Roddy McDowall

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(Roddy McDowall)
(Roddy McDowall)
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Born in London in 1928 to Thomas Andrew McDowall (1896-1978) and his wife Winsfriede L. Corcoran (1899-1965), Roddy McDowall had already been in several British films when his family moved to the United States "at the end of 1940" (Roddy McDowall interview on YouTube) to escape the war. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=OIQumuY6auEC&pg=PA219&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0TK1BdpDrU-HW7DSwKSn66PLU8rg here]). His big break came when he was cast in 1941's ''[[How Green Was My Valley]]'', an emotional drama directed by John Ford. Not as well known, the original director of this movie was [[William Wyler]].  He is the one who saw Roddy's screen-test and chose him for the part.  Wyler is also known for being the second husband, of [[Henry Fonda]]'s first wife Margaret Sullavan.
 
Born in London in 1928 to Thomas Andrew McDowall (1896-1978) and his wife Winsfriede L. Corcoran (1899-1965), Roddy McDowall had already been in several British films when his family moved to the United States "at the end of 1940" (Roddy McDowall interview on YouTube) to escape the war. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=OIQumuY6auEC&pg=PA219&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0TK1BdpDrU-HW7DSwKSn66PLU8rg here]). His big break came when he was cast in 1941's ''[[How Green Was My Valley]]'', an emotional drama directed by John Ford. Not as well known, the original director of this movie was [[William Wyler]].  He is the one who saw Roddy's screen-test and chose him for the part.  Wyler is also known for being the second husband, of [[Henry Fonda]]'s first wife Margaret Sullavan.
  
Close on that role, Roddy McDowall was cast in ''My Friend Flicka'' (watch the first 35 seconds [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4GjaWmmASk here]).  He is also well-known, from his childhood, for his role opposite, the then-unknown [[Elizabeth Taylor]] in 1943's ''Lassie Come Home''.  It is possibly from this time that Elizabeth and Roddy became close friends.  Elizabeth's selection for this movie was an absolute fluke.  The director wanted a young girl with an English accent.  Elizabeth had been born and lived for some years in London where her father had run an art gallery.
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Close on that role, Roddy McDowall was cast in ''My Friend Flicka'' (watch the first 35 seconds [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4GjaWmmASk here]).  He is also well-known, from his childhood, for his role opposite, the then-unknown [[Elizabeth Taylor]], in her screen debut, in 1943's ''Lassie Come Home''.  It is possibly from this time that Elizabeth and Roddy became close friends.  Elizabeth's selection for this movie was an absolute fluke.  The director wanted a young girl with an English accent.  Elizabeth had been born and lived for some years in London where her father had run an art gallery.
  
 
Roddy McDowall lived in the Los Angeles-area with his parents, graduating from University High School in Santa Monica.  [[Christopher Isherwood]] writes that Tom Maddox told him, that he was having an affair with the then teen-aged Roddy.  Christopher in a footnote says that Roddy must have been 18 at this time. (''Lost Years: A Memoir, 1945-1951'', by Christopher Isherwood. WSJ, Page 17).
 
Roddy McDowall lived in the Los Angeles-area with his parents, graduating from University High School in Santa Monica.  [[Christopher Isherwood]] writes that Tom Maddox told him, that he was having an affair with the then teen-aged Roddy.  Christopher in a footnote says that Roddy must have been 18 at this time. (''Lost Years: A Memoir, 1945-1951'', by Christopher Isherwood. WSJ, Page 17).
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[[Tab Hunter]] mentions Roddy in his autobiography ''Tab Hunter Confidential : The Making of a Movie Star'' : "While making shakes [at the Rexall drugstore at Hollywood and Highland], I met my first bona fide movie star.  It was the night of the big 1948 Christmas parade...Dick Clayton brought along Roddy McDowall.  Roddy was only twenty, but he'd been in pictures his whole life....We hit it off, gabbing and laughing...." (''Confidential'', p48).  Several years later, Tab and Roddy posed shirtless for a fan magazine spread entitled "Calling All Girls".
  
 
[[Farley Granger]] mentions Roddy in his autobiography ''Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway'' (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA29,M1 here]).  He knew Roddy prior to Farley's enlistment in the Navy at age 18, and then much later he further remarks, "It was 1953.  I found an apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan....My old pal Roddy McDowall and also Monty Clift lived '''on the same block'''" (emphasis mine) (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA142,M1 page 142])
 
[[Farley Granger]] mentions Roddy in his autobiography ''Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway'' (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA29,M1 here]).  He knew Roddy prior to Farley's enlistment in the Navy at age 18, and then much later he further remarks, "It was 1953.  I found an apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan....My old pal Roddy McDowall and also Monty Clift lived '''on the same block'''" (emphasis mine) (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA142,M1 page 142])

Revision as of 09:59, 14 October 2008

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