Appearing in many of the landmark gritty dramas of the era, the actor, who has died aged 87, stood out for portraying vulnerability combined with a canny intelligence
Shirley Anne Field had the kind of ingenue English-rose freshness and beauty that the British cinema loved in the 50s and 60s – it had something feline about it, a kind of innocent-fatale. Hers were the kind of looks that always introduced an almost unintentional note of innocence and poignancy into the tough dramas and kitchen-sink pictures in which she was cast; she had something of the model agency and deportment school and yet also the pinup mag.
Field was of the same generation as heartstoppingly beautiful performers such as Janette Scott, Shirley Eaton, Sylvia Sims and Julie Christie. She appeared briefly in Michael Powell’s 1960 chiller Peeping Tom as a temperamental film diva (quite unlike her real self) but had her breakthrough in...
Shirley Anne Field had the kind of ingenue English-rose freshness and beauty that the British cinema loved in the 50s and 60s – it had something feline about it, a kind of innocent-fatale. Hers were the kind of looks that always introduced an almost unintentional note of innocence and poignancy into the tough dramas and kitchen-sink pictures in which she was cast; she had something of the model agency and deportment school and yet also the pinup mag.
Field was of the same generation as heartstoppingly beautiful performers such as Janette Scott, Shirley Eaton, Sylvia Sims and Julie Christie. She appeared briefly in Michael Powell’s 1960 chiller Peeping Tom as a temperamental film diva (quite unlike her real self) but had her breakthrough in...
- 12/12/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
John McVicar died on 6 September 2022 of a heart attack, aged 82. He was a seasoned ex-convict who turned his hand from armed robbery to a career in journalism, writing about crime and justice for the Guardian, the New Statesman and Spiked. However, this biopic is not about McVicar, the autodidact. Instead, it is a crime film about McVicar’s 1968 prison break that’s told with an austere, turn-of-the-’80s aesthetic comparable to Scum, The Black Panther and The Long Good Friday.
Roger Daltrey’s presence may raise questions about McVicar’s seriousness, but this isn’t a lazy rock star vehicle — Daltrey assumes the role with a sinewy attitude that doesn’t want for credibility. Credible too are McVicar’s fellow inmates and the staff who corral them at Hmp Durham, where life is stark but not without goodwill. There is a fair amount of camaraderie, in fact, with conflict rarely going beyond coarse words.
Roger Daltrey’s presence may raise questions about McVicar’s seriousness, but this isn’t a lazy rock star vehicle — Daltrey assumes the role with a sinewy attitude that doesn’t want for credibility. Credible too are McVicar’s fellow inmates and the staff who corral them at Hmp Durham, where life is stark but not without goodwill. There is a fair amount of camaraderie, in fact, with conflict rarely going beyond coarse words.
- 9/8/2023
- by Jack Hawkins
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Photographer celebrated for his informal portraits of artists, actors and musicians
David Farrell, who has died aged 93, was known primarily for his photographic portraits of the most prominent artists, actors, authors and, particularly, musicians of his time. These ranged from classical performers such as Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar and Jacqueline du Pré to Louis Armstrong, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He would take his portable darkroom with him to filming locations, where he photographed Albert Finney, Julie Christie, Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson, among others. His main body of work dates from the mid-1950s to the 1980s, by which time he was working primarily in cinema, but he continued with his photography well into the digital age.
Taking Henri Cartier-Bresson's "humanitarian" photography as his model, Farrell specialised in taking portraits in informal situations – he preferred to photograph artists at home or in the studio, rather than in...
David Farrell, who has died aged 93, was known primarily for his photographic portraits of the most prominent artists, actors, authors and, particularly, musicians of his time. These ranged from classical performers such as Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar and Jacqueline du Pré to Louis Armstrong, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He would take his portable darkroom with him to filming locations, where he photographed Albert Finney, Julie Christie, Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson, among others. His main body of work dates from the mid-1950s to the 1980s, by which time he was working primarily in cinema, but he continued with his photography well into the digital age.
Taking Henri Cartier-Bresson's "humanitarian" photography as his model, Farrell specialised in taking portraits in informal situations – he preferred to photograph artists at home or in the studio, rather than in...
- 2/11/2013
- by Amanda Hopkinson
- The Guardian - Film News
Composer John Barry may be best known for his 007 scores, but we look beyond Bond for a detailed look at the rest of his extraordinary career...
Timeless, innovative, expansive and sensual, the music of John Barry Prendergast is a thought-provoking testament to a man who set the bar high and kept on raising it.
For many of us, the work of British composer, Barry, is synonymous with the Bond franchise, and there's no mistaking his contribution to that legacy. His work (along with that of Monty Norman) came to signify the arch, dangerously seductive swagger and cool, ambivalent melancholy that is the man behind the martini glass. He captured a world of intrigue, code and double meaning, of subterfuge, ambiguity, covert operation and sexuality. His was a trenchant and identifiable yet intriguingly elliptical and diverse musical sensibility that lassoed widely different vocalists from Louis Armstrong to Duran Duran, invariably producing something magnetic and memorable.
Timeless, innovative, expansive and sensual, the music of John Barry Prendergast is a thought-provoking testament to a man who set the bar high and kept on raising it.
For many of us, the work of British composer, Barry, is synonymous with the Bond franchise, and there's no mistaking his contribution to that legacy. His work (along with that of Monty Norman) came to signify the arch, dangerously seductive swagger and cool, ambivalent melancholy that is the man behind the martini glass. He captured a world of intrigue, code and double meaning, of subterfuge, ambiguity, covert operation and sexuality. His was a trenchant and identifiable yet intriguingly elliptical and diverse musical sensibility that lassoed widely different vocalists from Louis Armstrong to Duran Duran, invariably producing something magnetic and memorable.
- 7/25/2011
- Den of Geek
Film composer John Barry, who died yesterday aged 77, remains an inspiration to many. We look at some of his finest work, from Beat Girl to Bond
Already a successful band leader, with the John Barry Seven, the movie world was introduced to the composer when he provided the music to Beat Girl, a movie starring his friend Adam Faith. The result was the first soundtrack album to warrant a UK release, the launch of a five times Oscar-winning film career for Barry, one of the first examples of rock music being incorporated into film scores and, best of all, a killer, world-class opening title sequence.
Barry won two Oscars for his astounding work on Born Free, one for the soundtrack and the other for his collaboration with lyricist Don Black for the classic Matt Monro title song. Amazingly, this signature tune, a chart topper even in cover versions by Roger Williams...
Already a successful band leader, with the John Barry Seven, the movie world was introduced to the composer when he provided the music to Beat Girl, a movie starring his friend Adam Faith. The result was the first soundtrack album to warrant a UK release, the launch of a five times Oscar-winning film career for Barry, one of the first examples of rock music being incorporated into film scores and, best of all, a killer, world-class opening title sequence.
Barry won two Oscars for his astounding work on Born Free, one for the soundtrack and the other for his collaboration with lyricist Don Black for the classic Matt Monro title song. Amazingly, this signature tune, a chart topper even in cover versions by Roger Williams...
- 2/1/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Composer most closely associated with the golden age of James Bond but whose scores ranged from Midnight Cowboy to Dances With Wolves
John Barry, who has died aged 77 following a heart attack, will always be associated with the golden age of James Bond, but though much of his most famous music was written to accompany the outlandish adventures of 007, his work covered a huge variety of moods and styles. Barry wrote epic, sweeping film scores for Zulu (1964), Born Free (1966) and Out of Africa (1985), introduced blues and jazz themes into The Chase (1966) and The Cotton Club (1984), and conceived the shivery, sinister music for The Ipcress File (1965). He even became something of a pop star in his own right.
He was born Jonathan Barry Prender- gast in York, where his father ran a chain of cinemas. His mother was a talented musician, but had abandoned the attempt to establish herself as a concert pianist.
John Barry, who has died aged 77 following a heart attack, will always be associated with the golden age of James Bond, but though much of his most famous music was written to accompany the outlandish adventures of 007, his work covered a huge variety of moods and styles. Barry wrote epic, sweeping film scores for Zulu (1964), Born Free (1966) and Out of Africa (1985), introduced blues and jazz themes into The Chase (1966) and The Cotton Club (1984), and conceived the shivery, sinister music for The Ipcress File (1965). He even became something of a pop star in his own right.
He was born Jonathan Barry Prender- gast in York, where his father ran a chain of cinemas. His mother was a talented musician, but had abandoned the attempt to establish herself as a concert pianist.
- 2/1/2011
- by Adam Sweeting
- The Guardian - Film News
London — Five-time Oscar-winning composer John Barry, who wrote music for a dozen James Bond films, including "You Only Live Twice" and "Goldfinger" but couldn't persuade a jury that he composed the suave spy's theme music, has died. He was 77.
Barry died in New York, where he had lived for some time, on Sunday, his family said. The family did not release the cause of death.
Though his work on the Bond films is among his most famous, the English-born composer wrote a long list of scores, including for "Midnight Cowboy," "Dances with Wolves" and "Body Heat." He was proud of writing both for big action blockbusters and smaller films.
He won two Oscars for "Born Free" in 1966, for best score and best song. He also earned statuettes for the scores to "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Out of Africa" (1985) and "Dances with Wolves" (1990).
His association with Agent 007 began with "Dr. No...
Barry died in New York, where he had lived for some time, on Sunday, his family said. The family did not release the cause of death.
Though his work on the Bond films is among his most famous, the English-born composer wrote a long list of scores, including for "Midnight Cowboy," "Dances with Wolves" and "Body Heat." He was proud of writing both for big action blockbusters and smaller films.
He won two Oscars for "Born Free" in 1966, for best score and best song. He also earned statuettes for the scores to "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Out of Africa" (1985) and "Dances with Wolves" (1990).
His association with Agent 007 began with "Dr. No...
- 1/31/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
John Barry's soundtracks often outstripped the films for which they were written. And despite a prickly reputation, when I met him he was the perfect host
While it would be a little outlandish to say that John Barry lived a James Bond lifestyle, it wasn't hard to imagine him in the world of The Persuaders, driving an open-top E-type to the south of France, immaculately turned out, eloping with the au pair. He was, more than many familiar faces, a movie star.
The theme from The Persuaders was – ignoring the James Bond theme, which existed like air – my introduction to the John Barry sound. The opening notes of its electric harpsichord matched high-contrast screen images of Tony Curtis and Roger Moore and created great excitement. It was the soundtrack to many Sunday lunchtimes in the early-70s.
Theme from the Persuaders on the CBS label was one of the first records I owned,...
While it would be a little outlandish to say that John Barry lived a James Bond lifestyle, it wasn't hard to imagine him in the world of The Persuaders, driving an open-top E-type to the south of France, immaculately turned out, eloping with the au pair. He was, more than many familiar faces, a movie star.
The theme from The Persuaders was – ignoring the James Bond theme, which existed like air – my introduction to the John Barry sound. The opening notes of its electric harpsichord matched high-contrast screen images of Tony Curtis and Roger Moore and created great excitement. It was the soundtrack to many Sunday lunchtimes in the early-70s.
Theme from the Persuaders on the CBS label was one of the first records I owned,...
- 1/31/2011
- by Bob Stanley
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor best known for his role as one of the Italian Job gang
Frank Jarvis, who has died suddenly aged 69, was a prolific actor with a particular commitment to theatre. He did, however, have a minor claim to film immortality as one of the gang of cockney villains, led by Michael Caine, who pull off a robbery, but do not quite get away with it, in The Italian Job (1969). Greeted upon its initial release as merely one of many caper movies (a view that persists in the Us), repeated television screenings in Britain have given it status as a minor classic.
Jarvis's role was as a getaway driver, well-dressed and continually smoking. It was representative of his screen work during the 60s and 70s, which almost always centred on crime, whether he was cast as crook or copper. He was thin-faced and slim of build, with dark hair slicked down by Brylcreem,...
Frank Jarvis, who has died suddenly aged 69, was a prolific actor with a particular commitment to theatre. He did, however, have a minor claim to film immortality as one of the gang of cockney villains, led by Michael Caine, who pull off a robbery, but do not quite get away with it, in The Italian Job (1969). Greeted upon its initial release as merely one of many caper movies (a view that persists in the Us), repeated television screenings in Britain have given it status as a minor classic.
Jarvis's role was as a getaway driver, well-dressed and continually smoking. It was representative of his screen work during the 60s and 70s, which almost always centred on crime, whether he was cast as crook or copper. He was thin-faced and slim of build, with dark hair slicked down by Brylcreem,...
- 10/28/2010
- by Gavin Gaughan
- The Guardian - Film News
"Beat Girl" is the 1959 British indie film about late-fifties youth-rebellion, introducing actress Gillian Hills, who followed up with small roles in "Blowup" and "A Clockwork Orange.
The music was by a 7-piece jazz group led by composer John Barry.
Barry, who would later be revered for his "James Bond" soundtracks, was managing singer Adam Faith at the time. Barry's music for the film became the first movie soundtrack LP to be released in the UK.
"Beat Girl" was released in North America under the title "Wild for Kicks", featuring additional stripper scenes not in the British version, that was banned at the time, as well as additional music not on the soundtrack LP.
Thanks to SneakPeekTV, you can watch the entire "Beat Girl" feature below...
The music was by a 7-piece jazz group led by composer John Barry.
Barry, who would later be revered for his "James Bond" soundtracks, was managing singer Adam Faith at the time. Barry's music for the film became the first movie soundtrack LP to be released in the UK.
"Beat Girl" was released in North America under the title "Wild for Kicks", featuring additional stripper scenes not in the British version, that was banned at the time, as well as additional music not on the soundtrack LP.
Thanks to SneakPeekTV, you can watch the entire "Beat Girl" feature below...
- 12/14/2009
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Sylvia Anderson is well known as the pioneering producer who co-created many iconic sci-fi shows of the 60s and 70s.
These included the marionette puppet programmes Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons and Joe 90 and the live-action series UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999.
Sylvia, now 72, provided the voices for many of the characters, notably Thunderbirds super-agent Lady Penelope who was driven around in her six-wheeled, hi-tech, pink Rolls-Royce (registration FAB1) by a chauffeur called Parker.
Sylvia has now teamed up with composer and record producer David Courtney on a live show called My Fab Years to promote her new biography of the same name.
David Courtney will host the shows and talk to Sylvia about her life, aided by unique archive film footage of many of the classic TV shows she helped to create.
Courtney has worked with some of the music industry's legends such as Roger Daltrey, Sir Paul McCartney,...
These included the marionette puppet programmes Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons and Joe 90 and the live-action series UFO, The Protectors and Space:1999.
Sylvia, now 72, provided the voices for many of the characters, notably Thunderbirds super-agent Lady Penelope who was driven around in her six-wheeled, hi-tech, pink Rolls-Royce (registration FAB1) by a chauffeur called Parker.
Sylvia has now teamed up with composer and record producer David Courtney on a live show called My Fab Years to promote her new biography of the same name.
David Courtney will host the shows and talk to Sylvia about her life, aided by unique archive film footage of many of the classic TV shows she helped to create.
Courtney has worked with some of the music industry's legends such as Roger Daltrey, Sir Paul McCartney,...
- 12/3/2009
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
The terrific cult film Hell Drivers (1957) will be screened at New York's Film Forum this Friday, August 21 as part of the theater's Brit Noir series. The movie stars Stanley Baker, Patrick McGoohan, Peggy Cummings, Herbert Lom and future super spies Sean Connery and David McCallum. Cy Endfield directed. The movie is being shown on a double bill with John Guillerman's Never Let Go (1960) a crime drama with Richard Todd, Adam Faith and Peter Sellers in a dramatic role. For details click hereTo watch the Hell Drivers trailer click here...
- 8/17/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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