Състояние: Много добро
Забележка: Внимателно използвана книга, леко захабен външен вид.
Подзаглавие: With illustrations by the author
Издателство: Pocket Books
Град на издаване: London
Наличност: singular
Ширина (мм): 130
Височина (мм): 200
Дебелина (мм): 17
Корици: Меки

Liz Smith, once called the nation's favourite fictional grandmother, is a familiar face to all TV and cinema viewers. She is most often recognised for her role of Nana in The Royle Family.

OUR BETTY is Liz's life story - from her cosseted yet lonely childhood with her beloved grandparents (her mother died giving birth to Liz's stillborn sibling), through the war with the WRENS, marriage and children, divorce and poverty, long years working in dead-end jobs such as in a plastic bag factory, until her heavenly escape of evening acting classes provided the chance for a career. While working at Hamley's one Christmas ('I was one of those tiresome people who stop you and beg you to try samples of this and that'), she received a phone call from a young director who wanted to make an improvised film. His name was Mike Leigh and the film Bleak Moments. From that point, when Liz was 50, her career took off and she has worked with some of the most famous names in the entertainment business.

OUR BETTY is, like its author, original, amusing and fascinating on the struggles, hopes and successes endemic of a life in front of the camera.

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Contents

Beginnings 1
Losing my mother 2
Hearth and home 4
Off to the pictures * 7
Baby Vickers comes to call 10
Sweets and dresses 11
Christmas 20
Street games 21
Grandad takes me to work 25
Raining cats 27
Plough Jags 28
The Zam-Buk shop 30
Sherbet dabs 31
First day at school 33
Great-grandfather Jonathan 36
The garden party 40
Summer days 41
Grandad's plans 43
Farewell Dad 45
Adopted by Gran 48
A new joy 49
Mrs Sellick 50
My bicycle 52
Dressmaking 54
Blaze away 56
Gran sees me off 57
Reporting for duty 58
Action stations 61
Life in India 65
My first flight 67
Airfield ablutions 69
Jungle fever 70
JT and me 73
Home work 77
Portobello culture 79
Art and drama 81
Winter 1947 85
Exercises on breathing 89
London life 92
Into Epping Forest 95
The pity of war 100
Curtain-twitching 101
Getting on, getting by 105
Auntie Laura 107
Odd jobs ' 108
Giving it a try 112
Learning to fly 114
School 118
Equus v 119
It's expensive to be poor 120
Seaside days 122
The tide turns 124
A garden of delights 128
A woman who worked for others 131
Dream that I am home again 137
Restoration 143
Sarah and Ron 144
Over hill and dale 145
One batty family 147
Bird Alone 149
Memories of Thora 150
No pig 151
Right place, wrong time 153
Argentine adventure 154
Brighton belles 159
Rich rewards 162
Robert and Sara 163
Stage for Age 164
Working with Les 165
The great directors 167
Song and dance 170
High spirits 171
A Victorian whimsy 172
First nights 173
Play time 177
Backstage tales 180
House for sale 183
Small notice 184
Pirates 186
The Revengers' Comedies 187
The devil is in the detail 188
A perpetual feast 190
Nosing around In costume 192
High-quality productions 196
Writing and painting 198
The eggs in LA 200
Gran's legacy 205
TV gold 206
That old sofa 208
A delightful confection 210
Cornish pride 212
Home comforts 213
Back to Brighton 214
Mrs Mulch 217
Water Aid 217
Whiskers on kittens 219
Jimmy the donkey 223
A fine time 224
Picture credits 227