This article was amended on Wednesday October 1 2008. When he is acclaimed as a hero, he is shamed by his own sense of guilt. Charles Frend directs this Ealing comedy-drama in which a boy steals a powerful magnet from a younger boy, which gets him into all sorts of trouble. The association did this by performing extracts from well-known plays and inviting agents and producers to watch. (1978), The Arp Statue He auctions the magnet to the crowd and sells it for 40. Young Johnny Brent (James Fox) guiles another boy at his school into giving him a influential magnet. As a fan of Hue and Cry, I was expecting something similar, which it is, but even better. Fearing that he has caused the death of the boy, Johnny runs away. , Media Format (1984), Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes 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. THE MAGNET (u) (1950). A classic Ealing comedy in which a young boy steals a magnet and becomes a hero. 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).' A delightful comedy of mistaken identity, misinformation, and chinese whispers. 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. (1994), Boiler Room 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. He enjoyed early success on the stage playing juvenile roles. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. They hide him in a building on the disused pier. - Read William Fox's Guardian Obituary It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness. Producer: Michael Balcon. Their next two comedies - A Run for Your Money and The Magnet - had none of the same impact and are often left off the. (1989), Boys in the Island [4] Stalwarts of Ealing's repertory ensemble, however, such as Stanley Holloway and Alec Guinness, were absent, although James Robertson Justice made a small appearance as a tramp, using a Gaelic pseudonym;[7] at the time he was a candidate in the General Election. 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. (2001), Gulliver's Travels 13-Apr-1937) Brother: Robert Fox (producer, b. This jars and the film is not strong enough to survive it. , Producers The Renown Crime Collection Volume 1 [DVD], The Foreman Went To France Fiddlers Three [DVD], Ealing Studios Rarities Collection: Volume 11 [DVD], Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. THE MAGNET (u) (1950). They had a son and a daughter together. I'd simply remembered that it existed, and was amazed to find something about it on this site. [5], Given its setting, however, authentic local accents are absent until almost the end of the film, in a scene filmed in the shadow of the Liverpool Cathedral. : When I went to Liverpool I didn't understand a thing, wish I had met these people. His second wife was actress Patricia Hilliard, whom he first met in 1938 when they were in a play together. Kay Walsh. It's not that Ealing were scared of accents, they ventured into Wales and Scotland, but for the most part they didn't stray out into the Provinces and if they wanted to imbue their characters to with, err character, they gave them a touch of the Cockney. He played opposite Peggy Ashcroft in As You Like It, and their performance was painted by Walter Sickert. Whether youve taken your first steps in the industry or are just starting out, youll find plenty here to motivate and help you along the way. After a short spell on Broadway, Fox returned to Britain. TMDb Starring Stephen Murray, Kay Walsh, James Fox and Thora Hird. The iron lung maker, rather bizarrely demonstrating his equipment in the middle of a seaside beauty contest, tells the story of the magnet at various fund-raising events, exaggerating wildly and portraying Johnny as everything from a spoiled brat to a Dickensian ragamuffin. After a characteristically stressful Physiology exam, decided to settle down with a movie, and what better than an offering from that beloved British institution, Ealing Studios? Billy . This is a delightful film about a young boy growing up in a small riverside town,just across from Liverpool, in 1950.He experiences guilt after conning a younger boy out of a magnet and wrongly believing that this has lead to the other boy's death.Humour is provided by the boy's father a psychiatrist/psychologist who has a theory and an answer for everything, unfortunately these are usually wrong. His guilt sparks a chain of misplaced assumptions that lead to a search being mounted for the boy, who has run away after becoming convinced that he is wanted for murder. Rudkin. Some elements are predictable - he thinks the police are out to get him when in fact they want to reward him - but there's some local character here from the Liverpudlian kids and some strong talent from cameoing stars like Harold Goodwin, Sam Kydd and Thora Hird. As there is next to no hope of StudioCanal restoring this film properly, both sound as well as image and we're now stuck with this, whoever instigated this stupid policy of muffling the sound should be sacked as they are clearly incompetent. More at [2][3], In 1939 Fox and Hillard were living in Dolphin Square, where they became annoyed by their neighbour Unity Mitford's habit of playing loud Nazi marching songs. He saves the life of one boy who had fallen through a disused pier. Assistant director: Norman Priggen. He lives in New Brighton on the North West coast. Stephen Murray Kay Walsh James Fox Meredith Edwards Gladys Henson Thora Hird Michael Brooke Wylie Watson Julien Mitchell Anthony Oliver Molly Hamley-Clifford Harold Goodwin Joan Hickson Joss Ambler Sam Kydd Russell Waters James Robertson Justice, 79mins WATCHED. The injured boy ends up in an iron lung made by the man to whom Johnny gave the magnet. The story involves a young Wallasey boy, Johnny Brent (Fox), who obtains the eponymous magnet by deception, leading to much confusion. Fox makes for a great child actor I loved how he uses his arms to signal panic or mischief, particularly when running away from the law throughout. (2001), The Knights of the Quest Charles Frend. 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. [3][4], The Magnet was filmed on location in and around New Brighton, Wallasey, the Wirral, Cheshire, Liverpool, Ealing and at Ealing Studios, London, in black and white. (1992), As You Like It Now everyone, including the police, are trying to find Johnny to give him a medal for giving the man the magnet that helped raise the money for the Iron Lung.Later, Johnny sees the little boy's nanny and overhears her telling her friend (Thora Hird) about her budgie, which she says has died of a broken heart. 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). After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Associate producer: Sidney Cole. And be careful buying your son or daughter a large magnet. James Fox plays a boy who comes into possession of a rare magnet on the beach, before finding himself engaging in various escapades with oddball people. Essentially a feature length Just William story, this very minor effort from the Ealing Studios is a comparatively toothless and uninteresting release from the studio. | I have knocked one star off my rating for the lack-lustre sound quality. External Reviews Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile, Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (28-Feb-2009), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (13-Jul-2005), Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun (15-May-1988), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (30-Mar-1984), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (16-Jun-1965), Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2018. It was fun to see James Fox as child, he did well even back then. Dr. Brent. As a territorial soldier Fox was amongst the first to be called up in 1939 upon the declaration of war with Germany. I'd never seen such a machine, and it was disturbing to me. This is likely the case due to none of the studios big name actors appearing in the film, as well as the fact that it doesn't contain too many comedic moments. Please try again. After demobilisation Fox was considered too old to take on juvenile roles, and given that he had no experience as a lead actor, directors were wary of casting him in these parts. (2002), The Lost World William Fox was born on January 26, 1911 (died on September 20, 2008, he was 97 years old) in Manila, Metro Manila as William Hubert Fox. Pre-war career. 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. Set in London it would have been boringly believable but further North it just imposes London snobbery. 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. I can handle the truth. Clarke. Written by T.E.B. Uneven, but for the most part entertaining. Framed as his own recollections before his death, Christopher Lee as Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the recognized founder of Pakistan, in early negotiations ca. 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. A lot of the film was shot in New Brighton, and I have added this to the database as a location. Lanky blond British lead of the 1960s who began as a child actor in the early 50s. Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast The father, a trained psychiatrist, attempts to apply Jungian psychoanalysis to his son, and smugly reaches an entirely erroneous conclusion. The bike shop was Longworths in Rowson St. You went and chose your bike and Mr Longworth told you to come and collect it next week so he had time to put the seat at the right height, check the brakes,oil it for you and check the tyres. William is represented by Regan Management What William said about us - click to read review Though The Magnet oozes middle-class wholesome 1950's family values, which can be seen these days as starchy and very straight-laced, this unusual offering from the Ealing Studios works well on many levels. Written by T.E.B. The British have an understated way of delivering these kind of gems to the screen; whereas Hollywood always goes for the big production values and star power most of the time. He is the son of influential talent agent Robin Fox, and brother of actor Edward and theatrical producer Robert. A wonderful, poignant and heartwarming movie. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. (1995), Fall from Grace The other boy's nanny accuses Johnny of stealing, which makes Johnny feel guilty and he tries unsuccessfully to get rid of the magnet, but it always finds its way back to him .He meets an eccentric old man (Meredith Edwards) who is raising funds to buy an Iron Lung for the local hospital, and; simply desiring to get rid of it, gives him the magnet to be auctioned off for charity. It does do an effective job showing the way guilt couples with the normal blithe egocentrism of childhood to create a shadowy antagonistic web so vast that everyone around you is in on your shame and looking to bring you down. In 1932 he married Carol Rees, who was seven years his senior and already pregnant with their daughter. , Language Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. THE MAGNET is an unusual Ealing Studios comedy, seemingly aimed at children but with plenty of satirical elements for the adults. el padre: oh no complejo de edipo superyo se quiere follar a su madreel nio: de locos estoy en busca y captura. Scene from the classic movie "The Magnet" (1950) in which William (later James) Fox sets his eyes on a younger boy's favorite toy. Absolute Beginners (1986) -- (Movie Clip) I Love This Look! PLAY. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. The film moves at a solid pace and, although it's not always successful, it's certainly never dull. Looking forward to watching this film to see how Liverpool was in those days. | He overhears and misinterprets some information he believes is connected with the boy he stole from. Michael Andrew Fox (Edmonton, Alberta; 9 de junio de 1961), ms conocido como Michael J. [4] He won a scholarship, but since he was from a wealthy family, the scholarship was only given on the condition that the money be passed on to the next person on the list. In 1949 Ealing Studios release three films that established the Ealing Comedy. : He is again startled by a policeman and hides in the back of a Jacob's cream crackers van, which takes him to the Liverpool slums, where he comes into conflict with the local boys. 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. Stephen Murray is a psychiatrist who uses jargon that is nonsense most of the time and the mention of Jung had me in fits of unwanted laughter. However, an armistice was concluded before he reached the area; he then fought in the Battle of France, and was amongst those evacuated from Dunkirk. the old pier, the baths the indoor fairground. The modern RSC was formed in 1960. (2000), Mickey Blue Eyes Fox was married twice; first when aged 21, to the actress Carol Rees, with whom he had a daughter. After several successful productions Fox handed over the chairmanship of the Reunion Theatre to Laurence Olivier. A lovely film giving us all a taste of nostalgia. Please try again. Produced by Michael Balcon. 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. After six years service Fox was demobbed with the rank of major (and had had a spell as an acting lieutenant-colonel). (1992), Afraid Of The Dark There is a young boy in the film who is injured (or sick) and ends up in an "iron lung" machine because he needs help breathing. 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. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2007. [3] Leslie Halliwell similarly described it as a "very mild Ealing comedy, not really up to snuff". 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