Hordern's gift is that his naturally mellow and relaxed voice makes for a superb evocation of the unhurried, placid lives of the academic men who are about to encounter something horrible and 'other.' This is also one of the stories in which a love of the countryside and of gardening features. James grew up in a country rectory, and always harbored a poignant desire to live quietly and independently, and study, and golf, far away from the center of college life.
I discovered Mr Michael Horden watching On Whistle and I Will Come .I now want to see everything he acted in.I'm American and wasn't even aware of him.I've watched Oh Whistle many times now never getting tired of the frightening,haunting story or the brilliant Mr Horden.
There is another , more modern screen adaptation , with John Hurt acting the lead. Good but personally I prefer the older black and white adaptation, with Horden.
One of a generation who are , or already have , passed away . Their successors unfortunately lack the technique learned by years in Rep . ( please don't say : Cumberbatch ! Or I will scream !! )
May I thank you ,for taking the trouble to post this and further Mr James stories , read by Mr hordern the perfect marriage if not made in heaven at least now residing there.
Hordern IS lovely. And if you view the film TRIO - here on YT: the stories of Somerset Maugham, you will see him as the pompous minister in the church, who insists (THE VERGER) Albert Edward has suddenly become a problem....watch it to the very end, because the 'comeuppance' of Hordern's cleric..is.. delicious.
I've listened to this story four times. I still don't understand it. I feel so dumb 😊. I love the narrator. He and Bob Neufeld are my favorite. I don't know why I can't get the gist of this story though.
The basic idea is that the wooden post in the ground marked a grave, and when it was pulled out it disturbed the ghost of the judge who was buried there. The nightmares that characters have throughout the story are flashbacks to the judge when he was alive, showing how cruel and remorseless he was to those standing trial.
Thank you for these uploads Paul - excellent! I have always wanted to hear Hordern read Count Magnus by M. R. James - but it's sadly not one of your uploads. Do you have it please?
One of two James stories in which rather hen-pecked men appear. The other is Mr Denton, who is rather pushed about by his aunt in 'The Diary of Mr Poynter.' There is also a mild contempt for women who describe themselves as 'great gardeners' but don't do any work themselves but order gardeners about.
I think that, in James' day, calling someone a great gardener only meant that they were keen on gardens. In "Casting the Runes" a character is described as a great musician, which clearly means just that he likes going to concerts.
These landowning gentlemen and ladies were usually the kind of people who knew something about gardens but they employed head-gardeners and groundsmen to do the actual work. They, like Mr Humphreys, tended to restrict themselves to planning and giving orders, although Mr Humphreys 'outdoor pursuits' are decsribed as 'golf and gardening' so it's possible he'd roll up his sleeves and prune the roses once in a while.
Dunno, this reader makes everyone sound so happy and carefree while talking about dreaming of their own executions and stuff. Really takes the edge off the horror.
it’s amazing to me how so many times people in these English stories were told “to go abroad” and every time i think of the working people in the cities and people like this myself, for that matter. and they always tell how wonderful it was to get away. from what? pray tell. i don’t know why there aren’t more stories of regular people. certainly we have fiction of regular and poor people here in America. (although since the 80’s or so most fiction - TV and movies are about the upper middle class. still, they don’t go off to Europe any time they need a break!). of course, except for Dickens!
The prewar period is an interesting one socially. MR James seems to depict the working class as comical upon occasion and the difference between the blue and white collar workers is very clear. MR James was a scholar and he tended to write about what he knew. If you want working class (if you haven't heard of him already) try William Hope Hodgson's The Boats of the "Glen Carrig". Hodgson came from a poor family and ran away to sea at 13 (!) he was caught and sent back but eventually became a cabin boy. Very much into fitness and very familiar with the life of a sailor. When Hodgson talks about ships and boats he is writing from experience. He went to war and died in WW1.
Hordern's gift is that his naturally mellow and relaxed voice makes for a superb evocation of the unhurried, placid lives of the academic men who are about to encounter something horrible and 'other.' This is also one of the stories in which a love of the countryside and of gardening features. James grew up in a country rectory, and always harbored a poignant desire to live quietly and independently, and study, and golf, far away from the center of college life.
I hadn't heard the Michael Hordern version before. I love his readings. He has a casual air which is ideally suited to James.
I discovered Mr Michael Horden watching On Whistle and I Will Come .I now want to see everything he acted in.I'm American and wasn't even aware of him.I've watched Oh Whistle many times now never getting tired of the frightening,haunting story or the brilliant Mr Horden.
He is fantastic. Latterly he was knighted and was Sir Michael.
There is another , more modern screen adaptation , with John Hurt acting the lead. Good but personally I prefer the older black and white adaptation, with Horden.
Hordern also plays "Senex" in 1966's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
He plays Gandalf in a brilliant radio adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings by the BBC from 1981
There's a second 'r" in there -- "Hordern."
I remember Michael Hordern from WAY back when he did the voice of Gandalf for BBC radio. So this is a wonderful way to rediscover him!
For those who do not speak Latin the final quote by the Rector AC translates as "Do not move what is at rest,"
Thank you so much.
James would likely be aghast that virtually no one knows Latin these days.
Thanks for your time in giving us great uploads, l do enjoy a good ghostly tale, listening on a dark windy winter's night.
Sir Michael was a wonderful actor,and gentleman,such a gentle voice.
One of the best actors we have ever had.
One of a generation who are , or
already have , passed away .
Their successors unfortunately
lack the technique learned by years in Rep . ( please don't say :
Cumberbatch ! Or I will scream !! )
Horden was the original voice for the childrens series Paddington Bear .
that must be why he sounds so familiar
May I thank you ,for taking the trouble to post this and further Mr James stories , read by Mr hordern the perfect marriage if not made in heaven at least now residing there.
He's lovely when he does the crusty old gardener: nobody could do crusty like Michael.
Michael Horden. Character actor par excellence
Thank you Always, for an MR. James Radner. Great story, great viole ✨💙🌙
Thank you for sharing this amazing story you are very talented keep up great work 🔥🔥🔥🔥
My favourite M.R.James Michael Hordern event was his performance in the TV play of Whistle and I’ll come to you.
I’ve not heard this one. Thank you so much. 🙏🏽🔝🎩🇲🇽♥️
He played a lascivious butler somewhere.
I just remember being breathless with laughter.
It was in Futtocks End, he played the butler!
This woodcut is fabulous. May I know where it comes from? Who made it?
Hordern IS lovely. And if you view the film TRIO - here on YT: the stories of Somerset Maugham, you will see him as the pompous minister in the church, who insists (THE VERGER) Albert Edward has suddenly become a problem....watch it to the very end, because the 'comeuppance' of Hordern's cleric..is.. delicious.
I've watched Trio a few times - Its a favorite of mine but I don't remember Hordern in it. Must check that again.
Michael died on 2nd May 1995...
How times have changed. About 0:27 he says that he'd "hoped to play around with...". when it was "hoped to play a round with..."
I've listened to this story four times. I still don't understand it. I feel so dumb 😊. I love the narrator. He and Bob Neufeld are my favorite. I don't know why I can't get the gist of this story though.
The basic idea is that the wooden post in the ground marked a grave, and when it was pulled out it disturbed the ghost of the judge who was buried there. The nightmares that characters have throughout the story are flashbacks to the judge when he was alive, showing how cruel and remorseless he was to those standing trial.
@@MunkkyNotTrukk thank you!
@MunkkyNotTrukk Yes, and not only marked it, but staked the old villain down, like a vampire. "Laid the ghost," as the story said.
Thank you for these uploads Paul - excellent! I have always wanted to hear Hordern read Count Magnus by M. R. James - but it's sadly not one of your uploads. Do you have it please?
th-cam.com/video/T5-osKYN3ZI/w-d-xo.html
Google translate says the Latin at the end “quieta non movere” means “quiet, don’t move.”
I wish I had an attention span that would allow me to listen to an audio book. I will have to re-read the story, if I want to enjoy.
One of two James stories in which rather hen-pecked men appear. The other is Mr Denton, who is rather pushed about by his aunt in 'The Diary of Mr Poynter.' There is also a mild contempt for women who describe themselves as 'great gardeners' but don't do any work themselves but order gardeners about.
I think that, in James' day, calling someone a great gardener only meant that they were keen on gardens. In "Casting the Runes" a character is described as a great musician, which clearly means just that he likes going to concerts.
These landowning gentlemen and ladies were usually the kind of people who knew something about gardens but they employed head-gardeners and groundsmen to do the actual work. They, like Mr Humphreys, tended to restrict themselves to planning and giving orders, although Mr Humphreys 'outdoor pursuits' are decsribed as 'golf and gardening' so it's possible he'd roll up his sleeves and prune the roses once in a while.
I didn't get the twist? What was so ghastly?
Dunno, this reader makes everyone sound so happy and carefree while talking about dreaming of their own executions and stuff. Really takes the edge off the horror.
it’s amazing to me how so many times people in these English stories were told “to go abroad” and every time i think of the working people in the cities and people like this myself, for that matter. and they always tell how wonderful it was to get away. from what? pray tell. i don’t know why there aren’t more stories of regular people. certainly we have fiction of regular and poor people here in America. (although since the 80’s or so most fiction - TV and movies are about the upper middle class. still, they don’t go off to Europe any time they need a break!). of course, except for Dickens!
The prewar period is an interesting one socially. MR James seems to depict the working class as comical upon occasion and the difference between the blue and white collar workers is very clear. MR James was a scholar and he tended to write about what he knew. If you want working class (if you haven't heard of him already) try William Hope Hodgson's The Boats of the "Glen Carrig". Hodgson came from a poor family and ran away to sea at 13 (!) he was caught and sent back but eventually became a cabin boy. Very much into fitness and very familiar with the life of a sailor. When Hodgson talks about ships and boats he is writing from experience. He went to war and died in WW1.
Was he on speed? Or was he in need of the loo? How fast could he get it over with? 😩