker
''The Moonraker'' is a 1957 British swashbuckler film directed by David MacDonald (director), David MacDonald and starring George Baker (British actor), George Baker, Sylvia Syms, Marius Goring, Gary Raymond, Peter Arne, John Le Mesurier and Patrick Troughton. It was based on the 1952 The Moonraker (play), play of the same title by Arthur Watkyn. It was released in 1958. The film depicts a fictionalised account of the escape of Charles II, arranged by the Earl of Dawlish, who leads a double life as a roundhead-baiting highwayman called The Moonraker. Synopsis After the Battle of Worcester at the end of the Second English Civil War, the main aim of General Oliver Cromwell is to capture Charles II of England, Charles Stuart, son of the executed Charles I of England, Charles I. However, the dashing Royalist hero nicknamed The Moonraker prepares to smuggle him to safety into France, under the noses of Cromwell's soldiers. According to the story, the hero is named after the smuggler ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David MacDonald (director)
David MacDonald (9 May 1904 in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire – 22 June 1983 in London) was a Scottish film director, writer and producer. Career MacDonald was the son of a wealthy landowner. His intention was to become a doctor but changed his mind and aged 17 went to British Malaya, Malaya to work on a rubber plantation for seven and a half years. When he had leave to return to Scotland, he travelled via Hollywood and became interested in filmmaking.Macdonald, D. (1948)"David MacDonald"''The Tatler and Bystander'', 188(2439), 14. He returned to Malaya and worked at a plantation in Kedah. According to one story, while in Malaya he met Douglas Fairbanks who encouraged MacDonald to try his luck in Hollywood. Hollywood MacDonald broke into Hollywood by getting a job as technical adviser on a film ''Prestige (film), Prestige''. After that he was out of work for nine months. He eventually gained a job working for Cecil B. DeMille. MacDonald worked as DeMille's assistant on ''The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roundhead
Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who claimed rule by absolute monarchy and the principle of the divine right of kings. The goal of the Roundheads was to give to Parliament the supreme control over executive branch, executive administration of England. Beliefs Most Roundheads sought constitutional monarchy in place of the absolute monarchy sought by Charles; however, at the end of the English Civil War in 1649, public antipathy towards the king was high enough to allow republican leaders such as Oliver Cromwell to abolish the monarchy completely and establish the Commonwealth of England. The Roundhead commander-in-chief of the first Civil War, Thomas Fairfax, remained a supporter of constitutional monarchy, as did many other Roundhead leaders such as Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patrick Waddington
Patrick William Simpson Waddington (19 August 19014 February 1987) was an English actor, educated at Gresham's School at Holt in Norfolk. He was born and died in York, England. Biography Waddington was the grandson of William Waddington, the piano manufacturer who also took over the management of the Theatre Royal York. After Gresham's School and St John's College, Oxford, he started his career singing, and in the 1930s was in ''That Certain Trio'' with Peggy Cochrane. On stage from 1924, often in upper-class roles, his theatre work included the original West End run of Patrick Hamilton's ''Rope'' in 1929; a lengthy tour of ''My Fair Lady'', as Colonel Pickering, in 1963–1965; and the musical '' Kean'' on Broadway, in 1961. Film and TV included ''The Wooden Horse'' (1950), '' A Night to Remember'' (1958), and two episodes of ''Dad's Army'', as 'The Brigadier'. In 1951 he became General Secretary of TACT (The Actors Charitable Trust) and was headmaster of its children ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julian Somers
John Julian Somers (12 November 1903 – 11 November 1976), known as Julian Somers, was a prolific English stage and screen actor. Career By 1934, Somers was appearing in rep at Croydon. In 1937, he was on stage in Jeffrey Dell's play '' Night Alone'' at the Embassy Theatre with Alexander Archdale. In 1944, he appeared as the White Rabbit in a stage production of ''Alice in Wonderland''. Early film roles came in ''The Peterville Diamond'' (1942) and ''Caravan'' (1946). Outside his developing screen career as a supporting actor, Somers continued to be heard in BBC radio productions and to appear in West End theatre plays and reviews. In 1952 he appeared in the West End in Raymond Massey's ''Hanging Judge''. Private life In October 1939, Somers was living with his mother, Ethel M. Somers, at Wolnoth, Park Lane, Leatherhead, and was registered as an actor. In the summer of 1950, he married Betty Margaret Newcombe at Finsbury. They had three sons and a daughter. Death Somers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Whitsun-Jones
Paul Whitsun-Jones (25 April 1923 – 14 January 1974) was a Welsh character actor. Born in Newport in Monmouthshire, he was educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood in Middlesex. He started his acting career in 1948 with two years at York Repertory Theatre. In the West End he appeared in ''The Moonraker'' at the Saville Theatre (1952), '' Dangerous Curves'' at the Garrick Theatre (1953), and played the Wazir in '' Kismet'' at the Stoll Theatre for two years from 1955 to 1957.Whitsun-Jones' Cast Notes in a programme for '''' (1960) His early television appearances included ''Street Scene'', ''The Last Tycoon'', ''Love from Italy'', ''Berkeley Square'' and ''Swedish M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Anderson Jr
Michael Joseph Anderson Jr. (born 6 August 1943) is a British and American retired actor whose 40-year career includes roles in ''The Sundowners (1960 film), The Sundowners'', ''In Search of the Castaways (film), In Search of the Castaways'', ''The Sons of Katie Elder'', and ''Logan's Run (film), Logan's Run''. During the 1966 television season he starred as Clayt Monroe in ''The Monroes (1966 TV series), The Monroes''. Early life Anderson was born in Hillingdon, England on 6 August 1943, the son of Betty Jordan and film director Michael Anderson (director), Michael Anderson. He grew up wanting to act in his father's films. He studied drama and ballet at Arts Educational Schools, London, and by the age of 8 began performing on live radio and television shows. He also danced with the London Festival Ballet, now the English National Ballet. American acting career Anderson's first major American film was ''The Sundowners (1960 film), The Sundowners'' (1960). In 1962 he was cast as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Leech
Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McClelland, a lawyer. He was educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Dublin, and qualified as a doctor in 1945. He worked in that profession from 1945–6, then became a full-time actor. His numerous film credits include '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) (playing Dinghy Young), '' Night of the Demon'' (1957), '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst'' (1957), '' Ice Cold in Alex'' (1958), '' Tunes of Glory'' (1960), '' Young Winston'' (1972), ''Gandhi'' (1982), and the acclaimed '' The Shooting Party'' (1985). On television Richard Leech appeared in ''Dickens of London'', '' The Barchester Chronicles'', '' Smiley's People'', three episodes of '' The Avengers'' in different roles, '' Redcap'', ''Danger Man'', '' The Doctors'', '' The New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive Morton
Clive Morton (16 March 1904 – 24 September 1975) was an English actor. Best known for playing upper class Englishmen, he made many screen appearances, especially on television. Career In 1955, Morton appeared in Laurence Olivier's film version of ''Richard III''. On television, he appeared in ''Doctor Who'' as prison governor George Trenchard in '' The Sea Devils'' in 1972, played a butler in an episode of '' Upstairs Downstairs'' in 1973, and was cast as Commander Julius Rogue in the first series of the children's television series '' Rogue's Rock'' in 1974. Morton was also a Shakespearean actor and an Associate Artiste of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In the 1964 'Histories' Repertoire he played the Bishop of Carlisle in '' Richard II'', the Earl of Worcester in '' Henry IV'' and the Earl of Talbot in '' Henry VI''. Personal life Morton was married to Joan Harben and divorced in 1953. He then married '' Fresh Fields'' actress Fanny Rowe. They acted together on stage i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moonrakers
Moonrakers is the colloquial name for people from Wiltshire, a Counties of England, county in the West Country of England. Legend This name refers to a folk story set in the time when smuggling was a significant industry in rural England, with Wiltshire lying on the smugglers' secret routes between the south coast and customers in the centre of the country. The story goes that some local people had hidden contraband barrels of French brandy from customs officers in a village pond. While trying to retrieve it at night, they were caught by the HM Customs and Excise, revenue men, but explained themselves by pointing to the moon's reflection and saying they were trying to rake in a round cheese. The revenue men, thinking they were simple yokels, laughed at them and went on their way. But, as the story goes, it was the moonrakers who had the last laugh. In the words of Wiltshire shepherd William Little who recounted the story to writer John Yonge Akerman: "Zo the excizeman 'as ax'd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles I Of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. Charles was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after his father inherited the English throne in 1603, he moved to England, where he spent much of the rest of his life. He became heir apparent to the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1612 upon the death of his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to Infanta Maria Anna of Spain culminated in an eight-month visit to Habsburg Spain, Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiation. Two years later, shortly after his accession, he married Henrietta Maria of France. After his accession in 1625, Charles quarrelled with the English Parliament, which sought to curb his ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles II Of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland and Henrietta Maria of France. After Charles I's execution at Palace of Whitehall, Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War, the Parliament of Scotland proclaimed Charles II king on 5 February 1649. However, England entered the period known as the English Interregnum or the English Commonwealth with a republican government eventually led by Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell defeated Charles II at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, and Charles Escape of Charles II, fled to mainland Europe. Cromwell became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. Charles spent the next nine years in exile in France, the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Netherlands. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially as a senior commander in the Parliamentarian army and latterly as a politician. A leading advocate of the execution of Charles I in January 1649, which led to the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector from December 1653 until his death. Although elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon in 1628, much of Cromwell's life prior to 1640 was marked by financial and personal failure. He briefly contemplated emigration to New England, but became a religious Independent in the 1630s and thereafter believed his successes were the result of divine providence. In 1640 he was returned as MP for Cambridge in the Short and Long Parliaments. He joined the Parliamentarian army when the First Engl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
