Who was the first George (performer)?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Fascinating details about Grazina Frame and the others. What with the dog being called Yelruth Annfield and Tony being referred to as "Tony Summerfield Esq.", I feel as though I've entered a deliciously old-fashioned and refined world!

[Julie2owlsdene]

That's most interesting, thanks for putting up the letter and cuttings, Tony. I'm really pleased to read that 'Timmy' stole the show and was the best quadrupal performer of the year!

Reading the letter, from the lady who played Anne, and having her remember seeing Enid sitting there in the stalls and smiling at them (the cast) sent little shivers of awe down my spine as it does when I hear of anyone who knew and saw Enid Blyton. It sends shivers of excitement down my back, to know that these people actually spoke to and was connected with my childhood favourite author.

[Domino]

Yes, it's good to see that Pat Garwood and Grazina Frame, whilst never being big stars, continued in fiim / TV/ and stage work for a long time in adulthood. That is not easy.
Another familiar name I spotted in the cast list in the second clippings was Ann Lancaster. She seems to have appeared in a lot of comedy series. I note with interest that in 1956 she appeared as herself in Great Scott, It's Maynard which was when Terry Scott and Bill Maynard were a double act.

Domino

[Soenke Rahn]

Thank you very much Tony. Great informations, also to Timmy

Yes, it's good to see that Pat Garwood and Grazina Frame, whilst never being big stars, continued in fiim / TV/ and stage work for a long time in adulthood. That is not easy.
Another familiar name I spotted in the cast list in the second clippings was Ann Lancaster. She seems to have appeared in a lot of comedy series. I note with interest that in 1956 she appeared as herself in Great Scott, It's Maynard which was when Terry Scott and Bill Maynard were a double act.

Domino

Polly Boswell was played by Pauline Black; maybe this one: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0085464/,
because the filmography goes down to 1953 and the biography seems to say that she would come from England (there is to read: "(1989) She played Billie Holliday in the play, "All Or Nothing At All," at the Tricycle Theatre in London, England with Henry Goodman,") --- Polly Boswell was a young role.

[Soenke Rahn]

And "Junior" was also a younger performer named: Colin Gibson
but there exists a lot of them:
http://www.imdb.com/find?q=Colin+Gibson&s=all
but I think I have the next one:
http://www.imdb.com/find?q=Colin+Gibson&s=all
because he played in this Film the young character John:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048231/
So he could be the boy one the left side of the cover on the imdb entry.

[Soenke Rahn]

The only person which could be also younger would the Hoopla boy, named Jon Holliday, but I don't find really something which would be interesting to it. Maybe Jon = John; but nothing found, which would be really interesting:http://www.imdb.com/find?q=John+Holliday&s=all

[Domino]

I think it's likely that the Colin Gibson who was in The Famous Five play is the one who starred in John and Julie. This film was about a couple of children who run away to see the Coronation. It was very widely publicised at the time. Although I was only 12, I can clearly remember it being previewed in the BBC's Film Review program Current Release introduced by John Fitzgerald. I can even remember which bit they showed - when John invents new words to 'Onward Christian Soldiers' in Church!

Dave

[Eddie Muir]

I remember seeing, John and Julie at the pictures in the mid-fifties. Here is some information about the film:

Plot

John (Gibson) and Julie (Dudley) are two children who personally want to see the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in spite of the fact that their parents have no intention of going. The two decide to run off to London when left alone. Along their way, they encounter different quirky and eccentric people.

Cast

Colin Gibson as John Pritchett
Lesley Dudley as Julie
Noelle Middleton as Miss Stokes
Moira Lister as Dora
Wilfrid Hyde-White as Sir James
Sid James as Mr. Pritchett
Megs Jenkins as Mrs. Pritchett
Joseph Tomelty as Mr. Davidson
Constance Cummings as Mrs. Davidson
Patric Doonan as Jim Webber
Andrew Cruickshank as Uncle Ben
Colin Gordon as Mr. Swayne
Winifred Shotter as Mrs. Swayne
Peter Jones as Jeremy
Peter Sellers as Police Constable Diamond
Patrick Connor as Trooper Rogers
Philip Stainton as Police sergeant

A very interesting cast including a young Peter Sellers.

[Tony Summerfield]

I can't really add much to what I have already said about this, but I can list the full cast from the first production. Some of them are the same but there are one or two differences:-

Julian . . . . . . . . . . Gordon Gardner
Dick . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Maguire
Anne . . . . . . . . . .Janice Edgard
Georgina . . . . . . . .Pat Garwood
“Timmy” . . . . . . . . Timmy
Mr. Kirrin . . . . . . . .Brian Badcoe
Mrs. Kirrin . . . . . . .Betty Stockfield
Joan . . . . . . . . . . Ann Lancaster
Mr. Elbur . . . . . . . . Peter Elliott
Junior . . . . . . . . . .Donald Wilson
Polly Boswell . . . . . Pauline Black
Jake . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Sieman
Mrs. Jake . . . . . . . Ann Lancaster
Cocoanut Boy . . . . Tony Sympson
Tom . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Sone
Boswell . . . . . . . . .Timothy Grey
Max . . . . . . . . . . . Norman Mitchel
Taffy . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Davis
The Boss . . . . . . . .Hugh Manning
Inspector of Police . Frank Sieman
Police Sergeant . . . Timothy Grey
Constable . . . . . . . Frank Drury

This was performed at the same theatre as the Noddy play and some of the cast were in both. I think that the 'Cocoanut Boy' may have been an adult as Tony Sympson also played the Saucepan Man in the Noddy play.

In our archives I have Enid Blyton's own original manuscript of the play, which also has several pages of written notes. I have not had time to check and see if this differs from the published copy.

[Soenke Rahn]

I can't really add much to what I have already said about this, but I can list the full cast from the first production.

Thank you very much. These are a lot of informations, never dreamed to get them. Ahh, yes,

Some of them are the same but there are one or two differences:-

Julian . . . . . . . . . . Gordon Gardner
Dick . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Maguire
Anne . . . . . . . . . .Janice Edgard
Georgina . . . . . . . .Pat Garwood
“Timmy” . . . . . . . . Timmy
Mr. Kirrin . . . . . . . .Brian Badcoe
Mrs. Kirrin . . . . . . .Betty Stockfield
Joan . . . . . . . . . . Ann Lancaster
Mr. Elbur . . . . . . . . Peter Elliott
Junior . . . . . . . . . .Donald Wilson
Polly Boswell . . . . . Pauline Black
Jake . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Sieman
Mrs. Jake . . . . . . . Ann Lancaster
Cocoanut Boy . . . . Tony Sympson
Tom . . . . . . . . . . . Roy Sone
Boswell . . . . . . . . .Timothy Grey
Max . . . . . . . . . . . Norman Mitchel
Taffy . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Davis
The Boss . . . . . . . .Hugh Manning
Inspector of Police . Frank Sieman
Police Sergeant . . . Timothy Grey
Constable . . . . . . . Frank Drury

This was performed at the same theatre as the Noddy play and some of the cast were in both. I think that the 'Cocoanut Boy' may have been an adult as Tony Sympson also played the Saucepan Man in the Noddy play.

Ah, thank you. -- Ahh, yes, so I suppose after reading it that the Character Tom (Roy Sone) was in the same age like him. (page 74 is to read that Tom is a "boy" and on page 84 is the passage with the coconut shy boy.) Maybe a young men? -- I suppose.

In our archives I have Enid Blyton's own original manuscript of the play, which also has several pages of written notes. I have not had time to check and see if this differs from the published copy.

Yes, I know Friendly greetings, Soenke