Figure 1.--Mark is pictured here in a classic British school uniform. A HBC reader tells us that Mark wears the uniform of the Corona Academy. |
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We were unsure if the photograph here was Mark at a school he attended or a posed promotion of some sort. A HBC reader tells us that Mark wears the uniform of the Corona Academy. Mark Lester was the leading boy film star in the 1970s. He stared in the marvelous
musical, Oliver, giving a particularly effective performance.
We were unsure if the photograph here was Mark at a school he attended or a posed promotion of some sort. A HBC contributor tells us that The school uniform worn my Mark here looks like that of one of the London drama schools for youngsters: a full time school with other lessons besides drama, but specialising in coaching budding young actors. It was the Sylvia Clayton Academy or School. Another HBC reader tells us, "Mark Lester here wears the uniform of the Corona Academy, although it could have changed it's name since the 1960s when I knew children who attended this "Stage School". The children at this school (besides those lucky enough to be cast individually) were often used as "extras" in films when a group of schoolchildren were required and to illustrate magazine articles on educational issues for which they wore their own school uniform. It was suitably "traditional" and an advertisment for the school. I note the children on the English blazers page (figure 2) are from this school, note the distinctive cap. The image here is probably a posed photograph for some reason. What seems to have changed is that the boys I knew at this school wore yellow shirts (and the girls yellow blouses) in the 1960s. This was quite unusual for the time when white or grey was the norm."
The uniform here is a classic one. It has a green cap with destinctive yellow cross. The green blazer has matching yellow trim. The boys wear grey shorts and like many younger boys wear ankle socks, rather than kneesocks, and sandals. This looks like the uniform for a pre-prep school. Many pre-prep schools had ankle socks rather than kneesocks and almost always school sandals. The white socks the boy with Mark wears especially look like a pre-prep uniform.
Sir Robin Phillips founded the Ravenscourt Theatre School in 1989. The Corona Academy closed when its principal retired. Corona had been a successful school which opeated fo about 40 years in Hammersmith,a suburb of London. The school helped produce several important stars of stage and screen. Sir Robin had run the Corona agency for many years. Many of the Corona traditions were adpted by the new Ravenscourt Theatre School. This included the familiar green and yellow uniform and the teaching format with full academic studies in the morning and vocational training in the afternoon. Ravenscourt has developed an excellent reputation for training in the performing arts based on the enjoyment many children find in learning the techniques of the performing arts, includeding dramatics, dance and singing skills. The school reports, "Our aim is to help each child to develop their talents and abilities and to cultivate practical and creative skills so that they may gain the experience they need to follow a career in the theatrical profession. This, coupled with an efficient theatrical agency, enables the pupils to receive both a well balanced education and an opportunity to gain practical experience in professional theatre, television and film productions, although the emphasis is on learning the technique first."
As an older boy, Mark went to Tower House Preparatory School for boys in Richmond, Surrey, and wore a traditional English prep school uniform. [Kidd]
Mark Lester was the leading boy film star in the 1970s. He stared in the marvelous
musical, Oliver, giving a particularly effective performance. These two early images of
Mark Lester show him in clothes other than movie costumes. Mark was born in Oxford, England on July 11, 1958, the offspring of two acting parents. Mark's parents began entering Mark in auditions at an early age and by 7 years he was a season performer on British television. He appeared in small roles in Allez France! (1964) and Spaceflight IC-1 (1965). His first important role was in "Fahrenheit 451" (1966) where he played an angelic-looking English school boy, appropriately dressed in shorts and knee socks. His next role was the stuttering Jiminy in "Our Mother's House" (1967). Jack Clayton directed the offbeat film and Mark made a big impression on the film maker that was to play big dividends.
Bowyer, Bill, E-mail, November 24, 2003.
Kidd, Paul. Mark Lester: The Boy, His Life and His Films.
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