The Fool's Pardon

A self-confessed non-conformist puritan, Kenneth Griffith's life and work as actor, writer and film-maker are testaments to the essential ambivalence of a complex and colourful character. His inherent anti-establishment mischievousness is coupled with a social idealism which has often brought him into conflict with the Great and the Good - and also won him a large number of devoted friends and colleagues. A leading light in the heyday of British film and theatre, Griffith went on to forge another career in the field of documentary film-making, maintaining an often uneasy relationship with the television industry and producing a range of acclaimed work on subjects as diverse as Cecil Rhodes, the Irish Republican Michael Collins, Napoleon, and the tragic story of Roger Casement.
He reflects on his quasi-Victorian upbringing in Wales, where he was marked as an outsider from an early age; his unexpected admission to the local grammar school where he first realised his talent for acting; his eventful if undistinguished career in the RAF during the war years; his eventual establishment as a major player in the West End theatre world, fulfulling his talent among peers such as Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and Joan Plowright; and of course, the hundred-plus films, among them "The Wild Geese" and "I'm All Right, Jack". Apart from being a life history, this book is also an insight into the motivation, or perhaps philosophy, of Kenneth Griffith. His often controversial political beliefs are presented with conviction and sincerity, making use of his extensive knowledge of, and long held interest in, the history and people of South Africa to argue the case for apartheid, for example. His unashamed support for the Irish Republican cause is also examined, and he comments on topics such as censorship (his two Irish films, both banned before release, have only recently been made available), British imperialism, the nature of acting, and the dangers of trade unionism.