Liz Fraser and other Characters - my autobiography
I really liked this book - it is very candid, although not sensationalist.
Liz Frazer had an absolutely prolific career - she did masses of live TV in the 1950's , became a film star in the 1960's and had a varied set of parts in the theatre.
At one time she had cornered the market is portraying a certain type of sexy and comic blonde, so much so that directors would ask for a "Liz Fraser type",
but there was clearly a lot more to her talents than just comedy. As one of her neighbours said to her - "I didn't know you could act"
As in all lives, there is the unexpected - born in 1930, she was evacuated to Kent, next door to Winston Churchill ! who used to sit her on his knee and allow her to collect acorns for his pigs. Then of course people realised evacuating children to the part of England nearest Nazi occupied Europe was not entirely wise - so she was moved to another family in Devon.
Her father died when she was just 11 :-(
Liz has worked with almost anybody who was anyone, a veritable A-Z. I counted 36 famous people just in the b section of the Index - but it is never done in a name dropping way - just little pen portraits of what they were like to work with. Liz's huge affection for Tony Hancock and Sid James is very touching. She doesn't hold back from the less pleasant side of Peter Sellers or a few others, but never in a nasty way.
Ironic is too weak a word, it is truly unfair that someone who was sought by so many men had two unhappy marriages. The first to someone who was a thief and a liar, a fantasist :-( the second was to a TV producer who was also a womaniser and an alcoholic. He dropped dead aged 41.
Who would guess Liz Frazer was a volunteer for the Samaritans charity for years fielding calls form wold be suicides ? Or her battle with breast cancer? Her love of boxing, football, playing bridge and investing in the stock market ? her Conservative politics ? That she wanted to have children but was unable to or that she wrote poems and her own lines for pantomines.
I haven't mentioned the Carry On films, as I hope she will be remembered for much more than that.
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Films. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Library Books July 2011
Sid James Cockney Rebel by Robert Ross iSBN 978 1 906779 35 1
Sid James is usually regarded as one of those strange (is it only British) Phenomena, an actor who played the same character time after time. You knew what to expect with Sid James.
James Robertson Justice, Terry Thomas, Kenneth Williams, Sean Connery - the line between acting and just being the persona they had adopted was far from clear.
Perhaps surprisingly given the number of films he was in, as well as plentiful TV and the unforgettable radio of Hancocks Half Hour - I believe this is only the second biography of Sid. It scores heavily over the previous attempt in that it has a lot more information and reminiscences from friends and colleagues. There is an obvious and undenied element of hero worship on the part of the author - but that works well in capturing the appeal of Sid James. It is interesting to note how much Sid resisted becoming a top of the bill star - and how he was concerned about his image and keen to see it evolve.
Paintings that changed the world by Klaus Reichold and Bernhard Graf ISBN 3-7913-1983-3
The first thing I liked about this book was that the introduction starts by saying "Of course, no painting really changed the world !" But it works very well as an overview of different paintings from cave painting from over 17,000 years ago to Andy Warhol in the 1960's. A page of text and often a few other relevant pictures offer context and explanation for each of the main pictures. I am always surprised about how small many original artworks are, quite often, no more than 60cm by 40cm.
Do you think that's wise - The life of John Le Mesurier by Graham McCann
ISBN 978-1 84513 583 6
A very warm and well written book. John Le Merurier is probably best know for playing Sgt Wilson in Dad's Army, but also memorable for host of films where you remembered he'd been in them, even though he might have been on screen for just a few minutes. As self-described jobbing actor, Le Mesurier was more than capable of taking on more challenging roles, which sometimes came his way. The book is excellent in dealing with his complicated relationships with Hattie Jacques and Tony Hancock. The only error I spotted was the claim Hancock used teleprompters for the HHH episode the lift - when that was recorded before the car accident that that led to Hancock using such machines.
My life in Comedy - Nicholas Parsons ISBN 9781845966218
Nicholas Parsons has already written an autobiography - so this book
Nicholas started as a straight actor but has had a career that has covered:
straight man, game show host, west end stage, cabaret, film and radio.
This book has anecdote's about lots of famous people he has worked with over the years,
rarely gushing and not afraid to be critical of some people !
the chapters on his role as a straight man and as chair of just a minute were interesting
as well as his reflections on comedians. His insight into the early days of TV and post war films
were good too.
The elephant to Hollywood - Michael Caine - the Autobiography ISBN 978-1-444-70003-9
A very chatty style - a rags to riches story and a remarkable 50 year career, he must be doing something right.
Sid James is usually regarded as one of those strange (is it only British) Phenomena, an actor who played the same character time after time. You knew what to expect with Sid James.
James Robertson Justice, Terry Thomas, Kenneth Williams, Sean Connery - the line between acting and just being the persona they had adopted was far from clear.
Perhaps surprisingly given the number of films he was in, as well as plentiful TV and the unforgettable radio of Hancocks Half Hour - I believe this is only the second biography of Sid. It scores heavily over the previous attempt in that it has a lot more information and reminiscences from friends and colleagues. There is an obvious and undenied element of hero worship on the part of the author - but that works well in capturing the appeal of Sid James. It is interesting to note how much Sid resisted becoming a top of the bill star - and how he was concerned about his image and keen to see it evolve.
Paintings that changed the world by Klaus Reichold and Bernhard Graf ISBN 3-7913-1983-3
The first thing I liked about this book was that the introduction starts by saying "Of course, no painting really changed the world !" But it works very well as an overview of different paintings from cave painting from over 17,000 years ago to Andy Warhol in the 1960's. A page of text and often a few other relevant pictures offer context and explanation for each of the main pictures. I am always surprised about how small many original artworks are, quite often, no more than 60cm by 40cm.
Do you think that's wise - The life of John Le Mesurier by Graham McCann
ISBN 978-1 84513 583 6
A very warm and well written book. John Le Merurier is probably best know for playing Sgt Wilson in Dad's Army, but also memorable for host of films where you remembered he'd been in them, even though he might have been on screen for just a few minutes. As self-described jobbing actor, Le Mesurier was more than capable of taking on more challenging roles, which sometimes came his way. The book is excellent in dealing with his complicated relationships with Hattie Jacques and Tony Hancock. The only error I spotted was the claim Hancock used teleprompters for the HHH episode the lift - when that was recorded before the car accident that that led to Hancock using such machines.
My life in Comedy - Nicholas Parsons ISBN 9781845966218
Nicholas Parsons has already written an autobiography - so this book
Nicholas started as a straight actor but has had a career that has covered:
straight man, game show host, west end stage, cabaret, film and radio.
This book has anecdote's about lots of famous people he has worked with over the years,
rarely gushing and not afraid to be critical of some people !
the chapters on his role as a straight man and as chair of just a minute were interesting
as well as his reflections on comedians. His insight into the early days of TV and post war films
were good too.
The elephant to Hollywood - Michael Caine - the Autobiography ISBN 978-1-444-70003-9
A very chatty style - a rags to riches story and a remarkable 50 year career, he must be doing something right.
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