Burnley Express (01/Apr/1939) - Film Show: Gordon Harker

Details

• article: Film Show: Gordon Harker
• newspaper: Burnley Express (01/Apr/1939)
• keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Godfrey Tearle, Gordon Harker, The Ring (1927)

Article

Film Show: Gordon Harker

ODEON

All Week "The Return of the Frog."

Although a Londoner born and bred, it was a long time before Gordon Harker, the star of "The Return of the Frog," started playing the Cockney types that have made him famous. He played Shakespearean roles, an Arab in "The Garden of Allah," an Irishman in "Quality Street," and even an American president in "Robert K. Lee " It was an unpretentious curtain-raiser written by Gertrude Jennings and called "Five Birds in a Cage" which , gave him his first Cockney role. Then he played part of a Cockney "Tommy" in a Sunday night show of "Tunnel Trench" and this brought him to the attention of Edgar Wallace, who was casting "The Ringer." The result was his sensational success in this play. Gordon Harker was the son of the most famous scenic artist of his time, Joseph Harker. His ambition, however, waa acting and he secured a job as walk-on and prompter in Fred Terry's "Sweet Nell of Old Drury." He subsequently joined Ellen Terry's company. The war interrupted his career, but after being wounded and discharged in 1919 he returned to the stage through Godfrey Tearle in "The Garden of Allah." Then came his success in "The Ring" and a succession of brilliant performances in Edgar Wallace's plays. Alfred Hitchcock had seen him in "The Ringer" and gave him his first screen role in "The Ring." This started his film career, which has outshone even his stage successes.