HERE IS AN ACTOR with a name, that probably most of us would have forgotten, but certainly we know his face 😉
Today marks the birthday of HENRY OSCAR or Henry Wale as some would
have known him, back in the day. Oscar changed his name and began acting
in 1911, having studied under Elsie Fogerty at the Central School of
Speech and Drama.
ON FILM OSCAR played professional characters, dentist for Hitchcock,
school teachers, doctors, bank mangers, all usually stiff,
authoritative and at times pompous, this was probably why Terence Fisher
cast him as Herr Lang, head of the charming 'School for Young Ladies'
in Hammer films 'The Brides of Dracula' in 1960. Again, pompous, his ego
is deflated when Peter Cushing flashes his 'Dr Van Helsing' 'calling
card'! It's a lovely scene. Oscar was to work with Cushing again on
November 4th 1968, in episode 9 'Thor Bridge' of Cushing's BBC 'Sherlock
Holmes' television series, as Bates. Sadly this episode was wiped in
the great BBC 'spring clean', so we have no idea or images just how that
looked. But my guess is, just like in 'Brides' both Cushing and Oscar,
would have squeezed and presented quite a show!
OSCAR ALSO APPEARED in a wide range of films, Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who
Knew Too Much (1934), The Four Feathers (1939), Hatter's Castle (1942),
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948), Beau Brummell (1954), The Little Hut
(1957), Oscar Wilde (1960), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Long Ships
(1963) and Murder Ahoy! (1964). Today, he isn't forgotten 😊Please join us in remembering and celebrating a Very Happy Birthday to Henry Oscar today! 😉
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