Muse by Craig Ranapia

By all accounts, Frank was a character as well as a character actor. We need more interesting old buggers like him on the screen.

three grand of dental work in the very near future

Moi, aussi. $4,500. Lucky us, eh?

I worked with Frank on radio, and years ago, when we were both very young things, I met him in London. I don't think he remembered the London meeting - well, just thinking about what I was like then, what could he have remembered? He was trying to get away from the Niuzillun thing anyway.

Definitely a crusty old bugger last time I saw him. I guess he must have been suffering.

Jeez. For that amount, you should have got a whole new head.

Are the amounts dentists charge justified?

I've been going to the same guy for 20 years or thereabouts. His aim was for complete maintenance, and he always looked for ways of keeping the costs down. In fact, his (and his partners') practice attracted whole Qantas flight crews, who would make appointments for their stopovers in Auckland because the prices were better than Oz, and the treatment was superb. Art form, definitely. So, yes, that price for what I need doing is probably quite realistic and justified. It'll just make my eyes water, that's all.

re the French Film Festival, The Age of Reason is a two-gun film. You might want the second if the first jams because you definitely won't want to live through it.

Try hard Amélie.

There's some other very good films though.

One definition of a character actor is someone whose face you're always glad to see, even if you can't quite put a name to it.

I've known who Frank Whitten was since he played the lead in the TV series Open House in the mid 80s (also really enjoyed Emily Perkins in that show). I seem to remember they showed us Vigil at school - something of a contrast. I always thought he was an excellent actor and I'm sad that we won't get the chance to see what he would have done next.