Alastair Sim

Alastair Sim was an enigmatic character both on and off the screen. His idiosyncratic style of acting in films such as The Belles of St Trinian's endeared him to a cinema-going audience desperate to escape the day-to-day dreariness of an invasive, bureaucratic post-war Britain. In private, he was a curiously contradictory character, prejudiced and yet tolerant, thoughtful but sometimes inconsiderate. To examine the life of this extraordinary man, this biography contains original contributions from around thirty actors and actresses, including Sir Ian McKellen and Ronnie Corbett. It is supported by extensive research, including interviews with the playwright Christopher Fry, the television producer John Howard Davies and actors who appeared on stage with Alastair as far back as the 1940s. This book also explores Alastair's life outside of films, including his marriage to Naomi Sim (whom he first met when she was twelve), his career as an elocution teacher, his extensive work on stage (including his theatrical endeavours with James Bridie), his championship of youth and his stalwart refusal to sign autographs. Alastair Sim offers a rare and fascinating insight into the life of one of Britain's most respected and best-loved actors.

An autobiographical account by Naomi Sim starting with her childhood spent with her sister and mother, living with her aunts in Edinburgh (and periodically in Bedford) and the summer holidays spent in the country, helping on the local farm.;She describes her first meeting with her husband Alastair, falling in love with him at the age of 12, and follows their years together during and after the war covering her role as his closest adviser: vetting scripts, working through his lines with him and sparking new ideas. She recounts her difficult pregnancy when their daughter Merlith was born and tells of the other - unofficial - children of the family, including the young actor George Cole.

A brooding, Victorian murder mystery set in the Scottish Highlands and featuring Inspector Allerdyce and Sergeant McGillivray Scotland's richest man has been shot dead and dumped down a well. Was the Duke of Dornoch murdered by one of the miners whose wages he cut because of "market forces"? Was he killed in return for his part in clearing the Highlands of their people? Did a discarded lover take their final revenge? Inspector Allerdyce and Sergeant McGillivray VC must find out before the killer strikes again. But their search, from the material heights of Victorian society to its moral dregs, threatens to overturn everything Allerdyce believes and loves. In the tradition of Charles Finch and The Somnambulist, Alastair Sim has crafted a memorable, atmospheric novel that covers new ground in the world of Victorian mysteries.

Alastair sim was an energetic character both on and off the screen. His idiosyncratic style of acting in films such as 'The Belles of St Trinian's' endeared him to a cinema-going audience desperate to escape the day-to-day dreariness of an invasive, bureaucratic post-war Britain. In private, he was a curiously contradictory character, prejudiced and yet tolerant, thoughtful but sometimes inconsiderate. to examine the life of this extraordinary man, this biography contains original contributions from around thirty actors and actresses, including Sir Ian McKellen and Ronnie Corbett. It is supported by extensive research, including interviews with the playright Christopher Fry, the television producer John Howard Davies and actors who appeared on stage with Alastair as far back as the 1940s. This book also explore Alastair's life outside of films, including his marriage to Naomi Sim (whom he first met when she was twelve), his career as an elocution teacher, his extensive work on stage (including his theatrical endeavours with James Bridie), his championship of youth and his stalwart refusal to sign autographs.

Examines Alastair's roles in the Quota Quickie films of the 1930s/40s before he became established as the most idiosyncratic star of screen. This biography also explores his life outside of films. It contains contributions from over 30 actors/actresses including Sir Ian McKellen, Ronnie Corbett, Ian Carmichael.

'A sensational saga' Mail on Sunday 'A cracking read' Lynn Barber, Observer 'Engrossing from beginning to end' Vogue 'Fascinating, the way all great family stories are fascinating' New York Times Book Review Even if the six daughters, born between 1904 and 1920, of the charming, eccentric David, Lord Redesdale and his wife Sydney had been quite ordinary women, the span of their lives - encompassing the most traumatic century in Britain's history - and the status to which they were born, would have made their story a fascinating one. But Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Decca and Debo, 'the mad, mad Mitfords', were far from ordinary.

Internet Movie Database entry for actor Alastair Sim.

Sinclair Wallace was about to find out who he really was, even if he didn't want to know. Thrust brutally out of his comfort zone at work, he's been made to manage public relations for a banker caught with his pants down and a crazed scientist who wants to clone Jesus. His girlfriend thinks he's associated with a secret network that's getting away with murder, and an old schoolfriend, Hugh McIsaac, reappears to tell him the Scots are the Lost Tribe of Israel. How can Sinclair escape from all this madness? And why do all roads lead to Rosslyn Chapel? If you enjoyed Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or Ian Rankin's Rebus thrillers you'll love Rosslyn Blood.

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