John Russell Taylor obituary

<p>Film and art critic and cultural historian who wrote an authorised biography of Alfred Hitchcock</p><p>John Russell Taylor, who has died aged 90, was a critic, biographer and cultural historian whose work helped to shape the understanding of theatre and cinema in postwar Britain.</p><p>As a theatre, film and art critic for the Times for more than four decades – and the author of 40 books – he introduced readers to new movements, actors and directors with a clarity of style that brought intellectual weight without losing accessibility. He also became Alfred Hitchcock’s authorised biographer, producing in 1978 Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock, a book that opened up the master of suspense to general readers and scholars alike.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/06/john-russell-taylor-obituary">Continue reading...</a>