During our research for What About The Princess? The Life and Times of Mona Baptiste we came across many photos of Mona. The one below is a nice image but the low quality means it was unsuitable for inclusion in the book.
The picture shows Mona (on the right) with her sister Grace (who used the name Shari Razul Khan professionally). The article is undated but it gives Grace’s age as 19 and suggests the photo was taken in Hanover. We know that can’t be right. Grace was born in May 1929 and didn’t leave Trinidad until 1950 so the likelihood is that the photo dates from 1950 or 1951. The fun the two sisters are having is evident in spite of the poor quality of the image.
Have you ever stood at a stage door hoping to get a glimpse of your favourite star or, better still, their autograph? Clearly, at the end of 1949 (or perhaps very early in 1950) someone waited for Mona to emerge and he (or she) was rewarded with a signature.
This page, taken from an autograph book, demonstrates that at least one fan thought Mona’s signature was worth waiting for.
On the reverse of this page is the signature of film star Richard Todd who was at the height of his power in 1949/50. It was about this time that he appeared in the stage show The Hasty Heart in London and on Broadway and he starred in the 1949 film version of the show. He was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor for his portrayal of the character Lachie. The following year Todd appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s film Stage Fright alongside stars like Marlene Dietrich, Jane Wyman and Alistair Sim.
Todd went on to enjoy a long and successful career including a role in the 1962 film The Longest Day. During World War Two, Todd had been an officer in the 7th Battalion (LI) The Parachute Regiment and it was this Battalion that made contact with Major Howard at the Orne Bridge now called Pegasus Bridge – Todd was the officer who made contact. In the film Todd played Major Howard and the meeting between Howard and Todd was one of the scenes in the film.
Having wished the unknown fan ‘good luck for 1950’, Mona herself went from strength to strength in that year with numerous radio and TV appearances as well as stage shows but it wasn’t until 1953 that she followed Todd onto the silver screen. You can read more Mona’s multi-faceted career in What About The Princess? The Life and Times of Mona Baptiste.
