Oda Slobodskaya in the film "The Magic Box"

Oda Slobodskaya made her only film appearance in the supporting role of Soprano Soloist in brief "The Magic Box", a movie released in 1951, the year of the Festival of Britain. It tells the story of WIlliam Friese-Greene, the inventor of the movie camera.

Robert Donat took the lead, and the starry cast included Michael Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, Sid James, Sybil Thorndike, Joan Hickson, Margaret Rutherford, and Joyce Grenfell.

Mme Slobodskaya was rather bewildered by the unfamiliar business of filming, but the splendid and confident Joyce Grenfell befriended and took care of her.

Slobodskaya, now well into her sixties, is the impressive soloist in a Gilbert and Sullivan concert in which Friese-Greene has been given a tiny vocal solo. Being so distracted with demonstrating his new invention, Friese-Greene forgets even to attend the concert, and his wife gallantly steps in and sings the lines for him.

Not long after this well received appearance Slobodskaya relaunched her career as a brilliant recitalist, pioneering the then little known Russian repertoire.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Oda
• Slobodskaya
• soprano
• film
• The Magic Box
• Russian
• Opera
• Robert
• Donat
• Joyce
• grenfell

[MarianneAlkonost]

Is it like the girl was not supposed to sing in that moment?)))

Thank you for this record!!!

[CharlotteinWeimar]

The story is about William Friese-Greene, the inventor of the movie camera. He sings a little too early at the rehearsal. Then, because of working on his invention he forgets to attend the concert & his embarrassed young wife sings his lines. Oda Slobodskaya is the magnificent soloist!

[MarianneAlkonost]

@omegaman59 Thank you! I've got it! 

[MarianneAlkonost]

@CharlotteinWeimar I've got to understand only now! :-) What a pity they didn't make a movie about Slobodskaya alone! That's a mistake of most directors! They invent some plots not seeing the treasures people around them that deserve a movie themselve... I imagine Slobodskaya did her best to sing the best way there.... and they show her only few seconds.... What a pity! But thank you, thank you all the same!

[omegaman59]

@MarianneAlkonost Yes she wasn't supposed to , her husband got delayed talking to William Fox Talbot , so she was forced to fill in for him......

[35westst]

I saw this movie in a theater when if first came out. Sure wish the whole thing were posted somewhere? William FG's son Claude also was a fabulous character, as worthy as his father, and a pioneer colour movie maker.

[thephantom1946]

I love Robert Donat and this movie. I wish someone would post the whole movie on here. He's such a superb actor, and academy award winner for best actor in Goodbye Mr Chips.

[vstasov]

Wonderful! Thank you for this treasure. I wish I could see the whole thing.