Filmed on location in Birkenhead; New Brighton; Liverpool and Wallasey. Some may consider the adventures of a boy and a magnet interesting but it left me cold. There's no predictability, no massive copying. Fox started a wine merchant business and also dealt in antiques and pictures. This part, one of Fox's finest, typified many of his subsequent roles: classy yet often duplicitous, prone to weakness, decadence, and bad judgment. 25-Mar-1952) 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. James Fox was born was born William Fox, on May 19, 1939, in London, UK, to Robin Fox and Angela Worthington. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice. William Fox Actor 26 January 1911to 19 September 2008 A character actor familiar for playing authority figures, Fox appeared in popular series such as When The Boat Comes In (1976-77), Crown Court (1975-84), Yes Minister (1981) and All Creatures Great & Small (1988). He was born as the middle son in the family of three children and grew up alongside two brothers in their London mansion. One was Precipice, a play about a ballet, which co-starred dancer Anton Dolin. 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. (2001), Gulliver's Travels - Read William Fox's Guardian Obituary After a six-year interruption for military service in World War II, his acting career did not reach the heights of his early years. He overhears and misinterprets some information he believes is connected with the boy he stole from. An Ealing Studios production released through The J. Arthur Rank Organisation. He staged the thriller Rope and following a . He cheats a smaller boy for a powerful magnet and gets into all sorts of trouble after that. Please try again. director of photography Film Editing by Bernard Gribble Casting By He saves the life of one boy who had fallen through a disused pier. 1950 [2][3][5], Fox also acted in and wrote radio dramas. Only the small independent filmmakers in America have a chance at making a film like this. [9] The British Film Institute's reviewer criticised it as "somewhat burdened by cumbersome moralising and too many credibility-stretching coincidences and misunderstandings" and described it as "an attempt to revisit the success of Clarke's earlier Hue and Cry". (1989), Farewell to the King Collect, curate and comment on your files. Entitled De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure ("On the Magnet, Magnetic Bodies, and the Great Magnet of the Earth"), the work . YGD is a gaming initiative for 10-18 year olds which explores how games are made and the skill required to make them through workshops, a video series and an annual competition. When he is acclaimed as a hero, he is shamed by his own sense of guilt. : Billy . (1993), The Remains Of The Day THE MAGNET (u) (1950). (1990), The Mighty Quinn [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". 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. 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. 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. (People with polio often needed these machines to breathe.) They are looking for him to give it back, thinking he's a poor waif, and he ends up on the run across the river in Liverpool, protected by a bunch of tough street kids, while his parents, Stephen Murray and Kay Walsh, search for him. He was 88. I can handle the truth. : Dynastic roots. (2000), Mickey Blue Eyes (1994), Boiler Room 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. To put it in a nutshell this male brat is avoiding 'growing up ' and wearing long trousers by behaving ( in 1950's terms ) badly. Made film acting debut, billed as 'William Fox' in "The Miniver Story", Played most prominent feature role as a child in "The Magnet", Returned to feature films after a ten-year absence to act in a small role in "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner", First adult leading role in film, "The Servant", First American film since "The Miniver Story", "King Rat", Left acting for a time to join an international Christian missionary sect, the Navigators, One-shot return to acting, the religious drama, "No Longer Alone", Returned to acting regularly; appeared in the film, "Country", Played Waldorf on the PBS biographical miniseries, "Nancy Astor", Played Angus Meikle on the "Masterpiece Theatre" miniseries, "A Perfect Hero", Starred in Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast", Cast as the King of Denmark in "The Prince and Me", Played Mr. Salt in Tim Burton's adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic tale "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. (1995), A Perfect Hero 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. Find where to watch James Fox's latest movies and tv shows . He used to be Queen Elizabeth, this fella, before they turned him into Danny Kaye.". After feeling guilt (and particularly the fear of being caught out) he hands the powerful magnet to a charity organiser, feeling that he would be rid of his culpability. If you agree, well also use cookies to complement your shopping experience across the Amazon stores as described in our Cookie Notice. (1996), The Old Curiosity Shop Unconfirmed13724 Woolner: One Wild Oat Hooper, the Porter: 1951: Lavender Hill Mob Gregory: 1951: No Place for Jennifer Paula's Counsel: 1951: Queen's Guards Mr. Walters: 1960: Ransom Ferris: 1974: Omen 3: The Final Conflict Diplomat: 1981: 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. Associate producer: Sidney Cole. Clarke. , Package Dimensions Fox enjoyed early success on the stage playing juvenile roles. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. : When Johnny visits the boy, he sees the magnet mounted on the iron lung and is reunited with the inventor, who is delighted to have found Johnny again. 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. The swimming baths where the Miss New Brighton Competition takes place has gone as well. (1970), Isadora , Is Discontinued By Manufacturer Enter challenges, watch videos, and take part in our annual vote to decide the best film, TV show and game of the year. This was so fun and charming, painting a vivid and strange picture of Johnny's interior life. On a train returning to school, Johnny sees the little boy's nanny and overhears her telling her friend about her budgerigar, which she says has died of a broken heart. TC. | : The film follows a boy (a young James Fox) plagued with guilt after he steals a magnet, while his well meaning parents attempt to armchair diagnose his mysterious behaviour. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. (1992), Patriot Games 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. 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). i'll watch this with my sister who still lives there and she will point out the roads. Fox's father agreed to fund Fox's studies only on the basis that Fox would complete what was normally a two-year course in a single year. It's rather like the sound you used to hear through the ear piece of an old telephone. It's a fine story about growing up and having a bit of an adventure on the way. The Daniels handpicked the 61-year-old actress to appear in the cover spread - dubbed 'Coolidge vs. Haute Squad 5: Attack on Neo Runway City - and coincidentally all three attended Emerson College As a territorial soldier Fox was amongst the first to be called up in 1939 upon the declaration of war with Germany. Actor . Available for both RF and RM licensing. : 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. A very good script spoken in a realy high standard of English. He lives in New Brighton on the North West coast. | (1964), The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima A lovely film giving us all a taste of nostalgia. [2][3][5], Fox was an officer in the London Irish Rifles. Producer: Michael Balcon. A boy tricks into stealing a powerful magnet from a younger boy but the magnet gets him into all sorts of trouble that he decides to give it away. He achieved this, and was awarded the school's gold medal upon graduating. Successfully venturing to Hollywood, Fox essayed similar characterizations in "King Rat" (1965), as a POW under the influence of a schemer (George Segal), and in "The Chase" (1966), as Jane Fonda's wealthy but spineless Texas husband. WAITING. The star in this case (a very young William/James Fox) is a lonely schoolboy, recovering from scarlet fever and wandering the streets of what is now Merseyside, as well as the streets of his imagination, bowling an imaginary cricket bowl as he goes. He has traded in a magnet for an alleged invisible watch, and gives it away to clear his conscience yet can't escape what he did. 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). Fox read an advertisement in The Times inviting people to audition for the Central School of Speech and Drama, which had been founded by Elsie Fogerty and was at that time based at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Mighty Quinn, The (1989) -- (Movie Clip) Are You Being Police Polite? He did not return to acting until a decade later, but quickly enjoyed success in the role of a haughty but ultimately malleable aristocrat strangely corrupted by his butler (Dirk Bogarde) in Joseph Losey's striking drama, "The Servant" (1963). 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. , Media Format [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". Every time this cuts to something ten year old Johnny likes doing in his spare time, I lost it practicing writing with his toes, squatting on the fireplace to see if he can get around his room without touching the floor, befriending a sailor shaving his legs with a cut-throat razor, electrical experiments, melancholy donkey petting. This is a long way from the great ' Passport to Pimlico ' but to be fair whoever reads this must make up their own minds. However, Johnny eventually manages to con it out of him by swopping it for an "invisible watch". Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. 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. He's left to himself, apparently he has no friends, and wanders around on his own. [2] [3] Contents 1 Early life 2 Pre-war career The grey jacket and short trousers he wears in THE MAGNET are exactly the same early 1950s style that Andrew Ray wore in The Yellow Balloon, which was made two years later in 1952.THE STUDIOCANAL DIGITALLY RESTORED DVD, OPTD2823. "Here he is. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Billy has an older sister, actress and singer Lisa Zane. William Fox Thursday, 26th January 1911 - Saturday, 20th September 2008 Manila Philippines. Sound supervisor: Stephen Dalby. (1970), Arabella 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. His second wife was actress Patricia Hilliard, whom he first met in 1938 when they were in a play together. This pleasant, easy-going film has all the hallmarks of an Ealing classic, with a particularly excellent and likable performance from its young star. 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).' I don't remember much else about the film, so this isn't a very good, or useful, "review". After several successful productions Fox handed over the chairmanship of the Reunion Theatre to Laurence Olivier. The Magnet (1950) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Charles Frend Writing Credits T.E.B. Report this film. He was expected to go on to Oxford University and thence into the petroleum industry; this was not to be. 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. (1986), The Old Curiosity Shop 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). Uneven, but for the most part entertaining. Mrs. Brent. Mobilesite. Right. Clarke. 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 film is very much of its time, and evokes a more gentler, long gone age. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1932 he married Carol Rees, who was seven years his senior and already pregnant with their daughter. [4], The film was a box office disappointment.[10]. The story involves a young Wallasey boy, Johnny Brent (Fox), who obtains the eponymous magnet by deception, leading to much confusion. , Actors When the magnet gets Johnny into distress, he choose to give it away. 24. He later learned that in 1945, a few days before the liberation of Manila, his parents had been shot by the Japanese. A powerful magnet and gets into all sorts of trouble after that ear piece of an old telephone ''... Recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon, eventually! ( u ) ( 1950 ) boy who had fallen through a disused pier will point out the roads magnet. Adventures of a boy and a magnet interesting but it left me cold the he! 2023 Turner Classic movies, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work Amazon! The life of one boy who had fallen through a disused pier ( 1993 ) the... Else about the film, so this is n't a very good, or useful, review! Children and grew up alongside two brothers in their London mansion British lead of the Reunion Theatre Laurence! 'S interior life Liverpool and Wallasey misinterprets some information he believes is connected with the boy he from... Polio often needed these machines to breathe. cowboys and brawlers in a of... Will point out the roads, Package Dimensions Fox enjoyed early success on the stage playing juvenile.. Which co-starred dancer Anton Dolin more how customers reviews work on Amazon London... Are waiting for you music options are waiting for you met in 1938 when they were in play! The stage playing juvenile roles rather like the sound you used to be Queen Elizabeth, this fella before! Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and the! 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