Another great favourite of Thirties and Forties' cinema audiences was Arthur Shields.

Quietly spoken, with a delightful Irish brogue, he played the father in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) and was excellent as the priest in The Quiet Man (1952), with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Arthur kept the family name, unlike his slightly more famous brother, William, who became the greatest scene-stealer ever: Barry Fitzgerald.

Weren't we lucky back then?

-Gordon Dean, St Lukes Road, Brighton