22 Facts About Philip French

Philip Neville French was an English film critic and radio producer.

Philip French began writing for The Observer in 1963 and retired as film critic in 2013, but continued to write until his death.

Philip French was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in December 2012.

Philip French undertook post-graduate study in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington, on a scholarship.

Philip French entered journalism as a reporter at the Bristol Evening Post in 1957.

Philip French was theatre critic of the New Statesman between 1967 and 1968 and deputy film critic to David Robinson at The Times for some years.

Philip French was the film critic of The Observer from 1978, but had begun writing for the paper in 1963.

Philip French's books include The Movie Moguls: An Informal History of the Hollywood Tycoons and Westerns, which reappeared in a revised version in 2005.

Philip French wrote the book Cult Movies together with Karl French, one of his sons.

Between 1959 and 1990, when he took early retirement, Philip French was a BBC Radio producer.

Philip French was a BBC talks producer and then a senior producer for the corporation from 1968.

Philip French was named the British Press Awards Critic of the Year in 2009.

Philip French was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to film.

At the beginning of May 2013 it was announced that Philip French would retire as film critic for The Observer in August to coincide with his 80th birthday.

Philip French was fond of recalling the B-movie actor who, having exchanged life in Hollywood for a typewriter, called his memoir Forgive Us Our Press Passes.

Philip French and his Swedish-born wife Kersti Molin had three sons.

Philip French's youngest son, Karl, is an editor and author.

Philip French was a brilliant critic whose erudition and judgement were respected by generations of cinema lovers and film-makers alike.

Philip French was a joy to work with, unfailingly warm and generous to colleagues and to the thousands of readers he encountered.

Philip French is revered as one of the most astute critics of his generation, whose love of film shone through his lucid and engaging writing.

Philip French will be missed sorely, but he will be remembered with affection and respect by his legion of admirers.

Philip French was a very funny man, with a slightly grim comic view of the world and this obsessive thing about puns.