Category Archives: Books

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 , , , | Comments Off on 20 David Niven movies you should see

How movie queen Merle Oberon hid her dark past

Posted on October 8, 2023 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Michael Korda, publisher, novelist and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Simon & Schuster who turns 90 today, had a most colourful childhood with his uncle, film producer Alexander Korda who with a string of epic productions was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on How movie queen Merle Oberon hid her dark past

Frederick Forsyth did more than write great thrillers

Posted on August 25, 2023 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – English writer Frederick Forsyth, who turns 85 today, has not only written clever and exciting thrillers such as ‘Day of the Jackal’ (starring Edward Fox, above)  and ‘The Odessa file’, he’s also prescient about world … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Interviews, Media, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Frederick Forsyth did more than write great thrillers

Recalling … Jackie Collins, ‘me too’ before ‘me too’

Posted on October 4, 2022 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Novelist Jackie Collins, who was born 85 years ago today, wrote about the problems women faced in Hollywood long before the ‘me too’ movement came along. Younger sister of Joan Collins, she was known for … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Recalling … Jackie Collins, ‘me too’ before ‘me too’

When Tom Clancy feared losing his mind

Posted on April 12, 2022 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Tom Clancy, who would have turned 75 today, wrote best-sellers adapted into hit films such as ‘The Hunt For Red October’, ‘Patriot Games’  and ‘Clear and Present Danger’ featuring CIA man Jack Ryan but he … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Interviews | Tagged | Comments Off on When Tom Clancy feared losing his mind

Recalling John Gardner, a master of the spy novel

Posted on November 20, 2021 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – John Gardner, who would have been 95 today, should rank with Eric Ambler, John le Carré, Len Deighton and Philip Kerr as a virtuoso of the serious British spy novel. He is known best now … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ... | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Recalling John Gardner, a master of the spy novel

Why Robert MacNeill stopped getting angry about poor English

Posted on January 19, 2021 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Canadian newsman Robert MacNeill, who turns 90 today, shared my fascination with how English was used on radio and television. In 1986, the urbane and articulate co-anchor of the news programme ‘The MacNeill-Lehrer Report’  on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why Robert MacNeill stopped getting angry about poor English

Russell Baker: a gift ‘for fooling around with words’

Posted on January 23, 2019 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The great New York Times columnist Russell Baker, who has died aged 93, was one of my journalistic heroes and when I interviewed him in 1989 he turned out to be everything I’d hoped. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Interviews, News | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Russell Baker: a gift ‘for fooling around with words’

Ed McBain tops my 2018 reading list

Posted on December 30, 2018 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Evan Hunter was an American writer who wrote several novels that were made into movies including Richard Brooks’s ‘Blackboard Jungle’ (above) starring Glenn Ford and featuring Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow but known best for … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Ed McBain tops my 2018 reading list

What Jackie Collins discovered about men in Hollywood

Posted on September 20, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Jackie Collins, who died on Sept. 19 of breast cancer aged 77, was a far more thoughtful person than her raunchy writing might suggest and not at all the diva that older sister Joan Collins … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Interviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment