Category Archives: Memory Lane

Raymond’s Revue Bar and the music of Henry Mancini

Posted on April 28, 2013 by admin

By Ray Bennett For all I know, the late London land baron Paul Raymond might have been the “porn king” of Soho but what I recall is that he published innocuous nudie magazines and ran a strip club called Raymond’s … Continue reading →

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Gregory Peck on finally landing his dream role: Abraham Lincoln

Posted on January 27, 2013 by admin

By Ray Bennett In 1982, Gregory Peck achieved a lifetime ambition to portray his idol Abraham Lincoln onscreen. It was a cameo appearance in the CBS miniseries “The Blue and the Gray”, which became the subject of a special issue … Continue reading →

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When Ziggy Stardust came to Detroit City

Posted on December 2, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett One of the very good things about working at The Windsor Star in the early 1970s was that I was able to see some of the greatest entertainers perform across the river in Detroit City. One of them … Continue reading →

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Learning about American English from Alistair Cooke

Posted on November 17, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett The BBC has made more than 900 of Alistair Cooke’s radio reports, Letter From America, available online and I am reminded of the one time I got to talk to him. Cooke was one of my heroes … Continue reading →

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John Williams on Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Hitchcock

Posted on August 30, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett John Williams celebrates his 80th birthday this year with concerts at The Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and the Royal Albert Hall on Oct. 19. He is celebrated rightly for his extraordinary work with Steven Spielberg … Continue reading →

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Recalling … Jim Morrison and The Doors live in Detroit

Posted on July 14, 2012 by admin

This review was written right after the concert that was recorded for “Live In Detroit” on the night of May 8, 1970. By Ray Bennett | The Windsor Star | May 9 1970 DETROIT: The Doors exploded in Cobo Hall … Continue reading →

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Recalling … Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes in Detroit

Posted on July 8, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett British comedian Jimmy Edwards sauntered into the lobby of the Pontchartain Hotel in Detroit an inch or two behind a magnificent white moustache, cane in hand and a Moss. Bros. light brown bowler atop his portly frame. January … Continue reading →

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Andy Griffith on why ‘No Time for Sergeants’ cheated

Posted on July 5, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett Andy Griffith didn’t do a great many interviews but I spent most of the afternoon of March 18, 1986 with him, just the two of us in an otherwise empty dining room at what I seem to … Continue reading →

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MEMORY LANE: The day I turned down Rupert Murdoch

Posted on July 16, 2011 by admin

By Ray Bennett Pardon me if I sound smug, but I’ve always felt good that I turned down an offer to work for Rupert Murdoch, and now I feel even better about it. I especially like the fact that I … Continue reading →

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There’s always a Ray in the movies, now there’s Blu-ray

Posted on October 4, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett There’s always a Ray in the movies. Scriptwriters really like the name. Michael Keaton, Dan Aykroyd and Gregory Hines each played a guy named Ray three times, Harvey Keitel twice. Kevin Costner was Ray in “Field Of … Continue reading →

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