Figure 1.--. We note a portrait of young Robert with quite a set of curls wearing what looks like a belted tunic suit with a velvet collar and matching wrist cuffs. He looks to be about 6-7 years old so the photograph must have been taken around 1911-12.

British movie buffs will recall Robert Donat, a wonderful actor who appeared in a number of classic films. Donat was born in Manchester, England in 1905. We note a portrait of young Robert with quite a set of curls wearing what looks like a belted tunic suit with a velvet collar and matching wrist cuffs. He looks to be about 6-7 years old so the photograph must have been taken around 1911-12. In boyhood he was described as a tall, lean boy, with a pronounced stammer. All through his childhood and into adulthood he suffered badly from asthma. Donat is orobably best remembered for his role as Mr. Chips, the beloved schoolmaster in the MGM film 1939 'Goodbye Mr. Chips' (1939). Chipps is the legendary Latin teacher at Brookfield School, whose career began as a troubles teacher who could not at first keep discipline, but came to be well liked by his pupils, especially after his unexpected marriage. It is based on a book by James Hilton who also wrote the film script. Interestingly both the author and actor came from Lancashire. James Hilton was born in Leigh and Donat in the near by city of Manchester. In his last film completed just before he died in 1958 he said: 'We shall not meet each other again. I think ....'.

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Created: 1:12 AM 10/5/2006
Last updated: 1:12 AM 10/5/2006