Title: A quite remarkable father
First published: 1960
Description: A gracious biography of the author's father, Leslie Howard, this brings out his gentle warmth and love for his family, his ambition to write rather than to act, to direct rather than perform. Lazy, shy, short-sighted, vague and unpunctual, Leslie Howard Stainer had a usual childhood, found a hobby in horses in the Cavalry in World War I, and, through the early ""kinema"" found an open door to the theater with the Hartley Mannerses in Peg O' My Heart in England. His marriage to Ruth Martin was enduring as was his devotion to his son Winkie and later his daughter; he found his first acclaim in America and had to win English approval at a later date. From his stage successes to his moving picture career, to the writing and directing that he finally achieved, his story is filled with his family -- the many uprootings and moves, the establishment of a home in England, Ruth's quick and able ability for organizing and direct action which permitted him to indulge his hypochondria and dilatory tactics, and, although his eye and his emotions may have strayed, the never failing focus on his beloved three. The generation that knew his work will find this a most pleasant life story -- in which public and private appearances are always attractive and appealing. And those younger may perhaps discover its charm.
People: Leslie Howard (1893-1943)