A Hollywood actor who became a household name in the 1950s was honoured with a commemorative plaque at his family home in Harrogate on Saturday.
Michael Rennie was born in 1909 in Idle, near Bradford, and went on to become the highest-paid filmstar in Britain in 1946, starring with many of the leading actors of the post-war period, including Orson Welles, Clarke Gable and Vivien Leigh.
Arguably his most famous role was as Klaatu, the alien ambassador in the 1951 blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Less than three years after leaving Hollywood, he died at 1 Otley Road – his mother’s home – in Harrogate on June 10, 1971. His ashes were interred up the road in Harlow Hill Cemetery.
The brown Harrogate Civic Society plaque was unveiled on the gatepost at 1 Otley Road by his son, David Rennie, who had instigated the process.
The plaque includes the enigmatic words ‘Klaatu barada nikto’, uttered by Michael Rennie’s alien character in The Day The Earth Stood Still.
As well as the brief biographical details that tell passersby who Michael Rennie was, it also includes the words ‘Klaatu barada nikto, a phrase uttered by his character in The Day the Earth Stood Still.
The phrase, described by one journalist as “the most famous phrase ever spoken by an extraterrestrial”, has become iconic among science fiction fans, and its meaning has been the topic of much debate and speculation.
According to film historian Steven Jay Rubin, the film’s screenplay writer, Edmund H North, said it meant “There’s hope for Earth, if the scientists can be reached”.
Also present at the unveiling ceremony were: Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough; Michael Harrison, charter mayor of Harrogate; Stuart Holland, chair of Harrogate Civic Society; David Bown, chief executive of Harrogate Theatre; Paula Stott, chair of Harrogate Film Society; as well as neighbouring residents and members of the Rennie family.
Mr Holland said:
“Of the 94 brown plaques Harrogate Civic Society have unveiled over the years, 71 relate to buildings and places, but only 23 to people.
“We’re very keen to recognise people who have contributed to or influenced the town, and we hadn’t commemorated an actor before, so we were very pleased to be able to have this one made for one of the town’s finest, Michael Rennie.”
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Brown plaque to commemorate Harrogate’s royal fashion designer
A brown plaque is to be erected outside one of Harrogate’s oldest and best-known clothes shops.
Property expert Alex Goldstein, with the support of local historian Malcolm Neesam, successfully applied to erect the plaque outside gentlemen’s outfitters Rhodes Wood. on Parliament Street.
The shop used to belong to Mr Goldstein’s great grandfather Louis Copé, a fashion designer whose female emporium opened on the site in 1922.
Mr Copé was a Polish designer whose high society customers over the years included Queen Mary, her daughter Princess Mary and Agatha Christie. The shop operated under royal patronage.
The store itself featured in the film Agatha, starring Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave.
Louis Copé
Mr Copé moved to Harrogate because he believed the pure air would help his asthma. Mr Goldstein, who still lives in the area, said:
“I am so pleased to have been able to mark the history and story of my great grandfather, whose fashion house spanned decades and formed important memories for so many people in and around Harrogate.
“It has been lovely hearing people’s memories and visiting the Pump Rooms to actually see some of the garments that were made in his sewing rooms which are stored there.”
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Jeremy Beaumont, who owns Rhodes Wood, has been supportive of preserving the history of the building.
“When we took over the store in 1997, there were still many of the original features and cabinets in the shop, in such good quality and condition, that we still have them in the store to this day, literally 100 years later. The quality of the store fittings must have been superb, and to a very high standard.
“It is our pleasure to recognise the past history of the building, and we are delighted to host the plaque outside for everyone to see”.
The plaque is due to go up any day now.
Mr Goldstein is asking for anyone with memories from Louis Copé, or even items of clothing and hats etc, to contact him at alex@alexgoldstein.co.uk.
Plaque unveiled in Harrogate for Hungarian artist
A new brown plaque was unveiled in Harrogate today to commemorate Hungarian artist Jean-Georges Simon.
Simon studied art in Budapest before the Great War. He left Hungary in 1920 to develop his style of post-impressionism in Italy, Switzerland and France, before marrying in London in 1937.
In 1941, Simon moved to Ramsgill before later moving to Harrogate where he lived for most of his life on 4 Park Road.
The Hungarian artist taught at Harrogate School of Art and a 2005 monograph by Robert Waterhouse, who was at today’s unveiling, brought his life and work to a wider audience.
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Mayor of Harrogate Borough, Trevor Chapman, unveiled the plaque today alongside Consul General of Hungary, Krisztina Katai-Nagy at Simon’s former home on Park Road. Robin Sutcliffe, who is involved in Simon’s archive, was also in attendance.
A self-portrait of the Hungarian artist, Jean-Georges Simon. Credit: Robert Waterhouse.
Mr Waterhouse said at the unveiling today that they had planned to recognise Simon three years ago at an exhibition called Their Safe Haven.
The 2018 exhibition would have showcased 14 Hungarian artists, including Simon, who established themselves in Britain before the Second World War. Another planned showcase a few years later fell through due to the covid pandemic.
He said:
“Unfortunately, it [the 2018 exhibition] did not go to plan because there was no money for it.
“It’s very important to Robin and I that there is finally public recognition for Simon.”
Financed by a grant from the Jean-Georges Simon Trust and co-ordinated by Harrogate Civic Society, the plaque becomes the 88th in the town to be commissioned.