There’s a tendancy, when eulogising the recently deceased, to recall only that which portrays them in a favourable light, and to downplay the less commendable facets of their personality or career. In the case of Bob Shaw, however, no such well-intentioned distortion is necessary; he was, quite simply, one of the nicest people whose company I have ever had the good fortune to share. Read More »Archive: In memoriam — Bob Shaw [1931-1996]
It’s not only the future which remains an uncharted continent: the past is just as capable of sneaking around and biting you on the butt. Read More »Archive: Roofworld
To North Yorkshire, for Ann’s and my annual escape from Civilization As Others Know It. Whilst the sheer weight of English history often pins this country’s social and political evolution to the ground, Read More »Archive: Fannish Memory Syndrome — North Yorkshire
It’s little wonder many in Hollywood dismissed Victor Mature as a block of brainless beefcake when he landed at Hal Roach’s Culver City studio complex in the summer of 1939 – after all, one of the primary practitioners of anti-Mature humour was Victor himself. Read More »Archive: Victor Mature — Hollywood’s Court Jester, But Nobody’s Fool
Few showbusiness celebrities presented a sharper contrast between their public image and personal life than Will Hay. Read More »Archive: Will Hay, the Star-Gazing Star of Stage and Screen
The spring of 1965 found Tony Hancock attempting to relax at the lavish Beverly Wiltshire Hotel, located in an historic suburb of Los Angeles southwest of the Hollywood Hills. He was staying there as the guest of Walt Disney Productions, Read More »Archive: Tony Hancock, Haunted Genius
The advent of talking pictures saw a steady stream of theatrically-trained British actors quitting these shores for the warmer climes and potentially more lucrative prospects offered in California, Read More »Archive: Tod Slaughter, Newcastle’s Forgotten Horror Star