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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
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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
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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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writing team, and another son, Patrick French, is a doctor. His youngest son, Karl, is an editor and author. French had ten grandchildren. He lived in
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After years of ill health, French died at his home from a heart attack on 27 October 2015, aged 82, and his ashes were buried on the eastern side of
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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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in 1933. The son of an insurance salesman, he moved frequently throughout his childhood, and was educated at the
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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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James, Nick (2019). "French, Philip
Neville (1933–2015), film critic, radio producer, and journalist".
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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
1035:"My father had an alter ego who rang up women to ask them which of their breasts was the heavier"
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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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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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1139:"Philip French: Film critic who wrote for the Observer for more than fifty years"
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Three Honest Men: Edmund Wilson, F.R.Leavis, Lionel
Trilling – A Critical Mosaic
958:"That's a wrap: Philip French, Observer film critic, steps down after 50 years"
847:"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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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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The Movie Moguls: An Informal History of the Hollywood Tycoons
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as "an inspiration to an entire generation of film critics".
1063:"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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751:. Guardian News & Media. 28 August 2014. p. 35.
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producer, and later a film critic. He began writing for
1116:"Philip French, Veteran UK Film Critic, Dies Aged 82"
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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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804:"Honorary degrees for film critic and scientist"
789: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
1118:. ABC News. Associated Press. 27 October 2015
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718:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
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920:(Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 11.
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828:"We saw the light, but too late for some"
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389:. French was also fond of recalling the
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1089:"Philip French: my life as a stammerer"
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980:"Philip French, film critic – obituary"
931:Billington, Michael (28 October 2015).
715:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
397:. It was suggested, in his obituary in
385:that exclusively featured the penis of
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223:in 1957. He was theatre critic of the
1308:Indiana University Bloomington alumni
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724:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.110838
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653:Shoard, Catherine (27 October 2015).
426:Prompted by the release of the film,
1168:Catherine Shoard (27 October 2015).
1137:Hayward, Anthony (29 October 2015).
1008:"Meet the perfect partners in crime"
347:French was an Honorary Associate of
287:. His appointment as film critic of
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371:he began: "I don't know much about
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1087:Philip French (26 December 2010).
515:Westerns: Aspects of a Movie Genre
14:
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1283:21st-century English male writers
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1061:Stewart, Gary (27 October 2015).
1033:French, Sean (26 February 1999).
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1273:21st-century English journalists
1258:20th-century English journalists
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1207:In Celebration of Philip French
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1298:Burials at Highgate Cemetery
732:UK public library membership
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601:University of Chicago Press
395:Forgive Us Our Press Passes
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458:Speaking after his death,
444:Grave of Philip French in
359:French had a fondness for
309:in 2009. He was appointed
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1014:. Glasgow. 10 August 2012
901:. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
815:Lancaster University News
501:Weidenfeld & Nicolson
251:. French's books include
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763:"My own cinema paradiso"
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787:Dennis Griffiths (ed.)
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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
1303:English film critics
897:16 June 2011 at the
304:British Press Awards
220:Bristol Evening Post
214:, on a scholarship.
1328:The Observer people
1293:BBC radio producers
1232:Library of Congress
985:The Daily Telegraph
864:Humphrey Carpenter
855:, 29 December 2012.
561:"Wild Strawberries"
479:The Daily Telegraph
400:The Daily Telegraph
195:French was born in
917:The London Gazette
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349:London Film School
319:Michael Billington
307:Critic of the Year
988:. 31 October 2015
730:(Subscription or
627:978-1-84777-129-2
609:978-1-905422-55-5
591:978-1-86205-172-0
573:978-0-85170-481-4
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527:978-0-670-75727-5
509:978-0-297-76266-9
453:Highgate Cemetery
446:Highgate Cemetery
429:The King's Speech
363:. In an essay on
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1222:The Observer
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1177:. Retrieved
1174:The Guardian
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1148:. Retrieved
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1094:The Observer
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140:Kersti Molin
86:(2015-10-27)
25:
1253:2015 deaths
1248:1933 births
912:"No. 60367"
579: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
1242:Categories
1179:31 October
1150:18 January
1122:30 October
1072:31 October
1046:30 October
1018:30 October
1012:The Herald
992:31 October
942:28 October
876:), p. 324.
734:required.)
664:27 October
633:References
197:Birkenhead
183:successor
121:Occupation
73:Birkenhead
65:1933-08-28
373:philately
268:BBC Radio
236:The Times
191:Biography
164:BBC Radio
132:1957–2013
97:Education
75:, England
1100:17 April
895:Archived
807:Archived
553:, (ed.)
549:1993,
535:, (ed.)
377:Yoko Ono
367:and the
257:Westerns
206:then at
181:Observer
145:Children
684:FreeBMD
462:editor
405:stammer
391:B-movie
275:on the
872:
728:
625:
613:2011,
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595:2008,
589:
577:1999,
571:
559:1995,
543:
531:1980,
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513:1974,
507:
495:1969,
137:Spouse
1211:BAFTA
686:. ONS
490:Works
436:Death
379:film
355:Style
328:'
1202:IMDb
1181:2015
1152:2021
1124:2015
1102:2015
1074:2015
1048:2015
1020:2015
994:2015
944:2015
870:ISBN
692:2024
666:2015
623:ISBN
605:ISBN
587:ISBN
569:ISBN
541:ISBN
523:ISBN
505:ISBN
361:puns
81:Died
55:Born
1230:at
1219:at
1200:at
720:doi
283:on
233:at
159:OBE
36:OBE
1244::
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996:.
946:.
726:.
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668:.
148:3
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23:.
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