The son of a London shop owner whose place of business was made famous in a charming epistolary book, this rather colorful figure played a significant role in wartime intelligence activities involving clandestine communications. Later, he was responsible for a highly-regarded but once controversial horror film, and he was also the voice of evil in an even more controversial film released nearly 20 years ago. Who was he, what was his father's business, and what are those two films?

queproblema

I would love for this to have something to do with "84 Charing Cross Road," but I can't find that Frank Doel or any of his kin were ever spies. No, it's not, it's not quite coming into focus, but the business was indeed a bookstore, right? Jun 24 07, 4:57 PM

lanfranco

Well, qp, you are certainly on the right track. Frank was lovely, bless his heart, but he didn't own the store. Jun 24 07, 5:16 PM

queproblema

I was getting sidetracked into "Charlotte Gray." So now I found the owners, but nothing on them. I'll go putter and mutter and muse amidst my flowers.... I'm far too sweet a girl to have ever watched a horror film, unless you count "The Wizard of Oz." Jun 24 07, 5:29 PM

queproblema

Marks & Co., the bookstore at 84 Charing Cross Road, was owned by Ben Marks and Mark Cohen. Marks' son, Leo, was a cryptographer for the Special Operations Executive during WWII. Later he wrote the script for "Peeping Tom," (1960) and was the voice of Satan in "The Last Temptation of Christ." (1988) http://www.64-baker-street.org/people/people_leo_marks_obituary.html Jun 24 07, 11:08 PM

lanfranco

That's the guy, qp, and an interesting life he had. I must look out for "Peeping Tom," of which I'd never heard until recently. A silver scytale for you! Jun 25 07, 7:08 AM

queproblema

Ides' stoma sonata omni cystrachy tal prastusto erog truria mal sapien hinder turgid. Jun 25 07, 10:04 AM