Raymond Matuson

Raymond Matuson (1927–1998) was an actor.

Biography

Born in Johannesburg on 11 November, 1927, the son of Max (Morduch) Matuson and his wife, Mera (Mira, néé Slosberg). After leaving school he joined his parents in their small paint and hardware business in Jeppe Street in Johannesburg and, for a few years, became a professional actor. However, when it became clear that it would be almost impossible to make a living in such an unstable profession, he turned to business. During the sixties he had a waste recycling factory in Alberton and in 1975 he applied for a general dealer’s license to operate as an auctioneer, a profession he followed for the rest of his working life. He was married to Gertrude (Gerty) Chasen.

He passed away on 22 October, 1998

Contribution to South African theatre, Film, Media and Performance

Especially during the 1950s, he appeared in a range of plays, notably for RAPS (Repertory Amateur Players Society). He also had roles in a number of films, starting with an uncredited part in Jamie Uys’s Hans en die Rooinek (1961). In addition he was Percival Rubens’s producer on The Long Red Shadow (1968).

Credits

Theatre

1952 – Montserrat (Produced by Cecil Williams at the Library Theatre), 1952 – Background (Produced by Mollie Kelly at the Library Theatre), 1953 – Winterset (Produced by Cecil Williams for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – The Tempest (Produced by the Children’s Theatre at Rhodes Park), 1954 – The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Produced by Anna Romain Hoffman at the Empire Theatre), 1955 – Hospital Christmas (Staged by the Repertory Amateur Players Society at the Great Hall, University of the Witwatersrand), 1956 – Pygmalion (Produced by Jessie Matthews at the YMCA Theatre), 1956 – Nekrassov (play-reading) (Produced by Cecil Williams at the Darragh Hall), 1956 – Madame Tic-Tac (Staged by the Repertory Amateur Players Society at the Reps Theatre), 1957 – The Love of Four Colonels (Produced by Peggy Marks at the Reps Theatre), 1957 – The Respectable Prostitute (Produced by Cecil Williams at the Library Theatre), 1957 – The Man Born to Be Hanged (producer) (for the Repertory Amateur Players Society at the YMCA Theatre), 1958 – Of Mice and Men (Produced by George Canes for the Repertory Amateur Players Society at the YMCA Theatre), 1958 – The Threepenny Opera (Produced by Taubie Kushlick at the Library Theatre), 1959 – Four O’Clock Noon (Produced by George Canes at the Technical College Hall), 1959 – White Horse Inn (Produced by Bruce Anderson for the Johannesburg Operatic and Dramatic Society at the Reps Theatre), 1961 – Hotel Paradiso (Produced by Victor Melleney for the Johannesburg Players), 1963 – Epitaph for George Dillon (Produced by Ricky Arden at the Jewish Guild), 1984 – Barefoot in the Park (Directed by Errol Ballantine for the Sandringham Players at the Jabula Centre).

Film

1961 – Hans en die Rooinek (uc) (Director: Jamie Uys), 1967 – Escape Route Cape Town / The Cape Town Affair (Director: Robert D. Webb), 1968 – The Long Red Shadow (Director: Percival Rubens), 1969 – Strangers at Sunrise (Director: Percival Rubens), 1970 – Taxi! (Director: Joe Stewardson), 1971 – Mr. Kingstreet’s War / Heroes Die Hard (Director: Percival Rubens), 1971 – Pressure Burst (uc) (Director: George Canes), 1971 – The Men from the Ministry (Director: Tom Meehan), 1974 – Pens en Pootjies (Directors: Dirk de Villiers & Joe Stewardson), 1975 – Kniediep… (Directors: Roy Sargeant & Joe Stewardson), 1977 – Tigers Don’t Cry / Target of an Assassin (Director: Peter Collinson).

Sources

Rand Daily Mail (various issues)

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0560591/?ref_=nv_sr_1

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