Happy Birthday to...

[Joenoir]

Happy birthday, Brief Encounter, no longer a teenager!

[J. J.]

Sir Francis Robert Benson (November 4, 1858 – December 31, 1939)

. . .





(Robert Donat; Bensonian, 1924 - 1928:)



"Benson's theatre sense was profound. Actors take years to learn the art of timing. No one I have ever worked with came anywhere near to his mastery of the art, pause and stress and tempo, and, above all, the spontaneous change of thought and feeling...

I shall never forget when I attempted Julius Caesar. He attacked me from the start saying that he was determined to rid me of my elocutionary habits. I have never been so annihilated, never less humiliated. There was no gainsaying this man ablaze with enthusiasm and purpose; there was no resisting the angelic smile which so often accompanied a critical thrust that cut the ground from under your feet. Presently he planted within you a sense of complete security on the sure and firm-set earth. He made you identify yourself with Shakespeare's meaning until you felt excitedly: 'Now I've got it. This is Caesar...'

Frank Benson was a great man. His greatness shone through him irresistibly even when his acting was bad. And his greatness was shot through with a wonderful benevolence that he never quite lost. Even in his Shylock, when he should have been most villainous, it shone from him like a halo."



(1957)



(Mr. Chips: The Life of Robert Donat by Kenneth Barrow)

[Dame Starry]

May I be the first to wish Bats a very Happy Birthday - as he is one of our biggest posters on these forums! (er, I meant the amount of posts he contributes....not how big he may or may not be.)







Have a great day!



YDSL x,

[Dave Rattigan]

Have a good one, Bats!

[NappieB]

Cheers Bats!! (from a fellow Capricorn!!)

[smudge]

Likewise from me - MANY HAPPIES, Mate ! Hope it's an excellent day.



Maybe the DVD Fairy will make up for her lack of appearance at Xmas ?



Smudge

[David Brent]

MANY HAPPY RETURNS BATMAN.



Have a nice one!



Is he really worth twenty quid Starry?

I hope you're not Robin yourself for Bats.



Cheers



Dave.

[batman]

name='smudge']Maybe the DVD Fairy will make up for her lack of appearance at Xmas ?

Smudge

Thank you all very much indeed.



The DVD fairy did call today .... with all three Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films plus Niagra with Marilyn Monroe. The book fairy also called with a book titled 'British Film Posters- An Illustrated History' which looks very interesting, also a nice boxed set of Penguin James Bond novels.



Thanks again.



Bats.

[Dame Starry]

name='David Brent']MANY HAPPY RETURNS BATMAN.



Have a nice one!



Is he really worth twenty quid Starry?

I hope you're not Robin yourself for Bats.



Cheers



Dave.

It was a cyber-twenty, Dave......I think it's already self-destructed! But it'll still buy a round in a virtual pub somewhere in cyberspace!



Starry x.

[Windthrop]

All the best

[Rob Compton]

Very many Happy Returns, Bats!



All the best!



Rob



PS That twenty looks a fake to me...

[christoph404]

belated Happy Birthday! many happy returns! Cheers,



Chris

[orpheum]

Only 365 days to the next one(it is a leap year)May everything you wish come to be unless it has to do with Chelski winning anything!

[vaggmk1938]

Happy day—and many more of them.



GK

[Edward G]

Hope your Birthday went well Bats.

Don't get in a flap if it didn't!

[Harleybloke]

[stevie boy]

Happy Birthday Bats

[Carmel]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BATSHope you had a good day and a good hangover afterxx

[batman]

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH .... I AM HAVING A GREAT DAY!



Bats.



ps - the birthday fairy just brought me a copy of 'Fatal Charm', the biography of Sexy Rexy.

[penfold]

Many Happy Returns!!