Kenneth Tynan

Birth : 1927-04-02, Birmingham, England, UK

Death : 1980-07-26

History

Kenneth Peacock Tynan - was an English theatre critic and writer. Making his initial impact as a critic at The Observer, he praised Osborne's Look Back in Anger (1956), and encouraged the emerging wave of British theatrical talent. In 1963, Tynan was appointed as the new National Theatre Company's literary manager. An opponent of theatre censorship, Tynan was considered by many to be the first person to say "fuck" on British television (although this is now disputed), which was controversial at the time. Later in his life, he settled in California, where he resumed his writing career.

Profile

Movies

The World of Peter Sellers

Banned by the BBC in 1971, director Tony Palmer's profile of the late Peter Sellers was, in the words of the film's subject himself, "the only portrait which really understood me." Sellers was an icon of comedy and a true innovator, but a look inside reveals a tragic figure. How could one of the world's most beloved comic talents have such a morbidly distorted opinion of himself? In this documentary, interviews with such friends, fans, and colleagues as Raquel Welch, Yul Brenner, Spike Milligan, Laurence Harvey, and others reveal the true personality behind the man who was loved by everyone, but still viewed himself as entirely alone.

Omnibus - Cuckoo: A Celebration of Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy

Himself

Narrated by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, this documentary about "Laurel and Hardy", one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. It features interviews with Jerry Lewis, Dick Van Dyke, Babe London, Marcel Marceau, Lucille Hardy (Ollie's wife), Bob Monkhouse, Hal Roach, Marvin T Hatley, Jack McCabe and many more.

Lenny Bruce: Without Tears

Himself (archive footage)

The outrageous, groundbreaking comic Lenny Bruce, whose iconoclastic material in a conservative era got him into tragic trouble, is profiled by a close friend, Fred Baker, who prefers to remember the laughs Lenny Bruce's memory evokes instead of the tears. By presenting Bruce's landmark skits on the Steve Allen Show, his failed TV pilot episode and a candid interview with Nat Hentoff, Bruce's genius and anguish show through the dramatic and tragic trajectory of his career from aspiring artist to hunted "lawbreaker".

Macbeth

Screenplay

Scotland, 11th century. Driven by the twisted prophecy of three witches and the ruthless ambition of his wife, warlord Macbeth, bold and brave, but also weak and hesitant, betrays his good king and his brothers in arms and sinks into the bloody mud of a path with no return, sown with crime and suspicion.

Freedom to Love

Himself

It is a sex education film of sorts dedicated to all forms of human sexuality.

Acting in the 60's: Richard Burton

Interviewer

Richard Burton is interviewed by film critic Kenneth Tynan

Great Acting: Laurence Olivier

Interviewer

In this television documentary, Laurence Oliver is interviewed by Kenneth Tynan about his Shakespearean films.

Nowhere to Go

Writer

A professional thief is sprung from prison with the assistance of a new partner who wants to know where he's hid his loot.