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WHAT'S NEW?
June 2013 updates
Letter from "George": 90 Degrees in the Shade on DVD
February 2011 updates
Letter from Antoinette Moat: "Gypsy Prince"
February 2010 updates
Link: The Zulu Film Store
December 2009 updates
Reviews from The Stage Archive
Gavin Gaughan has discovered the motherlode of old reviews in The Stage and has been kind enough
to share them with us. Here they are, with Gavan's comments.
Two Gentlemen of Verona [Gavan's comment: Interesting to see that Ian Hendry, who I've always thought of as being in the same under-rated cateory as Booth, was busy at the same time.]
Much Ado About Nothing [Gavan's comment: From the Old Vic season in the mid-50's; previous articles listed him as 'David Booth']
Antony and Cleopatra [Gavan's comment: Intrigued that his credit is just by that of Bernard Behrens, later in much American TV, and who I always thought was Canadian.]
Celestina [Gavan's comment: I knew Joan Littlewood had trained to be an actress, but not that she appeared in her own productions.]
In The Nick, initial announcement
Fings, casting change [Gavan's comment: MK was then married to Honor Blackman]
The Ruffians, blurb [Gavan's comment: Some fascinating casts in TV dramas then.]
His Work: Theatre, Film, and TV: all the above reviews have been added
Letter from Gary Roberts: "His magic is still there!"
March 2009 updates
Letter from Steve Turner: "Adam's Woman - An Australian Viewpoint"
(he picture is a publicity headshot from In the Doghouse.)
December 2008 updates
Letter from Kevin Workman: "He stole the film"
Link: Fabulous review of Pray for Death!
Link: Pte. Hook's reputation now restored!
Link: Review of Ninety Degrees in the Shade in New York Times
Link: Review of Keeping Mum at The Movie Pages
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?
res=9905E1D91338E43BBC4E52DFB767838D679EDE&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Link: "Find-A-Grave" website doesn't find James's grave, but does give a nice bio, mostly cribbed uncredited from yours truly. Read and compare:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11532826
September 2008 updates
Original oil painting of Hookie by Craig Rice
August 2008 updates
Link: Stanley Baker tribute site
July 2008 updates
Review: The Pub Landlord's Book of British Common Sense
Revenge reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
Contacts: new photo of your webmistress
June 2008 updates
Bliss of Mrs. Blossom sheet music
to song "I think I'm beginning to Fall in Love"
Sparrows Can't Sing publicity photo
(James Booth and Barbara Windsor on hillside)
Eight new titles added to His Work: Screenwriting
(The Adventures of Nut and Bolt, Charcoal, The Beckoning,
Indian Joe, Did I Hear a Jazz Band Cry?, The Man With the Power,
The Adventures of Hercules Bolt, Opium)
Penny Gold reviewed in Films Illustrated
April 2008 updates
Letter from Paul Sutton: "At least Jimmy Booth has balls."
Letter from Matthew Booth: French Dressing
Theater Programme: Noye's Fludde (also added to His Work)
March 2008 updates
Revenge publicity photo (living room)
Correction: James Booth never appeared in Rattle of a Simple Man!
Link: Monty Python's First Zulu War on Youtube
Link: Zulu voted best war film by British troops
February 2008 updates
Letter from Tim Wood: Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man added to His Work: Theater
Herne Bay Press covers filming of French Dressing
Robbery: new photo (Clinton Greyn and James Booth)
January 2008 updates
Happy New Year splash page
December 2007 updates
Charles Lee comments on Twang!!: "Spectacularly awful!"
This "Special Collectors Edition" improves on the previous version with roughly 18 minutes of new footage, including an interview with composer John Barry and an interview with Sheldon Hall that features some behind-the-scenes footage never seen before.
Link: Homevideos.com reviews Zulu
Link: Stanley Baker tribute website
October 2007 updates
Rebecca Hine added to Special Thanks section
Review of Adams Woman in Monthly Film Bulletin
Ciné Monde: Photospread about French Dressing in French!
Link: Hilarious Zulu parody on YouTube
This advertisement for Silk Cut tobacco can be seen at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Kc5QQ6Pv8
(If the link doesn't work, go to www.youtube.com and enter "Silk Cut commercial" into the
Search box. The Zulu parody should be the
first option in the resulting list.)
September 2007 updates
Robbery: photo (James Booth and Joanna Pettet)
In the Doghouse: Campaign Book
Obituary of James Booth's maternal grandmother
Obituary of James Booth's maternal grandfather
August 2007 updates
Obituary of James Booth's mother
Obituary of James Booth's father
Bio: info about Booth's parents added
Link: Film book Past and Present discusses Zulu
Chapter 9, "Men of Harlech," is all about the film and includes some nice discussions of Hookie!
Link: Homoeroticism in Zulu in Cinema Retro online
July 2007 updates
Radio Times article on French Dressing
Radio Times blurb about French Dressing
Kine Weekly: French Dressing on cover
Kine Weekly centerspread on Zulu
Question-of-the-Month: Good-bye!
May 2007 updates
James's middle name unveiled
Link: BFI discovers James's middle initial
Letter from Matthew Booth: "Dad's middle name"
Iwan Williams comments on Bergerac/All the Sad Songs
Youth Wave added to His Work/TV and Want List
The Confederacy of the Wives added to His Work/TV and Want List
Steam, Sanctity and Song added to His Work/TV and Want List
Request Steam, Sanctity and Song
Fräulein Doktor reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
Question-of-the-month: Booth vs. Caine
Results of April survey; also, March results updated
French Dressing poster ("Oui oui")
Link: Sparrows Can't Sing available from BFI
Link: Sparrows Can't Sing described in film festival article
Link: Hotline synopsis and preview
Link: An appreciative mention of Zulu/Hook
Links: Check out the BFI's database on:
April 2007 updates
Letter from Paul Robson: "Jazzboat"
Letter from Matthew Booth: "Sports teams"
Desire Under the Elms reviewed in The Independent
Theater Programme: Travesties at Albery Theatre
Question-of-the-Month: Sex Poll!
Results of last month's survey
March 2007 updates
Question-of-the-Month: Which was James's hottest look?
New Section: Question-of-the-Month archive (with results of last month's survey)
The Man Who Had Power Over Women reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
(also added to His Work/Film)
Fräulein Doktor: What the critics thought
Theater programme: Desire Under the Elms
(also added to His Work/Theater)
I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight: New photo
Penny Gold reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
Royal Shakespeare Company program folio
February 2007 updates
Letter from Tony French: "The best we never had"
New Section: Question-of-the-Month
Rentadick reviewed in Films Illustrated
Rentadick featured in Films Illustrated
Darker than Amber reviewed in Monthly Film Bulletin
Bliss of Mrs. Blossom in Films and Filming
Pray for Death: three publicity stills
French Dressing: one new publicity still (with Kinnear dressed as caveman)
Zulu mentioned in Photoplay, January 1964
Spelling correction. Not Hooky; Hookie. So says the Final Shooting Script, and it would know.
Link: Zulu wins sixth place for "most memorable scene"
His Work/TV: Link to BFI synopsis of The Iron Harp
January 2007 updates
James Booth as Ambrose Tuttle, in disguise, with party hat and noisemaker (from The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom)
ABC Film Annual 1964:
"Expressively yours James Booth"
French Dressing: bikini poster
In the Doghouse: publicity flier
Fräulein Doktor: umlauts added, finally!
December 2006 updates
Christmas splash page: Shirley MacLaine and James Booth in The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
Almost Strangers: a Christmas-related excerpt from one of James's own original screenplays
Special Thanks: lots of new names, long-overdue. Sincere gratitude to all!
Robbery: article in ABC Film Review
The Fire Raisers: review in Theatre Arts
At Home...with the Blossoms, ABC Film Review, 11/67 (excerpt)
The Hellions: one new publicity photo added
Link: Can you identify these locations from Sparrows Can't Sing?
November 2006 updates
Today, 5/23/64: "One Girl Makes 4 Dreams for Jimmy Booth"
Review of Twang!! in Plays and Players
Article about Percy's Progress in Film Review
Gallery: Six more photos have been added, for a current total of 131 images.
Link: Sheldon Hall's Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It reviewed by Christopher Sharrett
Link: Information on Keeping Mum
Exclusive Email Interview: redundant question 68 has been eliminated and James's answer to it is now appended to his answer to 67.
October 2006 updates
Gallery: Eighteen photos have been added, for a current total of 125.
Photoplay, 11/61: Ken Ferguson predicts James Booth will be a star
Letter from Phillip Fergason: "Mountain Dew...rained down on James."
Derek Smith comments on James Booth
Bio: miscellaneous additions and edits (last sentence now describes final resting place)
Review of Keeping Mum in Daily Mail, 12/2/2005
Atlanta Journal/Constitution: "Catch Some Rising Stars"
Daily Post quote added to home page
The Cowboy and the Ballerina: NY Times review
Link: Pauline Kael's review of Zorro, the Gay Blade
Link: Review of Travesties in Time, 11/10/75 ("Dance of Words")
Link: Zulu shows in London theater, with thoughts by Richard Hawley
(The political interpretation Hawley proposes is not endorsed by this website.)
His Work: Theater section now includes some info on Sus
September 2006 updates
Press release for revival of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
Gallery: This new section consists entirely of photos of James! There are 107 photos so far, and more will be added in the future. Click on a thumbnail to see a bigger image and read the accompanying caption.
Bio: "Childhood" section now includes information about James's sister
Review of Airport '77 from Monthly Film Bulletin, May 1977
Review of The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom from Monthly Film Bulletin, January 1969
August 2006 Updates
Photoplay, January 1964: French Dressing still of James on cement camel
Bio from Illustrated Who's Who of the Cinema
Review of Brannigan in Monthly Film Bulletin, July 1975
Iwan Williams comments on Keeping Mum
ABC Film Review, 8/65: "Look what the tide's washed in!"
Letter from John Grimsey: Minder
Stanley Baker website closed: Link has been dropped from Zulu and Links sections. (Too bad. The site will be missed.--db)
July 2006 Updates
Publicity materials for Revenge
Publicity materials for Rentadick
Portrait from Second Faces by Laon Maybanke
Review of Jazzboat in Picture Show and TV Mirror
Zulu wins third place among best war films
Quinlan's bio of James (also added to Bibliography)
June 2006 Updates
George Abagnalo comments on Ninety Degrees in the Shade
Photoplay, June 1964: "Eyes and Ears"
Review, In Character: Actors Acting
Letter from Howard Schatz: "Smart, quick, and wonderful"
Zulu: synopsis from ABC Film Review, p. 18
(The article about Zulu that this synopsis belongs to, from ABC Film Review, has been on this site for ages, but this particular page of the article was missing until now. It has also been added to the already-existing article from ABC Film Review.)
Review of Rentadick from Monthly Film Bulletin, July 1972
Three photos, Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (courtroom, ruff, Chinese)
Photo, Man Who Had Power Over Women (drinks)
Special thanks to Richard Haylor and George Abagnalo
May 2006 Updates
Publicity Materials from Macho Callahan pressbook
Theater programme, The Comedy of Errors
Bio from Who's Who in the Theatre, 1981
Review of That'll Be The Day from Monthly Film Bulletin, May, 1973
Plays and Players: Most Promising Playwright for Big Soft Nellie
Three photos, Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (bathtub, mad scientist, confetti)
Poster, photo, Sparrows Can't Sing
April 2006 Updates
Article on The Great Gold Bullion Robbery in TV Times, 12/25/60
Letter from Iwan Williams: Lovejoy and Eastenders
Letter from Gavin Gaughan: "That's James Booth!"
Review of The Fire Raisers: Plays and Players, February, 1962
Photo from Box and Cox: Plays and Players, February, 1962
Review of In the Nick in Monthly Film Bulletin, August, 1960
Comments on Nil Carborundum excerpted from Parables in Farce
Comments on Big Soft Nellie excerpted from Parables in Farce
His Work, TV: Late Night Line-Up, Omnibus, and Great Gold Bullion Robbery
New link: Rorke's Drift playsets by Conte
New link:
http://www.genealogyworld.net/azwar/hook.html
(a nice statement about James Booth and the ceremony at Hook's grave)
March 2006 Updates
Forthcoming book with section about James!
Interview, Today, 8/5/61: "Some remarkable thoughts from General Booth's Grandson"
Letter from Mark Hedley: "Gutted"
Letter from Jonathan Reypert: "Good memories"
King Lear: Photo essay, Theatre World, 1/63 (nice big photo of James on last page)
The Hellions: two new publicity stills
The Man Who Had Power Over Women: publicity materials from pressbook
Homepage, new quotation: "The greatest comedian since Sid Field."--Noel Coward
New link: www.britishbattles.com--great section on Battle of Rorke's Drift
Want List updated yet again: I'm looking for the BAFTA awards ceremony, 2/19/06
February 2006 Updates
Keith Howes comments on Keeping Mum
Theater programme: Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be: Plays and Players, March, 1960
Theater programme: The Caretaker
Poster, I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight: includes small photo of James (see bottom of page)
New link: www.cinemaretro.com--a cool site about movies and stars from the sixties and seventies.
New link: Sir Stanley Baker website--a fan site about the star and producer of Zulu, created by a huge fan of Hookie
January 2006 Updates
Daily Cinema: Pictures from Zulu premier
Publicity materials from Zulu pressbook
Publicity materials from from The Hellions pressbook
Keith Howes comments on The Hellions
Letter from Bill Owen: "A lovely personality"
December 2005 Updates
Exclusive email interview with James Booth!
Review: Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It
Keeping Mum: Trailer can be viewed at official site. James is the dog-owner who silently shuts the door on Kristin Scott-Thomas.
November 2005 Updates
Two new old movies with James Booth!
The Narrowing Circle and The Girl in the Picture are Booth's earliest movies so far. Has anybody seen them?
Letter from Karl Hegman: Spidey producer a Zulu fan?
Nil Carborundum: Encore May/June 1962
Theater programme: A Christmas Carol
Review: Jennifer: A Woman's Story
Bio (his eyes were brown, not blue-grey!)
October 2005 Updates
Making-of-Zulu book by Sheldon Hall
The long-awaited, one-and-only, must-have book for every lover of the movie Zulu is now available from the publishers.
The Vessel of Wrath: Radio Times, 4/16/70
The Ruffians: Radio Times, 10/6/60
Obituary, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
September 2005 Updates
Sheldon Hall's speech at Hook memorial service
The Hostage, Plays and Players, 8/59
Man of Destiny, Plays and Players, 6/58
A Christmas Carol: Plays and Players, 2/59
Celestina: Plays and Players, 4/58
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be: Plays and Players, 3/60
Letter from Keith Howes, 8/18/ 05: A 'broth of a boy'
Letter from Gareth Lewis, 8/14/2005: "He will be missed by many."
Obituary, Herald
Obituary, Telegraph
August 2005 updates
Obituary, The Independent
Obituary, Sunday Mirror
Making-of_Zulu film found in garage!
Picture of JB and his wife (see end of Bio)
French Dressing: four new b/w stills (see Appendices)
Darker than Amber, Photoplay Film Monthly, 7/70
July 2005 updates
Zulu Review, Illustrated London News, 2/1/64
Interview: "The only real Irishman is a man with an English mother"
The Dutch Courtesan: Plays and Players, 6/59
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be: Plays and Players, 2/67
Letter from Diana Blackwell (your webmistress): "London and Sheldon Hall"
May 2005 updates
Truth About Twang!!: Plays and Players, April and May, 1966
April 2005 updates
Ninety Degrees in the Shade: Films and Filming, 4/65
Robbery: Films and Filming, 11/67
Sparrows Can't Sing: Films and Filming, 3/63 (photo spread, short article)
Sparrows Can't Sing: Films & Filming, V. 9, N. 6, Mar. 63, 32-33 (Gow review)
http://www.classiccafes.co.uk/sparrows_special.htm.
A site that borrows heavily from Sparrows page on James Booth: A Tribute Website.
March 2005 updates
Mini-article about Evening In Byzantium, TV Times
Interview, Picture Show and TV Mirror
News Flash: JB cast in forthcoming film!
Interview, Daily Mirror: The Crooked Finger of Fame Beckons
(Photo just added!)
February 2005 updates
Review of The Hostage in Plays and Players
December 2004 updates
Letter from Nigel Steggall: "The girls got a bit giggly"
November 2004 updates
Letter from Glynne Davies: "Redcoats and Zulu weekend"
August 2004 updates
Adam's Woman article in Movie News, 3/70
Exclusive photos just added to Terry Boniface's letter!
Letter from Terry Bonfiace: "The icing on the cake"
Review of Fraulein Doktor from Films in Review
Russell Ragar is now my husband. We were married 5/28/04 in Paris.
Adam's Woman:
http://llwyd.tripod.com/unwilling/adam.htm
(Pictures of "Bess" (Jane Merrow) with shaved head)
July 2004 updates
Amateur fiction: a modern-day American's fantasy of becoming a 19th century Zulu warrior http://www.mindspring.com/~saverett/zulu.htm
Photo of Zulu skit, Bruce Formby bio
Not the photo itself, but info on the book where you can find it
A Thousand Clowns review, Theatre World, 7/64
With Some Guts Behind It: The Making of Zulu by Sheldon Hall, forthcoming from Tomahawk Media Enterprises, Ltd.
June 2004 updates
http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/poems/lpghero.htmA poem and bio about the real Pte. Henry Hook
http://www.book.co.nz/keegie.htm
Persistent Vegetative State by Alex Keegan
More amateur fiction! This short story, dealing with reincarnation, lapses into Zulu pastiche, with references to Hook as he was portrayed in
Zulu.
May 2004 updates
Fings look up for the crafty Cockney
James Booth's new beginning--when he put down a pint and picked up a pen
Why haven't I been on the box for three years? No one asked me.
March 2004 updates
Ken Ferguson interviews James Booth on the set of Zulu.
Bliss of Mrs. Blossom: new photo
James Booth: actor who turned rewrite man
Evening Standard: There's Something Odd About Robin Hood
Hello Magazine: Mike Nicholls interviews James Booth about Twin Peaks
February 2004 updates
Radio Times, 1/9/64 article about television play Stray Cats and Empty Bottles
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/walesonair/database/stanley.shtml
Stanley Baker page with videotaped interview clips. Hear Sir Stanley himself talk about finding the backing to make Zulu!
http://www.brianwaldiss.com/reading/Movies/movies1.htm
Noted science fiction writer Brian W. Aldiss talks to Zulu's director, Cy Endfield.
January 2004 updates
Zulu review, The New Yorker, 7/18/64
Zulu review, Newsweek, 7/13/64
December 2003 updates
Sparrows Can't Sing review New photo. Also article from ABC Film Review.
http://www.frenchdressing-tribute.cjb.net. "The Unofficial Tribute To Ken Russell's French Dressing". Nick Sinclair celebrates this film for its images of Herne Bay as it was almost half a century ago.
November 2003 Updates
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jbutler.htm Link to site about Lady Butler (aka Elizabeth Thompson), an amazing woman artist whose painting The Defence of Rorke's Drift was praised by Ruskin.
Sparrows Can't Sing article in ABC Film Review
Sparrows Can't Sing review in The New Yorker
Sparrows Can't Sing review by Hollis Alpert in Saturday Review
Sparrows Can't Sing review in Newsweek
Sparrows Can't Sing review by Bosley Crowther in The New York Times
Sparrows Can't Sing review by Stanley Kauffrmann in The New Republic
Sparrows Can't Sing review by Robert Hatch in The Nation
Zulu review by Stanley Kauffmann in The New Republic
Hellions review by Eugene Archer in The New York Times )
Bio rewritten in light of new information
Fraulein Doktor review New photo
October 2003 Updates
James Booth: A Tribute Website has a whole new look, including new graphics on the entry page, a new home page photo, and a new blue color scheme.
Ann Heywood site (she costarred with JB in Ninety Degrees in the Shade)
His Work: Theater Review of Afore Night Come
Hellions: one new photo
Theater Programme: The Fire Raisers and Box and Cox
In The Doghouse : three new photos
Man Who Had Power Over Women one new photo
Miscellaneous: entire section is recent. Brand new photo under A Director's Dream.
Revenge one new photo. Also one correction--it's a bottle, not a dumbbell.
Link to www.citizencaine.org, a wonderful and very complete fan site devoted to Booth's Zulu co-star Michael Caine.
Link to Logan and Glitz.com Cult Movie and Television Site (http://www.advsys.co.uk/loganandglitz/links/glitz-linkstar.htm) for a cool review of Zulu and much more.
His Work: Screenwriting: Two new titles
