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Donat-ion for blue plaque

Susannah Wright
15/ 5/2008

A MUM is to make a donation for a blue plaque for the actor Robert Donat after discovering several coincidental links to the Oscar-winner.

Maria O’Malley has long been a fan of the actor who won the 1939 Best Actor Oscar for his role in Goodbye Mr Chips, but it wasn’t until reading more about him in the Reporter that she realised he was from Withington.

Maria, 44, a mum of four who lives off Burton Road in West Didsbury, said: "I used to live on Neston Avenue and when I found out he was born on Everett Road just round the corner I was really excited.

"To have someone from Withington who has won an Oscar is brilliant. And my children go to St Paul’s Primary School on St Paul’s Road where Robert Donat went to live as a boy."

She added: "And I’ve always loved watching The 39 Steps because I think he was fantastic in it, and one of my mum’s favourite films was The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness, which he made just before he died."

Perhaps one of the quirkiest coincidences is though her youngest son, Holden, four.

Maria and her partner, Stephen Jones, named their youngest son after Holden Caulfield, the main character in JD Salinger‘s novel, The Catcher in the Rye.

In the novel, the character’s sister, Phoebe, says that she loves The 39 Steps with Robert Donat and that she practically knows all the lines in the film.

Maria has two other sons, Ocean, ten, Mac, eight, and a daughter, Pebbles, five.

She said: "The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourite books and to find out that Robert Donat, who is mentioned in it, was from round here really sparked my interest in him. It was great finding out all these different little coincidences and I really think we should honour him.

"I bet there are a lot of people in Withington who might not know much about him, so it would be really good to get a blue plaque up for him and have a proper ceremony to unveil it."

Maria, a full-time mum, is to speak to Northenden resident Dan Moynihan, who has been leading a campaign to have a plaque erected in memory of Robert Donat.

Mr Moynihan had wanted the Lord Mayor to unveil a plaque on June 9 - the 50th anniversary of Donat’s death. But as mentioned in last week’s Reporter, the council has not confirmed that the Mayor would be involved.

He said: "I think it’s very good of Maria to say she wants to donate, and it‘s very public-spirited of her.

"I look forward to speaking to her about it."