Joan Rice in America

My posts on Joan Rice (1930-1997) are always very popular and I would like to thank you all for your kind messages. It makes it all worthwhile to read comments from my readers.

Christian is a regular visitor to this web site and recently sent me some lovely pictures of our Joan, including these from her last big movie, His Majesty O’Keefe (1954). I have also included some of my own.

Sadly, this film, with Burt Lancaster, would be the pinnacle of Joan’s very short rise to stardom. Why she faded from popularity with Hollywood remains a mystery. But her memory lives on in the pages of this web site and one fascinating article that I posted a few years ago, gives us an insight into how she felt, flying out to America for the first time.

The Picturegoer Magazine dated September 13^th 1952, printed a ‘letter’ from Joan Rice about her experiences flying to the States to film ‘His Majesty O’Keefe’. In this remarkably candid letter we read of her experiences of home-sickness, stage nerves, height problems, engagement, her plans for marriage and preparations for film production. 

Below is a short snippet:

“His Majesty O’Keefe’ is a period picture, and as well as sarongs I am going to wear two lovely gowns. One is lavender lace and velvet wedding dress with a bustle. I hadn’t seen the script then, but I knew there’s an amusing scene where I try on the dress and then refuse to wear it, because I have got it on the wrong way round and I don’t like that “hump” (that is the bustle) in front.

The studio hairdressing department is like a Bond Street salon. Even in the waiting rooms the appointments are magnificent. Hollywood really tries to make its stars feel good. And the clips they used for waving hair are better than ours. They give a softer wave without risk of breaking or making a “line” in the hair.

They had to build me up on the chair because I am rather short in the body. I didn’t quite reach the dryer. They piled cinema magazines under me, so I really sat on the stars. I noticed the picture on top was of Ava Gardner. Some of the Warners stars very kindly came to say “hallo” to me as I spent those long hours in the make-up and hairdressing chairs. I couldn’t talk to them (ever tried to talk with your head in a dryer, or while a man’s painting your lips?), but it was all very friendly. Steve Cochran was particularly charming.

Friendliness is one of the things about Hollywood. Leroy Prinz, the director, said I was to come back to Hollywood and he’d put me in musicals. I don’t know about that. I only know I’m booked for four months on this film, in Fijii with Burt Lancaster, whom I’ve met only once – at a Royal Film Performance. (I was very nervous-it was my first stage appearance. Afterwards he grinned and said: “Well, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”) I think the really surprising thing about Hollywood is that it’s just what you would expect. If you’ve seen it in the pictures-you’ve seen it. People do just the same things, in the same way, as on the screen. Of course, the sunshine is indescribable-there just aren’t the words. It’s sun, sun, sun. You almost expect it to blaze all night.”

To read the complete article, please click here

Joan Rice in Scotland

Recently I was contacted by Alan King, who told me that he had some pictures of Joan Rice (1930-1997) taken in the early 1970’s and would I like to see them? Of course I was thrilled to see pictures of Joan during a period of her life which has remained somewhat of a mystery. This blog is dedicated to her memory and contains over 60 seperate pages of letters, magazine articles, glamour pictures and film stills.

This is what Alan says:

“My wife met Joan in 1970’ish (at work I think, but can't remember where). We were friends for a few years and Joan managed the letting of our flat when we moved away from Maidenhead in 1976. We sold our place a couple of years later and lost touch. I have fond memories of a lovely lady. The photos were taken in 1971 on holiday in Scotland - the Isle of Islay. In the one with all four of us, I'm on the left with my wife, Helen. Joan's boyfriend was . . . ? may have been Tony. He was Italian and worked at the Marlow restaurant she frequented.”

A very special thank you to Alan, for sharing his personal

photographs of Joan Rice with us.

Her last movie ‘The Horror of Frankenstein’ was released in

December 1970 and shortly after she set up the ‘Joan Rice Bureau’

in Maidenhead, Berkshire. It was here that her office dealt with

real estate and property. But two years later, Joan returned to

acting, this time on stage at the Theatre Royal in Windsor and also in Norwich.

To read more about the life of Joan Rice please click here.

If you met Joan, or have any information about her life, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Elton Hayes with the Second Unit

This wonderful picture of Elton Hayes as Alan-a-Dale with the second unit on location at Burnham Beeches appeared in The Cinema Studio magazine in July 1951. Images from the magazine have already appeared on various posts throughout this blog and give a fascinating insight into how Disney’s live-action movie the Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men (1952) was filmed.

Below the picture the caption reads: "Deep in Burnham Beeches the second unit forsake the Technicolor camera for a while to listen to Elton Hayes who plays Alan-a-Dale in “Robin Hood” as he sings to his guitar. Elton provides many airs and ditties suitable to the period of the time."

To read more about the work behind the camera on Robin Hood and the fascinating life of Elton Hayes please click on the links.

Walt Visits Norton Disney

The world loves Walt Disney's animated movie about those adopted 101 Dalmatians, his version of the classic tale of the forsaken stepchild  Snow White and Dumbo the baby elephant who was separated from his mother. 

But not so well known is the tale of an American boy, Walter Disney, with no birth certificate. What birth record there was for a child of his name was dated 10 years before he could have been born. This niggling ambiguity about his origins and the possibility that he had been adopted were to trouble him throughout his adult life.

So in the late Forties he arrived in Lincolnshire, England, to find his purported Disney ancestors; in a small village known as Norton Disney. Although few local guide books acknowledge that "the world's favourite uncle" has roots to a Lincolnshire family.

St.Peter's Church, Norton Disney

It is possible to trace the family lineage right back to Walt’s Norman forbears who came over to Britain with the invading Norman army of William the Conqueror in 1066.
Amongst William’s soldiers were several members of the d’Isigne family, who took their name from their town of origin situated near Bayeux. One of the d’Isignes is known to have received property at Norton on the Nottinghamshire / Lincolnshire border, and established himself as a farmer and Lord of the Manor.

Disney is an anglicisation of d'Isigny. In 1834 some members of the family emigrated, first to the United States and then to Canada. Elias Disney (Walt’s Father) was born in Huron County in 1859. Elias married Flora in 1888, eventually moving to Chicago. In1901 their fourth and final child, Walter Elias Disney, was born.

This was sent in by Neil:

"[Norton Disney] is a place you'd expect to have outgrown its rather quaint guidebook description, given there are at least three separate signs diverting traffic to the village off the A46; yet the place is indeed small, with just a string of plain houses, a church and a pub.

In my view, the pub is always a good place to start, and although I was greeted in the St Vincent Arms with customary village suspicion, I found what I was looking for. Pinned above the fireplace were the cuttings I had failed to locate in Lincoln Central Library. Dated 30 July 1949, they reported the events of Walt's brief visit.

"Private and personal. Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, England. Arrived just after lunch." 

Walt Disney

Walt had scratched in his diary before strolling off to point his cine-camera around the village. The fading photographs show Walt absorbed in the search for facts about his family name. He is pictured studying the tombs and gravestones and with the vicar, leafing through reams of ancient church registers signed by past generations of Disneys. But he didn't stop for long. 

"Afraid I must pop off now - learnt that expression over here. You English are always popping places."'

Paragon Figurine of Robin Hood

This porcelain figurine of Robin Hood sitting on a tree stump is from the Sherwood Forest Series by Paragon (1919-1960). 

The Paragon China Company was a bone china manufacturer, based in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent. Previously known as the Star China Company, and more recently part of the Royal Doulton group. Paragon produced high quality teaware and tableware, and was granted royal warrants by several members of the British Royal Family.

Paragon's 'Sherwood Forest' series included a Friar Tuck, Alan-a-Dale and Maid Marian; each member of the outlaw band was about twenty centimeters high. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a date for the production of this beautifuly made character, but I can't help thinking this figurine was based on Walt Disney's live-action Robin Hood played by Richard Todd.

Richard Todd and Walt Disney

This wonderful letter (dated 10^th December 2001) to the Daily Mail newspaper by the actor Richard Todd (1919-2009), was sent to me by our regular contributor Neil. It shows the strong bond between Walt Disney and the British actor had lasted long after he had completed his series of live-action movies for the legendary film producer. Unfortunately, I do not have the letter from Glenys Roberts that angered Richard Todd enough to make him pick up his pen. But this does show the affection that ‘Uncle Walt’ had for Toddy and his family:

Daily Mail 10^th December 2001.

"I do not recognise the Walt Disney described by Glenys Roberts (Mail). He was a close friend from 1952 to 1966, when my wife, our children and I enjoyed the kindness and good humour of a remarkable man.

Walt’s avuncular benevolence seemed to be inculcated into his entire workforce. He seemed to know the names of everyone there, whatever their position.

Walt was at his most relaxed in his own home, but his real heart was to be found in the garden: the well-groomed lawns, beds and the barn which he brought from his boyhood home in Kansas and re-erected in his garden as his model railway workshop.

My eldest son, Peter, was born soon after I finished working on my first Disney film Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, and within weeks he received a large hamper of gifts. Thereafter at each Christmas for the next 14 years, Peter received a large box of presents, each one relevant to his age and with a gift label signed with love from Uncle Walt. When our daughter Fiona arrived four years later, she had the same sort of gifts from Uncle Walt.

In 1966, the container arrived usual by ship, but this time I had to tell the children there would be no need for a letter of thanks from them. Uncle Walt had died just after these gifts had been despatched.

This was the man I knew.

Richard Todd

Grantham

Lincolnshire."

Rare Still

Peter Finch as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and Richard Todd as Robin Hood grapple on the drawbridge of Nottingham Castle in this still from Walt Disney's live-action movie the Story of Robin Hood (1952). This is a particularly unusual image as the background seems to show a sheet hanging against the studio wall!

To see more stills and a lot more images from Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men, please click here.

David Green

I was thrilled to receive this email recently from David Green, the first husband of movie actress Joan Rice (1930-1997).
It simply said:

"I am alive and well and live in Las Vegas. Joan and my son Michael died over 10 years ago in the South of France. His 2 daughters live in Holland.
David Green."

David Green and Joan Rice

A week later David Green's wife sent me this lovely picture of Joan and David at their engagement in London. This must have been taken during the beginning of 1953 and quite possibly at The Kiss Korner club, which was owned by his father, the comic Harry Green. The Kiss Korner club encouraged the celebrities of the time to sign their autographs on the walls; if you look carefully in the top right hand corner some signatures can be seen.

There are now 57 pages dedicated to the life of Joan Rice, please click here to see more.

Little John's Grave

One of the most popular places in England connected to Little John is Hathersage, a village in the Derbyshire Peak District. It is here in the 1620's that the local antiquarian, Roger Dodsworth wrote of the tradition that Robin Hood's faithful companion is buried. 

The modern gravestones replace what Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) had seen when writing in the late seventeenth century:

“The famous Little John lyes buried in Hathersage Church yard within 3 miles fro Castleton, in High Peake, with one Stone set up at his head, and another at his Feete, but a large distance betweene them. They say a part of his bow hangs in the said Church. Neere Grindleford Bridge are Robin Hood 2 pricks."

The bow was recorded as being made of spliced yew, 79in long (about 2 meters), tipped with horn, weighing 21lb and requiring a pull of 160ilbs to draw it. The bow and a cuirass of chainmail both said to have belonged to Little John were hung in Hathersage church chancel for many years, until they were removed by a William Spencer in 1729 and taken to Canon Hall near Barnsley in Yorkshire for better security. The cuirass was later lost!

In about 1950 a Mr. H. C. Haldane was photographed holding ‘Little John’s Bow’ outside Canon Hall in Barnsley. By this time the horn tips were missing and the ends were broken off. Engraved on the bow grip is the name of a Colonel Naylor, who shot an arrow from it at Cannon Hall in 1715.

Originally 'Little John’s Grave’ had been marked by a head and foot stone, both marked with the initials ‘I.L.’ as described by E. Hargrave in his ‘Anecdotes of Archery’ in 1792.

The grave was excavated by a Captain James Shuttleworth (d.1826) in 1784 and it is reported that he discovered a thigh bone of ‘twenty eight and a half inches long’ (71.25cm). This would make the person in the grave originally about eight feet tall!

A local story says: ‘James Shuttleworth took the bone to Cannon Hall to show his cousin. The two men then exhibited to an old huntsman who shook his head and told them that, ‘no good will come to either of ye, so long as ye keep dead men’s bones above ground.’ The huntsman was called Hinchcliffe who measured the bone and said the exact length was 28 1/2 inches!

James Shuttleworth took the bone back to Hathersage and hung it above his bed. After a series of accidents a nurse told him the same as the old huntsman, that he would never have luck as long as he kept dead men's bones out of their graves. So James sent the bone back to the Sexton with an order to put it back into the grave. But instead he displayed it in his window and charged sixpence for viewing. But one day a William Strickland, passing through Hathersage carried off the bone, on the pre-text of showing a friend, much to the dismay of the Sexton. He returned it to Canon Hall and buried it under a tree, it was lost forever.’

To read more about Little John's Grave, please click here.