Noël Coward - Playwright (70th Birthday Interview)

[@jacquelineharrod6386]

The marvellous Noel Coward with the perfect interviewer. Thank you.

[@markhayward7400]

Noel Coward was a playwright, a poet, an actor on stage and screen, an entertainer, a novelist, a diarist, a painter and a wit. But his most original and longest lasting invention was himself. There was no one like him. There never will be. The Master!

[@charmianjohnson2364]

Wonderful thank you

[@dzadza7775]

Apart from being a wonderful interview it gives us a superb record of the most stylish smoking of a cigarette we are now ever to see. A historic record of great note. This is a modest, unpretentious film of such an influential man. Thank you.

[@afritimm]

I said the exact opposite above before seeing your comment. I find his smoking "style" fussy and self-conscious. An unaffected smoker would not always need to brandish the cigarette in front of his face 100% of the time. The hand would be lowered to the arm of the chair at least 50% of the time.

[@johnnicholls5344]

It's a prop !

[@isabellas.c.scanderbeg2670]

This is a fascinating interview with Noël Coward, revealing much about his upbringing and career as an actor and playwright. It also shows the art of interviewing, by Patrick Garland, himself an actor and theatre director, amusing himself (and us) with Coward’s answers. Long live Theatre ✨✨✨

[@lordmartin2933]

What An Absolute Treat XX -Thank you XX

[@8jaime8]

The interviewer has the most beautiful voice.

[@EvaDoran1]

The great Sir Noel. What a genius! Wonderful!

[@chrismac2234]

I have an urge to go out in the midday sun. Xx

[@davidjames9626]

Very camp, highly entertaining also intelligent..rounded and so different from the garbage served up as content in these digital times..

[@andrewh273]

Haughty in manner yet always insightful.

[@maxbeale8186]

Sir Noël was an absolute genius

[@hayleyanna2625]

Fabulous man! Talented, a wit, naughty, intelligent and had style.❤

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Fascinating a genius

[@crzxr]

Such a brilliant and entertaining person, and all too often underrated as great writer. There is a fun summary of his life in the recently published POTTED PORTRAITS book.

[@MrAJR76]

Out of interest, what makes you think he’s “underrated”? Underrated by who?

[@crzxr]

@@MrAJR76 It's a fair question, and thank you for asking. Of course, it's necessarily subjective - but I don't think Coward is given full credit for his music and lyrics - respected as they are by many. Few people would consider him as a lyricist in the same bracket as Lorenz Hart or Stephen Sondheim, for instance. And his melodies are often much more interesting and accomplished than those of Richard Rodgers, but many would think that statement preposterous.

[@jenniferbruce451]

He's so right. A serious and hard hitting play.

[@alexalex13131]

For a great read buy the play 'Hay Fever' which Coward wrote when he was about 23.

[@radiogreenduck]

"Battersea Park public lavatory" love it!!

[@johnnicholls5344]

That comment was picked up by the British press at the time. Coward had to rise above it.

[@heathstjohn6775]

I must learn something about Garland. A co-star here, I think. And was that Coward's breathing, so palpitatingly, by the doorway, at the beginning ? I didn't know that ' Hamlet ' could be pronounced '' Hamleeet '', at 4'46''. *: Garland died in 2010, and was married to Alexandra Bastedo !!.

[@johnnicholls5344]

Coward had emphysema by this stage I think.

[@edwardalexander9486]

"you bet I had - the furniture was pushed back" - LOL

[@syourke3]

A genius!

[@dzadza7775]

Left school when he was 9! Well, what can I say. Read!

[@Atom1990-m2j]

You can drive yourself mad paying close attention to how little he smokes all those cigarettes he keeps lighting.

[@MrDavey2010]

Patrick Garland was married to Alexandra Bastedo of The Champions fame.

[@philthycat1408]

I feel sorry for writers nowadays. (Unless they are writing about, the very rich). Their main problem is to get rid of the mobile phones as soon as possible.

[@timauger]

Austin Powers crossed with Dudley Moore

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

With young actors, NC was the Harve Weinstein of his day. Read Philip Hoare's bio.

[@PrivatePrivate-so4if]

It’s interesting to note how he uses his amusing and affected comments as a self-protective mechanism. He was a great contradiction. Having visited his home in Jamaica I was amazed at how basic it was and totally lacking the style and sophistication one might have expected.

[@bernardalfonso7102]

*Promo sm*

[@williamwaynflete6336]

Patrick Garland looks a bit louche and highly strung to me...

[@afritimm]

I have no problem with smoking at all, but good grief he waives and fusses with his cigarette constantly, it is always right in front of his face.