Brian Donlevy, the Good Bad Guy

 

   Brian Donlevy was one of those undervalued supporting actors who has generally been given the go-by from the literati. He had a colorful early life as a boy bugler in the National Guard and served in World War I. After a long Broadway career in comedy he went to Hollywood in 1935 where he was given a contract by Twentieth Century Fox. He made a distinct impression as the martinet sergeant in Beau Geste (1939), which typecast him for a while in villainous roles. In that year he made a number of big name films including Jesse James, Union Pacific and Destry Rides Again, always as the villain of the piece.

 Even though he played the bad guy there was always something strangely likeable about him. He came into his own during the war years in The Great McGinty, The Remarkable Andrew and Wake Island. Thereafter he was a staple of noir films, appearing in Killer McCoy, Kiss of Death and The Big Combo among many others. One of his best roles was in Impact (1949), a film I write about at length in my book. In the 1950s he played the role of Professor Quatermass in two Hammer films.

One of his best roles as down-and-outer Dan McGinty who inadvertently rises to be governor in Preston Sturges' satire The Great McGinty (1940), with Muriel Angelus as his wife.

 He had rather an unhappy personal life but found some measure of happiness with his third wife, Lillian Lugosi. I have tried to strike a balance between the man and his work. In the final analysis I hope I have given a rounded and human portrait of an actor who has hitherto been largely ignored.

Brian Donlevy: The Good Bad Guy is published by McFarland & Co, Inc, of North Carolina. Please click on links below for more information:

http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-1-4766-6657-0

https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Donlevy-Good-Bad-Bio-Filmography/dp/1476666571/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482347871&sr=1-1&keywords=brian+donl

Connie's Curious Candle

   Long ago I remember reading the story of Connie's Curious Candle in Enid Blyton's Stories for Bedtime. The book belonged to my sister who had a great many of her books, which will forever remind me of Christmases past. For some reason neither of us ever forgot this tale. It concerned four children who were given different colored candles, but Connie's was left too near the heat and curled over into a C-shape. All the other candles laughed and ridiculed it, which made it very sad. But Connie liked it and kept it when all the other candles had melted. It was such a simple tale and yet stayed with us. I think perhaps because we both felt like outsiders, and to an extent still do. We were somehow different to the other kids and tended to spend a lot of time together. Hence we shared an understanding, perhaps innate, about not fitting in and a feeling of empathy for those who are excluded for whatever reason.
   Ever since we discussed it a number of times and both agreed it would make a great name for an Indie band if we could ever form a group. Unfortunately that never came to pass, but I thought I would use the name for my blog which would set the requisite tone of mystery and invoke memories of times long past.