Ann Dvorak & Leslie Fenton in Uniform
On November 25, 2013 by Christina Rice With 6 Comments
- Collection Spotlight
Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 329
This photo of Ann Dvorak and Leslie Fenton in uniform was included in the amazing stash of Ann’s personal belongings I acquired in the 11th hour of publishing Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel. Since the items arrived at the last possible moment, I did not include this photo in the book because of the missing corner. It was only after I sent everything off that a friend commented she could have fixed it digitally in mere minutes. Sigh! Had I known someone could do it so easily for me, I would have used this wonderful portrait showing Ann in her Mechanised Transport Corps uniform and Fenton in his Royal Navy digs.
Great photo.
I’ll go Vienna one better — great, GREAT photo!
Easy to understand why it must have retained a sentimental value for Ann for all those years later.
Indeed; marvelous shot of the couple. Ann looks terrific.
Has it been noted that Leslie Fenton bears resemblance to Robert Armstrong of King Kong fame? I watched “Star of Midnight” on TCM last week, nothing special, made I’m sure to capitalize on William Powell’s success as Nick Charles. Anyway, Leslie had a fairly major role in the picture, and while viewing, it struck me – boy, he looks like Carl Denham’s brother.
My copy of HFR arrived late last week, and I am waiting for the long weekend to consume. A Thanksgiving dessert, if ya like.
Hope the Thanksgiving dessert is worth the wait!
Very interesting photo of lieutenant Leslie Fenton in his Royal Navy uniform. Leslie was to be selected as the skipper of a fairmile B motor launch, one of the 16 launches selected to escort the destroyer H.M.S. Campbeltown as part of Operation Chariot, the raid on Saint-Nazaire (France) of 26-30th of March 1942, also known amongst military circles as “the greatest raid if all”. Ironically, it sounds like the title of a movie, and is probably the best war movie scripts ever written and the best role he had ever played, except for the fact that it was real and no fancy Hollywood movie. Leslie distinguished himself risking his life during this ferocious battle at sea, and he managed to escape back to Britain not without sufferinng serious injuries and, having sustained too much damage, his motor launch had to be scutled during withdrawal. Leslie Fenton was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his part in a raid that was to have an important impact in the battle of the Atlantique and a significant effect on British moral, to such an extent that five Victoria Crosses were awarded. It shows that Leslie could be a hero as much in real life as he was on the big screen, and this is a rare enough event that it should be mentioned. I believe the man had a lot of charisma and courage and as his wife Ann Dvorak would been very proud of his achievements. It is possible that the war irreversibly changed Leslie Fenton with the onset of post-traumatic stress syndrome that would be expected from such a close encounter with death.
Hi Thierry, Thank you for the comment. I agree that Fenton’s achievements were impressive and I do discuss his and Ann’s War-time experiences at some length in “Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel.” Just in case you did not see it, there is another photo of him in his uniform on the site: www.anndvorak.com/cms/this-day-in-ann-dvorak-history-homeward-bound/
Cheers!