This is the fourteenth in a new series of “Getting to Know” pages from Ultimate Movie Rankings.com.  Our interview this time around is with UMR Hall of Famer Bob.   Bob is the second most prolific commenter on UMR (only trailing me).  He is a member of the UMR Hall of Fame Class of 2015.  So we figured it was time to learn a little more about Bob Roy.

Cogerson –  It has always interested me in knowing which thespian made the first impact on a person. Who was the first actor or actress that you knew by their actual name?

Bob Roy – Terry Moore and Ben Johnson in Mighty Joe Young. The first time I actually set eyes on a cinema [which was in 1949 aged 8] that movie was playing and Terry and Ben’s names were highlighted on the marquee. Close on their heels would have been Claudette Colbert as my dad took me to see 1948’s Sleep My Love in 1949; and Johnny Mack Brown as his B movies were a virtual fixture over several years at our local Castle Cinema.  Ladd too would have been there or thereabouts.

Cogerson – Is there a person in your life that pushed you down the path of liking movies?  For me, it was my parents and my grandmother.

Bob Roy – When I was little my father used to ‘dump’ me with my aunts while he went off to football matches and on the town for a few drinks afterwards and my aunts would take me to cinema matinees and early-evening shows. Those visits whetted my cinematic appetite and 4 movies in particular I vividly recall them taking me to see: an early 1950s rerun of Cooper’s 1936 The Plainsman; Flynn’s 1950 Kim; Kirk’s 1952 The Big Sky; and Ronnie Reagan’s B western Law and Order – “The story of Frame Johnson the last of the great shooting marshals” proclaimed the posters at that time and a cinema attendant gave me a spare full-length one to take home with me [eat your heart out Steve!].

Before I grew up I was bought a little wooden toy garage about 2 feet high one Christmas. I pretended it was a cinema and called it The Pathway. My ongoing practice was to write out in manuscript and on jotter pages miniature ‘posters’ naming the latest films doing the rounds and fasten the sheets to the side of my ‘cinema’. My best pal had a sister make-believe cinema which he called The Sonit !!

Cogerson – When I was younger, I was convinced that Disney’s Gus was the greatest movie of all-time.  Today, I realize, though it might be the best mule playing football movie, it is not very good.  What movies did little Bobby think were awesome when he was a kid?

Bob Roy – James Stewart’s Where the River Bends and The Far Country; Alan Ladd’s Shane; Joan Crawford’s Sudden Fear; Richard Widmark’s Down to the Sea in Ships; Rory Calhoun’s B western Dawn at Socorro; and Doris Day as Calamity Jane. Only Calamity Jane has dated badly in my view.

Bob Roy – I admired Brando for the variety of roles that he tackled in the 1950s and for being almost unique as a major star.  I admired Greg for my perception of his fine personal qualities in private life; and for his quiet vocal delivery manner on screen. Wayne had massive screen presence. Deanna possessed a lovely singing voice. And Shane left such an impression with me that I wanted to watch Laddie’s wider filmography.

Also “many a true word is spoken in jest”: whilst Loy is mentioned to wind me up and her films are not my cup of tea I have as I’ve said before admired her for her personal qualities such as her social conscience and her war effort and humanitarian activities. She was attractive when young and had I been a gangster like Dillinger I would have liked her as my moll !

Cogerson – In my original question I forgot some of your other favorites.  Any thoughts you are willing to share on Cary Grant, Michael Caine and Doris Day

Bob Roy – I never liked Cary Grant’s screwball comedies which I found silly at times – like The Work Horse and Hirsch I can be a bit of a dry-bread on occasions; but nevertheless Grant has been the greatest of all time in my view among those stars who are equally good at comedy AND serious drama. [“Brando can do anything except comedy. He simply can’t do comedy.” -Richard Harris]

Doris Day’s bubbly screen personality in the early fifties and her lovely clear singing voice endeared her to me as did the first 2 Rock Hudson/Doris Day comedies though the 3RD I found a weak let-down

As for Michael Caine, I quickly grew tired of the sophisticated/showy/man of the world/’sexy’ James Bond figure and Sir Maurice [whilst I never liked Zulu] won me over with his down-to-earth ‘ordinary guy’ spy Harry Palmer who wore glasses and made himself a cup of tea or coffee in his dingy flat. Sir Maurice consolidated his hold on my affections with his strong varied dramatic turns over the years in the likes of Sleuth/Educating Myrna [I’m going to b****r the bursar!”]/Youth and especially the probably-obscure today A Shock to the System. Sir M was also a delight as Alfred in Batman.

ON THE SET OF THAT TOUCH OF MINK 1962: EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO LEADS ABOUT THEIR OWN MOST-LIKED MOVIE STARS
DORIS: Jimmy Cagney is my No 1 all-time favourite movie star Cary and I hope you don’t mind yourself being just my 2nd avourite.
CARY: I don’t mind at all Doris.

Cogerson –  What are your Top 3 movies of all-time? Or share as many as you are willing to share.

Bob Roy – ALL my faves deserve mentioning!! In no particular order The Godfather; Where the River Bends; The Far Country; Shane; Shawshank Redemption; The Ipcress File; The Natural; Best Shot [aka Hoosiers]; The American President; 12 Angry Men; Rear Window; North by Northwest; On the Waterfront; Dawn at Socorro; Magnificent Obsession; All that Heaven Allows’ Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1956] Jean Simmons in Home Before Dark; The 6^th Sense; and Patrick Swayze’s Road House.

Cogerson – This one might be hard to answer….but going to give it a shot…..which movie character do you think best represents bob cox? I would say my answer is Griffin Dunne’s character in Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. The way he acts and reacts to things is exactly the way I think I do.

Bob Roy – The movie character who most comes to mind from the impression that I get of Bob Cox via his posts is Atticus Finch: Bob Cox strikes me as a “thinking” man of strong principles! FYI: Griffin Dunne was an early lover of Carrie Fisher and they remained best friends until Carrie’s sad death.

Cogerson – So many damn Bobs roaming around this website….it is hard to keep track of all of them…lol.  Ok…you busted me on on my copy and paste skills.  Though I am sure bob cox will appreciate the Atticus Finch comparison.  How about…..which movie character do you think best represents Bob Roy?

Bob Roy- “All his acting life he only ever wanted to be his idol Burt Lancaster.” – Kirk Douglas’ biographer writing about Kirk.

I would say Bruce that I’ve never really wanted to be like any movie character except maybe a Duke hero but I’m not tough enough -who IS though? [Sorry Steve even Jace can’t cut it!]

However as you know to avoid taking everything deadly- serious like you and Hirsch seem to do I try to inject humour into my posts and my desired template is the style of Bill Murray in 1988’s Scrooged: poking fun with a deadpan vocal delivery. He was malicious in the movie though whereas I want simply a bit of harmless banter. 

Cogerson – What are some of your other favorite movie genres?

Bob Roy – My favourite genres used to be westerns and horror movies but today my tastes are mainly thrillers, courtroom dramas, Christmas movies [minus slashers and swearing heroes!] and feelgood films especially those with underlying “progressive” messages such as Douglas Sirk’s two 1954/55 classics Magnificent Obsession and All the Heaven Allows both of which are now considered to be observant commentary on morals and restrictive social attitudes in 1950s America.

Cogerson – Sharp eyes will notice John McClane and Jigsaw sitting behind Paul Newman as he talks to the jury in The Verdict.

Cogerson – Is there an actor or actress that has not gotten an UMR page that you would really like to see?

Bob Roy – Douglas Fairbanks Senior. I have only ever seen 2 of his movies but he impressed me so much with his screen athletic abilities that he could be said the be my fave movie star from the silent era. Indeed he is arguably in the frame for being considered the first male mega star of the cinema.

In fact Doug was in the Quigley annual Top 10s for 11 consecutive years from 1916-1926 inclusive with five of those years consecutively in the Top 2 at No 1 twice and No 2 three times. WOW!  His wife back then Little Myrna – sorry I meant Mary – was in the Top 10 for 13 consecutive years and Fairbanks and Pickford were undoubtedly the power COUPLE of the silent era.

It seems that whilst Doug’s legend today is not nearly a strong as that of Chaplin, Doug was for a time more popular than Charlie back in their heyday. The Little Tramp never made the Quigley Top 10 according to Wikipedia; and I can find only two references to him in even Quigley’s Top 25 – ranked No 25 in both 1926 and 1928.

Cogerson – I will see if I can produce a page on Doug Sr. while I wait for your approval of this interview.  And just like magic….a Douglas Fairbanks page.

Cogerson –  Do you have any memorable movie experiences in theaters?   I remember seeing Porky’s in theaters.  People were laughing so hard, I thought the walls might crumble.

Bob Roy – In 1953 when I was 12 my father gave me the money to take 3 friends with me to see Martin and Lewis in Scared Stiff. As we approached the cinema I spoofed one friend Alfred that my father had mistakenly given me just enough to pay in 2 friends and I pretended to Alfred that he would have to go home again. He said nothing but merely turned round and walked back up the road.

I was proposing to walk on for a minute and then call him back; but before I could do so a wild yell like that of someone in agony came from the direction that Alfred had gone; and spinning round I saw that Alfred had gone into the middle of the road, was staring after us and was bawling like a baby – or a Cogerson when Hanks is once again denied Oscar love!!  We quickly brought Alf back into the fold!

Cogerson – Poor Alfred!  You might have scarred him for life.

Cogerson – I know it has been a while, but do you remember how you discovered UMR?