Ronald Neame 1911-2010

Ronald Neame, the leading British producer and director and an (uncredited) screenwriter of Brief Encounter (based on a play by Noel Coward) and Great Expectations (with David Lean and Anthony Havelock-Allan) died last week at the age of 99.

There are obituaries on BBC News, in The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian.

BBC News also has a tribute by Peter Bowes who became a personal friend of Neame towards the end of his life.

Ronnie was always extraordinarily good company and active until the final weeks of his life. He enjoyed nothing more than reminiscing about the old days but he said he did not miss being on set.

"I was making films during the golden years, and they were the golden years. We made the films in the way we wanted to film them. We had a benevolent boss in Arthur Rank - Uncle Arthur we used to call him.

"I've had a wonderful innings, a great innings."