• Short Summary

    Actor Donald Sinden is seen at home with his family and collection of theatre memorabilia.

  • Description

    Golders Green, London.

    At film star Donald Sinden's home, we see the highlights of his collection of theatrical memorabilia.

    C/U panning across a pile of old theatre bills and programmes; tilt up to show actor Donald Sinden sitting in a chair in his garden, reading a book on the life of Henry Irving; his two cats and a dog sit beside him. Commentator tells us that theatrical history is Donald's hobby.

    Donald gets up, goes into his house and starts polishing an 18th century sideboard that Fred Terry died against (!); on the wall are portraits of Edmund Kean and Mrs Sarah Siddons. Donald cleans arm amulets that belonged to Kean's son, Charles and an ornate chain that Henry Irving wore as Louis XI around 1870. C/Us of framed antique theatre playbills on the wall. On the mantelpiece is an award presented to Donald from the Variety Club in 1954.

    Donald is seen brushing the hat Sir John Martin-Harvey wore in 'The Only Way', (original dramatisation of 'A Tale of Two Cities'). Sitting on a couch beside him are his son, Jeremy (aged nine) and his wife, Diana. Donald puts the hat on Jeremy's head then shows him Fred Terry's wig block, while Diana holds up one of Henry Irving's sandals from 'Macbeth'. Donald's other son, Marcus (aged 5), enters carrying a walking stick that belonged to comedian JL Poole; Donald shows it to his sons, who examine it closely as he talks.

    Note: on file are several press releases relating to Donald Sinden, a news cutting about his theatre collection and notes on the story shot.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    99.09
    Media URN:
    2576
    Group:
    Colour pictorials
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    07/12/1959
    Sound:
    sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Colour
    Duration:
    00:02:15:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:14:07:00 / 01:16:22:00
    Canister:
    CP 258

Comments (4)

  1. jamied says

    "Edmund Keen" should read Edmund Kean.

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  2. British Pathé says

    Thanks. Correction made.

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  3. Mark Newberry says

    I am saddened to have just read on your site of the death of this actor.
    One of the illustrious band of post-war British actors, he was equally adept
    at drama and comedy, enjoying a long and successful career in both. Perhaps
    my favourite of his roles was his performance as Jack Hawkins' "Number One"
    in the classic British war film "The Cruel Sea".
    Now he has joined "the great najority" of the theatricals he so plainly admired.
    Your short film is a charming reminder of happier days for the Sinden family.

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  4. Mark Newberry says

    Oops - "najority" in the penultimate line of my previous post should, of course, be
    "majority".

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