[Image by permission of https://kennethmore.com]
Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor.
Initially achieving fame in the comedy Genevieve (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this period include Doctor in the House (1954), Raising a Riot (1955), The Admirable Crichton (1957), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958) and Next to No Time (1958). He also played more serious roles as a leading man, beginning with The Deep Blue Sea (1955), Reach for the Sky (1956), A Night to Remember (1958), North West Frontier (1959), The 39 Steps (1959) and Sink the Bismarck (1960).
Although his career declined in the early 1960s, two of his own favourite films date from this time – The Comedy Man (1964) and The Greengage Summer (1961) with Susannah York, "one of the happiest films on which I have ever worked."[2] He also enjoyed a revival in the much-acclaimed TV adaptation of The Forsyte Saga (1967) and the Father Brown series (1974).
He was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the only son of Charles Gilbert More, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot, and Edith Winifred Watkins, the daughter of a Cardiff solicitor. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, having spent part of his childhood in the Channel Islands, where his father was general manager of the Jersey Eastern Railway.
For more detail, and a fascinating account of Jersey to a new immigrant family in 1924, here’s a snippet from his autobiography, “More or Less”, which is available second hand, and I would recommend as a really good read.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/More-Less-Kenneth/dp/034022603X
There is also a new book out, which I would also recommend, revisiting his acting legacy called "More Please", and a BBC Radio interview
Initially achieving fame in the comedy Genevieve (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this period include Doctor in the House (1954), Raising a Riot (1955), The Admirable Crichton (1957), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958) and Next to No Time (1958). He also played more serious roles as a leading man, beginning with The Deep Blue Sea (1955), Reach for the Sky (1956), A Night to Remember (1958), North West Frontier (1959), The 39 Steps (1959) and Sink the Bismarck (1960).
Although his career declined in the early 1960s, two of his own favourite films date from this time – The Comedy Man (1964) and The Greengage Summer (1961) with Susannah York, "one of the happiest films on which I have ever worked."[2] He also enjoyed a revival in the much-acclaimed TV adaptation of The Forsyte Saga (1967) and the Father Brown series (1974).
He was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the only son of Charles Gilbert More, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot, and Edith Winifred Watkins, the daughter of a Cardiff solicitor. He was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, having spent part of his childhood in the Channel Islands, where his father was general manager of the Jersey Eastern Railway.
For more detail, and a fascinating account of Jersey to a new immigrant family in 1924, here’s a snippet from his autobiography, “More or Less”, which is available second hand, and I would recommend as a really good read.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/More-Less-Kenneth/dp/034022603X
There is also a new book out, which I would also recommend, revisiting his acting legacy called "More Please", and a BBC Radio interview
.
Havre des Pas Swimming Pool was opened on 22 May 1895, built on a plot of foreshore leased from the Crown. It consisted of a large pool attached to a circular granite tower high above the water mark. The tower contained changing booths and a club room. It was connected to land by a steel and timber bridge which enabled bathers to get ashore at high water.
According to Cliff Le Maistre, the famous bodybuilder Oscar Heidenstam, who was living in Jersey at the time, taught him to swim.
I remember Mr. Drury, the station master at Le Fauvic, our local station, coming out of his house with tears in his eyes to receive his Christmas box. ’Oh, Major,’ he said. ’There has never been anybody like you.’
There may be some confusion there about names as the Stationmaster at Fauvic at this time was Alfred Hill [pictured above]
The railway connection remained strong, as later in life, as an actor, Kenneth More compered the "RAIL 150" celebrations in 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall - where all the music had a railway flavour, and he began his welcome speech by noting that "he himself was the son of a former manager of the Jersey Eastern Railway" [Mentioned in The Railway Magazine, Volumes 120-121]
A few years back, the school Twitter feed posted a photo of the young Kenneth at school:
Although he left Jersey to various different careers - for details see "More Please" mentioned above - before he went into acting, he did keep a connection, narrating a 16mm Colour film reel for Jersey entitled "Island of Surprise". The blurb for that reads
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/More-Please-personal-Britains-successful/dp/B08N9DLL3K
Kenneth More is remembered by his wife Angela Douglas and Nick Pourougides, founder of the official website dedicated to the actor's movies [https://kennethmore.com]
And finally, nothing beats watching those great movies again in the Kenneth More collection (which has subtitles):
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Kenneth-More-Collection-DVD/dp/B000VA3J6Q
Genevieve
A Night to Remember
Chance of a Lifetime
North West Frontier
Reach for the Sky
Until we could find a house, we lived in a small private hotel. My father bought a Chevrolet car, and then a house, Ellengowan, at Le Fauvic, half-way up a hill.
Kenneth More is remembered by his wife Angela Douglas and Nick Pourougides, founder of the official website dedicated to the actor's movies [https://kennethmore.com]
And finally, nothing beats watching those great movies again in the Kenneth More collection (which has subtitles):
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Kenneth-More-Collection-DVD/dp/B000VA3J6Q
Genevieve
A Night to Remember
Chance of a Lifetime
North West Frontier
Reach for the Sky
Kenneth More's Account of his childhood in Jersey
Kenneth's father was offered a job as general manager of Jersey Eastern Railways in the Channel Islands, which commanded a salary of £500, and also had income from investments on the stock exchange. On July 29 1924 he recorded in his diary that they crossed to Jersey on the S.S.Reindeer, which is pictured below, with no more than the possessions they could carry with them.
My father plunged into his new job with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy with a new mechanical toy.
His position as a manager meant he was in charge of several steam locomotives, with rolling stock. At that time the Jersey Eastern railway consisted of 12 stations over nine miles of track from St helier to Gorey where passengers could catching the boat for France. There were also through tickets to Paris.
The actual address is Ellangowan, La Route des Cotils, Grouville, and the rather grand house is shown above.
We lived in Ellengowan for about a year and then moved to another house in Green Street, St. Helier.
Their grandmother's flat was close by and overlooked the local sea water swimming pool [Havre des Pas], where he and his sister swam on most warm days during school holidays. His grandmother would give them a biscuit and glass of port to help warm them up after the cold sea water. As now, there is no heating in the pool!
This is confirmed by an agreement dated June 30th 1924 between Alfred Speller attorney of Alfred Gardner Speller and Doris Ida Speller of the first party, Alfred Speller and Ida Smith, his wife of the second party, and Charles Gilbert More, 10, Heddon Street, Westminster, England of the third party. It recites the sale from 1 to 3 Ellangowan, Grouville - for the sum of £2,215 sterling, and the condition that 2 abandons their life interest in the property.
Jamie Beckford commented that "My great grandfather Alfred Hill was a stationmaster at Fauvic. My grandfather Moggie Hill played with Kenneth More in their childhood."
More notes that:
We lived in Ellengowan for about a year and then moved to another house in Green Street, St. Helier.
This was in fact 35 Green Street. His autobiography doesn't give the number. It has been developed and is now the Panama Apartments, 35 Green Street.
Havre des Pas Swimming Pool was opened on 22 May 1895, built on a plot of foreshore leased from the Crown. It consisted of a large pool attached to a circular granite tower high above the water mark. The tower contained changing booths and a club room. It was connected to land by a steel and timber bridge which enabled bathers to get ashore at high water.
On Christmas Eve he would accompany his father on the train from one end of the line to the other, travelling in in the cab of the engine with the driver and fireman., stopping to greet the twelve station masters in turn, and wishing them a Merry Christmas. His father would also distribute gifts of whisky, turkey and cigars as a Christmas present, paid for out of his own pocket, to each of them.
I remember Mr. Drury, the station master at Le Fauvic, our local station, coming out of his house with tears in his eyes to receive his Christmas box. ’Oh, Major,’ he said. ’There has never been anybody like you.’
The railway connection remained strong, as later in life, as an actor, Kenneth More compered the "RAIL 150" celebrations in 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall - where all the music had a railway flavour, and he began his welcome speech by noting that "he himself was the son of a former manager of the Jersey Eastern Railway" [Mentioned in The Railway Magazine, Volumes 120-121]
His father later took up a post in England with the company Sentinel, as his investments had performed poorly and funds were short, and the viability of the railway seemed uncertain. He was quite right.
In 1923 the Jersey Motor Transport Company started a bus service carrying passengers all over the Island. The Jersey Eastern Railway tried to counter the fierce competition by running their own bus service in 1926, but this was not much of a success, and declining profits led to termination of both the bus and train services on 21 June 1929. The company itself was liquidated in 1932.
Most of the land was sold to adjacent landowners, but part of the route can be seen near Fauvic (the district where the More family lived), where it has been preserved as a footpath.
More attended Victoria College Prep during this time and later moved up to Victoria College, and once his father was working and living the England, board ding with a friend of his father, Captain Oldham, in his house, Brookhill Farm, St Saviour. The farm has now been further developed to incorporate residential units but the basic granite structure remains.
Most of the land was sold to adjacent landowners, but part of the route can be seen near Fauvic (the district where the More family lived), where it has been preserved as a footpath.
More attended Victoria College Prep during this time and later moved up to Victoria College, and once his father was working and living the England, board ding with a friend of his father, Captain Oldham, in his house, Brookhill Farm, St Saviour. The farm has now been further developed to incorporate residential units but the basic granite structure remains.
However, we know that at the time he moved to Victoria College, as "Entrances Third Term 1926", his address listed as "Son of Major C.G. More, 35 Green Street". His number in the school register [1852-1929] is 3907.
Natalie Cousteils told me that : "My dad (Eric Pead) told me Kenneth More was in his class at Victoria College.", and he was an 3957, entrance second term 1928, so a year below him at school.
It was here that Kenneth More developed a taste for acting, and there is still a Kenneth More Drama Prize at Victoria College, and the later register [1930-1956] simply has "born 20.9.14, left 1931. Well known cinema actor."
Natalie Cousteils told me that : "My dad (Eric Pead) told me Kenneth More was in his class at Victoria College.", and he was an 3957, entrance second term 1928, so a year below him at school.
It was here that Kenneth More developed a taste for acting, and there is still a Kenneth More Drama Prize at Victoria College, and the later register [1930-1956] simply has "born 20.9.14, left 1931. Well known cinema actor."
In his autobiography he notes that his first school play in which he played a male was J. M.
Barrie’s The Admirable Crichton, which he would film years later and also perform as the lead in the musical.
The critic in the "Victorian" (the school magazine) wrote of his performance: "Watch Mr. More. He should go places."
Reflecting on that Kenneth More commented:
Just what places, and when
and why, I had no idea, but I was glad someone believed I was on the move.
Although he left Jersey to various different careers - for details see "More Please" mentioned above - before he went into acting, he did keep a connection, narrating a 16mm Colour film reel for Jersey entitled "Island of Surprise". The blurb for that reads
Tourism Committee film narrated by Old Victorian Kenneth More, the famous screen actor who starred as Douglas Bader in the film "Reach for the Sky".
He also returned when Ronald Postill was headmaster as a guest at the Old Victorians' annual dinner, by which time his fame had been established in "Reach for the Sky"
He also later donated a portrait of King Charles I to Victoria College in 1957 and it hangs in the great hall [noted by Raoul Lemprière, "Customs, Ceremonies and Traditions of the Channel Islands"]. It was painted by Edward Bower and is titled "King Charles I at His Trial, Wearing the Garter Ribbon".
He also later donated a portrait of King Charles I to Victoria College in 1957 and it hangs in the great hall [noted by Raoul Lemprière, "Customs, Ceremonies and Traditions of the Channel Islands"]. It was painted by Edward Bower and is titled "King Charles I at His Trial, Wearing the Garter Ribbon".
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