Green for Danger (United Artists) (1946)

STAR BIOGRAPHIES Alastair Sim Alastair Sim, featured as In¬ spector Cockrill in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening . at the . Theatre, is the son of a Scottish judge. Sim was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Oc¬ tober 9, 1900, and was edu¬ cated at the James Gillespie School and at Edinburgh Uni¬ versity. At one time he was Pro¬ fessor of Pho- Mat 2E netics at New College, Edinburgh University. He made his first screen ap¬ pearance in “Riverside Murder” and a variety of roles have fol¬ lowed. The actor’s favorite role was in “Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday.” In 1939 he married Fiona Plas- kitt, winner of the Meggie Al- banesi Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They have one daughter, Merlith, 6 years old. His favorite pastime is chess and h< 2 |is one of the few actors who dilmkes publicity. Stars’ Hospital Visits Add Realism To Roles Two stars of “Green for Dan¬ ger,” the Eagle Lion Films re¬ lease opening . at the . Theatre, had their baptism of ether in the cause of realism for the filming of the new picture, described as an unparalleled adventure in screen suspense. The stars were Trevor Howard and Leo Genn, who appear as the anesthetist and the surgeon, re¬ spectively, in the exciting film which is set in a hospital. To get the feel of an operating theatre, both stars visited a hospital and witnessed operations. Howard was present while an appendix was removed and Genn observed a gory foot operation. Both agreed that once they had overcome the hot, dry atmosphere of the operating theatre and the discomfort of the masks over their faces, they became fasci¬ nated by the skill of the surgeon. Appearing with Howard and Genn in “Green for Danger,” which was produced by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, are Sally Gray, Rosamund John and AlastaiJ^Sim. George Sanders Finds Actress In case screen star George Sanders ever decides to give up his screen career, he can write his own ticket as head of a talent agency. The agency, still in the formative stage, will probably be financed by Sidney Gilliat and Sally Gray, director and co-star, respectively, of “Green for Dan¬ ger,” the new Eagle Lion Films release opening . at the . Theatre. Nine years ago Sanders was making “The Saint in London,” for which Miss Gray was hired as an extra, her first film job. Watching her work, Sanders was convinced that Sally had talent, and suggested using her for small role. Sally Gray Blonde-haired and hazel-eyed Sally Gray, starring in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening. .at the. Theatre, is fol¬ lowing in the tradition of her theatrical fam¬ ily. Her mother was a ballet dancer and her grandmother a well-known act¬ ress. Born in Lon- . . . don on Februarj Ma+2E 14, 1918, Sally’s dramatic talents were apparent by the time she was 12. She re¬ ceived her theatrical grounding at the Fay Compton Studio of Dra¬ matic Art. Sally’s first film role was oppo¬ site George Sanders in “A Saint in London.” Her best-known film, and incidentally her own favorite, was “Warsaw Concerto.” Operation The operating theatre set, scene of most of the action in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening.at the Theatre, was constructed in two halves to allow access to the cameras and the lights. The walls were built on wheels so that the set, by manipulation, could be ap¬ proached from any angle. Mat 2B Still IPL-111-29A INSPECTOR COCKRILL, AS PORTRAYED BY ALASTAIR SIM, explains to TrevcJsPHoward, one of the murder suspects, a possible manner in which a series of mysterious killings were committed. The above scene is from Eagle Lion's suspenseful film, "Green for Danger," which is currently playing at the . Theatre. Movie Actor Genn Was a Prosecutor At Belsen Trials Leo Genn, featured in an im¬ portant role in “Green for Dan¬ ger,” the Eagle Lion Films re¬ lease opening .at the .Theatre, is prob¬ ably the only film player ever to defend a murderer or to assist in the prosecution of several. Before he became an actor, Genn practiced law for four years. During the war he joined the gun¬ ners, rose to the rank of lieuten¬ ant colonel and later, as com¬ mander of the No. 1 War Crimes Investigation Team, conducted the Belsen investigations. Prosecutor at Belsen As assistant prosecutor at the Belsen trials, he obtained a con¬ fession from the infamous S.S. woman, Irma Griese, and heard her and other Belsen criminals sentenced. Genn has previously been seen in “Henry V” and on the Broad¬ way stage in Lillian Heilman’s “Another Part of the Forest.” In “Green for Danger,” hailed as an unparalleled adventure in screen suspense, he plays a woman-chas¬ ing doctor suspected of two mur¬ ders. f Green for Danger ’ Player Saved Ray Milland’’s Life When Bryan Foy, Eagle Lion vice president, received the first print of “Green for Danger,” he invited several of his friends to a screening of the film at Eagle Lion studios. The picture had barely started when Ray Milland, one of Foy’s guests, suddenly exclaimed, “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle! That chap on the- Trevor Howard A descendant of the famous Scottish hero, William Wallace, screen actor Trevor Howard, star¬ ring in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening . at the . Theatre, has reached film stardom after only four pictures. Howard made his screen debut with David Niven in “The Way Ahead.” “Brief Encoun¬ ter,” for which his performance was acclaimed, was his second. With Deborah Kerr he co- starred in “The screen there—he onced saved my life!” After the screening, Milland told how Moore Marriott, whom he had recognized in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release now showing at the . . Theatre, had been the engine driver — hero of an early silent picture, “The Flying Scots¬ man.” In the film, Ray, then known as “Spike” Milland, had played the villain of the piece. The movie’s melodramatic climax took place in the cab of the loco¬ motive hurtling along at 60 miles an hour. Fight in the Tender “I climbed along the side of the tender and viciously attacked Marriott, who was at the con¬ trols,” Milland said. “To film the scene, two short tracks were laid side by side and, while the bat¬ tle raged on one train, the cam¬ era crew filmed it from another. “During the struggle I toppled backward, hit my head against the ironwork of the cab and fell unconscious through the open doorway. Marriott, I learned la¬ ter, caught my legs in a flying tackle and hung on grimly while my head dangled between the two speeding trains. He knew he must either let go of me and halt the train or hang on and let the train crash through the barrier at the end of the track. Camera Crew Signals “Luckily the camera crew on the other train saw that some¬ thing had gone wrong. Their fran¬ tic signals attracted the attention of a mechanic on our train. He climbed along the tender and man¬ aged to bring the train to a grinding stop a few yards from the end of the dummy track,” Milland concluded. “Marriott was almost as frightened as I’d have been—had I known what was hap¬ pening.” Marriott appears with Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, Rosamund John and Alastair Sim in “Green for Danger.” Produced by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, the film’s supporting cast is headed by Leo Genn, Judy Campbell and Megs Jenkins. Mat 2E Adventuress” and now he takes his place among the screen’s great stars. Born at Cliftonville, Kent, in England, on September 29, 1916, Howard was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, and studied for the theatre at the Royal Acad¬ emy of Dramatic Art. He met his wife, actress Helen Cherry, while they were both appearing on the London stage in “A Soldier for Christmas.” The screen star served in the war for two years, participating in the landings at Norway and Sicily. Later he rose to the rank of acting captain in an Airborne division. Radio Actor Genn Leo Genn, who will soon be seen as a woman-chasing surgeon in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening . . at the . Thea¬ tre, is also one of England’s best- known radio actors. Genn Mixes Careers Leo Genn, the lawyer-actor currently featured as a lady-chasing doctor suspected of murder in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening at the Theatre, served with the British Army during the war as a prosecutor at the Belsen trials. During a visit of the British equivalent of the USO, one of the actors fell ill and Genn stepped in and played the role. Genn met the judge advocate the following day who told him that he had seen the play the night before. The judge advocate wanted to know: “My Lord, man, are you a lawyer or an actor?” Rosamund John Lovely Rosamund John, co- starred in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening . at the . Theatre, has titian hair and blue-gray eyes. Rosamund was born in Tot- ■ tenham, North London, on Octo¬ ber 19, 1913, and' attended the Tottenham Drapers Com¬ pany school. Her first screen ap¬ pearance was in “The Secret of Mat 2E the Loch” and her favorite film role was in “The Way to the Stars.” She has also been seen in “The Lamp Still Burns.” Married to film editor Hugh Russell Lloyd, the 'actress has one son, John Howard Patrick, born July 31, 1945. They live in a charming old-world cottage in the village that was the setting for Gray’s “Elegy.” In “Green For Danger,” Rosa¬ mund John is cast as a nurse who figures prominently in the mys¬ tery. ‘Danger’ Music “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release opening at the . Thea¬ tre, has a musical score especially composed by William Alwyn to suit the dramatic nature of the story, described as “an unparal¬ leled adventure in screen sus¬ pense.” Muir Mathieson conducted the London Symphony Orchestra. For the hospital dance sequence of the film, the music, also writ¬ ten by Alwyn, was played by Harry Gold and his radio orches¬ tra. Gold collaborated with Alwyn in the scoring of the music. Suspect How To Keep Warm One of the highlight dramatic scenes in “Green for Danger,” the Eagle Lion Films release now showing at the Theatre, finds star Sally Gray waking up to find gas pouring into her bedroom. The day the scene was being filmed was especially cold and Sally asked if a little warmth for her cold bed could be provided. The ingenious prop man heated some bricks, wrapped them in a blanket and put them at Sally’s frozen feet. Director Sidney Gilliat began to rehearse the scene of Sally’s reawakening. Sally closed her eyes and started the scene. But sud¬ denly she reopened them—and let out a piercing scream. “No need to overdo it,” said Gilliat. “I’m not,” replied Sally as she leaped from the bed. “This bed’s on fire!” Mat 1A Still IPL-111-91A SALLY GRAY, who portrays a nurse in Eagle Lion's new film, "Green for Dan¬ ger," is also one of many murder sus¬ pects. The film which also features a most unusual detective, played by Alas¬ tair Sim, is now playing at the . Theatre. Page Twenty-nine