(1905 -1975)
James Robertson Justice, was one of the great character actors of the British cinema screen. He seems to have spent most of his many screen roles portraying versions of himself. However, Justice did seem to live a genuinely varied and interesting life, despite his own legends. He was a friend to the Royal Family and a real 'larger than life' character.
Robertson Justice claimed he was born in Wigtown, in the SE of Scotland. Yet his school, Marlborough College, has his parents at Bromley in London. He claimed to have a PhD from Bonn University, but their records show a possible BSc. From 1929 - 1931 Justice was in Canada as a journalist. He did fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. His Second World War service seemed to have found him wearing a peusdo-naval uniform in a Kirkcudbright pub, 35 miles from Wigton. From there it seems a natural move into his working in films from 1944. The Channel 4 TV documentary on the making of 'Whisky Galore' [1948] recalls that JRJ had previously spent enough time in the Hebrides to cope with learning both the Gaelic and the bagpipes!
When JRJ made a home at Spinningdale
in later life, he bought "The Bungalow". This was a large secluded single storied loch-side house built in the 1920's by Mr Chance, another colourful Spinningdale character. See our home page for more.
Justice hired the local moors to allow his collection of then exotic raptors a hunting ground, and where his ashes now rest. A shared interest in falconry brought the British Royal Family to Spinningdale. While the royal train was parked at Ardgay, Princes Philip and Charles stayed at 'The Bungalow', regularly dropping into the 'Mill Inn' for their evening pint.
Robertson Justice would have enjoyed the recent increase of birds of prey in the Spinningdale area. The author has seen ospreys, peregrine falcons, even a red kite. Buzzards are nearly as common as sparrows now. Also in the area there are reports of a young golden eagle hunting, and at the opposite end of the raptor scale, merlins!
In 1961, while on a film set, Justice met Irene von Meyendorff, an Estonian Baroness. She left behind her four decade film career and her third husband to live with him. JRJ's earlier marriage had ended in divorce.
Irene became a British citizen in 1967, changing her name to Irina. They never married.
However, the Baroness maintained her own establishment of 'Tigh na Allt' [Land of the River] at Ardgay, some 8 miles south down the then A9 main north road from Spinningdale. The Baroness also maintained JRJ's falconry at her croft, as the Bungalow was unsuitable for flying falcons, due to thick oak woods and the sea loch surrounding The Bungalow.
A series of strokes after 1970 gradually prevented Justice working, leading to his bankruptcy and the enforced sale of The Bungalow. In virtual poverty, Irina nursed him until his death in 1975 at King's Somborne, Hampshire, JRJ's other house [and possible birthplace?]. She also died there on the 28 September 2001, aged 85.
To this day, Irene is still referred by the locals as the 'Baroness'. An interesting aside, the Baroness had proposed to sell the fields above the Bungalow, and surrounding the Mill Inn to a Japanese concern for a holiday chalet village - possibily the most interesting thing not to have happened to Spinningdale?
A German site selling period pictures of German film stars of the 1930's. Sometimes including Irene.
The 'Doctor' series of hospital comedies from 1954 to 1970, playing the bombastic Sir Lancelot Spratt.
Plus noteable parts in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' [1968], 'These Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' [1965], 'Guns of Navarone' [1961], 'Rob Roy' [1958]; and 79 other film credits.
James Robertson Justice — What's The Bleeding-Time?
is due to hit the shelves in February 2008. Co-authored by James Hogg, Robert Sellers and Howard Watson with forewords from Prince Phillip and Leslie Phillips. Over the web, advance orders indicate a selling price of around 13 GBP.
The book has been heavily featured in both the Scotland on Sunday and The Mail on Sunday on the 18th of November 2007.