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The Fool's Pardon Kenneth Griffith

The Fool's Pardon By Kenneth Griffith

The Fool's Pardon by Kenneth Griffith


$38.99
Condition - Very Good
5 in stock

Summary

An autobiography of the actor director Kenneth Griffith. It chronicles a childhood in Wales, war service and an acting career that began with Tyrone Guthrie at the Old Vic. It also looks at his work as a director of documentary dramas, two of which were banned by the BBC in the early 1970s.

The Fool's Pardon Summary

The Fool's Pardon: The Autobiography of Kenneth Griffith by Kenneth Griffith

A self-confessed non-conformist puritan, Kenneth Griffith's life and work as actor, writer and film-maker are testaments to the essential ambivalence of a complex and colourful character. His inherent anti-establishment mischievousness is coupled with a social idealism which has often brought him into conflict with the Great and the Good - and also won him a large number of devoted friends and colleagues. A leading light in the heyday of British film and theatre, Griffith went on to forge another career in the field of documentary film-making, maintaining an often uneasy relationship with the television industry and producing a range of acclaimed work on subjects as diverse as Cecil Rhodes, the Irish Republican Michael Collins, Napoleon, and the tragic story of Roger Casement. He reflects on his quasi-Victorian upbringing in Wales, where he was marked as an outsider from an early age; his unexpected admission to the local grammar school where he first realised his talent for acting; his eventful if undistinguished career in the RAF during the war years; his eventual establishment as a major player in the West End theatre world, fulfulling his talent among peers such as Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and Joan Plowright; and of course, the hundred-plus films, among them The Wild Geese and I'm All Right, Jack. Apart from being a life history, this book is also an insight into the motivation, or perhaps philosophy, of Kenneth Griffith. His often controversial political beliefs are presented with conviction and sincerity, making use of his extensive knowledge of, and long held interest in, the history and people of South Africa to argue the case for apartheid, for example. His unashamed support for the Irish Republican cause is also examined, and he comments on topics such as censorship (his two Irish films, both banned before release, have only recently been made available), British imperialism, the nature of acting, and the dangers of trade unionism.

Additional information

GOR002717107
9780316908931
0316908932
The Fool's Pardon: The Autobiography of Kenneth Griffith by Kenneth Griffith
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Little, Brown & Company
19940101
420
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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