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He was a brilliant critic whose erudition and judgement were respected by generations of cinema lovers and film-makers alike. He was also a joy to work with, unfailingly warm and generous to colleagues and to the thousands of readers he encountered. He is revered as one of the most astute critics of
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producer. At first he was a producer on the North
American service, but the bulk of his BBC career was for domestic radio. He was a BBC talks producer (1961–67) and then a senior producer for the corporation from 1968. In the 1960s he produced
330:
s theatre critic, was appointed an OBE at the same time as French. Billington recalled: "I ended a congratulatory telephone call with the jokey line, 'See you at the palace.' Quick as a flash, he replied, 'As Dirk
Bogarde said to Bill Kerr in
471:
French's son Sean said, "If readers felt they knew him it's because he put his personality into the writing. He was a very funny man, with a slightly grim comic view of the world and this obsessive thing about puns."
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his generation, whose love of film shone through his lucid and engaging writing. He will be missed sorely, but he will be remembered with affection and respect by his legion of admirers.
162:(28 August 1933 – 27 October 2015) was an English film critic and radio producer. French began his career in journalism in the late 1950s, before eventually becoming a
35:
295:, who felt that it would be impossible for French to be an impartial producer while also working as a regular film critic, but he was over-ruled by his superior,
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said that French was "the doyen of
English film critics" and estimated that he had seen some 14,000 films, many of them during the 50 years that he wrote for
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After years of ill health, French died in London of a heart attack on 27 October 2015, aged 82, and his ashes were buried on the eastern side of
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writing team, and another son, Patrick French, is a doctor. His youngest son, Karl, is an editor and author. French had ten grandchildren.
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said that French was "a giant figure" in the paper's history and "part of its soul for the past 50 years", adding:
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French and his
Swedish-born wife Kersti Molin had three sons. Their oldest son, Sean French, is one half of the
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This article is about the
British film critic and radio producer. For the former Mayor of New York, see
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375:, but I know what I lick." He was one of the few who saw and wrote humorously about the lost 1969
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At the beginning of May 2013 it was announced that French would retire as film critic for
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in 1963, and continued to write criticism regularly there until his retirement in 2013.
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1100:"Philip French, much-loved Observer film critic, dies at the age of 82 | Film"
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in
December 2012. Upon his death on 27 October 2015, French was referred to by his
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actor who, having exchanged life in
Hollywood for a typewriter, called his memoir
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1069:"Philip French: Film critic who wrote for the Observer for more than fifty years"
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740:
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247:
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Three Honest Men: Edmund Wilson, F.R.Leavis, Lionel
Trilling – A Critical Mosaic
888:"That's a wrap: Philip French, Observer film critic, steps down after 50 years"
777:"Philip French OBE, Observer writer of 50 years and film critic extraordinaire"
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from 1978, but had begun writing for the paper in 1963. He also wrote for
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The Envy of the World: Fifty years of the BBC Third
Programme and Radio 3
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651:"Philip French, much-loved Observer film critic, dies at the age of 82"
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where he read Law. He undertook post-graduate study in
Journalism at
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Censoring the Moving Image: Manifestos for the Twenty-first Century
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for services to film. French was known for his exceptional memory.
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Between 1959 and 1990, when he took early retirement, French was a
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in 1933. The son of an insurance salesman, he was educated at the
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403:, that this fondness arose from his own experience of having a
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The Movie Moguls: An Informal History of the Hollywood Tycoons
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as "an inspiration to an entire generation of film critics".
993:"Liverpool-born film critic Philip French has died aged 82"
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Movie Moguls. An Informal History of the Hollywood Tycoons
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and from 1974 to 1990 he produced its successor programme
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681:. Guardian News & Media. 28 August 2014. p. 35.
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producer, and later a film critic. He began writing for
1046:"Philip French, Veteran UK Film Critic, Dies Aged 82"
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798:, 1996, Weidenfeld and Nicolson (Phoenix paperback,
721:, London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p. 255.
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I Found it at the Movies: Reflections of a Cinephile
263:(1999) together with Karl French, one of his sons.
16:English film critic and radio producer (1933–2015)
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734:"Honorary degrees for film critic and scientist"
719:The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992
229:between 1967 and 1968 and deputy film critic to
291:was opposed by the then Controller of Radio 3,
217:French entered journalism as a reporter at the
344:in August to coincide with his 80th birthday.
239:for some years. French was the film critic of
1048:. ABC News. Associated Press. 27 October 2015
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1248:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
850:(Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 11.
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559:(BFI Film Classics) (with Kersti French),
311:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
177:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
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1253:People educated at Bristol Grammar School
1143:webcast, Brighton Festival, 21 April 2008
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758:"We saw the light, but too late for some"
1208:21st-century British non-fiction writers
1198:20th-century English non-fiction writers
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389:. French was also fond of recalling the
1164:, with 17 library catalogue records
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1019:"Philip French: my life as a stammerer"
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990:
910:"Philip French, film critic – obituary"
861:Billington, Michael (28 October 2015).
397:. It was suggested, in his obituary in
385:that exclusively featured the penis of
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962:
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428:, French wrote about his own stammer.
223:in 1957. He was theatre critic of the
1238:Indiana University Bloomington alumni
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649:Shoard, Catherine (27 October 2015).
422:Prompted by the release of the film,
1098:Catherine Shoard (27 October 2015).
1067:Hayward, Anthony (29 October 2015).
938:"Meet the perfect partners in crime"
347:French was an Honorary Associate of
287:. His appointment as film critic of
371:he began: "I don't know much about
13:
1017:Philip French (26 December 2010).
511:Westerns: Aspects of a Movie Genre
14:
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1213:21st-century English male writers
1193:20th-century English male writers
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991:Stewart, Gary (27 October 2015).
963:French, Sean (26 February 1999).
1218:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
1203:21st-century English journalists
1188:20th-century English journalists
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1137:In Celebration of Philip French
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212:Indiana University Bloomington
115:Indiana University Bloomington
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1228:Burials at Highgate Cemetery
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7:
597:University of Chicago Press
395:Forgive Us Our Press Passes
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1243:Journalists from Liverpool
454:Speaking after his death,
440:Grave of Philip French in
359:French had a fondness for
309:in 2009. He was appointed
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944:. Glasgow. 10 August 2012
831:. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
745:Lancaster University News
497:Weidenfeld & Nicolson
251:. French's books include
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42:
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693:"My own cinema paradiso"
595:, (with Julian Petley),
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739:8 February 2007 at the
717:Dennis Griffiths (ed.)
577:, (with Karl French),
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208:Exeter College, Oxford
204:Bristol Grammar School
111:Exeter College, Oxford
101:Bristol Grammar School
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334:Appointment in London
315:2013 New Year Honours
302:French was named the
175:French was appointed
155:Philip Neville French
59:Philip Neville French
1233:English film critics
827:16 June 2011 at the
304:British Press Awards
220:Bristol Evening Post
214:, on a scholarship.
1258:The Observer people
1223:BBC radio producers
1162:Library of Congress
915:The Daily Telegraph
794:Humphrey Carpenter
785:, 29 December 2012.
557:"Wild Strawberries"
475:The Daily Telegraph
400:The Daily Telegraph
195:French was born in
847:The London Gazette
445:
349:London Film School
319:Michael Billington
307:Critic of the Year
918:. 31 October 2015
623:978-1-84777-129-2
605:978-1-905422-55-5
587:978-1-86205-172-0
569:978-0-85170-481-4
541:978-0-85635-299-7
523:978-0-670-75727-5
505:978-0-297-76266-9
449:Highgate Cemetery
442:Highgate Cemetery
425:The King's Speech
363:. In an essay on
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129:Years active
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756:Philip French,
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32:Philip French
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1152:The Observer
1150:
1107:. Retrieved
1104:The Guardian
1103:
1078:. Retrieved
1072:
1062:
1050:. Retrieved
1040:
1028:. Retrieved
1024:The Observer
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1012:
1000:. Retrieved
996:
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974:. Retrieved
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946:. Retrieved
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920:. Retrieved
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893:The Observer
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870:. Retrieved
867:The Guardian
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782:The Observer
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678:The Guardian
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658:. Retrieved
655:The Guardian
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610:
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515:Viking Press
510:
492:
480:The Observer
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473:
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456:The Observer
455:
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421:
417:Nicci French
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342:The Observer
341:
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324:The Guardian
322:
306:
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297:Howard Newby
289:The Observer
288:
280:
272:
265:
260:
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252:
246:
242:The Observer
240:
234:
224:
218:
216:
206:and then at
201:direct grant
194:
185:Mark Kermode
180:
174:
169:The Observer
167:
154:
153:
140:Kersti Molin
86:(2015-10-27)
25:
1183:2015 deaths
1178:1933 births
842:"No. 60367"
575:Cult Movies
387:John Lennon
369:Post Office
337:in 1953'."
285:BBC Radio 3
273:The Critics
261:Cult Movies
255:(1969) and
124:Film critic
1172:Categories
1109:31 October
1080:18 January
1052:30 October
1002:31 October
976:30 October
948:30 October
942:The Herald
922:31 October
872:28 October
806:), p. 324.
660:27 October
629:References
183:successor
121:Occupation
65:1933-08-28
373:philately
268:BBC Radio
236:The Times
197:Liverpool
191:Biography
164:BBC Radio
132:1957–2013
97:Education
75:, England
73:Liverpool
1030:17 April
825:Archived
737:Archived
549:, (ed.)
545:1993,
531:, (ed.)
377:Yoko Ono
367:and the
257:Westerns
181:Observer
145:Children
458:editor
405:stammer
391:B-movie
275:on the
802:
621:
609:2011,
603:
591:2008,
585:
573:1999,
567:
555:1995,
539:
527:1980,
521:
509:1974,
503:
491:1969,
137:Spouse
1141:BAFTA
486:Works
432:Death
379:film
355:Style
328:'
1132:IMDb
1111:2015
1082:2021
1054:2015
1032:2015
1004:2015
978:2015
950:2015
924:2015
874:2015
800:ISBN
662:2015
619:ISBN
601:ISBN
583:ISBN
565:ISBN
537:ISBN
519:ISBN
501:ISBN
361:puns
81:Died
55:Born
1160:at
1149:at
1130:at
283:on
233:at
159:OBE
36:OBE
1174::
1139:,
1102:.
1090:^
1071:.
1021:.
995:.
967:.
940:.
912:.
901:^
890:,
865:.
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482:.
451:.
407:.
351:.
321:,
299:.
1113:.
1084:.
1056:.
1034:.
1006:.
980:.
952:.
926:.
876:.
664:.
148:3
67:)
63:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
