Wednesday 5 July 2006

John Hinde

The newswire tsunami of turkeyslap sort of swamped today's sad news about the death of the ABC's Movie critic, John Hinde. I haven't seen him on the telly for many years, but when I was young he regularly introduced late night Fred & Ginger movies or Australian films from the 1970s or things from the J Arthur Rank back catalogue, and he always did it in a thoughtful, funny, unsolemn but not wisecracking, quietly welcoming way that made it easy for an uninformed country teenager to feel like the movie might have something in it to interest her. Many many hours of enjoyment ensued. Thanks, John.

15 comments:

R.H. said...

John Hinde talked like he was chewing a carrot, but he had enormous charm. Lovely. Dear boy.

Miss Laura, I've just watched The Damned again. (Visconti) It's Macbeth and Hamlet combined. Astonishing. What do you think?

-Robert.

Anonymous said...

John Hinde was great! Like you I'd watch him introduce movies and sometimes he was more the star attraction than the movie itself.

Ben.H said...

I still miss his radio reviews and TV introductions: "It's not a great movie - it's not even a good movie - but it does offer a few cheap giggles, here and there."

Ben.H said...

Of course, you could celebrate John Hinde's life by watching his star turn as Uncle Henry in Dallas Doll. Or perhaps not.

Ampersand Duck said...

Oh! I hadn't heard! How sad.

I was thinking about him a couple of days ago -- I'd put on an old video and there the dear fellow was, introducing the film. I rewound him and watched again, because it was just so delightful to see him.

What funny timing. I'm glad I kept the tape.

Anonymous said...

in his 92 years, no one ever found a way to get 'turkey slap' and 'john hinde' in the same sentence. amazing what happens after we die isn't it. he certainly deserves more attention than any of the BB housemates.

Zoe said...

My mum's got a stack of old tapes with him at the beginning. I was a big fan.

Val said...

I always thought he such a nice understated style, make that Style with a capital "S".

TimT said...

I remember him from all those old Friday night movie re-runs they used to have on the ABC when I was a kid. He was great. When I heard this news last night, it was like I'd lost a favourite old uncle.

Anonymous said...

I know this is pathetic, but I'd forgotten he existed until I saw the news saying that he'd died, and then I remembered who he was, and it bought me all this nostalgia for staying at my grandmother's house and watching him introduce the movies. Because where I lived we didn't get whatever channel it was he was on -- was it 7? I think so.

R.H. said...

Darlings, when you stop working you stop existing.
Is Don Burke alive anymore? Or Ian whatsisname from that cooking show? But he was funny, oh golly!

worldpeace and a speedboat said...

my mum met him twice in hospital and a nursing home whilst visiting different rellies. the second time was only about two months ago - he told her she was a lovely lady and asked her if she wouldn't mind wheeling him back to his room? he thought she was staff - mum's a nurse and acts it :)

she saw they were understaffed so she did, and had a lovely chat about the ABC. she says he was delightful.

Anonymous said...

I managed to commission an obituary from Tim Bowden for Screen Hub, which I will put up on Barista this weekend, so it doesn't get in the way of the sad announcement of David Heidelberg's death.

The point of this bit of self advertisement is just to say that it reminds us that John had a distinguished career as a journalist and war correspondent; he really only took to film reviews in a long and delicious retirement.

- barista

R.H. said...

Thanks for the news about David.

What a loss.

tigtog said...

I'll look forward to Tim Bowden's retrospective on John Hinde, barista, as he's such a fixture himself. And thank you for the obit for David Heidelberg, who will be missed.

I only realised he'd been a war correspondent when I read the SMH obit. His life was a grand adventure with a gentle twinkly retirement. Lucky man.