What do the celebrated but seemingly disparate films Citizen Kane, Ghandi (pictured above), Hobson’s Choice, Dracula (1958 version), Tommy, Dr Zhivago, The Madness of King George and Prick Up Your Ears all have in common?
The answer, of course, is that they all feature among their cast or crew former pupils or staff from MGS, and to tie-in with last Sunday’s National Popcorn Day and the upcoming Oscars, this week’s blog is a celebration of the strong links between MGS and the world of cinema, an institution synonymous with the aforementioned corn-based snack. From actors and screenwriters to producers, MGS has produced a number of legendary – alongside less well-known but nevertheless important – names in film history, including Robert Bolt, Harold Brighouse, James Carreras, George Coulouris, Nicholas Hytner, Ben Kingsley, Bert Parnaby and Robert Powell.
Robert Bolt (OM 1938-41)
Screenwriter Bolt is best-remembered for his screenplays for the classic films Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and A Man for All Seasons (1966), the latter two of which won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for The Mission (1986), starring Robert De Niro.
Harold Brighouse (OM 1893-99)
Although this prolific playwright and novelist had no direct involvement in the film industry, his name is immortalised in David Lean’s classic 1954 film adaptation of Brighouse’s 1916 play Hobson’s Choice, starring Charles Laughton and John Mills.
James Carreras (OM 1923-25)
Alongside William Hinds, Carreras founded the iconic Hammer film company, becoming it’s chairman from 1949 to 1980 during which time it had become the most successful British film company in the world, producing many classic horror films, including the 1958 version of Dracula, starring Christopher Lee. He received an MBE in 1944 and was knighted in 1970.
George Coulouris (OM 1916-21)
As a film actor, Coulouris’ most high-profile appearance was in Citizen Kane in 1941, a film which routinely tops the ‘Best Ever Film’ lists, and for which both Welles and Coulouris received the National Board of Review award as actors. He also appeared in many other films, including For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Mr Skeffington (1944), Papillon (1973), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
George Coulouris (centre) in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941)
Nicholas Hytner (OM 1967-74)
Although Hytner is known primarily as a stage director, formerly being Artistic Director for the National Theatre, he has also directed several acclaimed films, most notably The Madness of King George (1994), which won a BAFTA for Best British Film; and The History Boys (2006).
Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Bhanji) (OM 1955-61)
Clearly Bhanji – as he was then known – was a film-enthusiast from an early age, having been elected Middle School Representative of the MGS Film Society (see November blog) in its 1957/8 season. Although he is now perhaps best known as the star of the aforementioned Ghandi (1982), the impressive list of films in which he has appeared also includes Schindler’s List (1993), Sexy Beast (2000), and Hugo (2011).
Bert Parnaby (English Teacher 1949-65)
Uniquely on this list a member of staff rather than a pupil at MGS – Parnaby, in addition to being a regular face on British TV throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, appeared in a number of successful, acclaimed British films including Prick Up Your Ears (1984), and The Dressmaker (1985).
Robert Powell (OM 1955-63)
Also primarily known for his TV roles – most notably in the title role of Jesus of Nazareth (1977) – Powell has also featured in many major films, including The Italian Job (1969), and the Ken Russell films Mahler (1974) and Tommy (1975).
Pictured below is the programme and a photograph from the May 1960 MGS production of The Tempest, produced (very imaginatively, judging from the photo) by Bert Parnaby and featuring Robert Powell as Ariel, from the MGS Archive. The cast also includes the future historian and broadcaster Michael Wood as Juno.
Otto Smart
Mention of Michael Wood in “The Tempest” must have been when he was in his first year at MGS (1A?). I arrived at MGS in September1960 and the first school production I attended was Brecht's " The Caucasian Chalk Circle" in 1961 in which Michael played a major role with a rare brilliance for a lad of his age. This production has always stuck in my mind as an amazing school performance as I saw many more school productions in my teaching career.