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Post by Easton on May 1, 2021 13:53:35 GMT -5
^ James was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
The accent was real. I'm guessing that it stayed with him his entire life.
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Post by flossieskid on May 2, 2021 3:46:20 GMT -5
I didn’t watch the National Velvet thing all the way through. Will check it out. My cousin has taped many National Velvet shows but I haven’t seen all of them. But it’s nice to see some clips about the cast. There is a strange history about my Dad’s birth place. A few places say he was born in Glasgow, but other media and sources say he was born in Ireland. Dad always told us he was born in Londonderry, Ireland. When I was researching our family on Ancestry.com, all of my Dad’s family had Irish passports, including him, but they left for America FROM Glasgow. Maybe that explains the confusion. Plus, Ancestry says I am 98% Irish, so I will continue to believe my Dad, I guess. I will have to update IMBD. He grew up with his parents having deep Irish brogues. I only spoke to my grandparents over the phone, when I was young and I could barely understand them because their brogues were so thick! As an actor, my Dad could do lots of accents, but Irish was his best, obviously. But, it was not how he spoke all the time. Although, I would hear him shout “Bloody Hell” or “Bugger” - very Irish phrases - throughout my childhood. My kids hear those words from me now and then! Fun to use instead of regular curse words, for sure!!
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Post by Easton on May 2, 2021 7:54:00 GMT -5
^ Thanks for that explanation. I thought he sounded Irish in the clip I posted but questioned myself when Google told me he was born in Scotland, especially when several sources told me that. It's even on his IMdB page and a number of 'celebrity' bio pages.
I should have gone to the ancestral websites. They're consistently Irish. I'm surprised none of those pages slipped in to the search results Google gave me.
Still, he was taller than Harry Potter.
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Post by patriciaanne on May 2, 2021 14:15:39 GMT -5
I didn’t watch the National Velvet thing all the way through. Will check it out. My cousin has taped many National Velvet shows but I haven’t seen all of them. But it’s nice to see some clips about the cast. There is a strange history about my Dad’s birth place. A few places say he was born in Glasgow, but other media and sources say he was born in Ireland. Dad always told us he was born in Londonderry, Ireland. When I was researching our family on Ancestry.com, all of my Dad’s family had Irish passports, including him, but they left for America FROM Glasgow. Maybe that explains the confusion. Plus, Ancestry says I am 98% Irish, so I will continue to believe my Dad, I guess. I will have to update IMBD. He grew up with his parents having deep Irish brogues. I only spoke to my grandparents over the phone, when I was young and I could barely understand them because their brogues were so thick! As an actor, my Dad could do lots of accents, but Irish was his best, obviously. But, it was not how he spoke all the time. Although, I would hear him shout “Bloody Hell” or “Bugger” - very Irish phrases - throughout my childhood. My kids hear those words from me now and then! Fun to use instead of regular curse words, for sure!! I visited Derry back in 1995. ("Derry" to the Catholics, "Londonderry" to the Protestants). I don't know if you have seen "Derry Girls" in Netflix, but I find it hysterical. You have to have a healthy tolerance for the "f" word, though. But the way they use it is so funny and innocent, like it's just a regular word. I don't find it offensive at all. You might enjoy seeing all the scenery since your Dad is from there. It's completely filmed in Derry.
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Post by flossieskid on May 3, 2021 3:25:34 GMT -5
Thanks - sadly I never heard of “Derry Girls”. I have it but rarely watch Netflix. Will have to change that! When my husband and I visited Dublin, many years ago, I asked our tour guide something about “Derry”. She said to the rest of the people on the bus, “I know Tracey is Catholic, do you know how I know that?” Exactly what you said: Catholics call it Derry and Protestants call it Londonderry. But I always say the full name because not many know that. Gosh, I am sorry but I forgot to message you rather than share my father’s stuff on The Waltons Forum. I apologize to the other fans. I should not take the Forum to discuss my Dad, but I sure am very grateful to the kind fans that sent me photos of my Dad and links to check out other stuff. I am very grateful, but of course kindness is one of the attributes I think all Waltons’ fans have!!
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Post by Easton on May 3, 2021 7:16:16 GMT -5
^ Why shouldn't you discuss him? I enjoy his stories just as much as your mother's stories. I grew up with your father. I didn't know your mother until The Waltons.
Please don't limit yourself. This thread is perfect for sharing his photos and stories.
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Post by patriciaanne on May 3, 2021 17:43:45 GMT -5
Thanks - sadly I never heard of “Derry Girls”. I have it but rarely watch Netflix. Will have to change that! When my husband and I visited Dublin, many years ago, I asked our tour guide something about “Derry”. She said to the rest of the people on the bus, “I know Tracey is Catholic, do you know how I know that?” Exactly what you said: Catholics call it Derry and Protestants call it Londonderry. But I always say the full name because not many know that. Gosh, I am sorry but I forgot to message you rather than share my father’s stuff on The Waltons Forum. I apologize to the other fans. I should not take the Forum to discuss my Dad, but I sure am very grateful to the kind fans that sent me photos of my Dad and links to check out other stuff. I am very grateful, but of course kindness is one of the attributes I think all Waltons’ fans have!! Easton is right. We enjoy hearing about your dad! I am sure if Brenda sees this (@forumadministrator) she will confirm. 😊
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Post by Brenda on May 3, 2021 21:20:02 GMT -5
You can discuss whatever you want. I enjoy reading your stories. They don’t all have to be Waltons-related.
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Post by Easton on Jul 2, 2021 21:56:01 GMT -5
By chance, I discovered 'Boy Slaves' being broadcast tonight. I've got it set to record and will watch it this weekend. I'll let you know what I think of it.
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Post by Easton on Jul 3, 2021 17:26:44 GMT -5
I knew nothing about the movie going in except that James McCallion was in it. It certainly was a surprise when I discovered that it was based on an actual part of history that I had no idea existed, at least not in the way it was portrayed.
I won't spoil it for others who may wish to watch it as some point so I'll just say that James had no problem whatsoever handling an American accent.
Oh, and kudos to the cop and the judge. Very impressive, and a great speech at the end.
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Post by flossieskid on Jul 5, 2021 5:44:53 GMT -5
Easton, I wish there was a way I could change the subject line since this is in reply to the “Boy Slaves” comments from you and not the picture found in Joe Conley’s house.
I am still in shock about the fact that I am such a dork - not knowing the movie was based on actual events happening to young men in America and all over the world. How horrible! I have seen the movie several times, but I guess I always skipped ahead and missed that info in the “Foreward.”
I agree with you, Easton, that my Dad was quite convincing in the last scene. His subtle changes, realizing exactly what the judge meant, was quite believable. He was 18 when the movie was released, but he came over to America from Ireland when he was 3 and starting acting soon after, starring on Broadway, with Irene Dunn, at age 6. So, he really became a good actor quite young. In fact, my Dad told me that one night during a performance (I forget the name of the play) but my Dad didn’t realize he had gone downstage (nearer the audience) while Miss Dunn was doing a pivotal scene elsewhere. Backstage, evidently, she became irate and slapped my Dad across the face and screamed at him “Never upstage me again!” I always liked her until I heard that story. Imagine!! He was only 6 years old! What a total b**ch!!
When I asked my folks what makes a good actor, they both said, “Truth. It is your job, as an actor, to make anyone watching believe you ARE that character and you are not caught ‘acting.’”
As I have mentioned before, I think that is why I LOVE my Mom’s performance in “The Firestorm.” It is, truly, her best role because I totally forgot she was my Mom - she WAS Flossie Brimmer. I thought Richard Thomas surely deserved an Emmy for his performance in that episode. He was simply incredible!
I wonder if many fans have heard the firsthand account of Harrison Ford when he told a great story of meeting with a casting VP. This studio executive was not sure Harrison was leading man material after his underwhelming performance of one line in his first movie. The executive said (and I am paraphrasing here) “I don’t think you have what it takes. For instance, when Tony Curtis came on the screen for the very first time, playing a grocery delivery boy, you sat back and said, ‘Now THERE is a movie star!’” Harrison turned toward the executive and said, “I THOUGHT you were suppose to say, ‘Now THERE is a grocery delivery boy!!” Harrison was thrown out of his office. Gee, I wonder what ever became of that Harrison guy?!?!
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Post by Easton on Jul 5, 2021 7:08:55 GMT -5
Great stories, and sorry for derailing your thread. One thing leads to another and...
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Post by Easton on Sept 5, 2021 16:20:51 GMT -5
I'm watching 'The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!' and I saw James McCallion's very brief scene. It was bad enough that the camera was so far away from him that he was completely unrecognisable, his only line didn't help: "He stole my cah!'
I wonder if they parked the car near the 'hahbah'? (Their word, not mine. )
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