INTERESTING CAREER.

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 16, 18 July 1940, Page 18

INTERESTING CAREER.

Emlyn Williams, the noted British playwright-actor was born 35 years ago over a greengrocer's shop in the remote village of Peny-ffordd, near Mostyn, Flintshire. His father was previously a coal miner and sailor before becoming a greengrocer; then the family went to a neighbouring village, where Mr. Williams, sen., became host of the local inn for- the first nine years of young Emlyn's life. The family spoke only Welsh/ and still do; indeed, the grandfather of the promising playwright-actor1 never spoke any other language. Young Williams learned English, French, and Italian from the nuns at a nearby convent where he was a pupil, and won a scholarship in English, which entitled him to go to a school five miles away from his home. He walked it daily there and back and attribute*

his physical fitness to this ten-mile trek. He stayed at this county'school until 1,7 and then went to Geneva to perfect his French. He; is also able to speak other languages. At Oxford he won a French scholarship and became interested in dramatics. Hence his subsequent success in that particular branch of art. His wife was Molly O'Shaun, formerly a musical comedy actress and they have two 1 sons. His is a tale of sheer hard work and ambition.