Category Archives: Memory Lane

Stephen Sondheim was grateful for London’s ‘fresh eye’

Posted on March 22, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett It wasn’t only Broadway that Stephen Sondheim loved. In London in 2011 to mark his 80th birthday, the Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist who was born on this day in 1930, accepted a Special Laurence Olivier Award … Continue reading →

Posted in Memory Lane, Music, Recalling ..., Theatre | Tagged 'Sunday in the Park with George', Angela Lansbury, Cameron Macintosh, Olivier Awards, Sondheim Theatre, Stephen Sondheim | Leave a comment

When Canadian actress Alberta Watson was just Susan

Posted on March 6, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – I knew Canadian actress Alberta Watson, whose birthday was today, a long time ago when she went by her first name, Susan. To meet Susan Watson in 1977 was to fall in love. She was … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Memory Lane, News, Television | Tagged Alberta Watson | Comments Off

20 David Niven movies you should see

Posted on March 1, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett David Niven, who was born 115 years ago today and died aged 73 in 1983, gave Ron Base and me the best quote of all time. The Oscar-winning British actor was on a book tour to promote … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Comment, Film, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged 'Around the World in Eighty Days', 'The Moon's a Balloon', Constance Towers, David Niven | Comments Off

Director Robert Altman on building sandcastles

Posted on February 20, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett I love the movies of Robert Altman, who was born 100 years ago today and died on Nov. 20, 2006, because some are masterpieces and the ones that are not invariably have moments of wonderment and magic … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged 'Altman on Altman' BAFTA, 'Altman', Robert Altman, Soda Pictures | Comments Off

The time I asked Robert Wagner about mortality

Posted on February 10, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett “What the hell kind of question is that?” It’s 1985 and I’m sitting with Robert Wagner, who turns 95 today, in his luxury trailer on the Warner Bros. lot where he was making the shortlived TV series … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged 'Colditz', 'Hart to Hart', 'To Catch a Thief', Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner | Comments Off

Stuart Margolin and James Garner: ‘a perfect friendship’

Posted on January 31, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett Stuart Margolin, born on this day in 1940, was one of the great screen sidekicks working regularly with James Garner. Traditionally, in film and on TV, there have been two kinds of heroes – loners and those … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, News, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged 'Bret Maverick', 'Nichols', 'The Rockford Files', 'The Summer of George Adams', James Garner, Stuart Margolin | Comments Off

The astonishing range of Gene Hackman

Posted on January 30, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett With most movie stars it’s not very difficult to sort out a Top 10 of your favourite films but Gene Hackman’s exceptional 40-year career has included so many terrific performances in such a wide range of films … Continue reading →

Posted in Comment, Film, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Francus Forc Coppola, Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy, Nick Nolte, Wes Anderson, William Friedkin | 2 Comments

John Hurt on the importance to acting of imagination

Posted on January 22, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett At his elegant home in Chiswick in west London, John Hurt, who was born 85 years ago today, smoked cigarettes contentedly and over a long, relaxed conversation, spoke candidly to me about many things including the art … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged Al Pacino, Chekhov, John Hurt, Michael Radford, Richard Burton, Robert De Niro, Stanislavsky, ‘1984’, ‘Nineteen, ‘Nineteen Eighty-four’ | Comments Off

Kevin Costner in praise of ‘Cool Hand Luke’

Posted on January 18, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett I’ve been a fan of Kevin Costner, who turns 70 today, since ‘Silverado’ and I’ve liked most of his movies since then even ‘Waterworld’. I was pleased to find that he’s good company back in 2003. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Memory Lane, News | Tagged 'Cool Hand Luke', 'The Upside of Anger', British Film Institute, Electric Cinema, Grand Classics, Indyssey Entertainment, Kevin Costner, Mike Binder, Paul Newman, Sky Movies | Comments Off

Elvis: The man who fell to earth and changed the world

Posted on January 8, 2025 by admin

By Ray Bennett Little more than 10 years after the end of World War II, Great Britain was a cold, grey place in 1956 when Elvis Presley, who was born 90 years ago today, dropped from the sky. He changed … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Memory Lane, Music | Tagged 'The Sanibel Sunset Detective', Charlie Rich Jr., Elvis Presley, Graceland, Ron Base, Sam Phillips | Comments Off