Stage Whispers: Douglas Wilmer, The Memoirs (Classic Edition Book)

Douglas Wilmer was one of the finest character actors the British theatre has ever produced.

He is remembered for giving what many believe to have been the definitive portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1960s BBC TV series and, as a rising star, was cast in numerous iconic films, notably El Cid, Cleopatra, Jason And The Argonauts, Octopussy and The Fall of the Roman Empire.

While pursuing his career, Wilmer worked alongside many of the greatest actors of the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s, including many household names. He witnessed first-hand the breakdown of Richard Burton’s first marriage and the development of his relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, worked with the mercurial Laurence Olivier, was great friends with Charlton Heston, fell out with the BBC, partied with Sophia Loren and was told by the director Anthony Mann that he would never work again!

These dramas were part of Wilmer’s life and his story is intricately interwoven with the successes and tragedies, joys and heartbreaks of the actors with whom he shared it.

• Douglas Wilmer takes the reader inside the actor’s dressing room for this deliciously honest and beautifully written account of the trials and tribulations of working with some of the world’s greatest actors.
• A colourful insight into a golden age of cinema & theatre, crammed full of intriguing asides.
• Featuring first-hand accounts of some of the world’s greatest stage & screen stars, including: Sir Laurence Olivier, Charlton Heston, Alec Guinness, John Gielgud; Elizabeth Taylor, Christopher Plummer, Richard Harris, Gene Wilder, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Edith Evans & Marilyn Monroe.
• Douglas Wilmer evocatively recalls over 40 years spent on the stage, TV and the Silver Screen with poignant memories and wicked wit.

Author: Douglas Wilmer

Douglas Wilmer was one of the finest character actors the British theatre has ever produced. Remembered for playing Sherlock Holmes in the '60s BBC TV series, many consider his to have been the definitive portrayal.

In a long career, beginning just after the War, Wilmer conquered stage, television and film.