Wee Sonny MacGregor

Why have some actors, directors, producers never had a biography of them written. Who would you like to see covered? Let me kick off with a couple of sugestions - Basil Dearden and the great Alastair Sim.

julian_craster

ERIC PORTMAN !!

DENNIS PRICE !


If only these biogs had been written in the 1970s, when folks who worked with them were still around....Impossible to write now, so we shall never know !

rjd0309

Yes, would love to read an in-depth treatment of the team of Basil Dearden and Michael Relph. Just watched one of their best, Life For Ruth (1962), which dealt with religious/medical issues with surprising fairness.

Robert

Marky B

When was Life For Ruth on,Robert? I watched it a few years ago and I thought it was a well made film (filmed in Seaham in County Durham).
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Steve Crook

There's a good biography about Alastair Sim, by his wife Naomi Sim, called "Dance and Skylark", London: Bloomsbury, 1987. ISBN: 0747500525. It's more about Alastair as a complete person than just concentrating on his work. It explains how and why they "adopted" the young George Cole and other young actors like Karl Howman.

Steve

rjd0309

Hi Marky, I have it on DVD, originally recorded by a friend in Australia. I don't recall the last time it was shown in GB, sorry.

Robert

julian_craster

There is a book on the films of Basil Dearden (not his life).
Check Amazon UK for title...

theuofc

Hello, WSM,

I suspect that the productive actors, directors, etc. who otherwise led scandal-free lives don't offer much money-making fodder for publishers. With the result that we have no biographies of these creative people who are fascinating to us. Take Roger Livesey (yes, I will), as Steve has pointed out, nothing juicy to report about his very long and happy marriage. While I would greatly enjoy hearing Livesey's thoughts on his long theatre and film career, his various roles, his interesting family of actors, etc. publishers, on the other hand, probably think that no one else will.

We were just mentioning Sidney Cole in another context. Can you imagine the stories, memories of all the films he was involved in? No biography there either.

Great thread.

Barbara

Fellwanderer

Barbara

You have hit the nail very succinctly on the head. I would love a biography of Jenny Agutter [I'd even volunteer to write it for free] but I know that the market would be too small - though a full colour picture book might go down well [eg of British humour that may not travel too well over the water!]

Probably the best we can hope for is real fans [preferable those who can write decent English] to gather together as much information as they can place it on websites - such as Steve's PnP labour of love.

FELL

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

theuofc

Thanks, Fell And yes, Jenny Agutter, whom I have recently learned quite a bit about and respect, deserves a biography. A long career, still beautiful, and from all the dedicated charity work she graciously does, hers would be a most interesting life to record, but as you say the market might be small. A tribute website is wonderful, and if you can find a way to get it placed at the head of Google, even better. One real perk is that Jenny is still alive to be interviewed and continue her work in public awareness; also many who know her can be interviewed for memories. Too many other actors have died, and if their films don't get played often, the 18 and unders don't have a clue who they are.

Good luck on a website for Jenny. A worthy cause.

Barbara

Marky B

Just been reading Film Review and it has mentioned an autobiographical book by Ken Annakin called So You Want To Be A Film Director. I've had to look him up on IMDB,as I thought the great man was no longer with us,but he is and 91 years old too.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

smudge

Of all the forgotten ones, I'd like to read the story of Bonar Colleano and Susan Shaw ; not the tawdry bits - just ending at the tragic crash.

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

Elliot J Huntley

Just to let everyone know that my biography of Dennis Price - The Man Who Always Did His Best - is finished and will be out shortly. Luckily I was able to interview the following: Jean Kent, William Franklyn, Wolf Rilla, Alvin Rakoff, Jean Simmons, Richard Todd, Melvyn Hayes, Richard Gordon, Cyril Frankel, Philip Saville, Derek Fowlds, Roy Ward Baker, Ken Annakin, Michael Armstrong, John Hough, Andree Melly, Graham Stark, Harry Fowler, Paul Scofield and dozens of others who knew Dennis and/or worked with him so I was fortunate that so many o his contemporaries are still with us.

Elliot

John Llewellyn Moxey

A lovely, funny and talented man.
John Llewellyn Moxey

Elliot J Huntley

I would love to tackle Eric Portman as well, but where would one start. His private life seems hermetically sealed.