The Magic Box

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GB, 1951 d John Boulting

"I worked with John Boulting on The Magic Box as the cinematographer and got on with him very well and held him in high regard. Although I never worked with Roy I did meet him on several occasions and both brothers were quite similar in their manner and speech: very intelligent, highly educated but with an air of nonchalant amusement.

"During the shooting of The Magic Box, Robert Donat was not particularly well and in one specific scene John was getting very frustrated as Bob kept forgetting his lines. He was sharing this scene with Michael Redgrave who was perfect every time. So I quietly suggested to John that he ask Michael to fluff his lines intentionally, which he thought was a good idea. Michael, despite not thinking it was such a good idea, did this and was very humble apologising to Bob for his mistake. The next take was perfect."

Jack Cardiff OBE Cinematographer, The Magic Box

"During the production we received a royal visit from the Queen Mother (Queen at the time) and Princess Margaret. I knew the Queen Mother quite well by this point as she frequently visited film sets to support productions, although this production was of particular interest due to the Festival of Britain connection. John Boulting was very happy about the royal visit, not least because it meant additional press coverage for the film. I remember him showing the Queen Mother the camera and the film inside.

"Despite what people might expect, I found it very easy to be producer to John Boulting's director although he was so used to working with Roy. I am and was aware that there can be only one person directing the shooting of a film. A producer should not disagree with the director but support him and be a friend, in return the director should keep production on schedule and not spend too much money. John and myself understood the difficulties each other faced and therefore had an excellent relationship."

Ronald Neame Producer, The Magic Box