Double-Act: The Remarkable Lives and Careers of Googie Withers and John McCallum

292 Pages·2015·9.87 MB·English

by  Brian McFarlane

DOUBLE-ACT
The remarkable lives and careers of
Googie Withers and John McCallum
BRIAN McFARLANE
Googie Withers, John McCallum: theirs
has to be one of the great show-business
partnerships, on screen and on stage
and in marriage. Has any other such
partnership been as long, happy, and
productive? And has any found a more
appropriate and able biographer? As
an Australian deeply knowledgeable
about British cinema and the London
stage, Brian McFarlane writes with
insight and authority about the work of
both, together and separately, in both
countries, in both media – ranging
from Googie’s unforgettable strong
and sexy women in British flms of the
40s, to John’s key role much later as
an impresario back in Australia. This is
not just a fne joint biography, but an
important work of cultural history.
Charles Barr, author and critic
DOUBLE-ACT
DOUBLE-ACT
The remarkable lives and careers of
Googie Withers and John McCallum
BRIAN MCFARLANE
© Copyright 2015 Brian McFarlane
All rights reserved. Apart from any uses permitted by Australia’s Copyright Act 1968, no part of
this book may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the copyright
owners. Inquiries should be directed to the publisher.
Monash University Publishing
Matheson Library and Information Services Building
40 Exhibition Walk
Monash University
Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
www.publishing.monash.edu
Monash University Publishing brings to the world publications which advance the best traditions
of humane and enlightened thought.
Monash University Publishing titles pass through a rigorous process of independent peer review.
www.publishing.monash.edu/books/da-9781922235725.html
Design: Les Tomas
Cover Images
Front cover: McCallum and Withers in It Always Rains on Sunday (1947). Image courtesy of
Arts Centre Melbourne.
Inside front: McCallum and Withers in Te Loves of Joanna Godden (1947). Image courtesty of
Arts Centre Melbourne.
Back cover (l–r): Googie in the early 1940s; John and Googie at Bayview; John in the 2/5 Field
Regiment of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Images courtesty of Arts Centre Melbourne.
Inside back: Brian McFarlane (2014).
Creator: McFarlane, Brian, author.
Title: Double-Act : the remarkable lives and careers of Googie Withers and John
McCallum / Brian McFarlane.
ISBN: 978-1-922235-72-5 (paperback)
Notes: Includes bibliographical references, chapter notes and index.
Subjects: Withers, Googie.
McCallum, John.
Actors--Australia--Biography.
Actors--Britain--Biography.
Entertainers--Australia--Biography.
Entertainers--Britain--Biography.
Printed in Australia by Grifn Press an Accredited ISO AS/NZS 14001:2004 Environmental
Management System printer.
Te paper this book is printed on is certifed against the Forest
Stewardship Council ® Standards. Grifn Press holds FSC chain of
custody certifcation SGS-COC-005088. FSC promotes environmentally
responsible, socially benefcial and economically viable management of
the world’s forests.
For Brenda Niall
ACK NOW LEDGMEN TS
A great many people have contributed helpfully to this book, but my frst
thanks must be to the three children of Googie Withers and John McCallum:
Joanna McCallum, Nicholas McCallum and Amanda McCallum Archibald.
All were extremely generous with their time and recollections and their
enthusiasm for the project was an ongoing encouragement. While I was in
England, Joanna and her husband Roger Davenport were most hospitable on
several occasions and Joanna gave me access to boxes of her parents’ personal
correspondence and other papers, including John’s notes for his proposed,
but unpublished second volume of memoirs. I also thank Joanna’s daughter,
Alex Davenport, and Amanda’s children, Gus and Emma Archibald, for
sharing their reminiscences of their grandparents. Other family members
who provided valuable insights were Mrs Claire Baistow and Mrs Nan
McCallum.
Among those who so willingly gave their time to recollections of the pair
are: (in Australia) Phillip Austin, Elspeth Ballantyne, Peggy Carter, Simon
Chilvers, Richard Cottrill, John Frost, Cheryl Gagliano, Liz Goodman,
Nicholas Hammond, John Krummel, Sue Nattrass, George Ogilvie, Roland
Rocchicioli, Geofrey Rush, John Sumner, Doreen Telfer, John Turnbull,
Frank Van Straten, and Helen Gilligan (New Zealand), Scott Hicks
(Canada); (in Britain) Rona Anderson, Dame Eileen Atkins, Isla (Tait)
Baring, Michael Blakemore, Tony Britton, Rosemary Caws, Robin Dalton,
Diane Fletcher, Jean Fox, John Gale, Patricia Garwood, Julie Harris,
Jean Kent, James Laurenson, Patricia Marmont, Muriel Pavlow, Vanessa
Redgrave, Jefrey Richards, Te Hon Frances Russell, Mark Scrase-Dickins,
Ann (Tait) Seddon, Sir Donald Sinden, David Yelland,.
I am very much indebted to Lucy Spencer of the Research Centre of the
Performing Arts Collection, Melbourne, where an enormous collection of
the Withers-McCallum papers are housed. Without the ready access to this
resource, this present study could scarcely have been attempted. Also at the
– v i i –
DOUBLE-ACT
Art sCtern , e M a t ro gA nre osd n w a s r v e y f p le u h l n o a u rb e m n f o s n , o o c a i s
Attsa e t e r hew a a s � u t s r a l a iC n v o M t I i a m e rn g M g , e a h o , t f r e r n u e y M r y h p
a c r h v i ts i t a re H e t sj M sa y ’ -tea er u b le o r M e ,n Btr hsi i F i l m tIt esn t i u t s a �
c d i u n l i n g o J Btot i ,ng e t v eS Tlore l v e y a dn a I n O’uS l l v i a n , a dn M s euS
O fo n e d w o n S t a l a d l S s a n H , c o o h e . r t g o a r
- ere a e r a l os a m y n t r e s o h o h w h a s e d r r i o n a m f l y l t i e r r h e o s i m e f m o t e h
cCM a l u s ml , t re e h w h n a o e i s l f s o yr l p r o ,na p r e os l y l a d n I a m fg e t r a u l o t a l l
f o t ,m e h a s I a m o t t s o e h o hw e dar r e st c p h a a d n e da m f p le u h l t s n e m m o c
a I – n Btra i i n , Adner w , rec i p S ec y o J l o o r d g ei W a d n t n a h a o nJ Caor l l , o hw
a l os v o e dr d p i e m os u f s e u l t c a t s n , o c a s d d i a m R s o e r yCbalep m l a d nDdi er
wy a s us g e g d e t s o h w a l a r e , n c F M u S as n n a r he s t h u g d a y m o t a d n – i e n t s n b e u R
f o t e i r n s n ge p t e h r e t a i a m l , a d n h e Sp i o S c , u l y l o hw t y p e d e m os r v e y n g o l
r e r t o . m i n f e l v b ec a o e i s s w i t i s n
Ana h ts oUM tn riv e i s y l P h b s u i i ,n g I v e h a h da a t s a i s ec s n a d n vda ec i m f o r
t s iD , ri eoc r t t a h a N n l o l H re i a d n h si t s a .� s t a h’ a N n e r tse t i n i n t e h ec j t o r p
mf o r t e h � r ts le r p i m i n a r y d n scoi u i s s o t t e h t e n v e u a l n tl o c a b i u i p h a s b ne e
l a p e m r e x a y a I d f g t s o e n t m m r a u l .
F i ,na l y l t h si k b o o si e d et d d c a i o t t ei m - n g o l f d rn e iBd an e r a i N l l , so e h w
i n gnog o e r tse t i n i n a d n t s n e m m o c n o t e h k b o o s ’ g o r e r s p s v eha b ne os
v e a l a s o e d u w g b a h h o en ow l s p i v e i r h a n a t s c e b us h a c h a l n g e l i c n g n b h e a m k r
iA n uts r a l .l a i h b s u i p n i n g
Brian McFarlane, Melbourne 2015
– v i i i –