chacun
Fire
Smells nice
And good afternoon. Thank you to your most enthusiastic response to our week so far. We've
had so many phone calls and some fascinating letters. And I know you enjoyed the chat with
Rabbi Brash yesterday and also the chat about the Hobbit on Wednesday. But today I promised
you to show you this and I'm just making sure I do so. This is the book about the man in
the iron mask I talked about yesterday. I'll tell you what it says in the back. It's a
story that brings together Napoleon, Cyrano de Bergerac, the three musketeers that unites
kings with conmen that espouses espionage, blackmail, kidnapping, poison and black magic.
Now at last Louis XIV's mysterious prisoner is unmasked. But have the pen and pencil or
paper, whatever, at the end so you can take down some facts about the man in the iron
mask. Today's film of course is Denver and the Rio Grande. And it's set in the 1870s,
a time of intense railroading in America. I mean let's face it, camels were used, horses
were used to get across country. A very slow process it was. But in the last century America
was being put together by the railroaders and some people had opposition to them and
there was rivalry between the railroads. These are wonderful pictures provided by my director
Ted Jobbins of the Denver and Rio Grande. Two beautiful shots. And what a wonderful
age, the age of steam trains. It was fantastic. Denver and Rio Grande has a basis in fact.
This shot here is of an incident that took place around about 1878, 1879, which is the
basis of at least the last third or the second half of the story and screenplay of Denver
and Rio Grande. I'm sure you'll like it and doesn't this look impressive? Some of the
shots are fantastic as the trains come together. You'll be very excited by that. Well the colour
cinematographer was Ray Renahan. The costumier was Edith Head. I think you'll enjoy Frank
Grubb's screenplay. He knows a lot about the subject and so did Nathalt the producer because
he's a railroad and train or he was a railroad and train enthusiast and he used more than
60 pieces of rolling stock going back to the 1920s. The main location, forgive me for reading
it out but I want to get it right, the main location was the 47 mile narrow gauge Durango
to Silverton branch line near Durango, Colorado. A route that includes the Rio de los Animas
to La Perdita, the river of Los Souls, also known as the Animas River. The locations are
great. I'm sure you'll enjoy the cast. There's some lovely people in this movie. It's very
diverting and you'll even learn a bit at the same time. And now Denver and Rio Grande.
What an entertaining movie. I certainly hope you've enjoyed Denver and Rio Grande. Some
people think that we just put films on to use them up. No we don't. We don't put them
on to fill in time between the commercial breaks. Each film is carefully chosen for
your entertainment on the afternoon movie program and so are the guests who come in
to see us and the books that I recommend. I've got some very interesting recommendations
to make to you in a few minutes time so don't go away and have the pen and pencil and paper
ready in case you want to note down a few names. Well the book I've told you about and
I must show it to you. The Man in the Iron Mask. Have you seen the film that I've presented
on network 10 with Louis Hayward, Joan Bennet? It's outstanding. You must see that sometime.
The Man in the Iron Mask is a book by Harry Thompson. It's authentic, it's thoroughly
well researched and it's fascinating reading. Now the publisher's name I'm going to have
put on the screen for you right now. It's Widenfeld and Nicholson. Widenfeld and Nicholson.
It's good to note that down because if you go to a book shop and say who the publisher
is then they can consult their book lists or catalogue and find out if the book is available.
Now it's just been published in Australia and I recommend this. You know it's like when
I was talking to Rabbi Brash the other day. The thing is now this is not trivia. These
are details. I'm talking history now and to present the Man in the Iron Mask I love to
delve into the truth. Next time I present it could be more interesting than the time
before. The more we learn the more we enjoy and that's the basis of my love of motion
pictures and all the arts in general. Widenfeld and Nicholson have published many great biographies.
This one I think is fascinating. I've always admired greatly Lena Horne. She's a very
beautiful woman and she was a black actress working in movies when black actresses for
the most part were playing maids and cooks. Well Lena Horne did much to help change that
and this is a fascinating biography of the Horne family written by Gail Lumet Buckley.
The Lumet suggests and you're right relationship with Sydney Lumet the director. There is the
girl herself. Now she is evidently the granddaughter of Lena Horne. The Horne family has roots
going long into the past. The illustrations are good and I think the cover is absolutely
fabulous. Once again this is a book I'll put it on the screen again the name of the publisher
a book published by Widenfeld and Nicholson. Remember that name because they're great with
biographies. And now before we have a little break another book from the same publisher
which I'm sure will interest anyone who's interested in thrillers. You know about Mike
and Bernie Winters don't you? You remember watching them on television a great deal?
This is the second novel by Mike Winters. The first Miami One Way. Yes it's based in
America now and here's a thriller Razor Sharp. Love the title strictly adults only of course.
A novel Razor Sharp by Mike Winters famous as part of Mike and Bernie Winters. I shall
be back to have a few more words in just a moment. Well I certainly hope you've enjoyed
our program today but I've got just about half a minute. A lot of people have shown interest
in the Australian large print series and here are two of special interest to all of us.
Jack Bennett's Gallipoli and the Fringe Dwellers by Nanny Garay or Gay. I'm not quite sure
how to pronounce her name but the book is excellent. Don't you love the cover of Gallipoli
particularly? And just comparing these with the size of me you can see the print is very
big and quite outstanding. What a present for someone with failing eyesight or someone
who needs very powerful glasses. Wonderful present to give someone in a nursing home
or relatively elderly. I think that's great don't you? The Australian large print series.
They should be very readily available. Try the newsagents as well as the bookstores.
It's time to go. Have a lovely weekend. I hope some of you will join me if you can next
week for our afternoon movies, a few surprises and good entertainment every day. Thank you
so much for your enthusiastic support and have a lovely weekend. Good afternoon.