Bryan Forbes - Britmovie

stevie boy · 14-01-2008, 01:24 PM

When you look at Forbes body of work as an Actor,Writer,Director why did he fade out in the early to mid seventies?. His work on films such as The League of Gentlemen,Seance on a Wet Afternoon, The Whisperers,L Shaped Room is outstanding. Why did he drop of the radar? was it health,politics, personal choice

batman · 14-01-2008, 01:35 PM

In 1969 Forbes got the job of production chief at EMI, but apparently it wasn't a success and he left in 1971. A few years after this he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which forced him to reduce his work rate, although he did the occasional directing stint and became quite a successful novelist.

Bats.

Windthrop · 14-01-2008, 01:59 PM

He always had a erratic career - fine directing work in the 60s but as Bats said the EMI debacle didn't help him (though he did turn in a profit and greenlighted The Go-Between). He virtually invented the modern party political broadcast for Edward Heath which made him distrusted by the film unions which didn't help him at EMI (he subsequently lost the presidency of a film union on a technicalitybecause of his tory associations). He directed the infamous Peter O'Toole Macbeth at the Old Vic which again didn't help him.

He hasn't directed for TV since his adaptation of his own novel The Endless Game in 1990 which I thought was quite good and he directed Tom Conti for a regional tour of a play a couple of years ago. A sad waste of an interesting and talented man though he is still writing and had a good career directing TV commercials. His books are very readable, both the fiction and non-fiction.

So yes it was health to some extent and being a tory in the arts world possibly didn't help in those days. His films were interesting and generally small scale and not epics or blockbusters. He turned down Dr No and Where Eagles Dare so he wasn't concerned with making conventional box-office fodder.

It is sadly ironic that it was the tories' abolition of the net book agreement that led to the closure of his little bookshop in Virginia Water.

Freddy · 14-01-2008, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batman

A few years after this he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which forced him to reduce his work rate, although he did the occasional directing stint and became quite a successful novelist.

Bats.

There was an article some years ago which mentioned the MS and that his wife Nanette Newman had put him on a gluten free (no wheat, rye...) diet which is of some help. The reasoning was at the time that she noticed MS was quite rare in places where wheat wasn't a main part of the diet. Some MS web sites report that the diet could be of some help.

Freddy

Windthrop · 14-01-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddy

There was an article some years ago which mentioned the MS and that his wife Nanette Newman had put him on a gluten free (no wheat, rye...) diet which is of some help. The reasoning was at the time that she noticed MS was quite rare in places where wheat wasn't a main part of the diet. Some MS web sites report that the diet could be of some help.

Freddy

It's a controversial theory and those that go on it and lose their MS symptoms are never considered 'cured' by conventional medicine - they are in 'remission' which is not quite the same thing from, let us say, an insurance point of view. Still looking at Forbes in his recent appearances he does look very well for a man well-stricken in years and doesn't show the outward appearance of someone who has lived with a diagnosis of MS for 30 plus years. Long may his 'remission' continue.

batman · 14-01-2008, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windthrop

It's a controversial theory and those that go on it and lose their MS symptoms are never considered 'cured' by conventional medicine - they are in 'remission' which is not quite the same thing from, let us say, an insurance point of view. Still looking at Forbes in his recent appearances he does look very well for a man well-stricken in years and doesn't show the outward appearance of someone who has lived with a diagnosis of MS for 30 plus years. Long may his 'remission' continue.

Well said Windy!

Bats.

DB7 · 14-01-2008, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by batman

A few years after this he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which forced him to reduce his work rate,

Was Raging Moon a coincidence or produced when Forbes knew/feared he was ill?

batman · 14-01-2008, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DB7

Was Raging Moon a coincidence or produced when Forbes knew/feared he was ill?

That's an interesting point ... it's certainly something I had never thought of. I haven't read it but his autobiography ( A Divided Life ) contains a section about his illness so he may have written about it in the book.

Bats.

Windthrop · 14-01-2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DB7

Was Raging Moon a coincidence or produced when Forbes knew/feared he was ill?

According to his biogs it was during the film of The Slipper and the Rose that he was diagnosed.

Steve Crook · 15-01-2008, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windthrop

According to his biogs it was during the film of The Slipper and the Rose that he was diagnosed.

One of my "guilty secret" favourite films.

Steve

stevie boy · 15-01-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Crook

One of my "guilty secret" favourite films.

Steve

what is your Not guilty secret favourite film, shall I take a guess????

Steve Crook · 15-01-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevie boy

what is your Not guilty secret favourite film, shall I take a guess????

Have a look in my public profile

Steve

Rennie · 15-01-2008, 12:57 PM

I am occasionally in correspondence with Bryan Forbes.

I note the members' interest in his career, and have just asked him if he would be prepared to answer members' questions on his film career. Here is his (as always) humourous reply. Moderators: I trust you will accept the non censorship?

Dear *****, I wonder if any of your group have looked at the BAFTA web site which has been running a film about my career because Last year they honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Of course i would be willing to answer direct questions as long as they are not too onerous. I remember when I was a prison visitor many years ago and gave a lecture of some pith and moment(or so I believed) about the film industry and then asked for questions. A hand went up immediately, and the question was "Is Lana Turner a good fuck?" I saw then that my erudition had fallen on stony ground. Regards Bryan Forbes

So, if anyone would like to ask him a question, please contact me by PM or on the thread. Don't forget...'not too onerous'.

Steve Crook · 15-01-2008, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rennie

So, if anyone would like to ask him a question, please contact me by PM or on the thread. Don't forget...'not too onerous'.

Just to say "Thank you" for all his great work.

Oh, and ...
His first known acting credit is the dying gunner in Powell and Pressburger's The Small Back Room. It's only on screen for a few minutes but it's a crucial part and very well done. Any particular memories of that one?

Steve

christoph404 · 15-01-2008, 02:23 PM

To Bryan Forbes,
I would like to ask about "The Man Who Haunted Himself" First of all great film as we all know, its rightly held in high esteem here at Britmovie, and I really enjoyed the DVD commentary . As uncredited writer producer I would be interested to know of the scale of your involvement and contribution or any background information you wish to share about the film.Why no credit? ( "Trumpers" as featured in the film is in Curzon Street BTW though there is a small version in Jermyn Street and next time you see Roger remind him it was a Lamborghini not a Masserati.

)
Also any thoughts on "Deadfall",the photography is superb, good performances and music, an underrated sixties film in my opinion.

What was it like working with Eric Portman, there have been discusions here about what little is kown about him as a person and a lack of biography, any comments or thoughts on that? Thanks very much.

14-01-2008, 01:24 PM	#1
stevie boy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Coventry Posts: 1,523 My Mood: Country: iTrader: (0)	Bryan Forbes When you look at Forbes body of work as an Actor,Writer,Director why did he fade out in the early to mid seventies?. His work on films such as The League of Gentlemen,Seance on a Wet Afternoon, The Whisperers,L Shaped Room is outstanding. Why did he drop of the radar? was it health,politics, personal choice

14-01-2008, 01:35 PM	#2
batman Chief Member OBME Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Norwich Posts: 13,148 My Mood: Country: iTrader: (9)	In 1969 Forbes got the job of production chief at EMI, but apparently it wasn't a success and he left in 1971. A few years after this he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which forced him to reduce his work rate, although he did the occasional directing stint and became quite a successful novelist. Bats. __________________ Bats. Can we be robots again?

14-01-2008, 01:59 PM	#3
Windthrop Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: North Yorks Posts: 4,212 Country: iTrader: (0)	He always had a erratic career - fine directing work in the 60s but as Bats said the EMI debacle didn't help him (though he did turn in a profit and greenlighted The Go-Between). He virtually invented the modern party political broadcast for Edward Heath which made him distrusted by the film unions which didn't help him at EMI (he subsequently lost the presidency of a film union on a technicalitybecause of his tory associations). He directed the infamous Peter O'Toole Macbeth at the Old Vic which again didn't help him. He hasn't directed for TV since his adaptation of his own novel The Endless Game in 1990 which I thought was quite good and he directed Tom Conti for a regional tour of a play a couple of years ago. A sad waste of an interesting and talented man though he is still writing and had a good career directing TV commercials. His books are very readable, both the fiction and non-fiction. So yes it was health to some extent and being a tory in the arts world possibly didn't help in those days. His films were interesting and generally small scale and not epics or blockbusters. He turned down Dr No and Where Eagles Dare so he wasn't concerned with making conventional box-office fodder. It is sadly ironic that it was the tories' abolition of the net book agreement that led to the closure of his little bookshop in Virginia Water. __________________ That's the joke that killed the Music Hall Last edited by Windthrop; 14-01-2008 at 02:06 PM.

15-01-2008, 12:57 PM	#13
Rennie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SW England Posts: 126 Country: iTrader: (0)	Bryan Forbes agrees to answer questions on his career. I am occasionally in correspondence with Bryan Forbes. I note the members' interest in his career, and have just asked him if he would be prepared to answer members' questions on his film career. Here is his (as always) humourous reply. Moderators: I trust you will accept the non censorship? Dear ****, I wonder if any of your group have looked at the BAFTA web site which has been running a film about my career because Last year they honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Of course i would be willing to answer direct questions as long as they are not too onerous. I remember when I was a prison visitor many years ago and gave a lecture of some pith and moment(or so I believed) about the film industry and then asked for questions. A hand went up immediately, and the question was "Is Lana Turner a good fuck?" I saw then that my erudition had fallen on stony ground. Regards Bryan Forbes So, if anyone would like to ask him a question, please contact me by PM or on the thread. Don't forget...'not too onerous'. Last edited by Rennie; 15-01-2008 at 12:59 PM.*

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15-01-2008, 02:23 PM	#15
christoph404 Moderator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: London Posts: 1,362 Country: iTrader: (0)	To Bryan Forbes, I would like to ask about "The Man Who Haunted Himself" First of all great film as we all know, its rightly held in high esteem here at Britmovie, and I really enjoyed the DVD commentary . As uncredited writer producer I would be interested to know of the scale of your involvement and contribution or any background information you wish to share about the film.Why no credit? ( "Trumpers" as featured in the film is in Curzon Street BTW though there is a small version in Jermyn Street and next time you see Roger remind him it was a Lamborghini not a Masserati. ) Also any thoughts on "Deadfall",the photography is superb, good performances and music, an underrated sixties film in my opinion. What was it like working with Eric Portman, there have been discusions here about what little is kown about him as a person and a lack of biography, any comments or thoughts on that? Thanks very much.