Although he was most famous for playing 'Fly Fishing' author J. R. Hartley in the Yellow Pages ads, he didn't actually take up fishing until he was 85. Thompson, Norman Born Norman Thompson in London in 1906. Son of a butler, started his working life as a commercial artist designing book jackets for the publishers Hodder & Stoughton. After surviving emphysema he was advised by his surgeon t ... show all
Although he was most famous for playing 'Fly Fishing' author J. R. Hartley in the Yellow Pages ads, he didn't actually take up fishing until he was 85. Thompson, Norman Born Norman Thompson in London in 1906. Son of a butler, started his working life as a commercial artist designing book jackets for the publishers Hodder & Stoughton. After surviving emphysema he was advised by his surgeon to take up singing to revive his lungs. Made his first radio broadcast for the BBC in the 1930s, singing negro spirituals and Czech songs by Dvorak. At this time he changed his surname to Lumsden (his mother's maiden name). Benjamin Britten recognised Lumsden's singing talents describing him as, "that rare British product, a true bass". Norman had a distinguished career as an opera singer, performing several times at Covent Garden and the prestigious Aldeburgh and Glyndebourne festivals. Productions he performed in include Britten's version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', also 'Albert Herring' and 'Billy Budd'. Took part in Britten's first 13 Aldeburgh festivals (1948-60). He gained acting work after appearing in a commercial for cracker biscuits in the 1970s. Mostly only had bit parts as a screen actor. hide
Genres:Drama | Romance Countries:UK Directors:Charles Sturridge Actors:James Wilby | Kristin Scott Thomas | Rupert Graves | Anjelica Huston | Judi Dench | Alec Guinness | Richard Beale | Jackson Kyle | Norman Lumsden | Jeanne Watts | Kate Percival | Richard Leech | Roger Milner | Tristram Jellinek | Pip Torrens
We see the detritus of an abandoned camp in South America and a main character's hallucination. Then, the story beings. Tony and Brenda Last, lord and lady, live on his enormous estate with their young son. Tony's not much for parties, and Brenda joins London society, on the arm of a penniless man, John Beaver, a hanger-on at Tony's club. John is encouraged by his entrepreneurial mother, who sees a quid in Tony and Brenda. Brenda and John become lovers, Brenda spends more and more time in London, and Tony's without a clue. Then, bringing things to a head are tragedy, law suits, greed, and what should be a few-months' expedition to Brazil. We are each of us merely a handful of dust.
Genres: Drama | Romance