At this period of his life, with a wife and two children, Tom had to find alternative ways of supporting his family. So Tom enters probably the saddest period of his life. Anything he is qualified for does not generate enough money. So in between anything he can do easily, he must take on the jobs in which his social skills can be used, such as selling. For the next three years he writes to many people seeking opportunities, with the occasional reward.
There is one last piece of film work at the start of 1939. He is not amongst the major credits, but has an advisory role in The Good Old Days, a costume comedy, starring Max Miller and Hal Walters. This was made at the Teddington Film Studios, and was released in 1939. There are five informal photos of Tom working at Teddington. Tom's badges of office are the script and the pipe!
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SCENES FROM THE GOOD OLD DAYS AT TEDDINGTON FILM STUDIOS 1939
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For the last time he receives signed photographic portraits of the two main actors in the film - Max Miller and Hal Walters.
MAX MILLER MAX MILLER HAL WALTERS
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Finally Tom bows to the inevitable. There is another job in which he has the right experience. So on March 24th 1939 he re-enlists in the E Reserve of the Royal Air Force. He has settled for a steady income.
Copyright © Ken Kirkman 2009-2010