SIXTY YEARS OF ACTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 April 1939, Page 5

SIXTY YEARS OF ACTING

Record of edward ellis. Edward Ellis has done it at last. A role he portrayed on the screen over four years ago became one of the most famous., characters ever created for a film. The part was, that of the actual Thin Man in “The Thin Man.” In some manner, William Powell has always been referred to as the Thin Man. himself —a hopelessly inaccurate description, for the Thin Man of the title was a very different person from the detective portrayed by Bill Powell. The film brought very little fame to Edward Ellis. After all, the Thin Man was seen only quite briefly.

Ellis could not appear in any further Thin Man pictures for the very simple reason that the character he portrayed was killed in the original, so however many sequels there may be, he will not be seen in them. But now he has achieved distinction on his own account. He has scored a big hit in a film which, like the “Thin Man,” was produced as ah unambitious “programme picture” and has turned out to be far more entertaining than many an expensive super.. _ The film, is “A Man to Remember.” It’s a simple tale of a country doctor, ahd it has..received, great praise in America. Edward Ellis undoubtedly gives a tremendously moving performance., In it,, he has to portray the emotion he feels when, after being taken for granted for years, the whole of his to'wh turns up at his door to give him a scroll b‘f thanks for all his unselfish work. Taking a long close-up of a man fighting back tears is a risky business, It comes off only once in a thousand times.

“A Man to Remember” is his 16th film. Hollywood has not kept him particularly, busy by any means, for the 16 pictures have been made over a period of half a dozeh years. He has, nevertheless, managed to distinguish himself before.

The unexpected has happened. The leading role in an unimportant picture has. catapulted him to the top. Ellis is how 63. He can claim to have had plenty of acting experience. He began./acting 60 years ago. His father was Edward Ellis, senior, a famous dramatic actor of nis day. Ellis himseft was born on a farm in Michigan, but his rural upbringing was brief. By the time he was three his father had taken. him oh to the stage with him for a small part in one of his plays.