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Herbert Mason Biography & Facts

Samuel George Herbert Mason (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, stage director, choreographer, production manager and playwright. He was a recipient of the Military Cross the prestigious award for "gallantry during active operations against the enemy." He received the gallantry award for his part in the Battle of Guillemont where British troops defeated the Germans to take the German stronghold of Guillemont. Mason began his theatrical career at the age of 16 and appeared in several productions at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre including Barry Jackson's The Christmas Party. During the 1920s, he stage managed some of the largest shows in London, including many of André Charlot's musical revues, and began his film career with the arrival of sound in motion pictures. Mason was the assistant director for I Was a Spy, which was very successful at the box office and voted best film of the year. He made his debut as director in 1936 with The First Offence. His most prominent film was A Window in London, a dark thriller set in the London Underground, which was a remake of the original French drama film Metropolitan. Another successful film included Take My Tip, in which he directed Jack Hulbert, whose "dances [were] beautifully staged". Several rising actors and actresses, including Vivien Leigh, made their film debuts in some of his films before they rose to prominence. He worked for several studios and production companies, including Gaumont British, Gainsborough Pictures, London Films and MGM-British Studios. Mason directed 16 films (from thrillers to comedies). He moved into producing for the rest of his career, and authored some plays with his wife, Daisy Fisher, a novelist and playwright, who also had a background in theatre. His films were generally very well received, and some of them were marked out for the inventiveness of the plot, locations used for shooting and humour. Some of his films are remembered for introducing rising actors and actresses to the screen before they became famous. Early life Samuel George Herbert Mason was born in 1891, in Moseley, Birmingham, the third of four children of Samuel George Mason (a brass founder at Samuel Mason Ltd) and Amy Mason (née Collins), and was a nephew by marriage of the famous Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry. His grandfather Samuel Mason was also a Brass Founder. The firm was originally called Mason and Lawley – makers of balance cocks for clock movement. It was later renamed Samuel Mason Ltd, specialising in bar equipment. Mason was educated at Solihull Grammar School and left aged 14. He was apprenticed in the family brass foundry prior to beginning his career as an actor in about 1907. He was a stage manager at the Palace Theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre (up to 1914), where he appeared in The Critic and The Christmas Party. Both the plays also starred Felix Aylmer and Frank Clewlow. During the World War I, Mason was an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment from 1914, and then in the Machine Gun Corps. He joined the army about two months after marrying a chorus girl Daisy Fisher. On 17 November 1914 he received his commission as a temporary Second Lieutenant. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded the Military Cross for his great personal outstanding gallantry when commanding the 59th brigade machine gun company at the taking of Guillemont during the Battle of the Somme. The report written on 7 September 1916 (from the Public Record Office and the National Archives in Kew) is Mason's description of the battle. The 59th machine gun company had 16 machine guns and about 170 men. About half the men died in the battle. While his unit was waiting in line, he occupied himself doing a self-portrait using oil paints which, presumably, were left in the trench by a French officer. Mason served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with the brother of Michael Balcon. Balcon was to work with Mason as producer on The First Offence, I was a Spy and Take My Tip. Mason also served in the Machine Gun Corps with Clive Brook, who later became an actor and a friend. Mason spent the whole four years in the Western Front, and was awarded the Mons Star, the medal for those who participated on the conflict from the beginning. Career Stage career in London (1918–27) Mason resumed his career in the Theatre after the war. In the 1920s, he stage directed and stage managed many stage revues at Vaudeville Theatre including Yes! and Puppets! In 1921–22 Mason staged managed and starred in Pot Luck! with Beatrice Lillie, Herbert Mundin who is best known for his role as Much the Miller's Son in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Mason also staged managed London Calling! a musical revue, which Fred Astaire assisted with the choreography. The play is famous for being Noël Coward's first publicly produced musical work. In 1924 Mason staged and choreographed The Punch Bowl, which starred Fisher and Eric Coates. In 1925, the play was later transferred to His Majesty's Theatre, London and Vaudeville Theatre. During the performance at Vaudeville Theatre he was one of the proprietors. After the production, the theatre was closed on 7 November 1925 and reconstructed. In 1925, he was an assistant producer for Still Dancing, and choreographed Bubbly, which was performed at the Duke of York's Theatre. In 1926, he produced Yvonne a successful musical comedy (staged by George Edwardes at Daly's Theatre, London). Mason choreographed Vaudeville Vanities, which was performed at the Vaudeville Theatre from 1926 to 1927 and went on tour at the Royal Theatre, Rochdale in 1929. In 1927 he presented, produced and starred (as Shipwright) in Daisy Fisher and Harold Simpson's The Cave Man. Film career (1928–45) In 1928, with the arrival of sound, Mason began to make his mark in the film industry by presenting stage shows for the Gaumont – British cinema circuit. He respected and worked with Victor Saville on I Was a Spy (1933) as an assistant director. The producer, Michael Balcon, mentioned in his memoir, that he "told [Mason] to take the script [for I was a Spy] to Belgium, find Mrs McKenna, and get her to approve [the script] by page", and that Mason came back "with every page approved". Although it was very successful at the box office, Balcon was devastated he watched the completed film, but Mason reassured him that it was his "best to date." The film starred Herbert Marshall, who had previously had a role in Daisy Fisher's comedy Lavender Ladies. A few decades later, I was a Spy was shown at the National Film Theatre, London. The following year, Mason worked with Saville on Evergreen as a unit manager. In 1936, he made his first film as director, The First Offence (Bad Blood), a spy thriller in which he directed the young John Mills. It was filmed in London and was inspired by Mauvaise Graine directed by Billy Wilder. He also directed the famous .... Discover the Herbert Mason popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Herbert Mason books.