Alastair Sim - Revision history

Kurt at 20:34, 24 August 2024

2024-08-24T20:34:36Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:34, 24 August 2024
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	\| alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]]		\| alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]]
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[~~Edinburgh\|~~Edinburgh]], [[~~Scotland\|~~Scotland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\|United Kingdom]]		\| birth_place = [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\|United Kingdom]]
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1976\|08\|19\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1976\|08\|19\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[London\|London]], England		\| death_place = [[London\|London]], England
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	==Early life==		==Early life==

	Sim was born in [[Edinburgh\|Edinburgh]], the youngest child and second son of Isabella (née McIntyre) and Alexander Sim. His mother moved to Edinburgh as a teenager from [[Eigg\|Eigg]], one of the [[Small Isles\|Small Isles]] in the [[Inner Hebrides\|Hebrides]], and was a native [[Scottish Gaelic\|Gaelic]] speaker.<ref>Simpson, p. 15</ref> His father was a [[Justice of the Peace\|Justice of the Peace]] and a successful tailor with a business on [[A700 road\|Lothian Road]]. Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, [[James Gillespie's High School\|James Gillespie's High School]] and [[George Heriot's School\|George Heriot's School]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/spellbinding-times-at-heriot-s-1-1215177 \|title=Spellbinding times at Heriot's \|date=13 August 2009 \|newspaper=[[The Scotsman\|The Scotsman]]}}</ref> He worked—probably part time{{#tag:ref\|In her memoirs, Sim's widow, [[Naomi Sim\|Naomi]], wrote that he worked after leaving school at fourteen; in his 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Simpson questions this, observing that Sim took his Intermediate School Certificate at the age of sixteen\|group= n}}—in his father's shop and then for the men's outfitters [[Gieves & Hawkes\|Gieve's]], displaying no talent for the retail trade.~~{{Citation needed\|date=November 2019}}~~ In 1918 he was admitted to the [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] to study analytical chemistry, but was called up for army training.<ref name=dnb>Gilbert, Michael. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31686 "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 {{ODNBsub}}</ref>		Sim was born in [[Edinburgh\|Edinburgh]], the youngest child and second son of Isabella (née McIntyre) and Alexander Sim. His mother moved to Edinburgh as a teenager from [[Eigg\|Eigg]], one of the [[Small Isles\|Small Isles]] in the [[Inner Hebrides\|Hebrides]], and was a native [[Scottish Gaelic\|Gaelic]] speaker.<ref>Simpson, p. 15</ref> His father was a [[Justice of the Peace\|Justice of the Peace]] and a successful tailor with a business on [[A700 road\|Lothian Road]]. Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, [[James Gillespie's High School\|James Gillespie's High School]] and [[George Heriot's School\|George Heriot's School]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/spellbinding-times-at-heriot-s-1-1215177 \|title=Spellbinding times at Heriot's \|date=13 August 2009 \|newspaper=[[The Scotsman\|The Scotsman]]}}</ref> He worked—probably part time{{#tag:ref\|In her memoirs, Sim's widow, [[Naomi Sim\|Naomi]], wrote that he worked after leaving school at fourteen; in his 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Simpson questions this, observing that Sim took his Intermediate School Certificate at the age of sixteen\|group= n}}—in his father's shop and then for the men's outfitters [[Gieves & Hawkes\|Gieve's]], displaying no talent for the retail trade. In 1918 he was admitted to the [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] to study analytical chemistry, but was called up for army training.<ref name=dnb>Gilbert, Michael. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31686 "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 {{ODNBsub}}</ref>

	After the end of the [[First World War\|First World War]] in November 1918, Sim was released from military service. On his return home, he told his family that he did not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.<ref>Simpson, p. 19</ref> His announcement was so badly received that he left the parental home and spent about a year in the [[Scottish Highlands\|Scottish Highlands]] with a group of itinerant jobbing workers.<ref name=bfi>Brooke, Michael. "The actors: Alastair Sim – Funny Peculiar", ''Sight and Sound'', 15.7, [[British Film Institute\|]], July 2005, pp. 34–36</ref> Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the burgh assessor's office. In his spare time, he joined poetry reading classes, winning the gold medal for verse speaking at the Edinburgh Music Festival. This led to his engagement to teach [[elocution\|elocution]] at a further education college in [[Dalry, Edinburgh\|Dalry]], Edinburgh. He held this post from 1922 to 1924. After taking an advanced training course in his subject, in 1925 he successfully applied to the University of Edinburgh for the post of Fulton Lecturer in Elocution, which he held for five years.<ref name=dnb/>		After the end of the [[First World War\|First World War]] in November 1918, Sim was released from military service. On his return home, he told his family that he did not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.<ref>Simpson, p. 19</ref> His announcement was so badly received that he left the parental home and spent about a year in the [[Scottish Highlands\|Scottish Highlands]] with a group of itinerant jobbing workers.<ref name=bfi>Brooke, Michael. "The actors: Alastair Sim – Funny Peculiar", ''Sight and Sound'', 15.7, [[British Film Institute\|]], July 2005, pp. 34–36</ref> Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the burgh assessor's office. In his spare time, he joined poetry reading classes, winning the gold medal for verse speaking at the Edinburgh Music Festival. This led to his engagement to teach [[elocution\|elocution]] at a further education college in [[Dalry, Edinburgh\|Dalry]], Edinburgh. He held this post from 1922 to 1924. After taking an advanced training course in his subject, in 1925 he successfully applied to the University of Edinburgh for the post of Fulton Lecturer in Elocution, which he held for five years.<ref name=dnb/>

Kurt at 22:01, 10 April 2023

2023-04-10T22:01:31Z

Show changes

Kurt: clean up

2022-10-22T04:00:09Z

clean up

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:00, 21 October 2022
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	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Sim, Alastair}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Sim, Alastair}}

Kurt: /* Personal life and honours */

2022-08-19T20:19:47Z

Personal life and honours

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:19, 19 August 2022
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	Sim and his family guarded their privacy carefully. He seldom gave press interviews and refused to sign autographs. In his view, the public's interest in him should be solely confined to his stage or screen performances. In a rare interview with the magazine ''Focus on Film'' he said, "I stand or fall in my profession by the public's judgment of my performances. No amount of publicity can dampen a good one or gloss over a bad one."<ref>Interview, ''Focus on Film'', Summer 1972, p. 10</ref>		Sim and his family guarded their privacy carefully. He seldom gave press interviews and refused to sign autographs. In his view, the public's interest in him should be solely confined to his stage or screen performances. In a rare interview with the magazine ''Focus on Film'' he said, "I stand or fall in my profession by the public's judgment of my performances. No amount of publicity can dampen a good one or gloss over a bad one."<ref>Interview, ''Focus on Film'', Summer 1972, p. 10</ref>

	Sim and his wife Naomi promoted and encouraged young acting talent. Among their ''protégés'' was [[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]], who lived with them on and off from 1940, when he was 15 years old, until 1952, when he married and bought a house nearby. Cole appeared with Sim in eight films from ''[[Cottage to Let]]'' (1941), to ''[[Blue Murder at St Trinian's]]'' (1957).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120716031838/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba13a04ad "George Cole"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014.</ref> An obituary of Naomi Sim noted in 1999: "Cole wasn't the only youngster to benefit from the Sims' generosity and love of youthful spirits. At least half a dozen others – 'our boys' as Naomi called them – mostly unhappy at home, have cherished memories of life at Forrigan, the welcoming woodland retreat built by the couple near Henley-on-Thames in 1947. They also found time to have a child of their own, Merlith, who lives [in 1999] at Forrigan with her family and next door to George Cole, who remained close to Naomi Sim to the end."<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-naomi-sim-1113064.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913155957/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-naomi-sim-1113064.html \|archive-date=2016-09-13 \|url-access=limited \|url-status=live\|title=Obituary: Naomi Sim\|date=1999-08-16\|website=The Independent\|language=en\|access-date=2019-11-25}}</ref>		Sim and his wife Naomi promoted and encouraged young acting talent. Among their ''protégés'' was [[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]], who lived with them on and off from 1940, when he was 15 years old, until 1952, when he married and bought a house nearby. Cole appeared with Sim in eight films from ''[[w:Cottage to Let\|Cottage to Let]]'' (1941), to ''[[Blue Murder at St Trinian's]]'' (1957).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120716031838/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba13a04ad "George Cole"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014.</ref> An obituary of Naomi Sim noted in 1999: "Cole wasn't the only youngster to benefit from the Sims' generosity and love of youthful spirits. At least half a dozen others – 'our boys' as Naomi called them – mostly unhappy at home, have cherished memories of life at Forrigan, the welcoming woodland retreat built by the couple near Henley-on-Thames in 1947. They also found time to have a child of their own, Merlith, who lives [in 1999] at Forrigan with her family and next door to George Cole, who remained close to Naomi Sim to the end."<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-naomi-sim-1113064.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913155957/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-naomi-sim-1113064.html \|archive-date=2016-09-13 \|url-access=limited \|url-status=live\|title=Obituary: Naomi Sim\|date=1999-08-16\|website=The Independent\|language=en\|access-date=2019-11-25}}</ref>

	[[File:Alastair Sim memorial stone, Lothian Road - geograph.org.uk - 1615081.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.35\|right\|Memorial stone near Sim's birthplace, Lothian Road, Edinburgh]]		[[File:Alastair Sim memorial stone, Lothian Road - geograph.org.uk - 1615081.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.35\|right\|Memorial stone near Sim's birthplace, Lothian Road, Edinburgh]]
	In 1948, Sim was elected [[Rector of the University of Edinburgh]]. He held the post until 1951; when he stood down he was made an [[Doctor of Law\|honorary Doctor of Law]].<ref name=dnb/> He was appointed [[Order of the British Empire\|CBE]] in 1953, and refused a [[knighthood]] in the early 1970s.<ref name=dnb/> An [[English Heritage]] [[Blue Plaque#English Heritage scheme\|blue plaque]] was unveiled in July 2008 at his former home at 8 Frognal Gardens, [[Hampstead]], by his daughter Merlith McKendrick at a ceremony attended by George Cole.<ref>[http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:EGLL&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1221B276A81189B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "People"], ''The Guardian'', 23 July 2008</ref> There is a plaque commemorating Sim's birth outside the [[Edinburgh Filmhouse\|Filmhouse Cinema]] in [[A700 road\|Lothian Road]], Edinburgh.<ref>[http://www.filmhousecinema.com/news/view/92/alastair-sims-birthplace-located/?from=all/14 "Alastair Sim's birthplace located"], Filmhouse Cinema, retrieved 12 July 2014</ref>		In 1948, Sim was elected [[w:Rector of the University of Edinburgh\|Rector of the University of Edinburgh]]. He held the post until 1951; when he stood down he was made an [[w:Doctor of Law\|honorary Doctor of Law]].<ref name=dnb/> He was appointed [[w:Order of the British Empire\|CBE]] in 1953, and refused a [[w:knighthood\|knighthood]] in the early 1970s.<ref name=dnb/> An [[w:English Heritage\|English Heritage]] [[w:Blue Plaque#English Heritage scheme\|blue plaque]] was unveiled in July 2008 at his former home at 8 Frognal Gardens, [[w:Hampstead\|Hampstead]], by his daughter Merlith McKendrick at a ceremony attended by George Cole.<ref>[http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:UKNB:EGLL&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=1221B276A81189B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=102CDD40F14C6BDA "People"], ''The Guardian'', 23 July 2008</ref> There is a plaque commemorating Sim's birth outside the [[w:Edinburgh Filmhouse\|Filmhouse Cinema]] in [[w:A700 road\|Lothian Road]], Edinburgh.<ref>[http://www.filmhousecinema.com/news/view/92/alastair-sims-birthplace-located/?from=all/14 "Alastair Sim's birthplace located"], Filmhouse Cinema, retrieved 12 July 2014</ref>

	Sim died in 1976, aged 75, in London, from [[lung cancer]]. His widow Naomi died on 3 August 1999. She published a memoir, ''Skylark: Fifty Years with Alastair Sim'' in 1987.<ref name=dnb/>		Sim died in 1976, aged 75, in London, from [[w:lung cancer\|lung cancer]]. His widow Naomi died on 3 August 1999. She published a memoir, ''Skylark: Fifty Years with Alastair Sim'' in 1987.<ref name=dnb/>

	==Credits==		==Credits==

Kurt: /* 1960s and last years */

2022-08-19T20:16:55Z

1960s and last years

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:16, 19 August 2022
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	==1960s and last years==		==1960s and last years==

	After doing little stage work in the 1950s, Sim resumed his theatre career in earnest in the 1960s. His range was wide, from Prospero in ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1962) and Shylock in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' (1964), to the villainous Captain Hook in [[J. M. Barrie\|Barrie]]'s ''[[Peter and Wendy\|Peter Pan]]'' (1963, 1964 and 1968) and the hapless Mr Posket in [[Arthur Wing Pinero\|Pinero]]'s farce ''[[The Magistrate (play)\|The Magistrate]]'' (1969). The new plays in which Sim appeared were [[Michael Gilbert]]'s ''Windfall'' (1963), [[William Trevor]]'s ''The Elephant's Foot'' (1965) and [[Ronald Millar]]'s ''Number Ten'' (1967); he directed all three productions. The first was dismissed by ''The Times'' as a tepid comedy about a progressive young headmaster thwarted by a reactionary member of his staff; the second, billed as a pre-London tour, started and finished in the provinces; the last was castigated by [[Philip Hope-Wallace]] in ''The Guardian'' as "maladroit playmaking" with a tedious plot about political machinations.<ref name=crits60s/> Sim's performances provided some consolation: in the first, ''The Times'' said, his "treacherously sweet smiles, triple takes and unheralded spasms of apoplectic fury almost make the evening worth while".<ref name=crits60s>Lyric Theatre. "Mr Sim again the Indulgent Pedagogue", ''The Times'', 3 July 1963, p. 13 (''Windfall''); "Briefing", ''The Observer'', 4 April 1965, p. 22 (''The Elephant's Foot''); and Hope-Wallace, Philip. "Number 10 at the Strand Theatre", ''The Guardian'', 16 November 1967, p. 6 (''Number Ten'')</ref>		After doing little stage work in the 1950s, Sim resumed his theatre career in earnest in the 1960s. His range was wide, from Prospero in ''[[w:The Tempest]]'' (1962) and Shylock in ''[[w:The Merchant of Venice\|The Merchant of Venice]]'' (1964), to the villainous Captain Hook in [[w:J. M. Barrie\|Barrie]]'s ''[[w:Peter and Wendy\|Peter Pan]]'' (1963, 1964 and 1968) and the hapless Mr Posket in [[w:Arthur Wing Pinero\|Pinero]]'s farce ''[[w:The Magistrate (play)\|The Magistrate]]'' (1969). The new plays in which Sim appeared were [[w:Michael Gilbert\|Michael Gilbert]]'s ''Windfall'' (1963), [[w:William Trevor\|William Trevor]]'s ''The Elephant's Foot'' (1965) and [[w:Ronald Millar\|Ronald Millar]]'s ''Number Ten'' (1967); he directed all three productions. The first was dismissed by ''The Times'' as a tepid comedy about a progressive young headmaster thwarted by a reactionary member of his staff; the second, billed as a pre-London tour, started and finished in the provinces; the last was castigated by [[w:Philip Hope-Wallace\|Philip Hope-Wallace]] in ''The Guardian'' as "maladroit playmaking" with a tedious plot about political machinations.<ref name=crits60s/> Sim's performances provided some consolation: in the first, ''The Times'' said, his "treacherously sweet smiles, triple takes and unheralded spasms of apoplectic fury almost make the evening worth while".<ref name=crits60s>Lyric Theatre. "Mr Sim again the Indulgent Pedagogue", ''The Times'', 3 July 1963, p. 13 (''Windfall''); "Briefing", ''The Observer'', 4 April 1965, p. 22 (''The Elephant's Foot''); and Hope-Wallace, Philip. "Number 10 at the Strand Theatre", ''The Guardian'', 16 November 1967, p. 6 (''Number Ten'')</ref>

	Much more successful among Sim's 1960s appearances were two productions at the [[Chichester Festival]]: [[George Colman the Elder\|Colman]] and [[David Garrick\|Garrick]]'s 1766 comedy ''[[The Clandestine Marriage]]'' (1966) and ''[[The Magistrate (play)\|The Magistrate]]''. In the former he co-starred once more with Rutherford, whom [[J. C. Trewin]] in ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'' praised for her "irresistible comic effect"; he thought Sim "enchantingly right".<ref>Trewin, J C. "Ha! Ha! That's Admirable!", ''Illustrated London News'', 11 June 1966, p. 31</ref> In the Pinero farce three years later, Trewin was equally approving of Sim and his co-star [[Patricia Routledge]].<ref>Trewin, J C. "Frenzy by Gaslight", ''Illustrated London News'', 31 May 1969, p. 32</ref>		Much more successful among Sim's 1960s appearances were two productions at the [[w:Chichester Festival\|Chichester Festival]]: [[w:George Colman the Elder\|Colman]] and [[w:David Garrick\|Garrick]]'s 1766 comedy ''[[w:The Clandestine Marriage\|The Clandestine Marriage]]'' (1966) and ''[[w:The Magistrate (play)\|The Magistrate]]''. In the former he co-starred once more with Rutherford, whom [[w:J. C. Trewin\|J. C. Trewin]] in ''[[w:The Illustrated London News\|The Illustrated London News]]'' praised for her "irresistible comic effect"; he thought Sim "enchantingly right".<ref>Trewin, J C. "Ha! Ha! That's Admirable!", ''Illustrated London News'', 11 June 1966, p. 31</ref> In the Pinero farce three years later, Trewin was equally approving of Sim and his co-star [[w:Patricia Routledge\|Patricia Routledge]].<ref>Trewin, J C. "Frenzy by Gaslight", ''Illustrated London News'', 31 May 1969, p. 32</ref>

	On television, Sim's best remembered performance was probably as Mr Justice Swallow in the comedy series ''[[Uncommon Law\|Misleading Cases]]'' (1967–71), written by [[A. P. Herbert]], with [[Roy Dotrice]] as the litigious Mr Haddock over whose court cases Swallow presided with benign shrewdness.<ref>Simpson, p. 172</ref> Sim returned to the cinema in 1971 as the voice of Scrooge in an animated adaptation of ''[[A Christmas Carol (1971 film)\|A Christmas Carol]]''. The following year he appeared as the Bishop in [[Peter Medak]]'s ''[[The Ruling Class (film)\|The Ruling Class]]'' (1972) with [[Peter O'Toole]], and in 1975 he played a cameo in [[Richard Lester]]'s ''[[Royal Flash (film)\|Royal Flash]]'' (1975) with [[Malcolm McDowell]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120713190950/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6a793817 "The Ruling Class"] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20120713184402/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b4b8c8f "Royal Flash"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref> After playing Lord Harrogate in the 1976 [[Walt Disney Pictures\|Disney]] film ''[[Escape from the Dark]]'', his last role was as the Earl in the 1976 remake of ''[[Rogue Male (1976 film)\|Rogue Male]]'' opposite [[Peter O'Toole]], a role for which he literally climbed out of his sick bed, saying, "Peter needs me."		On television, Sim's best remembered performance was probably as Mr Justice Swallow in the comedy series ''[[w:Uncommon Law\|Misleading Cases]]'' (1967–71), written by [[w:A. P. Herbert\|A. P. Herbert]], with [[w:Roy Dotrice\|Roy Dotrice]] as the litigious Mr Haddock over whose court cases Swallow presided with benign shrewdness.<ref>Simpson, p. 172</ref> Sim returned to the cinema in 1971 as the voice of Scrooge in an animated adaptation of ''[[w:A Christmas Carol (1971 film)\|A Christmas Carol]]''. The following year he appeared as the Bishop in [[w:Peter Medak\|Peter Medak]]'s ''[[w:The Ruling Class (film)\|The Ruling Class]]'' (1972) with [[w:Peter O'Toole\|Peter O'Toole]], and in 1975 he played a cameo in [[w:Richard Lester\|Richard Lester]]'s ''[[w:Royal Flash (film)\|Royal Flash]]'' (1975) with [[w:Malcolm McDowell\|Malcolm McDowell]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120713190950/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6a793817 "The Ruling Class"] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20120713184402/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b4b8c8f "Royal Flash"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref> After playing Lord Harrogate in the 1976 [[w:Walt Disney Pictures\|Disney]] film ''[[w:Escape from the Dark\|Escape from the Dark]]'', his last role was as the Earl in the 1976 remake of ''[[w:Rogue Male (1976 film)\|Rogue Male]]'' opposite [[w:Peter O'Toole\|Peter O'Toole]], a role for which he literally climbed out of his sick bed, saying, "Peter needs me."

	On stage Sim returned to Pinero farce, playing Augustin Jedd in ''[[Dandy Dick (play)\|Dandy Dick]]'' at Chichester and then in the West End. Once again he co-starred with Patricia Routledge. His last stage appearance was in a return to the role of Lord Ogleby in a new production of ''[[The Clandestine Marriage]]'' at the Savoy in April 1975.<ref name=dnb/>		On stage Sim returned to Pinero farce, playing Augustin Jedd in ''[[w:Dandy Dick (play)\|Dandy Dick]]'' at Chichester and then in the West End. Once again he co-starred with Patricia Routledge. His last stage appearance was in a return to the role of Lord Ogleby in a new production of ''[[w:The Clandestine Marriage\|The Clandestine Marriage]]'' at the Savoy in April 1975.<ref name=dnb/>

	==Personal life and honours==		==Personal life and honours==

Kurt: /* Starring roles */

2022-08-19T20:10:06Z

Starring roles

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 19 August 2022
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	==Starring roles==		==Starring roles==

	Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last [[Malvern Festival (1929–39)\|Malvern Festival]]; in [[James Bridie]]'s comedy ''What Say They?'' he played Professor Hayman, making him, as ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'' put it, "baleful as a shaven [[John Knox]] and lean as a buzzard… a grand performance".<ref>"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's ''What Say They?''", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 8 August 1939, p. 11</ref> This was the start of an association between Sim and Bridie that lasted until the latter's death in 1951, with Sim starring in, and directing, ''Mr Bolfry'' (1943), ''The Forrigan Reel'' (1945), ''Dr Angelus'' (1947) and ''Mr Gillie'' (1950).<ref name=dnb/>		Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last [[w:Malvern Festival (1929–39)\|Malvern Festival]]; in [[w:James Bridie\|James Bridie]]'s comedy ''What Say They?'' he played Professor Hayman, making him, as ''[[w:The Manchester Guardian\|The Manchester Guardian]]'' put it, "baleful as a shaven [[w:John Knox\|John Knox]] and lean as a buzzard… a grand performance".<ref>"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's ''What Say They?''", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 8 August 1939, p. 11</ref> This was the start of an association between Sim and Bridie that lasted until the latter's death in 1951, with Sim starring in, and directing, ''Mr Bolfry'' (1943), ''The Forrigan Reel'' (1945), ''Dr Angelus'' (1947) and ''Mr Gillie'' (1950).<ref name=dnb/>

	[[File:Sim-mills-mitchell-escapade.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|With [[John Mills]] and [[Yvonne Mitchell]] in the comedy-thriller ''[[Escapade (1955 film)\|Escapade]]'', 1955]]		[[File:Sim-mills-mitchell-escapade.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|With [[w:John Mills\|John Mills]] and [[w:Yvonne Mitchell\|Yvonne Mitchell]] in the comedy-thriller ''[[w:Escapade (1955 film)\|Escapade]]'', 1955]]
	[[File:Sim-green-man.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|As Hawkins, the incompetent assassin, in ''[[The Green Man (film)\|The Green Man]]'', 1956]]		[[File:Sim-green-man.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|As Hawkins, the incompetent assassin, in ''[[w:The Green Man (film)\|The Green Man]]'', 1956]]
	By the mid-1940s, Sim was being cast in starring roles in films. His earliest successes as a leading man included the police detective in the thriller ''[[Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946); the headmaster of Nutbourne College, co-starring with [[Margaret Rutherford]], in the farcical comedy ''[[The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950); and a writer of lurid crime fiction in the comedy ''[[Laughter in Paradise]]'' (1951). His other films included ''[[Waterloo Road (film)\|Waterloo Road]]'' (1944), ''[[London Belongs to Me]]'' (1948), [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)\|Stage Fright]]'' (1950), ''[[Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)]]'' (1951), ''[[Folly to Be Wise]]'' (1953) and ''[[An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120711154610/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f475edb "Alastair Sim"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref>		By the mid-1940s, Sim was being cast in starring roles in films. His earliest successes as a leading man included the police detective in the thriller ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946); the headmaster of Nutbourne College, co-starring with [[Margaret Rutherford]], in the farcical comedy ''[[The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950); and a writer of lurid crime fiction in the comedy ''[[Laughter in Paradise]]'' (1951). His other films included ''[[w:Waterloo Road (film)\|Waterloo Road]]'' (1944), ''[[w:London Belongs to Me\|London Belongs to Me]]'' (1948), [[w:Alfred Hitchcock\|Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[w:Stage Fright (1950 film)\|Stage Fright]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)]]'' (1951), ''[[w:Folly to Be Wise\|Folly to Be Wise]]'' (1953) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120711154610/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f475edb "Alastair Sim"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref>

	Sim turned down the role of Joseph Macroon in ''[[Whisky Galore! (1949 film)\|Whisky Galore!]]'' (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".<ref>McArthur, p. 34</ref> An even more central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal mastermind Professor Marcus in ''[[The Ladykillers (1955 film)\|The Ladykillers]]'' (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally taken by [[Alec Guinness]], who, in the words of Mark Duguid of the [[British Film Institute]], played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent that according to Simpson many people thought then and still think that Sim played the part.<ref>Simpson, pp. 91–92</ref><ref>Duguid, Mark. [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441533/ "Ladykillers, The (1955)"], British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013</ref>		Sim turned down the role of Joseph Macroon in ''[[w:Whisky Galore! (1949 film)\|Whisky Galore!]]'' (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".<ref>McArthur, p. 34</ref> An even more central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal mastermind Professor Marcus in ''[[w:The Ladykillers (1955 film)\|The Ladykillers]]'' (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally taken by [[w:Alec Guinness\|Alec Guinness]], who, in the words of Mark Duguid of the [[w:British Film Institute\|British Film Institute]], played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent that according to Simpson many people thought then and still think that Sim played the part.<ref>Simpson, pp. 91–92</ref><ref>Duguid, Mark. [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441533/ "Ladykillers, The (1955)"], British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013</ref>

	Sim's performance in ''Scrooge'' (1951) is considered by many to be the best portrayal of the title character on screen,<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/509290/ "Scrooge" (1951)], Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> and it is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.{{refn\|The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there will always be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's little doubt as to which is the best known. His 1951 characterisation of Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry of ''[[The American Spectator]]'' called the fiilm "the gold standard by which all the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the performance of his career".<ref>Ferrara, Greg. [http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?id=453447%7c453734 "A Christmas Carol (1951)"], [[Turner Classic Movies]], retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> In Sim's own country he was at least as celebrated for other film roles: in ''[[The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', [[Michael Gilbert]] identifies Sim's harassed headmaster in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' as "the fondest memory for many".<ref name=dnb/> and in 2005, Michael Brooke wrote in the [[British Film Institute]]'s ''[[Sight and Sound]]'', "The St Trinian's films may be the first we think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's heyday would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as the "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.<ref name=bfi/>\|group= n}} In the farcical ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) he played the dual roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of [[St Trinian's]] and her shady brother. Having originally accepted the part of Clarence, Sim agreed to play in drag as Miss Fritton when [[Margaret Rutherford]] proved unavailable, and the director and co-producer, [[Frank Launder]] could find no suitable actress as an alternative.<ref>Simpson, pp. 121–22</ref> His "Burke and Hare" film ''The Anatomist'' debuted on British television (on "International Theatre") on 6 February 1956, and was later released theatrically in the U.S. in 1961, leading some reference sources to list it as a 1961 movie.<ref>"The Anatomist". British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2014.</ref>		Sim's performance in ''Scrooge'' (1951) is considered by many to be the best portrayal of the title character on screen,<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/509290/ "Scrooge" (1951)], Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> and it is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.{{refn\|The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there will always be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's little doubt as to which is the best known. His 1951 characterisation of Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry of ''[[w:The American Spectator\|The American Spectator]]'' called the fiilm "the gold standard by which all the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the performance of his career".<ref>Ferrara, Greg. [http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?id=453447%7c453734 "A Christmas Carol (1951)"], [[w:Turner Classic Movies\|]], retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> In Sim's own country he was at least as celebrated for other film roles: in ''[[w:The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography\|The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', [[w:Michael Gilbert\|Michael Gilbert]] identifies Sim's harassed headmaster in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' as "the fondest memory for many".<ref name=dnb/> and in 2005, Michael Brooke wrote in the [[w:British Film Institute\|British Film Institute]]'s ''[[w:Sight and Sound\|Sight and Sound]]'', "The St Trinian's films may be the first we think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's heyday would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as the "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.<ref name=bfi/>\|group= n}} In the farcical ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) he played the dual roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of [[St Trinian's]] and her shady brother. Having originally accepted the part of Clarence, Sim agreed to play in drag as Miss Fritton when [[Margaret Rutherford]] proved unavailable, and the director and co-producer, [[w:Frank Launder\|Frank Launder]] could find no suitable actress as an alternative.<ref>Simpson, pp. 121–22</ref> His "Burke and Hare" film ''The Anatomist'' debuted on British television (on "International Theatre") on 6 February 1956, and was later released theatrically in the U.S. in 1961, leading some reference sources to list it as a 1961 movie.<ref>"The Anatomist". British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2014.</ref>

	Sim was among the top British film stars of the early and mid 1950s,{{#tag:ref\| For a number of years in the 1950s, British film exhibitors voted Sim among the top ten local stars at the box office in an annual poll for the ''Motion Picture Herald'': 1950 – equal 8th with [[Margaret Rutherford]];<ref>"Success of British Films", ''The Times'', 29 December 1950, p. 4</ref> 1951 – 6th;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63397098 "Vivien Leigh Actress of the Year"], ''[[Townsville Daily Bulletin]]'', Queensland, 29 December 1951, p. 1</ref> 1952 – 2nd;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18504988 "Comedian Tops Film Poll"], ''[[Sunday Herald (Australia)\|Sunday Herald]]'', Sydney, 28 December 1952, p. 4</ref> 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).<ref>"The Dam Busters", ''The Times'', 29 December 1955, p. 12</ref>\|group= n}} but his films of the late 1950s are considered by the critic Michael Brooke to be of lesser quality, because of poor scripts or lack of innovative direction.<ref name=bfi/> Sim made no films in the decade between 1961 and 1971; it is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he found the scripts offered to him unacceptable or, as Simpson proposes, because film makers in the 1960s thought him unsuited to the [[Kitchen sink realism\|kitchen sink]] dramas then fashionable.<ref name=bfi/><ref>Simpson, p. 162</ref>		Sim was among the top British film stars of the early and mid 1950s,{{#tag:ref\| For a number of years in the 1950s, British film exhibitors voted Sim among the top ten local stars at the box office in an annual poll for the ''Motion Picture Herald'': 1950 – equal 8th with [[Margaret Rutherford]];<ref>"Success of British Films", ''The Times'', 29 December 1950, p. 4</ref> 1951 – 6th;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63397098 "Vivien Leigh Actress of the Year"], ''[[w:Townsville Daily Bulletin\|]]'', Queensland, 29 December 1951, p. 1</ref> 1952 – 2nd;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18504988 "Comedian Tops Film Poll"], ''[[w:Sunday Herald (Australia)\|Sunday Herald]]'', Sydney, 28 December 1952, p. 4</ref> 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).<ref>"The Dam Busters", ''The Times'', 29 December 1955, p. 12</ref>\|group= n}} but his films of the late 1950s are considered by the critic Michael Brooke to be of lesser quality, because of poor scripts or lack of innovative direction.<ref name=bfi/> Sim made no films in the decade between 1961 and 1971; it is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he found the scripts offered to him unacceptable or, as Simpson proposes, because film makers in the 1960s thought him unsuited to the [[w:Kitchen sink realism\|kitchen sink]] dramas then fashionable.<ref name=bfi/><ref>Simpson, p. 162</ref>

	After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim appeared in only two stage productions during the rest of the decade. The first was a revival of Bridie's ''Mr  Bolfry'' in 1956, in which Sim moved from the role of the puritanical clergyman to that of the Devil.<ref>"Aldwych Theatre", ''The Times'', 31 August 1956, p. 5</ref> The second was [[William Golding]]'s ''[[The Brass Butterfly]]'', a 1958 comedy described by ''The Times'' as portraying the relations between an urbane Roman emperor (Sim) and a Greek inventor with wildly anachronistic scientific ideas ([[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]]).<ref>"The Brass Butterfly", ''The Times'', 18 April 1958, p. 3</ref>		After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim appeared in only two stage productions during the rest of the decade. The first was a revival of Bridie's ''Mr  Bolfry'' in 1956, in which Sim moved from the role of the puritanical clergyman to that of the Devil.<ref>"Aldwych Theatre", ''The Times'', 31 August 1956, p. 5</ref> The second was [[w:William Golding\|William Golding]]'s ''[[The Brass Butterfly]]'', a 1958 comedy described by ''The Times'' as portraying the relations between an urbane Roman emperor (Sim) and a Greek inventor with wildly anachronistic scientific ideas ([[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]]).<ref>"The Brass Butterfly", ''The Times'', 18 April 1958, p. 3</ref>

	In 1959, Sim sued the food company [[H. J. Heinz Company\|H J Heinz]] over a television advertisement for its baked beans; the advertisement had a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by advertising anything.<ref>Simpson, pp. 150–51</ref>{{#tag:ref\|The voice was that of the actor [[Ron Moody]], who regularly imitated Sim, along with many others, as part of Moody's stage act.<ref>Simpson, p. 151</ref> Sim evidently bore Moody no ill will, and they appeared together in the 1975 revival of ''The Clandestine Marriage''.<ref>Simpson, p. 187</ref>\|group= n}} He lost the case and attracted some ridicule for his action, but he was conscious of the importance of his highly recognisable voice to his professional success. Brooke comments on Sim's "crowning glory: that extraordinary voice. Only [[John Gielgud\|Gielgud]] rivalled his tonal control and sensitivity to the musicality of the English language."<ref name=bfi/>		In 1959, Sim sued the food company [[w:H. J. Heinz Company\|H J Heinz]] over a television advertisement for its baked beans; the advertisement had a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by advertising anything.<ref>Simpson, pp. 150–51</ref>{{#tag:ref\|The voice was that of the actor [[Ron Moody]], who regularly imitated Sim, along with many others, as part of Moody's stage act.<ref>Simpson, p. 151</ref> Sim evidently bore Moody no ill will, and they appeared together in the 1975 revival of ''The Clandestine Marriage''.<ref>Simpson, p. 187</ref>\|group= n}} He lost the case and attracted some ridicule for his action, but he was conscious of the importance of his highly recognisable voice to his professional success. Brooke comments on Sim's "crowning glory: that extraordinary voice. Only [[w:John Gielgud\|Gielgud]] rivalled his tonal control and sensitivity to the musicality of the English language."<ref name=bfi/>

	==1960s and last years==		==1960s and last years==

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External links

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	==External links==		==External links==
	* {{IMDb name\|id=0799237\|name=Alastair Sim}}		* {{IMDb name\|id=0799237\|name=Alastair Sim}}
	* {{Tcmdb name}}
	* {{Screenonline name\|id=487433\|name=Alastair Sim}}		* {{Screenonline name\|id=487433\|name=Alastair Sim}}
	* {{IBDB name\|60092}}
	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke

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External links

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	* {{IBDB name\|60092}}		* {{IBDB name\|60092}}
	* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke		* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080930222600/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/320/ Funny Peculiar] – Sight & Sound profile of Alastair Sim by Michael Brooke

	~~{{s-start}}~~
	~~{{s-aca}}~~
	{{succession box \| before=[[Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope\|Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope]]\| title=[[Rector of the University of Edinburgh]] \| years=1948–1951 \| after=[[Alexander Fleming]]}}
	~~{{s-end}}~~

	{{Authority control}}		{{Authority control}}

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	After a series of false starts, including a spell as a jobbing labourer and another as a clerk in a local government office, Sim's love of and talent for poetry reading won him several prizes and led to his appointment as a lecturer in elocution at the [[w:University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and drama school, from which, with the help of the playwright [[w:John Drinkwater (playwright)\|John Drinkwater]], he made the transition to the professional stage in 1930.		After a series of false starts, including a spell as a jobbing labourer and another as a clerk in a local government office, Sim's love of and talent for poetry reading won him several prizes and led to his appointment as a lecturer in elocution at the [[w:University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and drama school, from which, with the help of the playwright [[w:John Drinkwater (playwright)\|John Drinkwater]], he made the transition to the professional stage in 1930.

	Despite his late start, Sim soon became well known on the London stage. A period of more than a year as a member of the [[w:Old Vic\|Old Vic]] company brought him wide experience of playing [[William Shakespeare\|Shakespeare]] and other classics, to which he returned throughout his career. In the modern repertoire, he formed a close professional association with the author [[James Bridie]], which lasted from 1939 until the dramatist's death in 1951. Sim not only acted in Bridie's works but also directed them.		Despite his late start, Sim soon became well known on the London stage. A period of more than a year as a member of the [[w:Old Vic\|Old Vic]] company brought him wide experience of playing [[w:William Shakespeare\|Shakespeare]] and other classics, to which he returned throughout his career. In the modern repertoire, he formed a close professional association with the author [[w:James Bridie\|James Bridie]], which lasted from 1939 until the dramatist's death in 1951. Sim not only acted in Bridie's works but also directed them.

	In the later 1940s and for most of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of British cinema. They included ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946), ''[[w:Hue and Cry (film)\|Hue and Cry]]'' (1947), ''[[w:The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge]]'' (1951), ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954). Later, he made fewer films and generally concentrated on stage work, including successful productions at the [[w:Chichester Festival Theatre\|Chichester Festival]] and regular appearances in new and old works in the West End.		In the later 1940s and for most of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of British cinema. They included ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946), ''[[w:Hue and Cry (film)\|Hue and Cry]]'' (1947), ''[[w:The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge]]'' (1951), ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954). Later, he made fewer films and generally concentrated on stage work, including successful productions at the [[w:Chichester Festival Theatre\|Chichester Festival]] and regular appearances in new and old works in the West End.

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Show changes

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	\| alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]]		\| alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]]
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[~~Edinburgh\|~~Edinburgh]], [[~~Scotland\|~~Scotland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\|United Kingdom]]		\| birth_place = [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\|United Kingdom]]
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1976\|08\|19\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|1976\|08\|19\|1900\|10\|09\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[London\|London]], England		\| death_place = [[London\|London]], England
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	==Early life==		==Early life==

	Sim was born in [[Edinburgh\|Edinburgh]], the youngest child and second son of Isabella (née McIntyre) and Alexander Sim. His mother moved to Edinburgh as a teenager from [[Eigg\|Eigg]], one of the [[Small Isles\|Small Isles]] in the [[Inner Hebrides\|Hebrides]], and was a native [[Scottish Gaelic\|Gaelic]] speaker.<ref>Simpson, p. 15</ref> His father was a [[Justice of the Peace\|Justice of the Peace]] and a successful tailor with a business on [[A700 road\|Lothian Road]]. Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, [[James Gillespie's High School\|James Gillespie's High School]] and [[George Heriot's School\|George Heriot's School]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/spellbinding-times-at-heriot-s-1-1215177 \|title=Spellbinding times at Heriot's \|date=13 August 2009 \|newspaper=[[The Scotsman\|The Scotsman]]}}</ref> He worked—probably part time{{#tag:ref\|In her memoirs, Sim's widow, [[Naomi Sim\|Naomi]], wrote that he worked after leaving school at fourteen; in his 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Simpson questions this, observing that Sim took his Intermediate School Certificate at the age of sixteen\|group= n}}—in his father's shop and then for the men's outfitters [[Gieves & Hawkes\|Gieve's]], displaying no talent for the retail trade.~~{{Citation needed\|date=November 2019}}~~ In 1918 he was admitted to the [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] to study analytical chemistry, but was called up for army training.<ref name=dnb>Gilbert, Michael. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31686 "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 {{ODNBsub}}</ref>		Sim was born in [[Edinburgh\|Edinburgh]], the youngest child and second son of Isabella (née McIntyre) and Alexander Sim. His mother moved to Edinburgh as a teenager from [[Eigg\|Eigg]], one of the [[Small Isles\|Small Isles]] in the [[Inner Hebrides\|Hebrides]], and was a native [[Scottish Gaelic\|Gaelic]] speaker.<ref>Simpson, p. 15</ref> His father was a [[Justice of the Peace\|Justice of the Peace]] and a successful tailor with a business on [[A700 road\|Lothian Road]]. Sim was educated at Bruntsfield Primary school, [[James Gillespie's High School\|James Gillespie's High School]] and [[George Heriot's School\|George Heriot's School]].<ref>{{cite news \|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/spellbinding-times-at-heriot-s-1-1215177 \|title=Spellbinding times at Heriot's \|date=13 August 2009 \|newspaper=[[The Scotsman\|The Scotsman]]}}</ref> He worked—probably part time{{#tag:ref\|In her memoirs, Sim's widow, [[Naomi Sim\|Naomi]], wrote that he worked after leaving school at fourteen; in his 2011 biography of Sim, Mark Simpson questions this, observing that Sim took his Intermediate School Certificate at the age of sixteen\|group= n}}—in his father's shop and then for the men's outfitters [[Gieves & Hawkes\|Gieve's]], displaying no talent for the retail trade. In 1918 he was admitted to the [[University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] to study analytical chemistry, but was called up for army training.<ref name=dnb>Gilbert, Michael. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31686 "Sim, Alastair George Bell (1900–1976)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2011, retrieved 11 July 2014 {{ODNBsub}}</ref>

	After the end of the [[First World War\|First World War]] in November 1918, Sim was released from military service. On his return home, he told his family that he did not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.<ref>Simpson, p. 19</ref> His announcement was so badly received that he left the parental home and spent about a year in the [[Scottish Highlands\|Scottish Highlands]] with a group of itinerant jobbing workers.<ref name=bfi>Brooke, Michael. "The actors: Alastair Sim – Funny Peculiar", ''Sight and Sound'', 15.7, [[British Film Institute\|]], July 2005, pp. 34–36</ref> Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the burgh assessor's office. In his spare time, he joined poetry reading classes, winning the gold medal for verse speaking at the Edinburgh Music Festival. This led to his engagement to teach [[elocution\|elocution]] at a further education college in [[Dalry, Edinburgh\|Dalry]], Edinburgh. He held this post from 1922 to 1924. After taking an advanced training course in his subject, in 1925 he successfully applied to the University of Edinburgh for the post of Fulton Lecturer in Elocution, which he held for five years.<ref name=dnb/>		After the end of the [[First World War\|First World War]] in November 1918, Sim was released from military service. On his return home, he told his family that he did not intend to resume his studies at the university but instead would become an actor.<ref>Simpson, p. 19</ref> His announcement was so badly received that he left the parental home and spent about a year in the [[Scottish Highlands\|Scottish Highlands]] with a group of itinerant jobbing workers.<ref name=bfi>Brooke, Michael. "The actors: Alastair Sim – Funny Peculiar", ''Sight and Sound'', 15.7, [[British Film Institute\|]], July 2005, pp. 34–36</ref> Returning to Edinburgh, he took a post in the burgh assessor's office. In his spare time, he joined poetry reading classes, winning the gold medal for verse speaking at the Edinburgh Music Festival. This led to his engagement to teach [[elocution\|elocution]] at a further education college in [[Dalry, Edinburgh\|Dalry]], Edinburgh. He held this post from 1922 to 1924. After taking an advanced training course in his subject, in 1925 he successfully applied to the University of Edinburgh for the post of Fulton Lecturer in Elocution, which he held for five years.<ref name=dnb/>

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	==Starring roles==		==Starring roles==

	Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last [[Malvern Festival (1929–39)\|Malvern Festival]]; in [[James Bridie]]'s comedy ''What Say They?'' he played Professor Hayman, making him, as ''[[The Manchester Guardian]]'' put it, "baleful as a shaven [[John Knox]] and lean as a buzzard… a grand performance".<ref>"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's ''What Say They?''", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 8 August 1939, p. 11</ref> This was the start of an association between Sim and Bridie that lasted until the latter's death in 1951, with Sim starring in, and directing, ''Mr Bolfry'' (1943), ''The Forrigan Reel'' (1945), ''Dr Angelus'' (1947) and ''Mr Gillie'' (1950).<ref name=dnb/>		Sim returned to substantial stage roles at the last [[w:Malvern Festival (1929–39)\|Malvern Festival]]; in [[w:James Bridie\|James Bridie]]'s comedy ''What Say They?'' he played Professor Hayman, making him, as ''[[w:The Manchester Guardian\|The Manchester Guardian]]'' put it, "baleful as a shaven [[w:John Knox\|John Knox]] and lean as a buzzard… a grand performance".<ref>"Malvern Festival: "Mr James Bridie's ''What Say They?''", ''The Manchester Guardian'', 8 August 1939, p. 11</ref> This was the start of an association between Sim and Bridie that lasted until the latter's death in 1951, with Sim starring in, and directing, ''Mr Bolfry'' (1943), ''The Forrigan Reel'' (1945), ''Dr Angelus'' (1947) and ''Mr Gillie'' (1950).<ref name=dnb/>

	[[File:Sim-mills-mitchell-escapade.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|With [[John Mills]] and [[Yvonne Mitchell]] in the comedy-thriller ''[[Escapade (1955 film)\|Escapade]]'', 1955]]		[[File:Sim-mills-mitchell-escapade.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|With [[w:John Mills\|John Mills]] and [[w:Yvonne Mitchell\|Yvonne Mitchell]] in the comedy-thriller ''[[w:Escapade (1955 film)\|Escapade]]'', 1955]]
	[[File:Sim-green-man.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|As Hawkins, the incompetent assassin, in ''[[The Green Man (film)\|The Green Man]]'', 1956]]		[[File:Sim-green-man.jpg\|thumb\|upright=1.25\|As Hawkins, the incompetent assassin, in ''[[w:The Green Man (film)\|The Green Man]]'', 1956]]
	By the mid-1940s, Sim was being cast in starring roles in films. His earliest successes as a leading man included the police detective in the thriller ''[[Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946); the headmaster of Nutbourne College, co-starring with [[Margaret Rutherford]], in the farcical comedy ''[[The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950); and a writer of lurid crime fiction in the comedy ''[[Laughter in Paradise]]'' (1951). His other films included ''[[Waterloo Road (film)\|Waterloo Road]]'' (1944), ''[[London Belongs to Me]]'' (1948), [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)\|Stage Fright]]'' (1950), ''[[Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)]]'' (1951), ''[[Folly to Be Wise]]'' (1953) and ''[[An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120711154610/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f475edb "Alastair Sim"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref>		By the mid-1940s, Sim was being cast in starring roles in films. His earliest successes as a leading man included the police detective in the thriller ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946); the headmaster of Nutbourne College, co-starring with [[Margaret Rutherford]], in the farcical comedy ''[[The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950); and a writer of lurid crime fiction in the comedy ''[[Laughter in Paradise]]'' (1951). His other films included ''[[w:Waterloo Road (film)\|Waterloo Road]]'' (1944), ''[[w:London Belongs to Me\|London Belongs to Me]]'' (1948), [[w:Alfred Hitchcock\|Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[w:Stage Fright (1950 film)\|Stage Fright]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)]]'' (1951), ''[[w:Folly to Be Wise\|Folly to Be Wise]]'' (1953) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120711154610/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f475edb "Alastair Sim"], British Film Institute, retrieved 13 July 2014</ref>

	Sim turned down the role of Joseph Macroon in ''[[Whisky Galore! (1949 film)\|Whisky Galore!]]'' (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".<ref>McArthur, p. 34</ref> An even more central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal mastermind Professor Marcus in ''[[The Ladykillers (1955 film)\|The Ladykillers]]'' (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally taken by [[Alec Guinness]], who, in the words of Mark Duguid of the [[British Film Institute]], played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent that according to Simpson many people thought then and still think that Sim played the part.<ref>Simpson, pp. 91–92</ref><ref>Duguid, Mark. [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441533/ "Ladykillers, The (1955)"], British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013</ref>		Sim turned down the role of Joseph Macroon in ''[[w:Whisky Galore! (1949 film)\|Whisky Galore!]]'' (1949), saying, "I can't bear professional Scotsmen".<ref>McArthur, p. 34</ref> An even more central role for which he was intended was the mad criminal mastermind Professor Marcus in ''[[w:The Ladykillers (1955 film)\|The Ladykillers]]'' (1955). The role was written with him in mind but was finally taken by [[w:Alec Guinness\|Alec Guinness]], who, in the words of Mark Duguid of the [[w:British Film Institute\|British Film Institute]], played it "with more than a hint of Sim about him", to the extent that according to Simpson many people thought then and still think that Sim played the part.<ref>Simpson, pp. 91–92</ref><ref>Duguid, Mark. [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/441533/ "Ladykillers, The (1955)"], British Film Institute, retrieved 12 July 2013</ref>

	Sim's performance in ''Scrooge'' (1951) is considered by many to be the best portrayal of the title character on screen,<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/509290/ "Scrooge" (1951)], Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> and it is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.{{refn\|The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there will always be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's little doubt as to which is the best known. His 1951 characterisation of Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry of ''[[The American Spectator]]'' called the fiilm "the gold standard by which all the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the performance of his career".<ref>Ferrara, Greg. [http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?id=453447%7c453734 "A Christmas Carol (1951)"], [[Turner Classic Movies]], retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> In Sim's own country he was at least as celebrated for other film roles: in ''[[The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', [[Michael Gilbert]] identifies Sim's harassed headmaster in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' as "the fondest memory for many".<ref name=dnb/> and in 2005, Michael Brooke wrote in the [[British Film Institute]]'s ''[[Sight and Sound]]'', "The St Trinian's films may be the first we think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's heyday would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as the "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.<ref name=bfi/>\|group= n}} In the farcical ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) he played the dual roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of [[St Trinian's]] and her shady brother. Having originally accepted the part of Clarence, Sim agreed to play in drag as Miss Fritton when [[Margaret Rutherford]] proved unavailable, and the director and co-producer, [[Frank Launder]] could find no suitable actress as an alternative.<ref>Simpson, pp. 121–22</ref> His "Burke and Hare" film ''The Anatomist'' debuted on British television (on "International Theatre") on 6 February 1956, and was later released theatrically in the U.S. in 1961, leading some reference sources to list it as a 1961 movie.<ref>"The Anatomist". British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2014.</ref>		Sim's performance in ''Scrooge'' (1951) is considered by many to be the best portrayal of the title character on screen,<ref>[http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/509290/ "Scrooge" (1951)], Screenonline, retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> and it is among his best-known film roles, particularly in the U.S.{{refn\|The American critic Greg Ferrara wrote, "Although there will always be dispute over which is Alastair Sim's finest screen performance, there's little doubt as to which is the best known. His 1951 characterisation of Charles Dickens' notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is... generally regarded as definitive", and in 2002 John Corry of ''[[w:The American Spectator\|The American Spectator]]'' called the fiilm "the gold standard by which all the other versions must be judged: the 1951 film in which Alastair Sim, as Scrooge, gives the performance of his career".<ref>Ferrara, Greg. [http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?id=453447%7c453734 "A Christmas Carol (1951)"], [[w:Turner Classic Movies\|]], retrieved 30 December 2015</ref> In Sim's own country he was at least as celebrated for other film roles: in ''[[w:The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography\|The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'', [[w:Michael Gilbert\|Michael Gilbert]] identifies Sim's harassed headmaster in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' as "the fondest memory for many".<ref name=dnb/> and in 2005, Michael Brooke wrote in the [[w:British Film Institute\|British Film Institute]]'s ''[[w:Sight and Sound\|Sight and Sound]]'', "The St Trinian's films may be the first we think of, but Alastair Sim was a vastly versatile actor without whom the landscape of British cinema's heyday would be a less joyful place." Brooke describes Sim's Scrooge as the "unimpeachably definitive" cinema portrayal.<ref name=bfi/>\|group= n}} In the farcical ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) he played the dual roles of Millicent and Clarence Fritton, the headmistress of [[St Trinian's]] and her shady brother. Having originally accepted the part of Clarence, Sim agreed to play in drag as Miss Fritton when [[Margaret Rutherford]] proved unavailable, and the director and co-producer, [[w:Frank Launder\|Frank Launder]] could find no suitable actress as an alternative.<ref>Simpson, pp. 121–22</ref> His "Burke and Hare" film ''The Anatomist'' debuted on British television (on "International Theatre") on 6 February 1956, and was later released theatrically in the U.S. in 1961, leading some reference sources to list it as a 1961 movie.<ref>"The Anatomist". British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 July 2014.</ref>

	Sim was among the top British film stars of the early and mid 1950s,{{#tag:ref\| For a number of years in the 1950s, British film exhibitors voted Sim among the top ten local stars at the box office in an annual poll for the ''Motion Picture Herald'': 1950 – equal 8th with [[Margaret Rutherford]];<ref>"Success of British Films", ''The Times'', 29 December 1950, p. 4</ref> 1951 – 6th;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63397098 "Vivien Leigh Actress of the Year"], ''[[Townsville Daily Bulletin]]'', Queensland, 29 December 1951, p. 1</ref> 1952 – 2nd;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18504988 "Comedian Tops Film Poll"], ''[[Sunday Herald (Australia)\|Sunday Herald]]'', Sydney, 28 December 1952, p. 4</ref> 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).<ref>"The Dam Busters", ''The Times'', 29 December 1955, p. 12</ref>\|group= n}} but his films of the late 1950s are considered by the critic Michael Brooke to be of lesser quality, because of poor scripts or lack of innovative direction.<ref name=bfi/> Sim made no films in the decade between 1961 and 1971; it is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he found the scripts offered to him unacceptable or, as Simpson proposes, because film makers in the 1960s thought him unsuited to the [[Kitchen sink realism\|kitchen sink]] dramas then fashionable.<ref name=bfi/><ref>Simpson, p. 162</ref>		Sim was among the top British film stars of the early and mid 1950s,{{#tag:ref\| For a number of years in the 1950s, British film exhibitors voted Sim among the top ten local stars at the box office in an annual poll for the ''Motion Picture Herald'': 1950 – equal 8th with [[Margaret Rutherford]];<ref>"Success of British Films", ''The Times'', 29 December 1950, p. 4</ref> 1951 – 6th;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63397098 "Vivien Leigh Actress of the Year"], ''[[w:Townsville Daily Bulletin\|]]'', Queensland, 29 December 1951, p. 1</ref> 1952 – 2nd;<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18504988 "Comedian Tops Film Poll"], ''[[w:Sunday Herald (Australia)\|Sunday Herald]]'', Sydney, 28 December 1952, p. 4</ref> 1953 – 4th; 1955 – 4th (8th overall).<ref>"The Dam Busters", ''The Times'', 29 December 1955, p. 12</ref>\|group= n}} but his films of the late 1950s are considered by the critic Michael Brooke to be of lesser quality, because of poor scripts or lack of innovative direction.<ref name=bfi/> Sim made no films in the decade between 1961 and 1971; it is not clear whether this was, as Brooke suggests, because he found the scripts offered to him unacceptable or, as Simpson proposes, because film makers in the 1960s thought him unsuited to the [[w:Kitchen sink realism\|kitchen sink]] dramas then fashionable.<ref name=bfi/><ref>Simpson, p. 162</ref>

	After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim appeared in only two stage productions during the rest of the decade. The first was a revival of Bridie's ''Mr  Bolfry'' in 1956, in which Sim moved from the role of the puritanical clergyman to that of the Devil.<ref>"Aldwych Theatre", ''The Times'', 31 August 1956, p. 5</ref> The second was [[William Golding]]'s ''[[The Brass Butterfly]]'', a 1958 comedy described by ''The Times'' as portraying the relations between an urbane Roman emperor (Sim) and a Greek inventor with wildly anachronistic scientific ideas ([[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]]).<ref>"The Brass Butterfly", ''The Times'', 18 April 1958, p. 3</ref>		After Bridie's death in 1951, Sim appeared in only two stage productions during the rest of the decade. The first was a revival of Bridie's ''Mr  Bolfry'' in 1956, in which Sim moved from the role of the puritanical clergyman to that of the Devil.<ref>"Aldwych Theatre", ''The Times'', 31 August 1956, p. 5</ref> The second was [[w:William Golding\|William Golding]]'s ''[[The Brass Butterfly]]'', a 1958 comedy described by ''The Times'' as portraying the relations between an urbane Roman emperor (Sim) and a Greek inventor with wildly anachronistic scientific ideas ([[George Cole (actor)\|George Cole]]).<ref>"The Brass Butterfly", ''The Times'', 18 April 1958, p. 3</ref>

	In 1959, Sim sued the food company [[H. J. Heinz Company\|H J Heinz]] over a television advertisement for its baked beans; the advertisement had a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by advertising anything.<ref>Simpson, pp. 150–51</ref>{{#tag:ref\|The voice was that of the actor [[Ron Moody]], who regularly imitated Sim, along with many others, as part of Moody's stage act.<ref>Simpson, p. 151</ref> Sim evidently bore Moody no ill will, and they appeared together in the 1975 revival of ''The Clandestine Marriage''.<ref>Simpson, p. 187</ref>\|group= n}} He lost the case and attracted some ridicule for his action, but he was conscious of the importance of his highly recognisable voice to his professional success. Brooke comments on Sim's "crowning glory: that extraordinary voice. Only [[John Gielgud\|Gielgud]] rivalled his tonal control and sensitivity to the musicality of the English language."<ref name=bfi/>		In 1959, Sim sued the food company [[w:H. J. Heinz Company\|H J Heinz]] over a television advertisement for its baked beans; the advertisement had a voiceover sounding remarkably like him, and he insisted that he would not "prostitute his art" by advertising anything.<ref>Simpson, pp. 150–51</ref>{{#tag:ref\|The voice was that of the actor [[Ron Moody]], who regularly imitated Sim, along with many others, as part of Moody's stage act.<ref>Simpson, p. 151</ref> Sim evidently bore Moody no ill will, and they appeared together in the 1975 revival of ''The Clandestine Marriage''.<ref>Simpson, p. 187</ref>\|group= n}} He lost the case and attracted some ridicule for his action, but he was conscious of the importance of his highly recognisable voice to his professional success. Brooke comments on Sim's "crowning glory: that extraordinary voice. Only [[w:John Gielgud\|Gielgud]] rivalled his tonal control and sensitivity to the musicality of the English language."<ref name=bfi/>

	==1960s and last years==		==1960s and last years==

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	After a series of false starts, including a spell as a jobbing labourer and another as a clerk in a local government office, Sim's love of and talent for poetry reading won him several prizes and led to his appointment as a lecturer in elocution at the [[w:University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and drama school, from which, with the help of the playwright [[w:John Drinkwater (playwright)\|John Drinkwater]], he made the transition to the professional stage in 1930.		After a series of false starts, including a spell as a jobbing labourer and another as a clerk in a local government office, Sim's love of and talent for poetry reading won him several prizes and led to his appointment as a lecturer in elocution at the [[w:University of Edinburgh\|University of Edinburgh]] in 1925. He also ran his own private elocution and drama school, from which, with the help of the playwright [[w:John Drinkwater (playwright)\|John Drinkwater]], he made the transition to the professional stage in 1930.

	Despite his late start, Sim soon became well known on the London stage. A period of more than a year as a member of the [[w:Old Vic\|Old Vic]] company brought him wide experience of playing [[William Shakespeare\|Shakespeare]] and other classics, to which he returned throughout his career. In the modern repertoire, he formed a close professional association with the author [[James Bridie]], which lasted from 1939 until the dramatist's death in 1951. Sim not only acted in Bridie's works but also directed them.		Despite his late start, Sim soon became well known on the London stage. A period of more than a year as a member of the [[w:Old Vic\|Old Vic]] company brought him wide experience of playing [[w:William Shakespeare\|Shakespeare]] and other classics, to which he returned throughout his career. In the modern repertoire, he formed a close professional association with the author [[w:James Bridie\|James Bridie]], which lasted from 1939 until the dramatist's death in 1951. Sim not only acted in Bridie's works but also directed them.

	In the later 1940s and for most of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of British cinema. They included ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946), ''[[w:Hue and Cry (film)\|Hue and Cry]]'' (1947), ''[[w:The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge]]'' (1951), ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954). Later, he made fewer films and generally concentrated on stage work, including successful productions at the [[w:Chichester Festival Theatre\|Chichester Festival]] and regular appearances in new and old works in the West End.		In the later 1940s and for most of the 1950s, Sim was a leading star of British cinema. They included ''[[w:Green for Danger (film)\|Green for Danger]]'' (1946), ''[[w:Hue and Cry (film)\|Hue and Cry]]'' (1947), ''[[w:The Happiest Days of Your Life (film)\|The Happiest Days of Your Life]]'' (1950), ''[[w:Scrooge (1951 film)\|Scrooge]]'' (1951), ''[[The Belles of St. Trinian's]]'' (1954) and ''[[w:An Inspector Calls (1954 film)\|An Inspector Calls]]'' (1954). Later, he made fewer films and generally concentrated on stage work, including successful productions at the [[w:Chichester Festival Theatre\|Chichester Festival]] and regular appearances in new and old works in the West End.