Many thanks to young Gina who sent me this obit on Marius from the New York
Times.
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New York Times
October 6th 1998
By Ralph Blumenthal
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Marius Goring, a British Actor, Is Dead at 86
Marius Goring, a
British actor who played Shakespearean villains and Nazi officers
and stole Moira Shearer's heart in the classic ballet film, "The
Red Shoes," died on Wednesday at his home in the West Sussex county
of England *. He was 86 and had cancer, the BBC reported.
Although long known for his classical roles, Mr. Goring achieved
his greatest popular success in the 1960's and 70's as the star of
the BBC series "The Expert," in which he played a flamboyantly
red-bearded forensic scientist who hunted criminals with a microscope.
Earlier he starred in another British television series as the
Scarlet Pimpernel.
He appeared in so many World War II movies that he claimed to have
played every rank in the German Army from private to field marshal.
The mostly forgettable films included "U-Boat 29" (1939)
[The Spy in Black]
with Conrad Veidt; "Pastor Hall" (1940), based on the story of the
anti-Nazi minister, the Rev. Martin Niemoeller; "Odette" (1950)
with Anna Neagle, Trevor Howard and Peter Ustinov; "Circle of
Danger" (1951) with Ray Milland; "So Little Time" (1952) with
Maria Schell and "Night Ambush" (1957)
[Ill Met by Moonlight]
with Dirk Bogarde.
In 1954 he joined the all-star cast of Ava Gardner, Humphrey
Bogart, Rossino Brazzi and Edmond O'Brien in "The Barefoot
Contessa," in which he played a South American wastrel.
His cinematic peak may have come in 1948 with "The Red Shoes,"
the British retelling of a Hans Christian Anderson fable still
widely regarded as the greatest dance movie ever made.
An early Technicolor feature, the film cast Mr. goring as
Julian Craster, the young composer who presents a romantic
distraction to the dance-bewitched ballerina.
His next starring role came in another British film, "Mr.
Perrin and Mr. Traill," in which he played a foolish mathematics
professor laid low by love.
His notable stage roles included Richard III in 1958 and Angelo
in "Measure for Measure," with the Royal Shakespeare Theater
in Stratford-on-Avon in 1962.
Mr. Goring was born on the Isle of Wight in 1912. His mother was
a pianist and his father was a doctor and criminologist.
He attended universities in Europe and studied theater at the
Old Vic dramatic school.
During World War II he made British propaganda broadcasts to
Germany and provided the voice of Hitler in an anti-Nazi radio
serial, "The Shadow of the Swastika."
A founding member of the actors' union, Equity, he long opposed
efforts to involve it in political causes, whether miner's strikes,
the troubles in Northern Ireland or South African apartheid.
He is survived by his third wife, the former Prudence FitzGerald.
==========================================================================
Just one comment ... "forgettable" films???
I don't know, these Americans :)
He got the date wrong as well.
Pastor Hall (1940) was fascinating. Also important historically as the
first movie to give any idea of the Nazi concentration camps. Remember
they were so unbelievable at the time that it needed a message from
some woman called Eleanor Roosevelt <G> to say to American audiences
that it WAS based on a true story. There are some lovely subtle touches,
like when the platoon of Storm Troopers arrive in the (German) village they
are preceded by a flock of sheep.
BTW Marius played the young Storm Troop leader.
As for Odette (1951), the true story of a very brave woman working for SOE,
the British resistance organisation. Captured and tortured by the Nasties
she
never gave away her accomplices. Saved from the firing squad by a trick
(see the movie) she was interviewed just before she died a few years back
and she genuinely doesn't hate the Nazi's - hatred would be too destructive
of her own nature. An amazing woman.
Guess what, it was another Nazi part for Marius. He played the chief Gestapo
inquisitor (but not the torturer).
And then to claim that Marius was just "a distraction" for Moira in "The
Red Shoes" ... has he ever SEEN the film?? :)
As for him calling The Spy in Black (aka U-Boat 29) and Ill met by Moonlight
(aka Night Ambush) "forgettable" ... well, who's first in the queue to give
this bloke a good kicking (well, all right, a good telling off).
Oh all right I'll let him off (even if he can't spell THEATRE) at least
he wrote an obituary.
There's still no sign of much elsewhere in the press.
Steve
Note:
Marius died at home at Durrants, Rushlake Green, Heathfield, East Sussex.
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