From the landmark films of Tony Richardson to the untimely death of
Natasha Richardson - this is the saga of one of the greatest
dynasties in British film and theatre. In 1928, at the end of a
production of Hamlet at the Old Vic, Laurence Olivier strode to the
front of the stage to hush the audience and announced, pointing at
his co-star Michael Redgrave, “Tonight a great actress has been
born. Laertes has a daughter.” He meant Vanessa Redgrave. That is
where this dramatic book's story begins. It concludes in 2009, with
the sudden and tragic death in a skiing accident of Vanessa's
daughter Natasha Richardson - and further family sorrow soon to
follow with the deaths of both Corin and Lynn Redgrave. The story of
this amazing family is explosive throughout - from the tangled
private life of Tony Richardson, Natasha's father, who directed
major films like Joseph Andrews, to Vanessa and Corin's complicated
involvement with the Workers' Revolutionary Party, to the emergence
of a fourth generation of fine actors with Natasha and Joely. There
is truly never a dull moment - but plenty of scandal, melodrama,
tragedy and intrigue - in the story of this remarkable dynasty,
whose contribution to British drama and film has been immense.
Tim Adler is also the author of Hollywood and the Mob. He lives in
London.
