By Ray Bennett
LONDON – ‘Oh, you shouldn’t bother with Lloyd,’ said Dorothy Bridges, the actor’s wife of nearly forty years. ‘You need to talk to my boys, Jeff and Beau.’
It was 1976 and she had every reason to be proud of her sons as both had made a big impression in movies and went on to long careers. Lloyd Bridges, who was born on this day in 1913, was no slouch, however, with more than 210 screen credits over his lifetime.
Sadly, Beau and Jeff were not on hand with their parents when I met them. With a group of actors including Charlton Heston, Chad Everett, Chris Connelly, Rob Reiner and Desi Arnaz Jr., Bridges was playing in Detroit in a charity tennis tournament sponsored by Hiram Walker. Continue reading
Bob Dowling gave me the best job in the world
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – I shall always be grateful to Robert J.Dowling, the former publisher and editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter who has died aged 83, because it was thanks to him that for several years I had a job that even legendary Hollywood studio chief Sherry Lansing envied.
As THR’s European Arts Critic based in London, I reviewed the finest theatre in the West End, the top music concerts and the best of British television plus movies in England and at international film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Edinburgh, Galway and once in Rio de Janeiro. Continue reading →