Clips from a Life
£5.75
READS FAMILIAR WITH CHARM AND HUMOUR - Denis Norden may be best known these days as the genial host of It ll Be Alright On The Night, which was regarded as an annual highlight on ITV for so many years, but his career has been long and distinguished. I always associate him with Looks Familiar, but others will recognise him as one of the writers of the classic BBC 1950s radio show Take It From Here and other entertaining programmes.This is a delightful book which charmingly ambles through the past seventy years. Variety, the golden age of radio and early television are all recalled in this beautifully written book. Unlike the myriad of celebrity autobiographies being published at the same time, this one is the work of a man who has made a living out of writing as well as presenting and contributing to radio and television programmes. It shows in the prose!His private life remains private, but his professional life is recalled in clips, grouped together under subjects such as Mostly Radio Frank and Censorship and Mostly World War Two. Another reviewer complains about the lengthy glossary and index. I disagree. When I first viewed the glossary my first reaction was I know most of this. However on second thought I realised that many people reading this book will not know anything about many of the great artists, actors and musicians recalled by Norden. I think this is a useful feature as how many of you reading this review know who Teddy Joyce was, or which evergreen songs Eric Maschwitz wrote? It is a sad reflection on today s society that our rich cultural past is being almost completely forgotten. This book brings some of it to life...
Great Book, Terrible Ending... - I love DN, and have bought and enjoyed everything he has written in the last few decades. This book is wonderful, and gives a fantastic insight into the world of cinema, theatre, and television, all told in his own inimitable style.Even the style of presentation, a series of short anecdotes at random, is engaging.However, finding the last 80 pages (I kid you not - 80!) were given over to a glossary was a huge disappointment - totally unnecessary and I felt it was just padding. I wonder did his editors decide to hold off on the other 35 million funny stories DN has collected in the last 40 years and set their sights on volumes 2, 3, & 4....? ( Cue sound of ringing tills)A great book, but not as long as you might think.
Anne Gilbert - Clips from a LifeWhat a wonderful book! I always loved It ll be alright on the night , and reading this book I can see Denis Norden as if he s standing there with his clip board talking to me, in that laid back manner with all those subtle jokes and innuendoes. A fascinating insight into the old music hall/ theatre/ cinema days. A great book to be absorbed into and then laugh out loud.... I would recommend it to everyone . A fascinating and good humoured read.