george cole\alistair sims

The film on bbc2 at the moment called the happiest days of their lives both appear.

Weren't a lot of actors in long term contracts with the production companies back in those days, or was that just Hollywood?

Brilliant - Both of them.

MINDER repeats on ITV4 every late afternoon...

Am absolute classic yesterday - The Dodgy Fruit Machine  - and the stolen Irish 50p pieces.

Some brilliant one-liners from ARTHUR.
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ALASTAIR SIMM  - I will never forget that scene from the St Trinian's film where he goes to the races.

Opens his binocular case - and pulls out ........................... A bottle of milk and a parcel of sandwiches.

Alistair Sim and his wife, took George Cole (a child actor at the time) under their wing. They became like second parents to him.  Bound to be more detail on this on the net. My post is from memory.

Maybe it was a studio contract.GC as Arthur daily is one of the best comedy characters played to perfection.

ere you go.....

"Sim and his wife were keen to promote and encourage young acting talent. Among their protégés was 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).[37] 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 at Forrigan with her own family and next door to George Cole, who remained close to Naomi Sim to the end."[38]"