The scriptwriter and playwright, best known for penning the gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, died in London after a short illness
Obituary – Barry Keeffe
Barrie Keeffe, the scriptwriter and playwright best known for writing the landmark British gangster film The Long Good Friday, has died aged 74. His agent Stephen Durbridge announced the news, saying Keeffe had died in London after a short illness.
Born in 1945, Keeffe grew up in east London, attending East Ham grammar school and then working as a reporter for the local newspaper, the Stratford Express. According to former Guardian columnist Roy Greenslade, Keeffe’s interest in activism and politics led him towards plays and scriptwriting: “He loved the paper and his colleagues, but he was frustrated by the fact it constricted his chance to tell the stories he thought it important to tell.”...
Obituary – Barry Keeffe
Barrie Keeffe, the scriptwriter and playwright best known for writing the landmark British gangster film The Long Good Friday, has died aged 74. His agent Stephen Durbridge announced the news, saying Keeffe had died in London after a short illness.
Born in 1945, Keeffe grew up in east London, attending East Ham grammar school and then working as a reporter for the local newspaper, the Stratford Express. According to former Guardian columnist Roy Greenslade, Keeffe’s interest in activism and politics led him towards plays and scriptwriting: “He loved the paper and his colleagues, but he was frustrated by the fact it constricted his chance to tell the stories he thought it important to tell.”...
- 12/10/2019
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Hugh Muir delivers the week's media stories direct to your ears, with guests Maggie Brown and Lisa O'Carroll.
James Harding becomes the top news man at the BBC. What can we expect from the former editor of Rupert Murdoch's Times now he has switched camps?
Then we tackle John Sweeney and the controversial Panorama episode on North Korea. There have been some tough calls for the new director general – did Tony Hall get them right? Roy Greenslade isn't sure.
And in the Us, as the public radio stations this week end their annual pledge drives, Helen Zaltzman speaks to the producer behind one of the most successful radio whiprounds of all time.
Plus Nosheen Iqbal drops in to discuss Ben Elton's new sitcom and the slow, agonising death of the panel show. What long-running show should be put out of its misery? Leave your comments below...
Hugh MuirMatt...
James Harding becomes the top news man at the BBC. What can we expect from the former editor of Rupert Murdoch's Times now he has switched camps?
Then we tackle John Sweeney and the controversial Panorama episode on North Korea. There have been some tough calls for the new director general – did Tony Hall get them right? Roy Greenslade isn't sure.
And in the Us, as the public radio stations this week end their annual pledge drives, Helen Zaltzman speaks to the producer behind one of the most successful radio whiprounds of all time.
Plus Nosheen Iqbal drops in to discuss Ben Elton's new sitcom and the slow, agonising death of the panel show. What long-running show should be put out of its misery? Leave your comments below...
Hugh MuirMatt...
- 4/19/2013
- by Hugh Muir, Matt Hill, Maggie Brown, Lisa O'Carroll, Helen Zaltzman, Gill Phillips, Dan Sabbagh, Roy Greenslade, Nosheen Iqbal
- The Guardian - Film News
London — Police investigating child sex abuse allegations against the late BBC television host Jimmy Savile arrested former glam rock star and convicted sex offender Gary Glitter on Sunday, British media reported, raising further questions about whether Savile was at the center of a broader pedophile ring.
Police would not directly identify the suspect arrested Sunday, but media including the BBC and Press Association reported he was the 68-year-old Glitter.
The musician, whose real name is Paul Gadd, made it big with the crowd-pleasing hit "Rock & Roll (Part 2)," a mostly instrumental anthem that has been a staple at American sporting events, thanks to its catchy "hey" chorus. But he fell into disgrace after being convicted on child abuse charges in Vietnam.
Sunday's arrest was the first in a widening scandal over Savile's alleged sex crimes. Hundreds of potential victims have come forward since police began the investigation into sex abuse allegations against Savile,...
Police would not directly identify the suspect arrested Sunday, but media including the BBC and Press Association reported he was the 68-year-old Glitter.
The musician, whose real name is Paul Gadd, made it big with the crowd-pleasing hit "Rock & Roll (Part 2)," a mostly instrumental anthem that has been a staple at American sporting events, thanks to its catchy "hey" chorus. But he fell into disgrace after being convicted on child abuse charges in Vietnam.
Sunday's arrest was the first in a widening scandal over Savile's alleged sex crimes. Hundreds of potential victims have come forward since police began the investigation into sex abuse allegations against Savile,...
- 10/28/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
• James Murdoch 'misled' culture select committee
• Questions mount over Coulson's mid-level security check
• Sun features editor sacked over his work at NotW
• Click here for a summary of today's key events
9.45am: Welcome to today's live updates on the still-unfolding repercussions of the phone hacking scandal. Following yesterday's Commons statement and debate, the house in now in recess. Rupert Murdoch has left the UK following his testimony to MPs on Tuesday.
So, on the face of it today could appear a slight respite following an almost absurdly dramatic fortnight. A majority of English daily papers – five against four – lead on other stories, including the unfolding crisis in the eurozone.
But rest assured there will be more to come. Nick Clegg is scheduled to give an end-of-term press conference imminently. Perhaps someone could ask why he looked so detached – disinterested, even – during David Cameron's phone hacking statement. There is also surely...
• Questions mount over Coulson's mid-level security check
• Sun features editor sacked over his work at NotW
• Click here for a summary of today's key events
9.45am: Welcome to today's live updates on the still-unfolding repercussions of the phone hacking scandal. Following yesterday's Commons statement and debate, the house in now in recess. Rupert Murdoch has left the UK following his testimony to MPs on Tuesday.
So, on the face of it today could appear a slight respite following an almost absurdly dramatic fortnight. A majority of English daily papers – five against four – lead on other stories, including the unfolding crisis in the eurozone.
But rest assured there will be more to come. Nick Clegg is scheduled to give an end-of-term press conference imminently. Perhaps someone could ask why he looked so detached – disinterested, even – during David Cameron's phone hacking statement. There is also surely...
- 7/22/2011
- by Peter Walker, Paul Owen, David Batty
- The Guardian - Film News
Once the famous just fronted charity appeals. Now an increasing number are putting their weight behind political causes. Leo Benedictus investigates the rise of the celebrity activist
These are early days, of course, but it is possible Hugh Grant has changed the world. It was only at the last minute that his former partner, Jemima Khan, recruited him to write for The New Statesman, but now his article turning the tables on the phone hackers has created a sensation around the world, crashing the magazine's website, and being tweeted nearly 10,000 times.
What Grant did was not, in itself, extraordinary. Following a chance encounter with Paul McMullan, a former News of the World journalist and self-confessed phone-hacker, the actor arranged to visit him again in the pub he now owns. What McMullan did not realise was that Grant, himself a victim of the phone-hackers, planned to record their conversation secretly. Though mildly brave,...
These are early days, of course, but it is possible Hugh Grant has changed the world. It was only at the last minute that his former partner, Jemima Khan, recruited him to write for The New Statesman, but now his article turning the tables on the phone hackers has created a sensation around the world, crashing the magazine's website, and being tweeted nearly 10,000 times.
What Grant did was not, in itself, extraordinary. Following a chance encounter with Paul McMullan, a former News of the World journalist and self-confessed phone-hacker, the actor arranged to visit him again in the pub he now owns. What McMullan did not realise was that Grant, himself a victim of the phone-hackers, planned to record their conversation secretly. Though mildly brave,...
- 4/18/2011
- by Leo Benedictus, Josie Long
- The Guardian - Film News
It always sounds nicer when the Brits say it, right? Okay, not necessarily in this case. Roy Greenslade, writing in the Guardian describes Sarah Palin as a phenomenon--or, in the headline, a "creature"--created by television and ultimately, he argues, destroyed by television. "Do you remember that uniquely American political phenomenon Sarah Palin? Of course you do, but you have been hearing and seeing much less of her lately. And no wonder," he writes.
- 3/24/2011
- by Mark Joyella
- Mediaite - TV
This is the ad that Amnesty funded via social media last month. And this is the newspaper that turned it down. The Financial Times waited until "the last possible moment" to pull the full-page ad, according to Amnesty's U.K. blog, and the Ngo's campaigns director, Tim Hancock is not a happy man. "We gave them written reassurances that we would take full responsibility for the comments and opinion stated in the advertisement," he said.
All publicity, it has to be said, is good publicity, but Amnesty U.K. is baffled by the fact that, while two other newspapers, Metro and the Evening Standard, were happy to carry the ad, the Financial Times waited until 4.58 p.m. GMT to make the decision. A spokesman for the Ft said this:
Editorially the Ft was more than willing to run the advertisement for Amnesty. Unfortunately, whilst Amnesty gave us written assurances that...
All publicity, it has to be said, is good publicity, but Amnesty U.K. is baffled by the fact that, while two other newspapers, Metro and the Evening Standard, were happy to carry the ad, the Financial Times waited until 4.58 p.m. GMT to make the decision. A spokesman for the Ft said this:
Editorially the Ft was more than willing to run the advertisement for Amnesty. Unfortunately, whilst Amnesty gave us written assurances that...
- 5/18/2010
- by Addy Dugdale
- Fast Company
In my memories of long-ago days as a reporter in east London one of the friends who stands out is Barrie Keeffe. He worked for the Stratford Express and we were fellow journalism students - if we felt like turning up - at the West Ham College of Further Education.
He went on to write two novels, several well-received plays - such as Gotcha and Only A Game - and, most famously, the script of that iconic 1981 movie The Long Good Friday.
In an online interview last week, Barrie revealed that it was touch and go whether the film was released because its financiers, the Lew Grade Organisation, believed it to be Ira propaganda.
They couldn't show it in their cinemas, they explained, because they were afraid that the Ira would blow them up.
So Barrie asked someone in the organisation why the Ira would want to do that if the film was Ira propaganda?...
He went on to write two novels, several well-received plays - such as Gotcha and Only A Game - and, most famously, the script of that iconic 1981 movie The Long Good Friday.
In an online interview last week, Barrie revealed that it was touch and go whether the film was released because its financiers, the Lew Grade Organisation, believed it to be Ira propaganda.
They couldn't show it in their cinemas, they explained, because they were afraid that the Ira would blow them up.
So Barrie asked someone in the organisation why the Ira would want to do that if the film was Ira propaganda?...
- 4/30/2010
- by Roy Greenslade
- The Guardian - Film News
In his review of the play Greta Garbo Came to Donegal (Garbo's Irish adventure captures a country in revolt, Reviews, 13 January), Michael Billington refers to Greta Garbo's "improbable descent on Donegal". In fact, she did visit the county in the late 1960s to stay at Glenveagh Castle, at the invitation of its wealthy and flamboyant owner, Henry McIlhenny.
She was one of several Hollywood stars and other celebrities to spend time at the house, which is a castle only in name. On my first visit to the "castle", just after it passed into the hands of the Irish state, a young guide showing us around the bedrooms recited the names of famous people who had previously spent nights there.
One name baffled us. "In this bed slept the world-renowned fiddler," he said, "Hughie McMenamin." It later transpired that the fiddler in question was Yehudi Menuhin.
Roy Greenslade
Brighton,...
She was one of several Hollywood stars and other celebrities to spend time at the house, which is a castle only in name. On my first visit to the "castle", just after it passed into the hands of the Irish state, a young guide showing us around the bedrooms recited the names of famous people who had previously spent nights there.
One name baffled us. "In this bed slept the world-renowned fiddler," he said, "Hughie McMenamin." It later transpired that the fiddler in question was Yehudi Menuhin.
Roy Greenslade
Brighton,...
- 1/14/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Media analyst and journalism professor Roy Greenslade has predicted that the Press Complaints Commission (Pcc) will not rule against Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir. Moir attracted criticism for her piece regarding the death of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, which was initially headlined 'Why there was nothing 'natural' about Stephen Gately's death'. A record number of people have contacted the Pcc about the column, with the star's record label Polydor also lodging an official complaint with the watchdog. Greenslade, one of the original drafting group for the Pcc's Editor's Code of Practice, told the Evening Standard: "As of yesterday, the Pcc had registered more than 25,000 complaints from people who thought Moir's undoubtedly obnoxious article was guilty of breaking the code. Some thought (more)...
- 10/22/2009
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
The husband of Californication star Natascha McElhone died Tuesday night in London. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Martin Kelly, 42, was found lying on the doorstep of the family's home. A friend found the doctor and called an ambulance, but paramedics were unable to revive him, according to reports. He was pronounced dead at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where he also was a consultant. A spokesman for Scotland Yard told People the death was being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Thursday.McElhone, 36, who also appeared in The Truman Show, is pregnant with the couple's third child. She...
- 5/21/2008
- by Phil Boucher
- PEOPLE.com
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