Halliwell's Horizon: Leslie Halliwell and his Film Guides
Michael Binder
Language: English
Pages: 306
ISBN: B005CYFWKW
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The first full biography of the film encyclopaedist and television impresario Leslie Halliwell, who in 1965 compiled The Filmgoer's Companion, the first one-volume reference book devoted to all aspects of the cinema.
In his capacity as chief buyer for the ITV network, Halliwell was further responsible for bringing to British television screens some of the most popular films and shows of the 1970s and 80s, including The Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie’s Angels, The Winds of War, Jaws, Star Wars and the James Bond movies. His promotion of the cinema through his books and seasons of ‘golden oldies’ on Channel 4 won him awards from the London Film Critics’ Circle and the British Film Institute, as well as a posthumous BAFTA.
Film historian Jeffrey Richards said of 'Halliwell's Horizon', "I enjoyed it enormously. It combines exhaustive research with critical insight and affectionate regard, bringing Halliwell and his work to vivid life."
'Times' drama critic Irving Wardle said, "The combination of deep interest and thorough research has produced a fascinating story ... beautifully written."
TV critic Philip Purser wrote, "I am lost in admiration. It really is a very good account of his life and work."
Michael Binder is also the author of A LIGHT AFFLICTION: a History of Film Preservation and Restoration. Available now on Amazon.
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channels in the future?” for the simple reason that he did not have an answer. “Twenty years ago I bought a hundred films at a time,” he said, “all suitable for family viewing. Now we can’t buy a hundred a year between us and the BBC.” As for the new shows he commented, “I was in a screening room recently in Los Angeles and I just couldn’t believe the garbage I was hearing.” Everything was starting to look familiar, causing him to remark, “Most of what I see … leads me to believe that I’ve seen
school-type attitudes; complained that the book contained “not a single fresh thought or observation,” and summed it up as “toffee-nosed tosh”! Astonishing that something as apparently innocuous as an encyclopaedia should provoke such hostile reactions. Purser called it a “lunatic and despicable review,” and recalled Halliwell being just as furious about it as he was. I hope I have been able to convey the delight with which I am filled at each repeated viewing of this elegant bric-a-brac from
versions. The Hammer films were dealt with respectfully but Halliwell was quite prepared to poke a little fun: “Black Park, near Pinewood … rapidly became hilariously recognisable whenever Dracula’s funereal carriage was driven back and forth along the foreshore, which was roughly twice per film.” Also enjoyable is his increasing bemusement with the strains placed upon the audience’s credulity by the creators of the Mummy series. “The Mummy’s Curse has too great a lapse of the logic required even
Magistrate, Mr. J. F. Ablett, said the case was “very, very serious indeed” and promptly fined George £30. Halliwell went against convention by not setting down a clearly defined statement of policy in his opening editorial for Varsity, “for the editor has no clearly defined policy, and, if he had, would consider eight weeks an impracticably short time in which to demonstrate it.” He pointed out that people were not slow to voice their criticisms of anything and everything that bothered them
Kane’s character, to the scant and unsatisfying mentions of his mother, to gaping lacunae in his biography…” In terms of its reception at the Rex, however, the evening attendance was good, “Friday showed a fall-off, and on Saturday we broke the house record.” In 1975, Orson Welles received a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute, and accepted it “in the name of all the mavericks.” The term ‘maverick director’ surely dates from this moment, and would be applied to nearly all
