Leslie Ronald Frewin

Background

Leslie Ronald Frewin was born on August 8, 1917, in London, United Kingdom.

Career

Leslie Ronald Frewin distinguished himself in the entertainment industry, beginning in his late teens when he ran a jazz club. He also worked as a reviewer for magazines, including Le Hot Jazz and Musical Express. During World War II, Frewin served with the British Army in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He then joined Gainsborough Pictures film studio as an executive trainee and held a similar position at Gaumont-British Picture Corporation where he worked on more than fifty films.

Later, Frewin worked for Elstree Studios as head of its publicity department. During the course of his career, he worked for Walt Disney Productions (currently The Walt Disney Company), Twentieth Century-Fox, and John Huston, among others. He was a public affairs consultant to companies such as Caterpillar and Texas Instruments and was the founder and partner of the architectural firm Terance Verity Associates.

By the time when Leslie Ronald Frewin became an established author, he tried himself as a publisher as well founding Leslie Frewin Books which issued some of his own works. His first book, ‘Battledress Ballads’ which appeared in 1943, was followed by other publications, including ‘Did Not Hear the Laughter’, ‘The Importance of Being Oscar (Wilde)’, ‘The Late Mrs. Dorothy Parker’, and (as Mark Nicholls) ‘Investigating Gunpowder Plot’.

Frewin also wrote ‘Blonde Venus’, a volume about actress Marlene Dietrich, and ‘The Wit of Peter Ustinov’, which concerns bits of humor from the actor he had served with during World War II. Frewin also adapted his book on Dorothy Parker into a play called ‘Dottie’. In addition, he edited various books on the sport of cricket, including ‘The Poetry of Cricket’, ‘Cricket Bag’, and ‘The Best of Cricket's Fiction’.

Achievements

• Leslie Ronald Frewin is an accomplished author and critic. He contributed to the American entertainment industry while collaborating with Elstree Studios, Walt Disney Productions (The Walt Disney Company), Twentieth Century-Fox, and John Huston, among others.
  
  He penned comprehensive biographies of such well-known cinema personalities as Marlene Dietrich, Peter Ustinov, and Dorothy Parker.

Works

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• book

  • Investigating Gunpowder Plot

    (This book attempts to examine the ways in which the gover...)

    1991
  • Blond Venus: A life of Marlene Dietrich

    (The story of an international personality and most glamor...)

    1956
  • Battledress Ballads 1943
  • The Importance of Being Oscar 1986
  • The Late Mrs. Dorothy Parker 1987
  • The Boundary Book 1963

Personality

Leslie Ronald Frewin donated some of his book’s proceeds to underprivileged children through charities such as The Lord's Taverners.