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Movie Life Year Book, 1947 the saintly album


Top, left to right
(1) RODDY McDOWALL at the age of nine months. His initial appearance was made in London on Sept. 17, 1928.
(2) SISTER, Virginia, in customary role of pal and protector of her year-younger brother Roderick.
(3) LONDON HOME was at 204 Herne Hill Road, near Croyden Airport, a dangerous location after war was declared.
(4) YOUNG MAN, almost eight years old, in garden of London home. He'd shown great amateur-acting talent.

Middle, left to right
(5) ST. JOSEPH'S College, London, for formal education. Roddy (2nd from left, 2nd row) also studied drama and speech at Hanover (dram. arts school).
(6) FIRST PUBLICITY PICTURE, taken when he entered films (was Murder in the Family). Still a modest, unassuming student at St. Joseph's.
(7) ON HOLIDAY with father, Thomas A. McDowall, and sister. Roddy and his dad share a titanic love of the sea and sail-boating.

Bottom, left to right
(8) COMIC and sister taking dip in miniature backyard pool. Their private dramatics led to Roddy's eventual cinema success.
(9) AS PUCK, in Hanover Academy production of Midsummer Night's Dream. Knows Shakespeare backwards and forwards, makes a "wicked" King Richard III.
(10) AS THE LITTLE PRINCE in yet another Hanover production. It was at this school that Roddy studied diction with famous Edith King-Hall.



Top, left to right
(11) FIRST DAY at 20th Century-Fox, in U.S., and being greeted by Alice Faye. Roddy had Fox contract.
(12) MACABRE touch was this sign from one of dad's English trucks. Holes were due to shelling by Jerries.
(13) FIRST swank movie opening (Charley's Aunt) attended by newcomer; wasn't rattled by radio.
(14) WHITE ROCK, UTAH where an English boy's dreams came true when Indian ceremony made him Chief Little White Owl.

Middle, left to right
(15) MOTHER, Winifred, sister, Roddy — first Hollywood home.
(16) Relaxation with Virginia over game of Monopoly after day's work.
(17) NO PRIVACY for young movie star doing so well in films that cameras in the bathroom were no novelty, were, instead, a Hollywood accolade!

Bottom, left to right
(18) STAMPS fascinate him. These — U.S., Series 1938.
(19) Lucky young actor chatted with Betty Grable on Fox lot.
(20) GENE TIERNEY asked him into her dressing room at Fox for a spot of tea. He is liked by both grips and stars.