logo
episode-header-image
Sep 1986
33m 38s

Richard Condon

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Richard Condon has written 23 novels since becoming a full-time writer at the age of 42. These include The Manchurian Candidate and Prizzi's Honour. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, he talks about his upbringing in Manhattan, his career in the film world where he ended up as a publicity executive for Walt Disney, and his escape into writing.

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

Favourite track: Baubles, Bangles and Beads by Peggy Lee Book: Boy Scout manual Luxury: Calendar watch

Up next
Dec 1990
Keith Floyd
The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is television cook Keith Floyd. Renowned for his garrulous charm as much as for his culinary expertise, he'll be describing the chronicle of failure that dogged him through spells in the Army, as a cub reporter, as an antiques dealer ... Show More
31m 59s
Dec 1990
Brian Keenan
Last August the world rejoiced at the liberation of a man who, to all intents and purposes, had vanished from its face more than four years previously. A pale and gaunt Brian Keenan emerged from a captivity of appalling deprivation and isolation after being kidnapped in Beirut by ... Show More
37m 1s
Dec 1990
Sir Eduardo Paolozzi
The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is one of the great European artists of today - Eduardo Paolozzi. One of his positions is Her Majesty's Sculptor In-ordinary for Scotland - a post rather like the Poet Laureate for Sculpture, but with no duties attached to it. But suc ... Show More
37m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Richard Osman, writer and broadcaster
Richard Osman is a broadcaster, TV producer and writer who co-presents the quiz show Pointless on BBC One. His first novel, The Thursday Murder Club, was a publishing phenomenon, selling more than a million copies, and the follow-up became one of the fastest-selling titles since ... Show More
35 m
Mar 2004
Bill Nighy
This week Sue's castaway is the award winning actor Bill Nighy. Originally from Caterham in Surrey, he left school at 15 without any qualifications and ended up working at his local employment office. He hoped to become an author and began work on The Field magazine as a messenge ... Show More
33m 41s
Dec 2022
Richard E Grant, actor
Richard E Grant was born in Swaziland, now Eswatini, one of the smallest countries in Africa, and took his first steps as an actor as a teenager in the local amateur theatre company.He studied Drama and English at Cape Town University in South Africa, and moved to London in 1982, ... Show More
35m 57s
Dec 1996
Martin Amis
Sue Lawley's guest on Desert Island Discs today is the writer Martin Amis. He describes his books as comedies, but, like London Fields and Other People, they are frequently dark and disturbing.He says that he has no choice as to the subjects of his books. "They come from nowhere ... Show More
37m 31s
Dec 1999
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
Sue Lawley's guest this week is Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. His musicals dominate London's West End, including Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Starlight Express. He traces a career which began more than 30 years ago when he teamed up with Tim Rice to write Joseph and the Amazing Tech ... Show More
36m 27s
May 2016
Richard the Lionheart
Richard the Lionheart has been portrayed on screen by Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Patrick Stewart, quite a starry list. But what is the reality behind the legend of this famous king? Richard's nominator is Timmy Mallett, a legend of children's TV but also unexpectedly a his ... Show More
27m 40s
Jun 2021
Richard Wilson, actor and director
Richard Wilson is an actor and director who became a household name when he played the part of Victor Meldrew in the BBC sitcom One Foot in the Grave. Richard was born in Greenock in Scotland in 1936. As a child he performed in amateur drama productions and harboured a secret des ... Show More
37m 19s
Nov 2021
Neil Gaiman, writer
Neil Gaiman is a writer whose list of titles spans many forms from novels, including American Gods, to children’s stories such as Coraline and the comic book the Sandman. Neil grew up in East Grinstead and after finishing school he became a journalist and then wrote short stories ... Show More
34m 59s
Dec 2022
Steven Spielberg, director
Steven Spielberg is the most successful director of his generation and the highest-grossing director of all time: his films have taken more than $10 billion worldwide. From Jaws to E.T. and Jurassic Park to Schindler’s List, his storytelling has captivated audiences around the wo ... Show More
36m 15s
Apr 1984
Leo McKern
Leo McKern tried various careers like engineering and art before he decided to become an actor. Although he now concentrates mainly on films and television, he did several seasons at the Old Vic and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre after the war. In conversation with Roy Plomley, ... Show More
36m 37s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami