James Roberston Justice quiz: The winner

I had hoped to report the draw live from the Bonkers Arms again, but it turned out that it had already been booked by the local branch of the L. T. Hobhouse Appreciation Society. So we shall make do with posting the answers and the winner here.

Thank you to everyone who entered. First the answers.

You were asked to identify five films in which James Robertson Justice (JRJ) appeared:

1. A story of British heroism with a celebrated score by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Scott of the Antarctic

2. In this Ealing Comedy JRJ, spoke the great line: "It's a well-known medical fact that some men are born two drinks below par."

Whisky Galore!

3. This lesser-known Ealing Comedy starred a small boy called William Fox who grew up to be James Fox - and Billie Piper's father in law. (JRJ appeared under the pseudonym Seamus Mòr na Feusag.)

The Magnet

4. In this film JRJ asked "You - what's the bleeding time" and Dirk Bogarde replied "Ten past ten, sir."

Doctor in the House

5. A classic family musical that also featured Stanley Unwin, Max Wall and Benny Hill.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Most people got them right, though a couple insisted on squeezing The Guns of Navarone in somewhere.

The only obscure film among the five is The Magnet, one of the less celebrated Ealing comedies. You can watch the whole film on this website. It all seems rather twee now, but there are some fascinating shots of Liverpool and New Brighton in 1950.

James Robertson Justice makes a brief appearance early on as a tramp. He appeared as Seamus Mòr na Feusag (Big James with the beard) because he was a Labour candidate for North Angus and Mearns in the 1950 general election.

And now for the winner...

Robin Young

Congratulations to him and commiserations to everyone else who entered.

The good news is that I already have the prizes for my next quiz...

James Robertson Justice has left the building

My latest quiz has now closed.

Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner will be announced on Liberal England this evening.

Final call for James Robertson Justice quiz

My latest quiz closes at 23:59 tonight.

To be in with a chance of winning James Hogg's biography of James Robertson Justice (henceforth JRJ), identify these five films in which JRJ appeared and e-mail me the answers:

1. A story of British heroism with a celebrated score by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

2. In this Ealing Comedy JRJ, spoke the great line: "It's a well-known medical fact that some men are born two drinks below par."

3. This lesser-known Ealing Comedy starred a small boy called William Fox who grew up to be James Fox - and Billie Piper's father in law. (JRJ appeared under the pseudonym Seamus Mòr na Feusag.)

4. In this film JRJ asked "You - what's the bleeding time" and Dirk Bogarde replied "Ten past ten, sir."

5. A classic family musical that also featured Stanley Unwin, Max Wall and Benny Hill.

Another reminder: James Robertson Justice quiz

Liberal England is currently running a quiz with a copy of James Hogg's biography of James Robertson Justice as a prize.

The questions are here and the quiz closes at 23:59 on Monday 27 July 2009.

Motorbar.com says of the book:

With a complete Filmography and eight pages of colour photographs and with black-and-white photographs throughout, James Robertson Justice: "What's the Bleeding Time?" is a superb biography that cele-brates the secret life and glittering career of one of British cinema's most recognisable personalities. As Ken Annakin says, in his Afterword:"…this book is a fine tribute".

Through detailed research and original interviews this biography un-ravels, for the first time, the myriad complexities of one of Britain's best-loved actors. Fully illustrated with over 100 rare photos, this 208-page book is a 'must-buy' for fans of classic British films and is packed with lots of information about the actor.

Reminder: James Robertson Justice quiz

Liberal England is currently running a quiz with a copy of James Hogg's biography of James Robertson Justice as a prize. The questions are here and the quiz closes at 23:59 on Monday 27 July 2009.

The book was reviewed in the Spectator by Roger Lewis:

Delving into Justice’s private life has disclosed marvellous lies and mysteries, starting with the professional Scottishness. Justice was actually born in south London and raised in Bromley. He played rugby for Beckenham alongside Johnny Cradock, future husband of the fearless Fanny.

Justice’s decision to adopt the Robertson tartan may have had to do with a battle with his father, a mining engineer, who actively detested the Scots, ‘found them conceited and maudlin and scorned their humour, hated the bagpipes and mocked Burns Night’. It would be one of Justice’s amorous ploys to strip down to his sporran and play Mozart on the bagpipes.

Win James Robertson Justice

...or at least his biography, in the latest Liberal England quiz.

James Robertson Justice (1907-75; henceforth JRJ) was a British film actor, famous for his portrayal of the fearsome Sir Lancelot Spratt in the Doctor films of the 1950s and 60s. He was much else besides: a professional racing driver, a soldier in the Spanish civil war, a Labour parliamentary candidate, falconry tutor to the young Prince Charles.

To win James Hogg's biography of JRJ (only one prize this time, I am afraid) just identify these five films in which he appeared.

1. A story of British heroism with a celebrated score by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

2. In this Ealing Comedy JRJ, spoke the great line: "It's a well-known medical fact that some men are born two drinks below par."

3. This lesser-known Ealing Comedy starred a small boy called William Fox who grew up to be James Fox - and Billie Piper's father in law. (JRJ appeared under the pseudonym Seamus Mòr na Feusag.)

4. In this film JRJ asked "You - what's the bleeding time" and Dirk Bogarde replied "Ten past ten, sir."

5. A classic family musical that also featured Stanley Unwin, Max Wall and Benny Hill.

Please e-mail me your answers. The quiz closes at 23:59 on Monday 27 July 2009.

Coming soon: A James Robertson Justice quiz

Liberal England is about to have another of its internationally famous prize quizzes.

This time, as a change from all that boring politics, I shall be offering you a chance to win James Hogg's biography of the British film actor James Robertson Justice.

I hope to post the questions here some time tomorrow, so please come back and try your luck then.

James Robertson Justice and Johnny Craddock

I have managed to buy a copy of James Hogg's biography of James Robertson Justice.

So far I have only flicked through it, but already the book has given me my Trivial Fact of the Day.

A photograph shows the Beckenham 1st XV for 1924-5. In the back row stand both James Robertson Justice and Johnny Craddock, future husband of the fearsome TV cook Fanny Craddock.

The joy of blogging

I wander into Market Harborough one Saturday morning, come across a charity sale, buy an obscure DVD starring James Robertson Justice and write about it. Now that posting comes up on the first page if you Google "James Robertson Justice".

Incidentally, I seem to be on an early James Robertson Justice kick at the moment. I picked up a video of the Ealing drama Against the Wind in a Leicester charity shop on Saturday.

The Voice of Merrill and James Robertson Justice

You don't have to go to the city to find interesting things.

This morning a local animal welfare charity had a sale underneath the Old Grammar School here in Market Harborough. And I bought a DVD from them.

It was the 1952 film The Voice of Merrill, which stars Valerie Hobson and James Robertson Justice.

With it came a catologue from its publisher, Odeon Entertainment. As you will see from their website, they specialise in reviving British films that are so obscure that even I have never heard of them.

Talking of James Robertson Justice, here is a plug for James Hogg's biography What's the Bleeding Time? The website says the book is sold out, but no doubt you could find a secondhand copy.