I was just watching one of Frank's few forays as a film actor ("Innocents in Paris", 1953, in a brief scene with Jimmy Edwards) and was prompted to view your delightful site. There are lots of tributes to Frank's literary abilities, but here's a very simple story illustrating what a thoroughly nice man he was too.
I was working in Broadcasting House, London, and happened to pass him and a high-up BBC Producer, walking along a basement corridor. Following the general rule that BBC staff should not bother the celebrities without good reason, I just nodded to them as I approached. As expected, the high-up Producer totally ignored me, but Frank looked my way, flashed that incredible Muir smile, and said hello.I had never met him before, and as the engineers were usually regarded as "invisible", it really made my day, I can tell you! He was the very essence of the witty English gentleman, and the loss of his talents as a creative and accomplished wordsmith is a very sad loss to British literature and entertainment.- Keith Rainbow
Keith then added a PS in his next email:
Ordinary staff often encountered "celebrities" while carrying out duties the Beeb, but I recollect that very few were as highly regarded as Frank.