... HOWARD DE COURCY died on March 9, 1990. De Courcy was born in Switzer land in 1914 and came to Egnland the following year Having trained for the hotel profession, attending the re nowned hotel school at Lausanne in Switzerland, he then became interested in magic and learnt the art under the auspices of Will Goldston. His first professional performance was at the Windmill Theatre. He then ...

... Sir Ian Jacob LIEUT-GENERAL SIR IAN JACOB, GBE, CB, Director-General of the BBC from 1952 to 1960, died on April 24 at the age of 93. Son of a distinguished soldier, Field-Marshal Sir Claud Jacob, he was educated at Wellington and the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1918, later obtaining a BA at King's College, Cambridge. He served in India for five ...

... ARNAUD D'USSEAU has died in New York aged 73. after a complication resulting from surgery for stomach cancer. He was the co-author with his fellow American writer, James Gow, of two highly successful political dramas, Tomorrow the World, which ran at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York for 500 performances in 1943/4 and at the Aldwych, London for 398 performances in 1944/5, and Deep Are the ...

... a cinema-owning family, but was more interested in the live side and went into the agency business before the war. For many years he was based in Park Lane, but moved to Brighton and carried on his business there for the past few years. Ken Dodd writes: Dave Forrester was the only agent I ever had. I signed with him when I began my professional career in 1954, and not only was he a wonderful ...

... theatre, such as Mister Roberts, Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific and Paint Your Wagon, has died aged 79. Born in Texas, he was educated at Princeton and won a scholarship which took him for a time to Moscow. On his return to Princeton he became heavily involved in drama, joining the Ivy League Theatre Group, a company which included James Stewart (his Prin ceton roommate), Henry Fonda and ...

... big band classics, died in Woodland Hills, Califor nia on June 17 at the age of 73. He preceded Frank Sinatra in the Dorsey band, which he joined in 1937 and in which he remained until being called up for military service. ...

... One of Portsmoutfis best known dance band leaders and musicians, BENNY FREEDMAN, died at St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, on January 14. He began his musical career as an accompanist for silenl films, but later formed his own bands in London and then at Folkestone He moved to Portsmouth in 1946 on beinq appointed resident leader at the Savoy Ballroom, Southsea, where he was musical director ...

... J.W. Lambert J. W. LAMBERT, better known as Jack Lambert, who died suddenly on August 3 aged 69, was a critic who played a notable part in arts affairs, in addition to being a top-flight all-round journalist. Educated at Tonbridge School, he went straight into journalism, becoming editor of The Fruit-Grower. Florist and Market Gardener at the age of 22 In the same year, 1939, he wrote The ...

... BILLY GRAY, who died aged 74, was a member of the famous juggling family and the younger brother of Monsewer Eddie Gray. While still in his teens, Billy became an established solo act and played at long forgotten halls like the Canterbury and the South London Palace I met Billy in the early fifties when he was on a variety bill with a mutual friend. Max Miller. Many years later, Billy gave a ...

... Manchester Library Theatre boss dies The sudden death on December 18 of HOWARD LLOYD-LEWIS, artistic direc tor of Manchester Library Theatre Com pany, came as a tremendous shock to all associated with the company, as well as to a host of friends in and out of the profession. Howard, who leaves a widow, Janie, and three sons, joined the Library Theatre in 1973 as co-director, and for the ...

... Ray Moore EIGHTEEN months after he was di agnosed as suffering from cancer, RAY MOORE died on January 12, just over a year after giving up his long-running early morning show on Radio 2 He was 47. Born in Liverpool, and always remind ing his listeners of the fact, Ray Moore began working in the docks, but he had a short career in the theatre, primarily as a stage manager but also occasionally ...

... Although JACKIE VERNON, who died in Hollywood on November 10 aged 63. had made only one brief appearance in London, at the Palladium, he was recoq nised as one of the leading night club comedians in the United States, having just completed a year's engagement at the Marina Hotel, Las Vegas Born Ralph Verrone in the Bronx, he earned a living as a musician and small time comic until the mid ...