Film, Television and Radio

The most valuable - and in fact the only - book on Coward's film career is 'Noël Coward On Film' by Barry Day. It provides a detailed view of Coward's film career as an actor, writer, composer, producer and director.

From his walk on part in DW Griffith's 1918 film 'Hearts of the World' to his authorship of the film adaptation of his play 'Still Life' as 'Brief Encounter' in 1945, Coward made a considerable impact!

As a film actor he is probably best remembered for his cameo roles in 'Around the World in 80 Days', Our Man in Havana" and the ubiquitous 'The Itallian Job'. An unsung early film with a strong cult following is Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 'The Scoundrel' in which Coward plays an unattractive 'hero'. It features many of Coward's New York contemporaries in minor roles and is sadly not yet available on VHS or DVD.

It is his track record as a writer that echoes most strongly in film with adaptations of Blithe Spirit, This Happy Breed, Cavalcade and Bitter Sweet and of course Brief Encounter. His war-time classic 'In Which We Serve' won a special Oscar. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) provides detailed listings of his film work and includes modern films where his music is used.

His later appearances in films were sketchy and not always of great note but his appearance in the tense Otto Preminger film 'Bunny Lake is Missing' shows Coward exercising great skill as the greasy caretaker/neighbour in the apartments where the main characters are staying.

His appearance in early films such as The Astonished Heart, again an adaptation of a Coward play, with Margaret Leighton and his companion Graham Payn in a minor role is the only time we see him in any kind of leading romantic role as a man tormented by love and his own passion. 

Three of the plays from 'Tonight at 8:30' were adapted for a compendium piece called 'Tonight at 8:30 aka 'Meet Me Tonight' and featured Ways and Means, Red Peppers and Fumed Oak.