Robert Donat/Jeremy Northam

[Marky B]

Has anyone noticed a similiarity between the late great Robert Donat and the British actor Jeremy Northam. Both appearing in separate versions of The Winslow Boy,but I am not certain if they are playing the same character as I have not seen either film.
(The latter was written and directed by David Mamet,he of The Untouchables,Glengarry Glenross and Heist)
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

[Freddy]

Afternoon Marky,
They both play Sir Robert Morton, but I get mixed up with Jeremy Northam and Julian Wadham who played Madox in the English Patient(he was Fiennes only real friend and tells him about the sub sternal notch and asks him to stay with his family if ever he is in England)
Robert Donat as you say was a great actor, his final scene in Inn of Sixth Happiness where he says "We shall not see each other again, I think."
were the last screen words he ever spoke.
Ingrid Bergman said that she could see how much pain and discomfort he was in and the tears she shed for him in that scene were real.

Freddy

[Marky B]

Yes,Freddy,
That is a story I have told to people,but somehow can't without shedding a few tears of my own. He died a few days after shooting the scene.
A Lovely Man!
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

[Pam1927]

I love Robert Donat. I think that anyone who wants to know what being a truly great actor is all about could do no better than watch 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' and 'Goodbye Mr Chips' back to back - then they'd know! :)

[Rob Compton]

I absolutely agree Pam - a fine man and a fine actor, who went through agonies for his craft.

rgds
Rob

[Marky B]

I have never seen Goodbye Mr Chips,but I agree with Pam,he was excellent in The Thirty Nine Steps - it is still my favourite version of the story.
I once argued with a mate of mine because he preferred the Robert Powell version,as it stuck (according to him) to the original novel.
That maybe the case,but I can't see the audiences of the thirties putting up with a slow,stodgy film such as the RP version. (And I am a fan of Robert Powell). Robert Donat delivered charm and humour with a twinkle in his eye.
Did you know he was the original choice for Willie Mossop in Hobson's Choice? John Mills was superb in that film,but could Robert Donat have done better? Sadly we'll never know.
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u

[Gibbie]

Also agree that Donat was a great actor.

Definately, 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr. Chips were top performances.

I understand that asthma was a persistent problem and affected why he wasn't in more films.

Per the 39 Steps: If anyone is a reader, Hitchcock and many of the Brit suspense/thriller/espionage directors who followed, were greatly influenced by the writer Eric Ambler.

Donat also directed and produced one film, The Cure for Love in which he played the leading role.

Haven't seen, but would be interested to see his other pictures, Knight without Armour with Marlene Dietrich, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Winslow Boy. He was good, even though deathly ill, in Inn...

[Pam1927]

</div><div class='quotemain'>Marky B: I have never seen Goodbye Mr Chips,but I agree with Pam,he was excellent in The Thirty Nine Steps - it is still my favourite version of the story. I once argued with a mate of mine because he preferred the Robert Powell version,as it stuck (according to him) to the original novel. That maybe the case,but I can't see the audiences of the thirties putting up with a slow,stodgy film such as the RP version. (And I am a fan of Robert Powell). Robert Donat delivered charm and humour with a twinkle in his eye. Did you know he was the original choice for Willie Mossop in Hobson's Choice? John Mills was superb in that film,but could Robert Donat have done better? Sadly we'll never know. Ta Ta Marky B thumbs_u [/b]

You've never seen 'Goodbye Mr Chips', Marky! You're in for a treat then, when you do... make sure you've got a box of hankies to hand for the end though!

I didn't know that Robert Donat was the original choice for Willie Mossop. Interesting... though it's hard to imagine anyone but John Mills in that part. One of the things I love about John Mills is his ability to play both toffs and common-as-muck types equally well. I always think of Robert Donat as predominantly 'posh'! However, his acting skills were such that I'm sure if he had have played the role, I now would be unable to imagine anyone else doing it!

Re 'The Thirty-Nine Steps', I'm not the greatest fan of Robert Powell myself, but I thought his version wasn't at all bad, though I'd always prefer to watch the Robert Donat version, given the choice, of course! I certainly agree, Marky, re Mr Donat's charm and humour, and that lovely twinkle in his eye... he was also a lot better looking than Mr Powell, imho! :)

[Marky B]

Hi Pam,
I like Robert Powell,but he had a mediocre success in the cinema as a leading man,as he is definately a television actor. He was excellent in the title role in Jesus of Nazareth,but after his stint with Jaspar Carrot in The Detectives (very funny) I can't take him seriously anymore.
Back to thread,next time Goodbye Mr Chips is on,I'll tape it. I will have to watch it by myself as I tend to blubber a bit. You know,I even cried when Dumbo got reunited with his mother
Other than that,I'm all man wink
Ta Ta
Marky B thumbs_u
PS My niece,an animal lover,when she was younger actually cried when the shark got blew up in Jaws [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] She's 24 now,I think she's grew out of it [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

[theuofc]

Robert Donat was a fine actor and had a dignified quality and true substance that was present in almost any role. But Jeremy Northam, also a fine actor, is sexier in my opinion.

[DeeDee]

I think the only film I saw of Robert Donat's was The Count of Monte Cristo and I loved him! He had an unusual quality to his voice, I can't quite describe it but I knew it when I heard it. Robert was classic handsome.

Jeremy Northam is wonderful, and I love the detective series which is currently on TV. Jeremy is very sexy, and I like the longish hair.

Originally posted by theuofc@Sep 8 2004, 11:53 AM Robert Donat was a fine actor and had a dignified quality and true substance that was present in almost any role. But Jeremy Northam, also a fine actor, is sexier in my opinion. <div align="right">Quoted post</div>