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James Mason

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For other people named James Mason, see James Mason (disambiguation).

James Mason
Mason, 1940s
Born
James Neville Mason

(1909-05-15)15 May 1909
Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died27 July 1984(1984-07-27) (aged 75)
Lausanne, Switzerland
Alma materPeterhouse, Cambridge
OccupationActor
Years active1931–1984
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1941; div. 1964)​
​
(m. 1971)​
Children
RelativesBelinda Carlisle (daughter-in-law)

James Neville Mason (/ˈmeɪsən/; 15 May 1909 – 27 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was the top box-office attraction in the UK in 1944 and 1945; his British films included The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady (1945). He starred in Odd Man Out (1947), the first recipient of the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

Mason starred in such films as George Cukor's A Star Is Born (1954), Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959), Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962), Warren Beatty's Heaven Can Wait (1978) and Sidney Lumet's The Verdict (1982). He also starred in a number of successful British and American films from the 1950s to the early 1980s, including: The Desert Fox (1951), Julius Caesar (1953), Bigger Than Life (1956), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), Georgy Girl (1966), Spring and Port Wine (1970), and The Boys from Brazil (1978).

Mason was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning the Golden Globe in 1955 for A Star is Born) and two BAFTA Awards throughout his career. Following his death in 1984, his ashes were interred near the tomb of his close friend, fellow English actor Sir Charlie Chaplin.

Early life, family and education

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Mason was born on 15 May 1909 in Huddersfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the youngest of three sons of John Mason and Mabel Hattersley, daughter of Joseph Shaw Gaunt.[1][2] A wealthy wool merchant like his father, John Mason travelled often on business, mainly in France and Belgium. Mabel—who was "uncommonly well-educated" and had lived in London to study and begin work as an artist before returning to Yorkshire to care for her father—was "attentive and loving" in raising her sons.[3] The Masons lived in a house in its own grounds on Croft House Lane in Marsh. (It was replaced in the mid-1970s by flats called Arncliffe Court.) A small residential development opposite where the house once stood is now called James Mason Court.

Mason was educated at Marlborough College and took a first in architecture at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. He had no formal acting training, and initially embarked upon it for fun.

Career

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1931–1939: Early roles

[edit]

After Cambridge, Mason made his stage debut in Aldershot in The Rascal in 1931.[4][5] He joined the Old Vic theatre in London under the guidance of Tyrone Guthrie.[6] While there he appeared in productions of The Cherry Orchard, Henry VIII, Measure for Measure, The Importance of Being Earnest, Love for Love, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth. Featuring in many of these were Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. In the mid-1930s he also appeared at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, notably in Pride and Prejudice with Betty Chancellor.[7] In 1933, Alexander Korda gave Mason a small role in The Private Life of Don Juan but sacked him three days into shooting.[8]

From 1935 to 1938, Mason starred in many British quota quickies, starting with his first film Late Extra (1935), in which he played the lead. Albert Parker directed. Mason appeared in Twice Branded (1936); Troubled Waters (1936), also directed by Parker; Prison Breaker (1936); Blind Man's Bluff (1936), for Parker's The Secret of Stamboul (1936), and The Mill on the Floss (1936), an "A" movie. Mason had a key support role in Korda's Fire Over England (1937) with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. He was in another "A", The High Command (1937) directed by Thorold Dickinson, then went back to quickies, starring in Catch As Catch Can (1937), directed by Roy Kellino. Korda cast him as the villain in The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937)

Mason began appearing in some televised productions of plays, made in the very early days of television: Cyrano de Bergerac (1938), The Moon in the Yellow River (1938), Bees on the Boat-Deck (1939), Square Pegs (1939), L'Avare (1939), and The Circle (1939). He returned to features with I Met a Murderer (1939) based on a story by Mason and Pamela Kellino, who also starred with Mason and whom he would marry. Her husband Roy Kellino directed.

1941–1957: Leading man status

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Second World War

Mason registered as a conscientious objector during World War II (causing his family to break with him for many years), but his tribunal did not exempt him on the requirement for non-combatant military service, which he also refused. He appealed against that aspect of the tribunal's decision,[9] but it became irrelevant once he was included in a general exemption for film work.[10] In 1941–42 he returned to the stage to appear in Jupiter Laughs by A. J. Cronin. He established himself as a leading man in Britain in a series of films: The Patient Vanishes (1941); Hatter's Castle (1941) with Robert Newton and Deborah Kerr; The Night Has Eyes (1941); Alibi (1942) with Margaret Lockwood; Secret Mission (1942); Thunder Rock (1942) with Michael Redgrave; and The Bells Go Down (1943) with Tommy Trinder.

Mason as Norman Maine in A Star is Born (1954)

Mason became hugely popular for his brooding anti-heroes, and occasional outright villains, in the Gainsborough series of melodramas of the 1940s, starting with The Man in Grey (1943). The film was a huge hit and made him and co-stars Lockwood, Stewart Granger and Phyllis Calvert top-level stars. Mason starred in two wartime dramas, They Met in the Dark (1943) and Candlelight in Algeria (1944), then returned to Gainsborough melodrama with Fanny By Gaslight (1944) with Granger and Calvert; it was another big hit. He starred in Hotel Reserve (1944), a thriller, then did a ghost story for Gainsborough with Lockwood, A Place of One's Own (1945). Far more popular was a melodrama, They Were Sisters (1945).[11][12]

Sydney Box cast Mason in a psychodrama about musicians, The Seventh Veil (1945), as the tyrannical guardian of pianist Ann Todd. It was a huge success in Britain and the US and demand for Mason was at a fever pitch. Exhibitors voted him the most popular star in Britain in each year between 1944 and 1947. They also declared him the most popular international star in 1946; he dropped to second place the following year.[13][14] He was the most popular male star in Canada in 1948.[15]

Mason had a relatively minor role in The Wicked Lady (1945) with Lockwood, a big hit. He then received his best reviews to date playing a mortally wounded IRA bank robber on the run in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out (1947).[16][17] He turned producer with Sydney Box on The Upturned Glass (1947), which starred Mason with a script by Mason's wife. It was not particularly successful. Neither was Bathsheba, a play the Masons did on Broadway. Mason went to Hollywood for his first film, Caught (1949), directed by Max Ophüls, then played Gustave Flaubert in MGM's Madame Bovary (1949). He did another with Ophüls, The Reckless Moment (1949), and followed it with East Side, West Side (1949) with Barbara Stanwyck at MGM and One Way Street (1950) at Universal. He made Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) with Ava Gardner. None of these films were particularly successful.

Mason acted alongside Judy Garland in A Star is Born (1954)

Films at 20th Century Fox

Mason's Hollywood career was revived when he was cast as General Rommel in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), directed by Henry Hathaway. To do the film he agreed to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox for seven years at one film a year.[18] Mason did a film at Republic Pictures written by his wife and directed by Roy Kellino, Lady Possessed (1951). At Fox, he played a spy in 5 Fingers (1951), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. MGM hired him to play Rupert of Hentzau in The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) opposite Granger. He was in the lower budgeted Face to Face (1952) then went to Paramount to play a villainous sea captain opposite Alan Ladd in Botany Bay (1953).

Mason was one of many stars in MGM's The Story of Three Loves (1953). At Fox, he reprised his role as Rommel in The Desert Rats (1953), then he was reunited with Mankiewicz at MGM, playing Brutus in Julius Caesar (1953), opposite Marlon Brando. The film was very successful. Mason worked with Carol Reed in The Man Between (1953), then Fox used him as a villain again in Prince Valiant (1954). Mason did another film with a screenplay by his wife and directed by Roy Kellino, Charade (1954).

Warner Bros., hired him to play Judy Garland's leading man in the George Cukor directed musical drama film A Star Is Born (1954). He took the role after Cary Grant turned the role down. Mason won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Jack Moffitt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film writing, "A Star Is Born is the perfect blend of drama and musical — of cinematic art and popular entertainment."[19]

He went over to Disney to play Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), a huge hit which also starred Kirk Douglas. During 1954 and 1955, Mason was the host of some episodes of Lux Video Theatre on CBS television.[20] Mason appeared with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Forever, Darling (1956) then starred in and produced a film at Fox, Bigger Than Life (1956), directed by Nicholas Ray. Mason played a small-town school teacher driven insane by the effects of cortisone. He did another for Fox, the hugely popular melodrama, Island in the Sun (1957).

1958–1970: Established actor

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Mason in Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959)

Mason began appearing regularly on television in shows such as Panic!, General Electric Theater, Schlitz Playhouse, Goodyear Theatre and Playhouse 90 (several episodes including John Brown's Raid). He starred in two thrillers for Andrew L. Stone, Cry Terror! (1958) and The Decks Ran Red (1958) then played a suave master spy hunting down Cary Grant with romantic assistance from Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest (1959), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

At Fox he had a huge hit returning to Jules Verne science fantasy as the determined Scottish scientist and explorer in Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959), taking over a role meant for Clifton Webb. He did a comedy A Touch of Larceny (1960) and was Sir Edward Carson in The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960). He continued to appear on TV shows like The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Golden Showcase, Theatre '62 and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

He did The Marriage-Go-Round (1961), then played Dolores' sexually obsessive stepfather Humbert Humbert in Stanley Kubrick's version of Lolita (1962). He starred in Tiara Tahiti (1962), then Hero's Island (1962), which he also produced. He was in Torpedo Bay (1963).

In 1963 Mason settled in Switzerland, and embarked on a transatlantic career.[21] He began to drift into support roles, or second leads: the epic The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964); The Pumpkin Eater (1964), with Anne Bancroft; a river pirate who betrays Peter O'Toole's character in Lord Jim (1965); a Chinese noble in Genghis Khan (1965); The Uninhibited (1965); a guest role on Dr Kildare; James Leamington in the Swinging London-set Georgy Girl (1966), a role that earned him a second Academy Award nomination, this one for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

In 1967, Mason narrated the documentary The London Nobody Knows. An ardent cinephile on top of his career interests, Mason narrated two British documentary series supervised by Kevin Brownlow: Hollywood (1980), on the silent cinema and Unknown Chaplin (1983), devoted to out-take material from the films of Sir Charlie Chaplin. Mason had been a long-time neighbour and friend of the actor and director Charlie Chaplin. In the late 1970s, Mason became a mentor to up-and-coming actor Sam Neill.[22]

He was in several episodes of ITV Play of the Week and he had the lead in The Deadly Affair (1967) for Sidney Lumet (playing a character based on George Smiley though it was renamed); and Stranger in the House (1968). He provided a supporting role in Duffy (1968), The Blue Max (1966) and Mayerling (1968) but was top billed in The Sea Gull (1968) for Sidney Lumet and starred as Bradley Morahan in Age of Consent (1969) for Michael Powell, a film which Mason also produced. The movie featured Helen Mirren's first major film role, and was Powell's last major film. He also had the star role in Spring and Port Wine (1970).

1970–1985: Later roles

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Mason in 1975's The Flower in His Mouth

Mason supported Charles Bronson in Cold Sweat (1970) and Lee Van Cleef in Bad Man's River (1971). He was a support in Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! (1971) and top billed in Child's Play (1972) for Lumet, replacing Marlon Brando. He was one of many stars in The Last of Sheila (1973) and played the evil Doctor Polidori in Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). He had support roles in The MacKintosh Man (1973), 11 Harrowhouse (1974), The Marseille Contract (1974), and Great Expectations (1974) and was top billed in Mandingo (1975).

Mason's later 70s performances included Kidnap Syndicate (1975), The Left Hand of the Law (1975), Autobiography of a Princess (1975), Inside Out (1975), The Flower in His Mouth (1975), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Hot Stuff (1977), Cross of Iron (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1978), The Water Babies (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Murder by Decree (1979) (as Dr. Watson), The Passage (1979), Bloodline (1979) and as the vampire's servant, Richard Straker, in Salem's Lot (1979).

Mason was in North Sea Hijack (1980), supporting Roger Moore, Evil Under the Sun (1982), Ivanhoe (1982), and A Dangerous Summer (1982). One of his last roles, that of the corrupt lawyer Ed Concannon in The Verdict (1982), opposite Paul Newman, earned him his third and final Oscar nomination, for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He had parts in Yellowbeard (1983), Alexandre (1983), and George Washington (1984).

Having completed playing the lead role in Dr. Fischer of Geneva (1985), adapted from Graham Greene's eponymous novella for the BBC, he stepped into the role in The Shooting Party originally meant for Paul Scofield, who was unable to continue after being seriously injured in an accident on the first day of shooting. This was to be Mason's final screen performance in a feature film.[23] He did appear on television in A.D. (1985) and The Assisi Underground (1985).

Recordings

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James Mason recorded an album for York Records. The 13-track spoken word album, James Mason Reads from the Bible was issued on York BYK 703 in 1971.[24][25]

Personal life

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Mason and his family in 1957 in the television programme Panic!. From left: son Morgan, Mason's wife Pamela, daughter Portland and Mason.

Mason was a devoted lover of animals, particularly cats. He and his wife, Pamela Mason, co-authored the book The Cats in Our Lives, which was published in 1949. James wrote most of the book and also illustrated it. In The Cats in Our Lives, he recounted humorous and sometimes touching tales of the cats (as well as a few dogs) he had known and loved.

In 1952, Mason purchased a house previously owned by Buster Keaton. There he discovered reels of nitrate film of some of Keaton's work that was considered lost, including The Boat (1921). He arranged to have the decomposing films transferred to safety stock, saving them from oblivion.[26]

In his youth, Mason was a keen fan of his local Rugby League team, Huddersfield. In later years he also followed the fortunes of Huddersfield Town.[27]

Mason was married twice:

  • From 1941 to 1964 to British actress Pamela Mason (née Ostrer) (1916–1996). They had one daughter, Portland Mason Schuyler (1948–2004), and one son, Morgan (who is married to Belinda Carlisle, the lead singer of the Go-Go's). Pamela Mason filed suit for divorce in 1962 for lack of support, claiming adultery on his part with three Jane Does.[28] According to their son Morgan and other sources, Pamela herself had had numerous affairs, but due to her attorney Marvin Mitchelson's skill, she won a monetary settlement of at least $1 million ($9.275 million today) when the marriage was finally dissolved in 1964; it was reported as "America's first million-dollar divorce".[29][30] As a result of this success, Mitchelson became a sought-after celebrity divorce attorney.[31]
  • Australian actress Clarissa Kaye (1971 – his death). Tobe Hooper's DVD commentary for Salem's Lot reveals that Mason regularly included contractual clauses in his later work guaranteeing Kaye bit parts in his films.

Mason's autobiography, Before I Forget, was published in 1981.

Death

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Mason survived a severe heart attack in 1959.[32] He died as result of another heart attack on 27 July 1984 in Lausanne, Switzerland,[33] and was cremated. Mason left his entire estate to his second wife, Clarissa Kaye, but his will was challenged by his two children. The lawsuit had not been settled when she died on 21 July 1994 from cancer.[34] Clarissa Kaye Mason left her holdings to the religious guru Sathya Sai Baba, including the actor's ashes, which she had retained in their shared home. Mason's children sued Sai Baba and subsequently had Mason's ashes interred in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.[35] The remains of Mason's friend Charlie Chaplin are in a tomb a few steps away.[35] Mason's children specified that his headstone read: "Never say in grief you are sorry he's gone. Rather, say in thankfulness you are grateful he was here", words that were spoken to Portland Mason by U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy after the actor's death.[36]

Filmography

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Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1935 Late Extra Jim Martin
1936 Twice Branded Henry Hamilton
Prison Breaker 'Bunny' Barnes
Troubled Waters John Merriman
Blind Man's Bluff Stephen Neville
The Secret of Stamboul Larry
The Mill on the Floss Tom Tulliver
1937 Fire Over England Hillary Vane
The High Command Capt. Heverell
Catch As Catch Can Robert Leyland
The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel Jean Tallien
1939 I Met a Murderer Mark Warrow
1941 This Man Is Dangerous Mick Cardby aka The Patient Vanishes
1942 Hatter's Castle Dr Renwick
The Night Has Eyes Stephen Deremid aka Terror House
Alibi Andre Laurent
Secret Mission Raoul de Carnot
Thunder Rock Streeter
1943 The Bells Go Down Ted Robbins
The Man in Grey Lord Rohan
They Met in the Dark Richard Francis Heritage
1944 Candlelight in Algeria Alan Thurston
Fanny by Gaslight Lord Manderstoke aka Man of Evil
Hotel Reserve Peter Vadassy
1945 A Place of One's Own Smedhurst
They Were Sisters Geoffrey Lee
The Seventh Veil Nicholas
The Wicked Lady Capt. Jerry Jackson
1947 Odd Man Out Johnny McQueen
The Upturned Glass Michael Joyce
1949 Caught Larry Quinada
Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
The Reckless Moment Martin Donnelly
East Side, West Side Brandon Bourne
1950 One Way Street Frank Matson
1951 Pandora and the Flying Dutchman Hendrik van der Zee
The Desert Fox Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
1952 Lady Possessed Jimmy del Palma Also producer and writer
5 Fingers Ulysses Diello
Face to Face The Captain ('The Secret Sharer')
The Prisoner of Zenda Rupert of Hentzau
Botany Bay Capt. Paul Gilbert
1953 The Story of Three Loves Charles Coutray Segment: "The Jealous Lover"
The Desert Rats Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Julius Caesar Brutus
The Man Between Ivo Kern
The Tell-Tale Heart Narrator Voice; Animated short subject
1954 Prince Valiant Sir Brack
Charade The Murderer / Maj. Linden / Jonah Watson Also producer and writer
A Star Is Born Norman Maine
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Captain Nemo
1956 Forever, Darling The Guardian Angel
Bigger Than Life Ed Avery Also producer and writer
1957 Island in the Sun Maxwell Fleury
1958 Cry Terror! Jim Molner
The Decks Ran Red Capt. Edwin Rummill
1959 North by Northwest Phillip Vandamm
A Touch of Larceny Cmdr. Max Easton
Journey to the Center of the Earth Sir Oliver S. Lindenbrook
1960 The Trials of Oscar Wilde Sir Edward Carson
1961 The Marriage-Go-Round Paul Delville
1962 Escape from Zahrain Johnson Uncredited
Lolita Prof. Humbert Humbert
Tiara Tahiti Capt. Brett Aimsley
Hero's Island Jacob Weber
1963 Torpedo Bay Captain Blayne
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Timonides
The Pumpkin Eater Bob Conway
1965 Lord Jim Gentleman Brown
Genghis Khan Kam Ling
The Uninhibited Pascal Regnier
1966 Georgy Girl James Leamington
The Blue Max General Count von Klugermann
Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn Otto Hoffman
1967 The Deadly Affair Charles Dobbs
The London Nobody Knows Narrator Documentary
Stranger in the House John Sawyer (also known as Cop Out)
1968 Duffy Charles Calvert
Mayerling Emperor Franz-Joseph
The Sea Gull Trigorin, a writer
1969 Age of Consent Bradley Morahan
1970 Spring and Port Wine Rafe Crompton
Cold Sweat Captain Ross
The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go Y.Y. Go
1971 Bad Man's River Francisco Paco Montero
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Alan Hamilton
1972 Child's Play Jerome Mailey
1973 John Keats: His Life and Death Narrator (voice)
The Last of Sheila Phillip
The Mackintosh Man Sir George Wheeler
1974 11 Harrowhouse Charles D. Watts
Great Expectations Abel Magwitch
The Marseille Contract Jacques Brizard Released as The Destructors
1975 The Year of the Wildebeest Narrator Documentary
Mandingo Warren Maxwell
Kidnap Syndicate Fillippini
The Left Hand of the Law Senator Leandri
Autobiography of a Princess Cyril Sahib
Inside Out Ernst Furben
The Flower in His Mouth Bellocampo
1976 People of the Wind Narrator Documentary
Voyage of the Damned Juan Ramos
Fear in the City Prosecutor
1977 Cross of Iron Oberst Brandt
Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love Narrator Documentary
1978 The Water Babies Mr Grimes
Voice of Killer Shark
Heaven Can Wait Mr Jordan
The Boys from Brazil Eduard Seibert
1979 Murder by Decree John H. Watson
The Passage Prof. John Bergson
Bloodline Sir Alec Nichols
1980 North Sea Hijack Admiral Brinsden
1982 Evil Under the Sun Odell Gardener
A Dangerous Summer George Engels
The Verdict Ed Concannon
Socrates Socrates
1983 Yellowbeard Captain Hughes
Alexandre The Father
1984 Dr. Fischer of Geneva Dr Fischer
1985 The Shooting Party Sir Randolph Nettleby
The Assisi Underground Bishop Nicolini

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1956 G.E. Summer Originals Season 1 Episode 2: "Duel at Dawn"
1962 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Warren Barrow Season 1 Episode 5: "Captive Audience"
1973 Frankenstein: The True Story Dr. John Polidori TV miniseries
1977 Jesus of Nazareth Joseph of Arimathea TV miniseries
1979 Salem's Lot Richard K. Straker TV miniseries
1980 Hollywood Narrator TV documentary miniseries
1982 Ivanhoe Isaac of York TV film
1983 Don't Eat the Pictures Demon TV special
1984 George Washington Edward Braddock TV miniseries
1985 A.D. Tiberius TV miniseries

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1933 Henry VIII Cromwell The Old Vic, London
1933 Measure for Measure Claudio
1933-34 The Cherry Orchard Yasha
1934 The Tempest Francisco
1934 The Importance of Being Earnest Merriman
1934 Macbeth Lennox
1947 Bathsheba David Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway
1979 Faith Healer Frank Hardy Longacre Theatre, Broadway

Radio

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Year Programme Episode/source
1950 Suspense Banquo's Chair
1952 Odd Man Out[37]
1953 The Queen's Ring

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref
1954 Academy Awards Best Actor A Star is Born Nominated
1966 Best Supporting Actor Georgy Girl Nominated
1982 The Verdict Nominated
1962 British Academy Film Awards Best British Actor Lolita Nominated
1967 The Deadly Affair Nominated
1954 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy A Star is Born Won
1962 Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Lolita Nominated
1982 Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture The Verdict Nominated
1982 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Nominated
1954 New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor A Star is Born Nominated
1957 Child's Play Nominated
1953 National Board of Review Best Actor Face to Face / Julius Caesar
The Desert Rats / The Man Between		 Won

References

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  1. ^ "Mason, James Neville (1909–1984), actor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31418. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "No Buyer for Mason Poster". The Free Library. 2 December 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  3. ^ James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography, Kevin Sweeney, Greenwood Press, 1999, p. 3
  4. ^ Russell, William (28 July 1984). "James Mason: Star of Magnetism and Menace". The Glasgow Herald. p. 8 – via Google News.
  5. ^ Sweeney, Kevin (30 January 1999). James Mason: A Bio-bibliography. Greenwood Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-313-28496-0.
  6. ^ Brian McFarlane "Mason, James (1909–1984)", BFI screenonline; McFarlane (ed) The Encyclopedia of British Film, London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p.438
  7. ^ Christopher Fitz-Simon, The Boys (London: Nick Hern Books, 1994) p. 73 et seq.
  8. ^ Mason, James (7 September 1981). Before I forget: autobiography and drawings. London: Hamish Hamilton. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-241-10677-8.
  9. ^ Thomson, David (15 May 2009) Every word a poison dart, The Guardian
  10. ^ Eric Ambler, Mason, James Neville (1909–1984), rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  11. ^ Robert Murphy, Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939–48, p 207
  12. ^ Gaumont-British Picture: Increased Net Profit, The Observer, 4 November 1945
  13. ^ "James Mason named again as Britain's brightest star". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 2 March 1946. p. 3 Supplement: The Mercury Magazine. Retrieved 24 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "FILM WORLD". The West Australian (SECOND ed.). Perth. 28 February 1947. p. 20. Retrieved 27 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "FILM NEWS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tas. 11 June 1949. p. 14. Retrieved 4 March 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "JAMES MASON TOP OF BRITISH BOX OFFICE". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 20 December 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 10 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "JAMES MASON 1947 FILM FAVOURITE". The Irish Times. 2 January 1948. p. 7.
  18. ^ Schallert, Edwin (6 May 1951). "English Stars Thrive Happily in Unusual Marital Melange". Los Angeles Times. p. E1.
  19. ^ "'A Star Is Born': THR's 1954 Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  20. ^ Becker, Christine (1 October 2005). "Televising Film Stardom in the 1950s". Framework.[dead link]
  21. ^ Kevin Sweeney. James Mason: A Bio-Bibliography, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999, p.47
  22. ^ Iley, Chrissy (23 July 2006). "Put it away, Sam ..." The Guardian. Manchester. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  23. ^ "Obituary: Paul Scofield". BBC News. 20 March 2008.
  24. ^ Discogs - James Mason, Discography, Albums
  25. ^ Fonorama - YORK RECORDS, Stars On Sunday, BYK 703 JAMES MASON READS FROM THE BIBLE LP 01.1971
  26. ^ Bailey, Steve. "The Boat". The Love Nest. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  27. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "James Mason - Home James (1972)" – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "Actress Charges Habitual Cruelty". Morning World. Monroe Morning World. 24 November 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 2 June 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  29. ^ Smith, Dinitia (2 July 1996). "Pamela Mason, 80, An Author, Actress And Talk-Show Host". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  30. ^ Edge, Simon (24 April 2009). "James Mason: The Sad Cad". Daily Express. United Kingdom. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  31. ^ Pleck, Elizabeth H. (2012). Not Just Roommates: Cohabitation After the Sexual Revolution. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-0226671031.
  32. ^ "James Mason: Obituary". Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  33. ^ James Mason Obituary, Variety, 1 August 1984.
  34. ^ Edge, Simon (24 April 2009). "James Mason: The sad cad". Sunday Express. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  35. ^ a b Davies, Caroline (25 November 2000). "James Mason's ashes finally laid to rest". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
  36. ^ Glaister, Dan (10 March 1999). "15 years after his death, film star finds rest". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  37. ^ Kirby, Walter (10 February 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 38. Retrieved 2 June 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon

Further reading

[edit]
  • Hirschhorn, Clive (1977). The Films of James Mason. Citadel Press. ISBN 9780806505848.
  • Morley, Sheridan (1989). James Mason: Odd Man Out. Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 9780297793236.
[edit]
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