Prof. Neil Sinyard remembers "The Tenth Man"

At the Graham Greene International Festival in Deans' Hall, Berkhamsted School (Hertfordshire, England, UK) on the morning of Sunday 4th October 2009 Prof. Neil Sinyard brought down the curtain on the twelfth Festival, when he gave yet another in a series of witty and erudite talks illustrated by film. On this occasion his theme was "Forgotten Memories and the Mystery of The Tenth Man".

In 1937, Prof. Sinyard recalled, Greene had an idea for a film in which a rich man offered to give his entire wealth and possessions to anyone who would take his place at an execution. In 1944 the idea became a short novel, which he sold to MGM. Forty-one years later the same story was sold to an American publisher, who liked the tale so much that it was published in 1985. It was also filmed for television three years later in a version which starred Anthony Hopkins, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Derek Jacobi, and which earned three Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy for Derek Jacobi.

Prof. Sinyard taught in the Department of Film Studies at the University of Hull (England, UK). His many publications include Graham Greene: A Literary Life (2003), Jack Clayton (2000), Clint Eastwood (1995), Silent Movies (1995), Mel Gibson (1993), Marilyn (1992), Classic Movies (1988), Films of Steven Spielberg (1987), Filming Literature: The Art of Screen Adaptation (1986) and Journey Down Sunset Boulevard: Films of Billy Wilder (1979).

After his talk the Trustees, friends and guests gathered in Berkhamsted School's Old Hall for the Farewell Lunch, when the chairman of the Graham Greene Birthplace Trust, Giles Clark, thanked everyone for their work and support, hoped to see them next year and wished them "Bon Voyage".