A Smashing Day

[christine~]

In February 1966, Brian takes over production of this stage play from the ailing John Fernald.


I know the names of the actors shown here can be found somewhere, but I just can't be arsed to look for them right now

[yerblues1968]

You put fantastic photos of Brian Epstein on your Forum, Eppylover. As the British would say, 'they look simply marvelous!" Mr. Epstein was so mature in mind and character, way beyond his young years in the 20s. He had an enormous presence, charm, and magnetism. A poise and position enviable by lesser men. For truly, he deserved all the prestige that he garnered when he was with us--and many attributes posthumously when his story is finally told to the public! We owe him so much.

[christine~]

Ah, just stumbled across the second photo with a detailed caption.
Go here:
www.flickr.com/photos/eppylover/1498934435/

And feel free to peruse all the photos in my Flickr, and save for yourself whatever you wish!

What's in Flickr is only a taste, the tip of my iceberg, so to speak.

44 years (and counting) of Eppylovin' will score you a LOT of materials, my friend!

After all this time, how could he ever stop being my ultimate hero?

[Frizz K West]

Smashing!

[yerblues1968]

Sir Ben Kingsley

HOW SIR BEN KINGSLEY CHOSE ACTING OVER POP


Last Updated: 12:01am BST
01/08/2008


Now recognised as one of Britain's most talented and distinguished actors, Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji to an English model-actress, Anne Lyna Goodman, and her doctor husband, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji. He attended Manchester Grammar School and Salford University and began his stage career in A Smashing Day, a musical produced by Brian Epstein, the manager of the Beatles. As Kingsley tells it, he was faced with the choice of pursing an acting career or following the Beatles to worldwide fame as a singer-guitarist.

"I was offered a contract by Dick James, who was the manager of Northern Songs, who in turn recorded all the Beatles' early discs," he recalls. "It was an extraordinary meeting and he was quite insistent because he'd heard me play the guitar and sing on stage, as did John and Ringo. It was quite difficult for me to decide which way to go, and then in the same week I was offered a line of small roles in classical theatre and I decided to follow that route."

Within a year, he was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and toured the US with Peter Brook's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was then that he changed his name to Ben Kingsley, fearing that a foreign-sounding name would hinder his career.



Sir Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Ghandi for the 1982 film "Ghandi," which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Actor. Beside him in the photo is actor Martin Sheen in the film.


He made his film debut with a small role in 1972's Fear is the Key and in 1975 played Hamlet with the RSC before beginning two years with the National Theatre, working with Peter Hall on productions of Volpone, The Cherry Orchard, The Country Wife and Judgment. He had his first movie starring role in Richard Attenborough's epic Gandhi, which won him an Oscar in 1982 and propelled him from being a relatively obscure character actor to an international star.

www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/01/bfben101.xml