Alastair Sim

From Alfred Hitchcock Wiki

• born: 09/Oct/1900 (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)
• died: 19/Aug/1976 (London, England, UK) - cancer

[edit] Biography

Alastair Sim, CBE was a Scottish character actor, whose comic appearance ensured him success in a string of classic British films. He is best known for his role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film "Scrooge".

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, into a family of tailors, he was educated at George Heriot's School and went on to become an elocution lecturer at New College, Edinburgh University from 1925 until 1930, and would later be rector from 1948 until 1951. He married Naomi (1913-1999) in 1932 and they remained together until his death in 1976. Sim was always ambivalent about fame and never signed autographs.

In 1959, Sim successfully sued the perpetrators of a televised baked beans advertisement (which had a voiceover sounding uncannily like his), claiming he would not "prostitute his art" advertising anything.

Preferring the stage, Sim made his London début in Othello in 1930. He also appeared for a season at the Old Vic. He made his film debut in "The Case of Gabriel Perry" (1935). He spent the remainder of the decade playing supporting roles in films, and was often credited as "stealing the scene" from the leading actors. By the 1940s he had progressed to leading roles, and in 1950 he was voted the most popular film actor in Britain in a national cinema poll.

His films include "Waterloo Road" (1944), "Green for Danger" (1946), Alfred Hitchcock's "Stage Fright" (1950), "Laughter in Paradise" (1951), "Folly to be Wise" (1953), "The Belles of St. Trinian's" (1954) and "An Inspector Calls" (also 1954). He played the headmistress Miss Fritton (and her brother Clarence) in the "St. Trinian's" series. He portrayed Captain Hook in six different productions of "Peter Pan" between 1941 and 1968. Probably his best-remembered performance, however, was as the title character in "Scrooge", the 1951 adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".

Sim's performance as "Mr. Squales in London Belongs to Me" (1948) so impressed Alec Guinness that he based his own performance in "The Ladykillers" (1955) on it.

Sim was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1953, but later refused a knighthood. Prior to his death, he played the judge in the popular television series "Misleading Cases" by A. P. Herbert. With his wife Naomi he is credited with mentoring the acting career of George Cole and other young British actors.

He died in London, England from cancer.

(Wikipedia)

[edit] Filmography

With Hitchcock...

• Stage Fright (1950) - cast: Commodore Gill

[edit] Links

• Internet Movie Database

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