Loving the lovey

It is the first time we have actually talked at any length, and I was impressed by the 85-year-old's excellent memory. Dickie made his movie acting debut way back in 1942 in the classic In Which We Serve, and he gave up acting only seven years ago. He told me: "I am retired fromacting, but one role would tempt me back, and that is Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films." However, he does not rest on his laurels, and he remains chairman or president of several organisations including RADA, BAFTA and Capital Radio. His efforts resulted in a knighthood in 1976, and he received a peerage in 1993.Dickie became a star in the Forties movie Brighton Rock and went on to appear opposite Steve McQueen in The Sand Pebbles and The Great Escape. He also starred opposite John Wayne and with dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Not content with screen stardom on both sides of the Atlantic, Dickie went behind the camera to direct, starting with Oh What a Lovely War. He later achieved further directorial success with diverse films such as A Bridge Too Far, Chaplin and Cry Freedom, culminating in an Oscar for the epic Ghandi.I remember attending the royal premiere of Chaplin at the Odeon, in Leicester Square. After the screening, I was waiting for a car and found myself standing next to his brother, David. He turned to me and joked: "I am used to a different form of wildlife", while looking at the photographers gathered outside. Comedians joke about Dickie's habit of often wiping away a tear during one of his speeches, but that is just a visible sign of his genuineness about the subject on which he is talking. His humour shone through at the Bryan Forbes plaque unveiling, and the pair had the audience in stitches.He remains essentially a modest person, although other directors, such as Steven Spielberg, consider him a master of his craft. You have to admire a man who can go from playing a mass murderer in 10 Rillington Place to a police commander opposite John Wayne in Brannigan. It was a pleasure to meet him.