Milton Shulman facts for kids

Milton Shulman (born September 1, 1913 – died May 24, 2004) was a Canadian writer and critic. He was known for reviewing films and plays. From 1943, he lived and worked in the United Kingdom.

Milton Shulman's Early Life

Milton Shulman was born in Toronto, Canada. His father was a successful shop owner. Milton's parents came from Ukraine. They left the Russian Empire because of poverty and persecution against Jewish people.

Milton's father passed away at a young age from the flu. But he had already built a successful business. He owned three hat shops and a men's clothing store.

Milton went to Harbord Collegiate school. Then he studied for four years at the University of Toronto. He really wanted to be a writer. However, he first studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School. He became a lawyer in Ontario just before World War II began in 1939.

Serving in World War II

After a quiet period at the start of the war, Milton Shulman joined the Canadian army. He became an officer in the Canadian Armoured Corps. In June 1943, he was sent to England.

He worked in London as a captain. His job was in a secret intelligence unit called MI 14b. They gathered information about the German army's formations.

Three months before D-Day, he joined the Canadian Army Headquarters. By the end of the war, he was an intelligence officer. He worked with the First Canadian Army.

Interviewing German Generals

While still in the army, Milton interviewed many captured German generals. These included Gerd von Rundstedt and Kurt Meyer. Based on these talks, he wrote a book about World War II.

The book was called Defeat in the West. It was published in 1947. This book is still available today.

Career in London

In 1948, Milton Shulman started working for the London newspaper Evening Standard. For over 40 years, he wrote reviews. He covered theatre, film, television, and politics. He was known for his sharp humor.

From 1953 to 1991, he was the theatre critic for the Standard. He also wrote a weekly column until 1996. Before that, he was the film critic for the Standard and later for Vogue magazine.

For 18 years, he was a regular guest on Stop The Week. This was a popular talk show on BBC Radio 4.

Writing Books and Plays

During his time as a critic, Milton also wrote several books. He wrote two novels: The Victors (1963) and Kill Three (1967).

He also wrote a series of children's books called Preep. Milton wrote two serious books about how television affects people. These were The Ravenous Eye (1973) and The Least Worst Television in the World (1973). He even wrote a play for BBC Two called Kill Three.

Milton Shulman also worked with fellow critic Herbert Kretzmer. They wrote the story for the comedy film Every Home Should Have One (1970). Later, they turned the movie script into a book.

Awards and Notable Reviews

In 1966, Milton Shulman received the IPA Award. He was named Critic of the Year.

In 1956, he wrote a very strong review of a musical. It was called Wild Grows the Heather. He said the plot "moved at the pace of cold porridge going uphill." He later found out that the director had given free tickets to Boy Scouts. The director told them to cheer loudly to make the show seem popular.

In 1980, Milton helped create the London Theatre Associate awards. These awards recognized new and revived plays. They focused on smaller, community-based theatre groups.

A Critic's Controversy

In 1994, a book called The Aisle is Full of Noises was published. It was written by another critic, Michael Coveney. The book included some funny but not very kind comments about Milton Shulman.

Milton was very upset by these comments. He considered taking legal action. The publisher eventually withdrew the book from sale.

Milton Shulman's Family Life

Milton Shulman married his first wife, Joyce, in Toronto in 1943. This was two months before he left for England. They divorced in 1948.

He met journalist Drusilla Beyfus in 1951. He described her as a very charming and popular person. After a long time, they married on June 6, 1956.

Milton and Drusilla had three children: Alexandra Shulman (born 1957), Nicola Shulman (born 1960), and Jason Shulman (born 1963). The family later moved to Belgravia. Milton joked that his family was like "an epidemic" because so many of them became journalists or writers.

Milton Shulman passed away in London at the age of 90. His son Jason, who is an artist, used some of his ashes in a piece of art. This artwork was shown in a gallery in 2006.