BBC Archive Voices: Noel Coward and Bette Davis
BBC Archive Voices is a fascinating collection of archive interviews with icons past and present. Kicking off a series of interview extracts across our network, we have snippets from two legends of screen and stage.
Who really makes history? Is it political leaders, entertainers, writers or sportsmen and women? An exciting new series from AudioGO entitled BBC Archive Voices, features interviews with key figures who have enriched our cultural landscape.
These fascinating insights are taken from programmes such as Woman’s Hour, Parkinson, Desert Island Discs, Front Row, Today, Start the Week, Late Night Line-Up, Kaleidoscope and many others, in which the subjects talk about aspects of their professional and private lives.
Many of these interviews have not been heard since their original transmission, and almost none of them have previously been made available for purchase. They represent a window into the past, a chance for us to hear the voices of those who contributed to the richness of our political and cultural heritage.
Produced by AudioGO, the BBC Archive Voices range is available to download from www.audiogo.co.uk and iTunes from 27th September – just search BBC Archive Voices to see the whole range. Eight titles will be released in October: Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Roald Dahl, Noel Coward, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Margaret Thatcher and Brian Clough; with new releases every month thereafter.
Noel Coward
Noel Coward talks about being a legend; whether he is a cynical writer; his early days in acting and early reputation for upsetting fellow actors on stage; acting with Laurence Olivier; his affection for the Navy; his film making; his knighthood, and writing Private Lives for his friend Gertrude Lawrence.
Bette Davis
B
ette Davis talks about visiting England; her career as a star; the film studio’s attempts to change her name and image, and the Hollywood film system.
