Alastair Sim: The Real Belle 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 thirty actors and actresses, including Sir Ian McKellen and Ronnie Corbett.

It is supported by extensive research, including interviews with the playwright Christopher Fry, the television producer John Howard Davies and actors who appeared on stage with Alastair as far back as the 1940s. This book also explores Alastair's life outside of films, including his marriage to Naomi Sim (whom he first met when she was twelve), his career as an elocution teacher, his extensive work on stage (including his theatrical endeavours with James Bridie), his championship of youth and his stalwart refusal to sign autographs. Alastair Sim offers a rare and fascinating insight into the life of one of Britain's most respected and best-loved actors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Oct 24, 2011
• ISBN: 9780752474380

Reviews for Alastair Sim

[the7ken7petersen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is easy to see that this book is a labour of love: Alastair Sim was not your average celebrity actor. Sim would not give autographs, let alone interviews! Such circumstances could have lead to a brisk repeat of any tittle-tattle that had appeared in the newspapers whilst Mr Sim was at his peak, and little else. Not so: Mark Simpson scrupulously tracks every possible lead for information about Sim's life and even then, he is careful how he uses the gathered material. Sim met his wife when she was 12 and he was 26: surely, here we were to descend into a "Sun says" type chapter: not at all, Mr Simpson treats the issue carefully and, whilst it still strikes as odd, we are left in little doubt that, what we would now call grooming, was not what passed between Alastair and Naomi. Similarly, after Naomi had reached adulthood and they were married, they opened their house to young performers struggling to start their careers. Once more, this appears to be altruism in a more innocent time.This book is a gentle review of the life of a talented comedy actor of a bygone era.