Scott Sunderland Movies
Scott Sunderland spent most of his career on the English stage, taking time out late in his professional life to appear in two classic British films, Pygmalion (1937) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). Sunderland was born in 1883 and was educated in England and Germany. He made his first professional theatrical appearance at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1909 with the F.R. Benson company as Douglas in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Pt. 2. Sunderland made his London debut that same year, and spent the next 30 years playing in a vast range of roles, from Feste in Twelfth Night to Ulysses S. Grant in Abraham Lincoln. As late as the end of the 1920s, when he was in his late forties, Sunderland evidently still had a good Petruchio in a production of Taming of the Shrew. He was also known for his work in George Bernard Shaw's plays, including the playwright's final work, The Apple Cart. By the end of the 1930s, Sunderland had moved into avuncular, grand old man roles, which led to his casting in Leslie Howard and Anthony Asquith's film Pygmalion as Colonel Pickering, and as Sir John Colley in Sam Wood's Goodbye, Mr. Chips. He made his last major stage appearance in London in May of 1938, in Here's to Our Enterprise, a one-night all-star production based on the life of Henry Irving, as part of the festivities surrounding the Henry Irving Centenary. Sunderland was engaged by the Birmingham Repertory Company from 1942 to 1945, performing in both new works and revivals, and retired in the second half of the decade. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Goodbye, Mr. Chips, based on James Hilton's novel, is a melodrama about a shy British teacher named Mr. Chipping (Robert Donat) who devotes his life to teaching "his boys" after the death of his lovely, energetic American wife Katherine (Greer Garson). Told via flashbacks, the film features an aged Mr. Chipping looking back nostalgically at his long career, taking note of the people who've touched his life over the years. Donat was the recipient of a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the title character, and the film features the debut performance of a young Garson. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Donat, Greer Garson, (more)
Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller star in Anthony Asquith's and Leslie Howard's classic version of George Bernard Shaw's satiric comedy. Henry Higgins (Howard) is an upper class phonetics professor who encounters low-class guttersnipe Eliza Doolittle (Hiller) and bets his friend Colonel Pickering (Scott Sunderland) that he can pass her off as a duchess within three months. Pickering accepts Higgins' bet, with Eliza readily agreeing to the proposal, since she will get to live in Higgins' fancy home. Once in Higgins' house, Eliza is subjected to intensely repetitive phonetics lessons in an effort to transform her Cockney accent into the speech of proper English. Things are a bit rocky at first, with Eliza blurting out "Not bloody likely" at a tea party. But when Eliza is presented at the Ambassador's Ball, she is not only accepted as a princess but is the talk of the ball, everyone in attendance commenting on her charm, beauty, and poise. Relishing his success, Higgins abruptly dismisses her. But Eliza has fallen in love with Higgins and is aghast at her cursory treatment by him. She tells him, "I sold flowers. I didn't sell myself. Now you've made a lady of me, I'm not fit to sell anything else." When Eliza leaves, Higgins realizes that he loves her too, but Eliza has announced to Higgins that she plans to marry high society playboy Freddie Eynsford-Hill (David Tree). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Hiller, Leslie Howard, (more)
