Royal Film Performances

[Moor Larkin]

RFP films

As very much an exclusive British past-time........ and I can't find a Thread devoted to it.....................

Have any other actors apart from Patrick McGoohan and Peter Ustinov appeared in more than one such featured Film?

Why wasn't there one in 1958?

Why isn't the Rob Roy from 1953 listed on imdb?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Moor Larkin RFP films As very much an exclusive British past-time........ and I can't find a Thread devoted to it.....................

Like every other area of interest, threads get started when people have something to say or to ask. There is a thread about Royal Film Performances ... now. You've just started it

Have any other actors apart from Patrick McGoohan and Peter Ustinov appeared in more than one such featured Film?

Don't know about actors but quite a few of the crew worked on both A Matter of Life and Death (1946), the first Royal Film Performance, and The Battle of the River Plate (1956).
Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger - writers / producers / directors
Hein Heckroth & Arthur Lawson - design / art dept.
Reginald Mills - editor
C.C. Stevens - sound
Bill Paton - Misc (Powell's assistant)

Why wasn't there one in 1958?

Don't know let's try to find out.

Why isn't the Rob Roy from 1953 listed on imdb?

Like with most other questions about data not being on the IMDb - because nobody's added it. Do you want to or should I?

Steve

[D Cairns]

Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (1954) is listed on the imdb. I assume because it was released commercially a year later with a longer title, you couldn't find it.

I think lots of actors have probably been in more than one. Robert Stephens was in Romeo and Juliet as well as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, for instance. Richard Burton appeared in The Taming of the Shrew and Anne of a Thousand Days. It might be interesting to see if anybody was in THREE royal screenings.

I bet Christopher Lee proves to be the answer, he usually does!

[wearysloth]

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954)
Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue

Actors:
Robert Stephens appeared in four of them
Chaplin, Empire of the Sun, Romeo and Juliet as well as The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Michael York in 4
Lost Horizon, Romeo & Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, The Three Musketeers

Judi Dench in 4
84 Charing Cross Rd, Casino Royale, Die Another Day & Ladies in Lavender

Maggie Smith in 4
California Suite, Evil Under the Sun, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie & Ladies in Lavender

Vernon Dobtcheff in 3
Michael Gough, 3
Nigel Havers, 3
Anthony Hopkins, 3
Michael Hordern, 3


Then you're on the 2's...also
Kevin Kline
Ian Holm
Christopher Lee
Richard Pryor
Leslie Phillips
Anthony Quayle
Denis Quilley
Elizabeth Taylor
Jon Voight
etcetera

updated 'cos I forgot Ladies in Lavender

Most unlikely Royal Film: Hot Shots?!?!

[Philip Eno]

I have just found a list of Royal Film Performances during the reign of QEII on Buckingham Palace press releases > Royal Film Performance 2002, but it only goes up to 2002, the date of the released of the Buckingham Palace Statement.

It makes no mention of the non Royal Film Performance for 1958, of which I find curious for I have a strong interest in this subject for I used to work at the Odeon
Leicester Square and was there for 1977 to 1979 (Silver Streak, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and California Suite).

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by D Cairns Rob Roy, The Highland Rogue (1954) is listed on the imdb. I assume because it was released commercially a year later with a longer title, you couldn't find it.

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954) doesn't have a UK release date on the IMDb.
Can anyone find out when it was first released for the public to see?
Press screenings, previews & special events like the Royal Film Performances don't count but if the date when it was first shown to the public was in 1953 then that will cause the date to be changed so it'll be shown as Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953)

Also, was it ever shown with a title of just Rob Roy?
If it was then we can add that as an AKA title on the IMDb.
But it might be just that the lists of films shown at the Royal Film Performance are using a shorthand or cut-down titles.

Steve

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954) doesn't have a UK release date on the IMDb. Can anyone find out when it was first released for the public to see? Press screenings, previews & special events like the Royal Film Performances don't count but if the date when it was first shown to the public was in 1953 then that will cause the date to be changed so it'll be shown as Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) Also, was it ever shown with a title of just Rob Roy? If it was then we can add that as an AKA title on the IMDb. But it might be just that the lists of films shown at the Royal Film Performance are using a shorthand or cut-down titles. Steve

I was lucky enough to win 2 tickets to "A Matter Of Life and Death". I was working as Assistant Director, at Nettlefold Studios. I gave the other ticket to Ken Hodges friend and focus puller. John Llewellyn

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by John Llewellyn Moxey I was lucky enough to win 2 tickets to "A Matter Of Life and Death". I was working as Assistant Director, at Nettlefold Studios. I gave the other ticket to Ken Hodges friend and focus puller. John Llewellyn

Did you keep your programme? It was quite a night I believe

The authorities had no idea how popular it would be and weren't at all prepared for the crowds that turned up. Even Mr & Mrs King and the princesses had to almost fight their way through the crowd. There is some newsreel footage of the scenes outside as well as the main line-up and presentation inside. Also of the reception beforehand.

Steve

[AndrewLA]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook ... special events like the Royal Film Performances don't count...

Didn't Royal Film Performances also effectively serve as opening nights for their movies, with regular screenings for the public the following day? That would make the year of the royal performance the same as the film's release.

Or am I mistaken? You'd think exhibitors would want to immeditely cash in on all that publicity.

Re the title, Variety notes the 1953 London opening as simply ROB ROY. I'm wondering if Disney added "the Highland Rogue" after the film opened to less-than-stellar boxoffice, attempting to market it more as a fun adventure." It seems to have been the least successful of the three Todds for Disney.

Edited to add: The Variety review is dated Oct 27, 1953.

[Philip Eno]

The films I worked for (Silver Streak, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and California Suite) had the release and shown the public the following day.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by AndrewLA Didn't Royal Film Performances also effectively serve as opening nights for their movies, with regular screenings for the public the following day? That would make the year of the royal performance the same as the film's release.

Not always.
The first one, A Matter of Life and Death had its Royal Film Performance on November 1st, 1946. But it wasn't made available for public screenings until 30th December.
The Battle of the River Plate (1956) had its Royal Film Performance on November 30th but wasn't shown to the public until December 24th.
There were often other press screenings and premieres before the public were allowed to see them.

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by AndrewLA Re the title, Variety notes the 1953 London opening as simply ROB ROY. I'm wondering if Disney added "the Highland Rogue" after the film opened to less-than-stellar boxoffice, attempting to market it more as a fun adventure." It seems to have been the least successful of the three Todds for Disney. Edited to add: The Variety review is dated Oct 27, 1953.

Does it say when it opened?

Steve

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

Steve, it was quite a night. Unfortunately I do not have a program.
John Llewellyn

[AndrewLA]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Not always. The first one, A Matter of Life and Death had its Royal Film Performance on November 1st, 1946. But it wasn't made available for public screenings until 30th December. The Battle of the River Plate (1956) had its Royal Film Performance on November 30th but wasn't shown to the public until December 24th.

Interesting. I never knew that!

There were often other press screenings...

Most movies are shown to the press way in advance of the public, so the Oct 27, 1953 date on Variety's ROB ROY review was almost certainly that of a critics/press screening.

[AndrewLA]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Does it say when it opened?

Afraid not.

Here's the headline for the New York Times review of ROB ROY from their site. You can see that the date is Feb 1954.

ROB ROY' OPENS AT CRITERION; Walt Disney Drama Moves in Angry Pursuits Among the Misty Scottish Hills

By BOSLEY CROWTHER
Published: February 4, 1954

The British release could have been earlier, though a London press screening at the end of October would probably indicate a similar date -- right at the end of '53 or early '54.

The BFI's Monthly Film Bulletin usually indicated British release dates. Does anyone have old copies from that era...?