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Last broadcast on Sun, 30 Oct 2011, 20:30 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts).
Synopsis
Matthew Bannister on
Elouise Cobell, who fought a long legal battle against the US government to recover billions of dollars owing to Native Americans.
Edmundo Ros, who brought Latin American music to the UK and taught the Queen how to dance the rumba
Gil Hayward, who helped to design the Tunny 2 codebreaking machine - which deciphered thousands of messages from German High Command during the second world war.
Powerful Hollywood agent Sue Mengers - one of her clients, Sir Michael Caine, pays tribute.
And Norman Corwin, who wrote, produced and directed acclaimed dramas during the golden age of American radio.
ELOUISE COBELL
Campaigner for Native American Indian rights who has died aged 65.
Elouise Cobell whose Blackfeet Nation name was Yellow Bird Woman, fought a legal battle against the American government for billions of dollars which it owed to Native Americans for the exploitation of their lands. The case lasted 15 years making it the largest ever government class-action. It was settled in 2009 with the federal government agreeing to pay $3.4 billion in compensation for mismanagement of Indian trust funds, after President Obama signed legislation passed by Congress.
Last Word spoke to her son Turk Cobell, to her lawyer Denis Gingold and to film director Melinda Janko.
Elouise Cobell was born 5 November 1945 died 16 October 2011.
SUE MENGERS
Hollywood 'super' agent to A-list stars who has died aged 79.
Sue Mengers was one of the most powerful Hollywood agents in the 1970s. She represented stars like Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Faye Dunaway. And her clients also included leading directors like Peter Bogdanovich, Mike Nichols and Sidney Lumet. This gave her substantial leverage in putting together packages which could decide whether or not a movie got made. One of her British clients was Michael Caine, then trying to break into Hollywood.
Matthew spoke to Sir Michael Caine.
Sue Mengers was born 2 September 1932 and died 15 October 2011.
GIL HAYWARD
Bletchley Park veteran, mathematician and engineer who has died aged 93.
Gil Hayward was one of the many unsung heroes of the top secret Bletchley Park code breaking operation during the Second World War. He helped to build the Tunny machine which deciphered messages from the German High Command and even Hitler himself. Gilbert Hayward – always known as Gil – was born in London and educated at Kilburn Grammar school. He was fascinated by machines and science as a child, building his own reflecting telescope.
Last Word went to Bletchley Park where we spoke to Gil’s son Mark and his second wife Maisie Hayward and to John Wetter, who helped to re-build the Tunny machine after the war.
Gil Hayward was born 16 October 1917 and died 9 October 2011.
EDMUNDO ROS
Popular bandleader who has died aged 100.
Edmundo Ros was the bandleader who brought Latin American music to the UK in the austerity days of the 1940’s and 1950’s. At the height of his popularity he sold millions of records, made regular appearances on TV and radio, and even taught the then Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to dance the rumba. One of Edmundo’s greatest fans is the composer Michael Nyman.
Matthew spoke to Michael Nyman.
Edmund William Ros OBE was born 7 December 1910 and died 21 October 2011.
NORMAN CORWIN
Legendary American radio writer-producer-director who has died aged 101.
Norman Corwin was a giant of the golden age of American radio. The prolific writer, director and producer made some of the most memorable dramas of the 1940s featuring many of America’s biggest stars. He entertained a generation of listeners tuned to the CBS Radio Network with landmark broadcasts and came to be known as the “poet laureate of radio”.
Matthew spoke to LA journalist Michael Linder.
Norman Corwin was born 3 May 1910 and died 18 October 2011.
Broadcasts
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Fri 28 Oct 201116:00
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Sun 30 Oct 201120:30
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