Scary King of cameos
U.S. author John Irving made cameo appearances in the films of his novels. Have any other authors done the same?
There are many examples of authors who have appeared in film or TV adaptations of their books, usually in cameo roles or as an extra in the crowd.
horror author Stephen King appears in several film adaptations of his works — he has the face for it.
he’s a minister in the original film of Pet Sematary, a moustachioed band-leader in The Shining mini-series and plays Jordy Verrill, a redneck being transformed by alien vegetation, in Creepshow.
Jaws author Peter Benchley turns up as a reporter in the film adaptation with the memorable lines: ‘Amity Island has long been known for its clean air, clear water, and beautiful white sand beaches.
‘But in recent days, a cloud has appeared on the horizon of this beautiful resort community — a cloud in the shape of a killer shark.’
John le Carre is a guest at a Christmas party in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Michael Morpurgo and his wife pop up in War horse. Fannie Flagg is in Fried Green Tomatoes. Irvine Welsh plays a drug dealer in Trainspotting. hunter S. Thompson is in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.
In The exorcist, William Blatty is in character as a scriptwriter having an argument with the director (William Friedkin) of a film that mirrors what is happening on the set.
The most prolific writer to make guest appearances has to be the late Colin Dexter, writer of the Inspector Morse books. he can be seen in background scenes in virtually every episode of the TV show.
When I was filming an episode in a pub in St Albans, not realising who he was, I asked if he’d like to join my lookalike agency as edward G. robinson, famous for playing gangsters in hollywood’s golden age. Looking amused, he declined.
Danny Darcy, Reading, Berks.
What’s the largest sum bequeathed to an animal in a will?
FoLLoWInG Karl Lagerfeld’s death, it was revealed that the fashion designer had left some of his £150 million fortune to his pedigree Birman cat, Choupette.
Lagerfeld employed two maids to look after the pampered cat, who had four different dishes prepared for her each day ‘served in fabulous bowls’.
Choupette had earned more than £2 million starring in modelling shoots, adverts for opel cars and fronting the campaign for Shu Uemura, a Japanese cosmetics brand.
In 2011, 94-year-old Maria Assunta left her £7.5 million property portfolio to her four-year-old black cat Tommaso, turning the former rescue pet into the world’s richest animal.
Tommaso continues to enjoy the good life with Assunta’s former maid Stefania and another lucky cat at a secret location in the Italian countryside.
‘To be honest, he doesn’t need all that money,’ says Stefania. ‘he is happy with a saucer of milk and some biscuits.’
In Britain, when reclusive antiques dealer Ben rea died in May 1988, he bequeathed his £7 million fortune to Blackie, the last surviving of many cats with whom he’d shared his mansion.
rea had cut his family out of his will, choosing instead to split most of the money between three cat charities, with the instruction to look after Blackie.
his sister Dorothy, who died only a few days before him, also left £2.8 million to animal charities.
The largest amount bequeathed to a dog was the £7 million inherited by a white Maltese lapdog named Trouble.
The money had been left by flamboyant American hotelier Leona helmsley. her two grandchildren successfully contested the will, with the appeal judge awarding Trouble a mere £1.5 million.
Caroline Marsh, Thame, Oxon.
What caused the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of 1946?
FUrTher to the earlier answer, hMIS Talwar has been misidentified as a battleship in histories of the royal Indian navy mutiny.
She wasn’t even a ship, but a shore establishment, a ‘stone frigate’.
A battleship is a specific type of ship, normally having guns of 12 in calibre or above and displacing 30,000 tons or more. The most powerful ship in the Indian navy was much smaller than this.
InS Delhi, bought in 1948, was a light cruiser formerly called hMS Achilles, which had seen action in the Battle of the river Plate, the first major naval engagement of World War II. It was armed with 6 in calibre guns and displaced 7,270 tons.
other ships in the Indian navy were corvettes and similar light vessels armed with 4 in guns.
InS Delhi, launched in 1932, served until 1978. P. C. Antill, Walsall, W. Mids.