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Douglas Fairbanks junior, Miss Peggy Crawford and ‘Klieg Eye’

This is a story from the early days of British film. It is October 1935, and we are in Elstree Studios in Borehamwood Hertfordshire.  British International Pictures Studios Douglas Fairbanks, father and son The American actor Douglas Fairbanks, was known as ‘The King of Hollywood’ from his career in the silent era. He was famous for his adventure films such as The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921) and Robin Hood (1922).    The Mark of Zorro poster As a means of gaining control over their films, in 1919, he set up United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, the director D.W. Griffiths and Mary Pickford, whom he married the following year. Signing the United Artists contract (1919) From the left: D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. Fairbanks had been impressed by Alexander Korda’s production of ‘The Private Life of Henry VIII’ (1933), starring Charles Laughton. The film had been funded and distributed by United Artists and was a huge success.  Hi
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Who played at the Kilburn State?

Although a complete account of all the musicians who played here is not possible, I have complied the most comprehensive list yet to be published. Chronologically, it moves from big bands, jazz, rock, British blues, and Pop, as the popular styles change. Kilburn State (Dick Weindling, July 2015) Because of the large seating capacity of 4,004, the Gaumont State in Kilburn High Road was used as a venue for many shows by touring American and British musicians.  The Gaumont State Cinema was opened on 20 Dec 1937 with a sell-out show, which was also broadcast on the BBC radio. 1937, Dec 20 opening of Gaumont State Cinema Singer Gracie Fields, Larry Adler harmonica, Henry Hall and his Orchestra, Alfred van Dam and his State Orchestra, and others Here is a Gaumont Newsreel tour of the building and people arriving at the opening night, with a typical jokey 1937 voiceover 1938, July 23 The Hyams brothers (Phil, Syd and Mick), who ran the State, organised a midnight performance to raise money fo

The Setty Case

This is a famous, and in many ways unique, case from 1949.  The Background Stanley Setty was born as Salman Seti or Salik in Baghdad in 1903. The family moved to Manchester in 1908 where his father was a cloth merchant. Stanley worked in the business until 1920 when his father abandoned his wife and children and went to live in Italy. To earn a living, Stanley set up a shipping business with his brother David and when that failed, worked on his own account as a cloth dealer. Unfortunately, he lost a great deal of money gambling and was declared bankrupt in 1927. To avoid his creditors, Stanley left the country in December 1927 to stay with his father in Milan. He returned in April 1928 and at his bankruptcy hearing it was said Stanley bought cloth on credit, selling it cut price on the same day, and not paying the suppliers. That August he pleaded guilty to multiple offences under the Bankruptcy and Debtors Acts. When the judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison, Setty’s mother had t

Arthur Prince the World Famous Ventriloquist

Arthur Prince, with his dummy Sailor Jim, was the most famous ventriloquist of his era. Arthur was married three times, all to actresses and singers who had been partners in his stage act. When he died in 1948, he was buried locally in the Hampstead Cemetery in Fortune Green Road. This is the most detailed account of his life. Most sources say Arthur Prince was born in 1881, but he gives his date of birth as 17 November 1880 in the 1939 Government Register used to record everyone in England and Wales when registration cards were issued just before the War.  In interviews he said he was born in Marylebone, and started by performing conjuring tricks in public at the age of 13. A few years later he began his professional career with another comedian as the Elrabi Brothers, an act with humorous songs, card tricks and magical illusions. Arthur took up ventriloquism after seeing the well-known Fred Russell’s act with his dummy Coster Joe. Fred gave 17-year-old Arthur advice, and introduced h