The King’s Speech, the Oscar-winning film starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, is to have a sequel, The Londoner understands, entitled The King’s War set in the 1940s.
The original film followed the future George VI’s relationship with his speech therapist Lionel Logue as he struggled to overcome his stammer at the point at which his brother abdicated and he was unexpectedly made King. Mark Logue, the grandson of the therapist who helped George VI, who collaborated on the film, has now published The King’s War about the two men’s continued friendship.
“Film and TV companies are keen to make a movie of the follow-up book,” the book’s publisher, Richard Milner, told us last night. “Including See Saw Films, which made the original. They have seen the interest in and positive sales already of the book,” he added.
The King’s War was co-written with Sunday Times journalist Peter Conradi, and was launched at Daunt Books in Holland Park last night.
Firth, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of George VI, said in 2010 that he did not want to reprise the role, however, he will be approached for the project, we understand.
The King’s War is based on new papers and letters of Lionel Logue, an Australian, and shows the warmth of the relationship that developed between king and speech therapist as Britain was plunged into war with Nazi Germany and the king’s words to the nation became crucial.
Some anecdotes show, however, that King George didn’t always follow Logue’s advice.
The book recounts how Logue would edit out words the King stumbled on in speeches. In one he removed the word “weapon”. But King George attempted the word anyway and, inevitably, stumbled. “I did it on purpose,” the royal told Logue with a grin.
“If I don’t make a mistake, people might not know it was me.”
Wavering disloyalty
Nadine Dorries missed the European Research Group’s meeting last night, but sent a seven-point tirade to fellow rebels via WhatsApp. She accused ERG members who had not submitted their letters of no confidence in Theresa May of “letting the ERG down as a group” and behaving “above their station”. Separately, John Whittingdale, a key ERG member and former minister, says that a newspaper’s decision to publish rebels’ email addresses — in a bid to encourage readers to reprimand them for their disloyalty to the PM — has, conversely, prompted a flood of public support in his inbox.
--
Norman Tebbit, the former Conservative Party chairman and author of The Game Cook, had a sinister trick to aid his concentration while shooting: “I gave the birds names as they come towards me.” He shot pheasants he called “Jeremy Corbyn” on two occasions and “it created sheer joy”. That’s modern compassionate Conservatism for you.
--
Westminster Constituency Labour Party’s decision to invite Chris Williamson MP to speak prompted UCL’s Labour Society to call him an “anti-Semite” and sever ties with the CLP. The Jewish Labour Movement hopes this “adds to the voices calling for the party to take action against him”. Williamson has denied being anti-Semitic.
How Baddiel repaid his bankers’ bonus
David Baddiel recalls performing a private gig at a bankers’ Christmas do around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. As part of the gig, he told Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, they had provided him with information so that he could make personalised jokes. “I’ve got a bit of paper here that tells me what you people are,” he said on stage.
But seized by the moment he felt “honour-bound to open it and go ‘c**ts’ and then shut it again”. The audience exploded in rage.
“I said, ‘Goodnight and thanks for the 14 grand.’ Absolute hell broke loose.”
Rosamund joins war correspondents for Vhernier lunch
Vhernier hosted a lunch for A Private War yesterday, a new film that depicts Marie Colvin’s life, where guests included Rosamund Pike, the star of the biopic, and co-star Tom Hollander.
Pike, who said she “sort of fell in love” with Colvin while preparing for the role, was joined by war correspondents Christiane Amanpour, Christina Lamb and Lindsey Hilsum — all colleagues of Colvin, as well as her photographer Paul Conroy, Sunday Times magazine editor Eleanor Mills and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup. Amanpour has described her friend as “a lioness — she seemed to be indestructible”. The pair last collaborated in Libya, prior to the 2011 Revolution. Across town actor and comedian Mawaan Rizwan joined Tim Foskett and Henry Conway at the press night of How To Catch A Krampus at The Pleasance Theatre. For Rizwan, acting is a family affair: his mother, Shahnaz, is a famous Bollywood actor, while his brother, Nabhaan, recently starred in the BBC drama Informer.
SW1A
Boris Johnson is the target of a crowdfunded private prosecution, which accuses him of “misconduct in public office”. BrexitJustice has raised 17 per cent of its £500,000 with 38 days left and claims that “Mr Johnson abused the public trust by lying about the UK’s spending on EU membership during the Brexit referendum”. Initially, it had wanted to bring prosecutions against several campaigners, but focused on Johnson because it had “significantly more evidence against [him]”.
--
Philip Hammond has revealed that he writes most of his own (questionable) gags. “Usually they come to me first thing in the morning when I wake up,” he told Peston last night. Quick as a flash, Labour’s Angela Eagle tweeted: “That explains the toilet jokes then.”
--
Jacob Rees-Mogg writes in The Spectator that in a leadership election “I would not throw my hat into the ring as I fear it would be thrown back ‘Oddjob’ style”.
Quote of the Day
‘No, I can’t forgive them for what they’ve done’ Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell gets into the spirit of “kinder, gentler politics” when asked whether he could ever be friends with a Tory
