Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

Ronald Neame has enjoyed an unparalleled career in the film industry, beginning as an assistant cameraman in his native England in the 1920s, becoming a director of photography with such major motion pictures as Major Barbara, In Which We Serve, and Blithe Spirit, and later graduating to producer and director with Take My Life, The Golden Salamander, The Card, The Man Who Never Was, and some 20 other feature films. Barbara Roisman Cooper is a freelance writer specializing in celebrity profiles for various publications.

Now in Paperback! Straight from the Horse's Mouth provides a fascinating, first-hand account of a unique filmmaker, who began his career as assistant cameraman on Hitchcock's first talkie, Blackmail, and went on to direct Maggie Smith, Judy Garland, Walter Matthau, and many other prominent performers. The book includes tales of the on-and-off-the-set antics of comedian George Formby, and original accounts of his experiences working with Noel Coward and David Lean. This is not simply an autobiography, but rather a history of British cinema from the 1920s through the 1960s, and Hollywood cinema from the 1960s through the present.

Part 1 Foreword Part 2 Foreword Part 3 Introduction Chapter 4 1 Miss World Chapter 5 2 Blackmail Chapter 6 3 Beryl Chapter 7 4 The Elstree Fire Chapter 8 5 Quota Quickies Chapter 9 6 Major Barbara Chapter 10 7 Noel Coward Chapter 11 8 Cineguild Chapter 12 9 Hollywood Chapter 13 10 Expectations Chapter 14 11 The Academy Chapter 15 12 Take My Life Chapter 16 13 Passionate Friends Chapter 17 14 Crashing On Regardless Chapter 18 15 The Magic Box Chapter 19 16 The Card Chapter 20 17 The Million Pound Note Chapter 21 18 The Man Who Never Was Chapter 22 19 Windom's Way Chapter 23 20 Alec Guinness Chapter 24 21 Tunes of Glory Chapter 25 22 Judy Garland Chapter 26 23 Ron Pon Chapter 27 24 Mister Moses Chapter 28 25 Gambit Chapter 29 26 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Chapter 30 27 Scrooge Chapter 31 28 The Poseidon Adventure Chapter 32 29 Losses and Gains Chapter 33 30 Walter Matthau Chapter 34 31 Donna Part 35 Appendix A: The Films of Ronald Neame Part 36 Appendix B: Awards and Honors Part 37 Acknowledgments Part 38 Index