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Famous faces in Compton Dando.

Actress Betta St. John

Date of birth 26 November 1929 , Hawthorne , California , USA

Lived at Long Paddock ,Compton Dando ,with husband and children.

She appeared in the following films during her career.

She lives in California but she still visits the area from time to time, and in 2002 visited her old house at Long Paddock.

Doctor from Seven Dials (1962) .... Susan

City of the Dead, The (1960) .... Patricia Russell

Tarzan the Magnificent (1960) .... Fay, Ames ' Wife

The Snorkel, (1958) .... Jean Duval

High Tide at Noon (1957) .... Joanna

Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957) .... Diana Penrod

Alias John Preston (1956) .... Sally Sandford

All My Sons (1955) (TV)

The Naked Dawn, (1955) .... Maria

Student Prince, The (1954) .... Princess Johanna

Dangerous Mission (1954) .... Mary Tiller

Saracen Blade, The (1954) .... Iolanthe

The Law vs. Billy the Kid, (1954) .... Nita Maxwell

All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953) .... Native Girl

Dream Wife (1953) .... Tarji

The Robe, (1953) .... Miriam

All The Brothers Were Valiant

1953, Adventure, N/R

Director: Richard Thorpe With: Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Betta St._John ,Ann Blyth, Keenan Wynn, James Whitmore, Kurt Kasznar, Lewis Stone, Frank DeKova, Michael Pate

Based on the novel by Ben Ames Williams, sibling rivalry is the theme of this story about brothers Mark (Stewart Granger) and Joel (Robert Taylor). These two New Bedford whalers find conflicts over individual life choices.

Corridors Of Blood

1958, Horror / Thriller, N/R

Director: Robert Day With: Boris Karloff, Betta St._John, Finlay Currie, Christopher Lee, Nigel Green, Francis Matthews, Adrienne Corri, Francis DeWolff, Frank Pettingell, Charles Lloyd Pack

A doctor (Boris Karloff), addicted to drugs, resorts to grave robbing to satisfy his needs.

Dangerous Mission

1954, Mystery, N/R

Director: Louis King With: Victor Mature, Piper Laurie, William Bendix, Vincent Price, Betta St._John, Dennis Weaver, Steve Darrell, Walter Reed

Originally a 3-D movie, the plot involves a witness (Piper Laurie) who heads for Montana where she tries to evade both the police and those behind the murder she saw.

Dream Wife

1953, Comedy, N/R

Director: Sidney Sheldon With: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Walter Pidgeon, Betta St._John, Steve Forrest, Buddy Baer, Les Tremayne, Richard Anderson

Business executive Clemson Reade (Cary Grant) divorces his wife, Effie (Deborah Kerr), when he has his eyes set on princess Tarji (Betta St. John) whose goal is to please her man. However, Tarji changes her tune after Effie teaches her a few facts of life.

Tarzan And The Lost Safari

1957, Adventure, N/R

Director: H. Bruce Humberstone With: Gordon Scott, Robert Beatty, Yolande Donlan, Betta St._John, Peter Arne, Wilfrid Hyde-White, George Coulouris

Tarzan (Gordon Scott) is helping airplane-crash victims out of the jungle when they are threatened by a native chief who wants Caucasian sacrifices.

Tarzan The Magnificent

1960, Adventure, N/R

Director: Robert Day With: Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney, Betta St._John, John Carradine, Lionel Jeffries, Alexandra Stewart, Earl Cameron, Charles Tingwell, Ewen Solon, Tommy Duggan

In this film, Tarzan (Gordon Scott) captures a dangerous criminal (Jock Mahoney). Of interest is that Jock Mahoney will take on the role of Tarzan in the next "Tarzan" film.

The Robe

1953, Drama, N/R

Director: Henry Koster With: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Betta St._John

Jay Robinson, Michael Rennie, Richard Boone,

Dawn Addams, Dean Jagger,

Torin Thatcher,

This grand scale film is the story of a Roman tribune, Marcellus (Richard Burton), whose duty is to ensure the crucifixion of Jesus. Later, he wins Christ`s robe, and the ownership of the robe affects his course in life. In addition to Academy Awards for Art Direction/ Set Decoration and Costume Design, nominations were received for Picture, Actor ( Burton ), and Cinematography.

The Student Prince

1954, Musical, N/R

Director: Richard Thorpe With: Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, John Ericson, Louis Calhern, Edmund Gwenn, S.Z. Sakall, Betta St._John, Richard Anderson, Mario Lanza, John Williams

Sigmund Romberg`s operetta about a prince falling in love with a barmaid is enhanced by the dubbing of Mario Lanza`s voice.

"The Student Prince" MGM 1954
Cast:- John Ericson, Louis Calhern, Edmund Gwenn, S.Z. Sakall, Betta St John, John Williams, Evelyn Varden.

Screenplay:- William Ludwig & Sonya Levien.
Music by Sigmund Romberg.
Director:- Richard Thorpe.
Producer:- Joe Pasternak.
This movie starred Edmund Purdom and Ann Blyth and featured the singing voice of Mario Lanza. This was the film that was to bring to a head all of the underlying tension that existed between Mario and the studio bosses, the story is to involved to elaborate on here, but it has been told in detail in a number of biographies which are available This movie is exceptionally good, particularly when you realise that Edmund Purdom is miming to Mario's voice, and he does it very very well, in fact you cannot tell that it is not Edmund singing, Ann Blyth is a real treat she looks lovely as always. The story is basically of a Prussian style prince who makes a real hash of his betroval party, and causes friction not only between himself and the princess who he is to marry but also between his father the King and her mother, so he gets sent to Heidleberg University to learn warmth and charm. The singing is absolutely magnificent every song is an absolute gem, it is very difficult to pick out any one in particular, but "Serenade" is marvelous with the background scene of the river Neckar and the trees in blossom is indicative of the quality of this film, also the scene after the duel with the Prince and Kathy in the woods with the morning mist sing the duet "Deep in my heart dear" the Prince and his tutor on the train where Prince Karl sings "Golden Days" are all marvelous scenes. The singing from Mario in this movie is magnificent, every number is perfection, even more so when it is realised that it was all done, every item in one take. A musical masterpiece.