Alastair Sim: The Star of Scrooge and The Belles of St Trinian's

by Mark Simpson

Alastair Sim was an enigmatic character both on and off the screen. His idiosyncratic style of acting in films such as The Belles of St Trinian’s endeared him to a cinema-going audience desperate to escape the day-to-day dreariness of an invasive, bureaucratic post-war Britain. In private, he was a curiously contradictory character, prejudiced and yet tolerant, thoughtful but sometimes inconsiderate. To examine the life of this extraordinary man, this biography contains original contributions from around 30 actors and actresses, including Sir Ian McKellen and Ronnie Corbett. Alastair Sim offers a rare and fascinating insight into the life of one of Britain’s most respected and best-loved actors.

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly absorbing profile

Like many people I suspect, my personal memories of Alastair Sim are cinematic ones. Many of these are recalled here but thankfully the book is more than a mere list of acting credits. It offers some insight into the man behind the characters, gives proper perspective to his film work in relation to his wider career with insights into his early life. In short, it does everything a biography should, and if you loved the man I feel sure you would love the book.

[Keith CARTER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sim was simply one of the best actors this country has produced. This book is extremely well researches and does Sim justice. It is obvious Sim was not an easy man to deal with especially
if you were a producer or director, but his fellow actors have nothing but good things to say about him. To look at the body of work of Mr Sim is to see the history of great British cinema along with his extensive stage work. Well written and well worth a read.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography tells the story of Alastair Sims life and career in a stilted and pontifical style. It also repeats itself more than once, which was annoying. A worthwhile read for Sim fans only.