Robert Newton

[stuart.uk]

I know that Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn and laterly Oliver Reed had serious drink problems, but i wonder if it effected their work more than it did Robert Newton.

Bobby Newton, as he was known, was a brilliant actor. however, you could count his classic movies on one hand, in what was a relatively short career. Bobby died in 1956 around the time he was filming the Long John Silver tv series

Bobby started out in the 30s with films like Fire Over England and Vessal Of Wrath. VOW was interesting as he played a Police Chief, who has a love hate relationship with Charles Laughton's Ginger Ted. in the 50s remake, Bobby played Ted in The Beachcomber with Glynis Johns. he also did The Dessert Rats with a young Richard Burton and Mason.

he also made Jamica Inn with Laughton and played real life aviator Jim Mollison in They Flew Alone with Anna Neagle as his fellow record breaking flying wife Amy Johnson.

Bobby then hit his pk with two films for David Lean, This Happy Breed and Oliver Twist. Lean has been given credit for getting the performances out of Lean that he did, considering the star's heavy drinking. one of his less demanding roles in what was nonetheless a great movie Odd One Out with star James Mason in possibly his best pre-Hollywood film. one of Bobby's best performances was as Dr. Arnold in Tom Brown's Schooldays.

the role that Bobby was most associated however, was Long John Silver, a part he played on several occassions. first was the classic Treasure Island, The Return To Treasure Island, Long John Silver, then the tv series.

Bobby's last film was a sizeable supporting role in Around The World In Eighty Days, playing Inspector Fix, out to expose David Niven's innocent Fogg as a thief. sady he died, aged 56.

[vallo]

I always liked Newton ,ever since seeing him in Jamaica Inn. Loved him as Blackbeard the Pirate and in Odd Man Out. Shame about his drinking problem, he often found himself unemployable due to his unreliability. In his earlier roles he reminded me of Leo Genn (another great British actor)



Bill (vallo)

[moira finnie]

I think that Robert Newton's roguish appeal is enormous, but was most impressed with his subtle work as the underestimated working class father and husband in David Lean's adaptation of the Noel Coward piece, This Happy Breed (1944), his appearance as the fearful professor in the infantry in The Desert Rats (1953) and best of all, as the lovable rascal in The Beachcomber (1954). His characters in these films were always more complex than they initially appeared to be, and the actor illuminated their colorful humanity most vividly.

In David Niven's memoir The Moon's a Balloon, (I think, though maybe it's in his second book, Bring On the Empty Horses), he recalled trying and failing to keep Robert Newton off the sauce by pursuing such healthy activities as fishing and camping while the two were engaged in making Around the World in 80 Days. Somehow, as Niven amusingly reported, Newton found a way to get some of the devil's brew...even in a rowboat in the middle of nowhere.

[stuart.uk]

Moira

I actually prefer the ending of Vessal Of Wrath to The Beachcomber. in the first film Laughton's Ted ending up a tee-total landlord of and English pub with Elsa Lanchester becoming his landlady. i remember Laughton giving her a gentle dig about her low cut dress, a change from her body covering missionary outfit she wore in the field.

The Beachcomber was also great with Glynis Johns outstanding (the scene where the elephant refused to crush her, because she helped him earlier, was good), but had a saver ending with Newton's Ted playing the organ at the mission

I'm not sure the film would be politically correct if made today. folk might argue that a middle-age man having relations with teenage school-girls would be beyond redemption and his marrying the Minister's sister inapropriate. if so that's sad, because both films showed Ted gradually regaining his self respect and the lady missionary losing, which wasn't a bad thing, her pompisity.

[moira finnie]

Hey Stu,
Did you know that the Elsa Lanchester-Charles Laughton version of The Vessel of Wrath aka The Beachcomber (1938) can be seen in its entirety in 9 parts on Youtube beginning here?

I must admit, the Robert Newton-Glynis Johns teaming in the later version charmed me greatly. I thought that Robert Newton was much more realistic and dangerous a beach bum than the wildly talented Laughton, who underneath it all, always seemed a nice lad to me, (except maybe in The Big Clock & The Paradine Case). I also loved Glynis in her starchy stage, though I find Elsa too brusque at times.

You're probably right about the p.c. quality of the story, though there was an element of truth in it then and now. That's one of the things I love about W. Somerset Maugham's stories. They fall out of fashion and sometimes reflect old-fashioned social mores, but there's always a kernel of observed human reality in his writing that still makes them good reading.

Stuart--It just occurred to me who could play in a 21st century version of the Beachcomber part: Albert Finney

[stuart.uk]

Thanks for sending the link Miora. i watched the ending

it's hard to come up with a modern day actress to play oppisite Finney. i thought Julie Walters, but in her 50s she may be a little to old. i'm thinking she'd be in her late 30s or early 40s. i'm thinking either Emma Thompson or Venessa's neice Gemma Redgrave. in the past tense i wonder if comedy actress Joan Sims could have played such a role, as she could change from plain to beautiful easily.

what about John Hurt as another actor, who could play Ted