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From: Simon Category: Life Date: 28 December 2008 Time: 04:40 PM Review: Harold Pinter wrote some of the U.K.'s best post war plays, he also directed a couple of fine plays by Simon Gray, he wrote the screenplays of several good films, he was a reasonable actor, a well meaning poet, he was anti-war and so on and so on. Pinter made crowds think about how people treat one another. He forced us to think about how man lies and bullies other men. Let's be honest about this - all men are liars, and that's the truth. Meanwhile, Eartha Kitt was the number one seducer of an audience. She was purrrrfect. Pinter and Kitt both dies this Christmas time. It's sad for both their families and for people like me whose lives they made better. In 1962 Orson Welles directed an astonishing version of Kafka's The Trial. Kafka was one of Pinter's heroes. You can see his influence in Pinter plays such as The Birthday Party. Orson Welles once said of Eartha Kitt: "she is the most exciting woman alive." I like this quote. When I think of Eartha I smile. I think of her winding up US president's wife with comments about "sending the best of this country off to be shot". But the best thing about Eartha was her voice and purrrr. I'm so glad I got to see Eartha live. She once said: "I lone men and like to get their attention. Shine on Eartha Love from Simon