1st Fixtures/Results

Sir Stanley Baker                                                                                                            Stan The Man

 Stan the man

 Stanley Baker, Ferndale’s most famous son, was born at 30 Albany Street on 28^th February 1928.

His early career had started under the watchful and educated eye of drama teacher Mr D.G.Morse, of Wood Street, at the North Road, Ferndale Senior School for Boys. Two productions had been written by Mr Morse, who was thoroughly impressed by Stanley’s desire to act along with the other local talent, John Anderson, Dewi Jones and Brynmor Thomas, who were also attracting the scout’s attention.

It was in one of these plays called Liberation that Stanley, who was playing the part of a Polish Pianist at the age of thirteen, was spotted by Miss Joyce Marriot, who had been impressed by his performance at the Ferndale W.H.

She then passed on his revealing acting qualities to the famous British producer Michael Bacon, who then had Stanley attend the Ealing studios for a film test.  This audition was to prove the beginning for Stanley, who had clinched the part as Petar in the film Under Cover, ahead of Richard Attenborough.

With the war in progress, he took part in the Druid’s Rest and then toured with the famous actor Baxter Summerville, acting out the same play.

The next couple of years saw him gain invaluable experience by joining the Birmingham Repertory Company, before he spent two and a half years in the Army.

Although times were difficult after his service days, he was assigned a part in Terrance Rattigan’s new play “Adventure Story” with Gwen Ffrancom Davies and Paul Schofield, which provided the exposure he was looking for, to gain small parts in the films  “All Over the Town” and “Your Witness”.

His next move took him back on stage with the Middlesex Repertory Company gaining the leading role in Wuthering Heights and Treasure Island.

Having come from an ordinary Ferndale family background, he was the first one from his family to have shown any interest in stage and drama. Undoubtedly his progressing career was being followed avidly by family and friends, who had taken great delight when a portrait photograph of him was portrayed in an exhibition at the Royal Academy, London. It had been titled “The Young Actor” by L. Vernon Bates, whose striking camera study had showed the Ferndalian’s face looking serious and intelligent, whilst wearing an Elizabethan neck ruff.  It had taken eight first prizes in an exhibition in Birmingham.

Just before his 22^nd birthday in 1950, he was to experience the biggest buzz of his acting career to date, when he was chosen to play Harrison the Bo'sun in the British film “Captain Horatio Hornblower” which also starred Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo.

Other film parts were to follow, which included a middle aged businessman in a Ginger Rogers film and he played the part of Achilles in the Warner Brothers movie Helen of Troy. His first leading role in 1953-54 saw him play the part of a boxer who was down on his luck, in the film The Good Die Young.

The Ferndale boy had now scaled the heights of the film world and was to achieve even greater success in the following years ahead. His fame certainly inspired all especially the valley people who had seen the local lad emerge as Britain’s up and coming star, but to himself he was no more than the person who stood next to him on his return home to Ferndale. His friendliness and smile shone out like a beacon, as his heart was always in his hometown, where people like Bill Rossiter, Haydn Allen had grown up with him. Amongst his great love and passion for Wales was rugby and singing along with his relatives, whom he cherished.  In one television interview with his sister Muriel, she explained that Stanley compared his excitement on returning home to be amongst family and friends, as that of when he was a young lad waiting to board the train at Taff Street, to be taken to Barry Island on the yearly chapel outing. These particular outings were the only time some families saw the sea, sand, sandwiches, bucket and spade, deckchairs, pots of tea and the fairground.

He often stayed with his aunt and uncle Mr & Mrs Cyril Locke, at Fir Street, where his beloved mates of the Ferndale Imperial Glee Singers drew him to them to be amongst friendship, beer and song.  Another unforgetful person visited regularly was his teacher, early mentor and great close friend, Glyn Morse. He was openly acknowledged as the man, who gave him the greatest respect, when he realised his potential future as a young lad in school.

 On the 14^th January 1958, Stanley appeared in a multi star studded variety show, which launched the opening night for Independent Television in South Wales. The programme “The Stars Rise in the West” was transmitted from the Pontcanna Farm studios, Cardiff and included Harry Secombe, Donald Houston and Shirley Bassey.  It was the first time for those fortunate people who had TV sets to watch an alternative channel, with Bruce Lewis acting as anchorman for programme contractors TWW.

At another gathering amongst many distinguished stars, which included Geraint Evans the opera singer, Stanley helped the re formation of the London - Glamorganshire society in early 1960.

Without doubt his most memorable film was Zulu, in which he directed and played the part of Lieutenant John Chard. The Ferndale Male Voice Choir also had a part in the film when they sang Men of Harlech, which was recorded at Llanwonno with one or two hitches because of overhead aircraft sound, on July 20^th 1963.

The film had its Welsh Premier at the Olympia cinema, Queen Street, Cardiff on the 23^rd March 1964, with the choir along with Ivor Emanuel singing that great stirring song “Men of Harlech”.

Another successful film for which he is greatly remembered was The Guns of Navarone, which also starred David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn in their heroic plan to blow up a pair of German super guns, mounted in a rock face high above the sea. 

His many other films (67 in total) included The Cruel Sea; Hell Drivers; The Angry Hills; The Good Die Young; Campbell’s Kingdom; Accident; Helen of Troy; Richard the Third; Alexandra the Great; The Criminal; Robbery; Violent Playground; Hell is a City; Perfect Friday; Blind Date; The Man who Finally Died; Home to Danger; Child in the House; The Red Beret; Sodam and Gomorrah; Din Gaka; Eve; Hell Below Zero; Yesterday’s Enemy; Hill in Korea; Sea Fury; Games; The Last Grenade; Lilli Marlene; Knights of the Round Table; Innocent Bystanders.

Without doubt his proudest joy of all was his wife Ellen, sons Martin, Adam, Glyn and daughter Sally.. 

One of his last appearances on TV saw him acting along side Sian Phillips in “How Green was my Valley”, before he was diagnosed with cancer. But before his untimely death, he was awarded a knighthood for his outstanding and dedicated life to stage and screen.

Stanley passed away in the summer of 1976, and his ashes were scattered from the top of Blaenllechau Road – Llanwonno Road, Blaenllechau, overlooking his most beloved Ferndale, in front of his family, friends and many onlookers who all paid their last respects to one the valley’s most famous, but an ordinary outgoing boy.

As a tribute to Sir Stanley, a tablet in a form of a large dressed stone depicts his life at the lower end of Greenwood Park and a wall plate of similar description at his homely birthplace in Albany Street. In addition to this Ferndale Rugby Football Club has dedicated a lounge in memory of Sir Stanley, with many photographs of his distinguished career. 

Alun Arwel Clement 

www.freewebs.com/stanleybaker/ Link posted by Claire Gonzalez. Thanks for your feedback and link on your site.

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