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 Despite
his huge popularity and prolific output, just three decades after
his death, author Dennis Wheatley has been all but forgotten, his
occult novels a footnote in history. Three of his books were adapted
into Hammer films - The Devil Rides Out, To The Devil A Daughter
and Uncharted Seas (as Lost Continent).
BBC4
are running a season of programmes during October under the Lost
Decade banner, looking at the decade after the second World
War and the changing shape of Britain. A season of documentaries
and classic films.
On
Saturday 15th October they're screening a documentary on John Wyndham
followed by the film of his most famous book Day of the Triffids.
Then
on Saturday 29th October there is a documentary (repeated on Monday
31st October) hosted by biographer Phil Baker on Dennis Wheatley
- A Letter To Posterity. The hour long piece looks at his 70
books, 50 million copies sold, his interest in the occult, and includes
an interview with Christopher Lee. The film also includes interviews
with Wheatley's son Anthony, occultist Mogg Morgan, critic and friend
Anthony Lejeune, authority on British popular fiction Clive Bloom,
historian Philip Murphy and Kate Bradley, from Book Club Associates.
The
Saturday screening is being followed by a broadcast of Hammer's
classic The Devil Rides Out, starring Christopher Lee, Patrick
Mower, Paul Eddington, Sarah Lawson and Charles Grey.
Further
details on the season can be found here.
Full
details on the BBC documentary can be found here.
Dennis
Wheatley
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