This article is published on 25 March 2023 to mark the 115th anniversary of David Lean’s birth. David Lean’s parents were Quakers: in Quaker belief, …
Charlton Heston: The Monumental Actor
No other Hollywood actor could portray biblical roles with such conviction as Charlton Heston: Heston’s role of Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956), directed by …
Ava Gardner: A Shop Window Discovery
Ava Gardner was the type of actress who could afford to not really act: it was enough for her to stand in front of the …
Kirk Douglas: A Hollywood Titan
He embodied the genre of the Western like hardly any other actor: whether in the role of Doc Holliday or a sheriff, Douglas mastered a …
Leonard Nimoy: Mind-melted with Spock
Although he became known largely through a single role, he is considered a character actor. He was trained, among others, by the acting teacher Jeff …
Christopher Lee: The Cultivated Killer (2.)
Continued from part one In the early fifties, Christopher Lee realised that he did not live up to the image of the typical British gentleman …
Christopher Lee: Too Tall for the Cinema (1.)
Throughout his life, he was regarded by the public as the actor of villains par excellence: Yet Christopher Lee’s repertoire of roles was much larger. …
Hildegard Knef: The Berlin Snout
Ella Fitzgerald once said she was the best singer who actually had no voice: Hildegard Knef is one of the most famous German actresses and …
Gloria Swanson: The Pictures Got Small
“If she were thirty-five instead of twenty-five, she could run for president. There is no one like her,” said Hollywood director Allan Dwan about Gloria …
Paul Newman: Hombre (2.)
Continued from part one After Hollywood had made him several offers, he decided to accept the film offer of The Silver Chalice (1954), in which …