Monthly Archives: February 2015

When Mr. Spock invited me on a day out

By Ray Bennett It was the familiar voice of Mr. Spock on the phone although Leonard Nimoy, who died today aged 83, at the time was soon to publish his defiant memoire, “I Am Not Spock”.

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Why vet and author James Herriot never got rich

By Ray Bennett The stories of veterinarean James Herriot, who wrote “All Creatures Great and Small” and died 20 years ago today aged 79, remain immensely popular and they attract many tourists to Yorkshire but they did not make him … Continue reading

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Director Robert Altman on building sandcastles

By Ray Bennett I love the movies of Robert Altman, who was born 90 years ago today and died on Nov. 20, 2006, because some are masterpieces and the ones that are not invariably have moments of wonderment and magic … Continue reading

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The time Jack Palance winked at me

By Ray Bennett Jack Palance, who was born on this day in 1919 and died on Nov. 10 2006, had one of the scariest physiognomies in movies but my favourite memory of him is of a wink.

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Why Jon Stewart should listen to Johnny Carson

By Ray Bennett Count me among those who will hate to see Jon Stewart walk away from “The Daily Show” and I wish he could have heard what Johnny Carson told me about his own temptations to quit “The Tonight … Continue reading

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My interview with rock star Gene Vincent did not go well

By Ray Bennett Rockabilly star Gene Vincent, who was born on this day 80 years ago and died on Oct. 12, 1971, had a huge influence on my musical tastes with ’50s tracks such as “Be-Bob-a-Lula” and “Right Here on … Continue reading

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The time I asked Robert Wagner about mortality

By Ray Bennett “What the hell kind of question is that?” It’s 1985 and I’m sitting with Robert Wagner, who turns 85 today, in his luxury trailer on the Warner Bros. lot where he was making the shortlived TV series … Continue reading

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Warrior Andy McNab loves a good story like ‘Mamma Mia’

By Ray Bennett Things you might know about Andy McNab: He was a highly decorated SAS soldier; he wrote the bestselling “Bravo Two Zero” about his time in combat in the Gulf War; and he writes action thrillers, the latest … Continue reading

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