Google only knows…
Website statistics are a very intriguing subject, especially when dealing with “search engine terms”. I have always been convinced that “the mind of man is bounded only by the universe” (Pimpernel Smith!), and yet sometimes the ingenuity of googlers defeats me.
I have decided to share some of my statistics with you. The main search term, of course, is “Leslie Howard”. And there are some obvious threads you can easily guess.
- Most obviously (seeking confirmation in times of doubt?)
Leslie Howard blonde male actor
Leslie Howard handsome - Sexual tastes and orientations.
The typical searches are:
Leslie Howard ladies’ man
Leslie Howard women
Leslie Howard philanderer
Leslie Howard affairs
Leslie Howard lovers
Leslie Howard gay - Family and relatives
Leslie Howard wife
Leslie Howard daughter
Leslie Howard son
Leslie Howard father
Leslie Howard mother
Leslie Howard sister
Leslie Howard brother
Leslie Howard nephew
Leslie Howard dogs
Leslie Howard horse
Leslie Howard pets
Leslie Howard house
Leslie Howard private life
Other searches are less obvious; every possible subject related to Leslie is present in the list, but I am sure other amazing searches will be added soon.
Leslie Howard glasses
Leslie Howard death
Leslie Howard personality
Leslie Howard talking
Leslie Howard smile
Leslie Howard eyes
Leslie Howard hands
Leslie Howard fun facts
Leslie Howard in uniform
Leslie Howard young
Leslie Howard car
Leslie Howard silhouette
Leslie Howard fan fiction (wonderful idea, worth giving a try!)
And now, the first prize for the most extravagant search
ex aequo:
Leslie Howard nervous wreck
ghost of Leslie Howard
Ginevra Di Verduno
What a delightful blog. Our man Leslie: Something for EVERYONE.
One can find very interesting information when searching for Leslie Howard, using other attributes than personal qualities, such as this:
A fragment from an interview with Max von Sydow:
When I was a young boy, in those days, it was Errol Flynn, you know, James Cagney, etcetera, and the British ones—Leslie Howard and, later on, of course, Michael Redgrave, and all these wonderful classic actors. I think Trevor Howard made a particularly strong impression on me—
Oh, I love Brief Encounter, sure…
Yes. Oh, did I say Trevor Howard? I mean Leslie Howard, sorry—Leslie Howard, who became the hero during the war in Scarlet Pimpernel, and Pimpernel Smith, etcetera.
Oh, that’s wonderful! Thanks for another interesting note. I agree, Google is an inexhaustible source of discoveries.
One can find some very odd assertions.as well.
There is an absurd discussion about Leslie’s alleged back-up of the Earl of Oxford’s authorship of Shakespeare’s plays on the basis of Professor Smith’s facetious talk with General von Graum. And though this discussion proves only that the Earl of Oxford’s supporters have no sense of humour, they insist on counting Leslie in their thin lines. 🙂
Are they still talking about that? I believed the subject had been definitely closed after several serious refutations…
It is a chronical desease with long remittence periods and short exacerbation lapses. 🙂
In Mankiewicz’s “Sleuth” (1972) with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine among the photos at Andrew Wyke’s place there is also one of Leslie Howard. Do you know what it should mean? As Atterbury Dodd would say “The implication escapes me”. 🙂 Young Michael Caine was told by some people (including Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier) that he reminded them of young Leslie Howard, Thus it might be a kind of joke.
Yes, I think it must be some kind of joke… I knew about Michael Cain, he wrote about his meeting with Bette Davis in The Elephant to Hollywood. I’ve added a quote in my new Book Quotes page: https://inafferrabileleslie.wordpress.com/quotes-from-books/
Have you read about a kiss remembered for half a century:
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/15/entertainment/la-et-mn-celeste-holm-spoke-her-mind-20120715
Yes, I’ve read that story about Celeste Holm, but I don’t think it’s exactly true. Of course, we know Leslie Howard was rather myopic, but–
It is interesting what different titles “Stand-In” was given in different countries:
“Laska je slepa” = “Love is Blind” in Czech
“Mr Dodd szaleje”= “Mr Dodd Goes Wild” in Poland
“Фабрика грез”= “Dream Factory” in Russia
“Mr Dodd geht nach Hollywood” = “Mr Dodd goes to Hollywood” in Germany
“Siempre Eva”” = “Eternal Eva” in Spain
and “Ed ora…sposiamoci” = “And Now Let’s Marry” in Italy (the translation is not for you:-) )
It seems none of the languages has an adequate word for stand-in.
BTW I love Leslie in the film, and it is the best role I have seen from Joan Blondell.
…
Thanks for these, Elga!
Funny about the Czech title (was it supposed to refer to Leslie’s character being as good as blind w/o his glasses?).
Good to know the film was shown here back then.
And no, there isn’t an equivalent for a “stand-in” in Czech, as far as I know.
True or not, it sure is a good & funny story.
Howard’s womanising ways are definitely the least appealing to me from what I know about him so far, and I can’t imagine knowingly embarking on an affair with a married man (however charming, slim and pretty-eyed), but I have to say, I wouldn’t be totally against a “mistaken” kiss from Leslie. 😉