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Milton Shulman

Sue Lawley's castaway is writer and critic Milton Shulman.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is Milton Shulman. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about how he came to Britain from Toronto as an Intelligence Officer during the Second World War, after which he wrote a book called Defeat in the West, which was based on interviews he conducted with defeated German officers. It was this book which brought him to the attention of Lord Beaverbrook, leading to his promotion from humble diarist on the London Evening Standard to its film critic. He then went on to become the paper's chief theatre critic - a job he did for 38 years, during which time he reckons to have been to 5,500 first nights, but, to his mind, no great plays.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Capriccio Italien by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Book: The Cookery Book by Constance Spry
Luxury: Tennis racket and ball machine

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 10 Jun 1994 09:05

Music Played

  • The Ink Spots

    Java Jive

    • Swing High, Swing Low.
    • ASV.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    La donna 猫 mobile (from Rigoletto)

    Artist: Enrico Caruso

    • Caruso Sings Verdi.
    • RCA.
  • Richard Addinsell

    Warsaw Concerto

    Orchestra: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Moshe Atzmon

    • Decca.
  • Stanley Holloway

    Get Me to the Church on Time

    • My Fair Lady.
    • Columbia.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Sleeping Beauty Capriccio Italien

      Orchestra: The Concertgebouw Orchestra Conductor: Bernard Haitink

      • Philips.
  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Russian Lullaby

    • The Irving Berlin Songbook.
    • Verve.
  • Russ Columbo

    You Call It Madness

    • Ross Columbo.
    • SAndy Hook Records.
  • Walter Huston

    September Song

    • Hollywood Sings Vol2 The Boys.
    • Ace Of Hearts.
  • Book Choice

    • The Cookery Book - Constance Spry

  • Luxury Choice

    • Tennis racket and ball machine

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Milton Shulman

Broadcasts

  • Sun 5 Jun 1994 12:15
  • Fri 10 Jun 1994 09:05

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