I just processed one of the names you listed: Derek Jacobi.

It occurred to me that we'd seen your mystery guest before, and we did: October 31, 2019. From, of all people, you.

And it was Derek Jacobi that, then, led me to the correct name: Frederick Forsyth.

Haha! That’s funny! I should have checked Cliff’s list of previously used personalities. (Where, having now done so, I noticed that he spelled the last name wrong).

Of course it’s Frederick Forsyth. Author of thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Fourth Protocol, Avenger, Icon, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, etc. My last two clues would have been:

In 2016, I said I was giving up writing thrillers because my wife had told me I was too old to travel to dangerous places.

Twice married, I also had a relationship with actress Faye Dunaway. My autobiography is entitled “The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue.” (Arthur’s note: well worth reading).

Your turn, Bill.

Out of interest, here’s a list of the people who have been used more than once since this game started:

Barnum, P.T.
Barrymore, Drew
Daniels, William
Ellington, Duke
Forsyth, Frederick
Franklin, Benjamin
Goodall, Jane
Larson, Gary
Lee, Christopher
Nicholson, Jack
Oppenheimer, Robert
Raitt, John
Seagal, Steven
Slick, Grace
Ward, Burt

Waiting .......

...... and waiting .....

I'll have one tomorrow morning.

It's been a long day.

1. I was born in Cardiff, Wales.

2. My father was a wealthy shipbroker.

3. My first language was Norwegian.

Bjorn Jones.

I'm unfamiliar with Monsieur Jones, and it isn't he.

4. My older sister died from appendicitis when I was 3 years old, and my father died of pneumonia several weeks later, leaving a fortune assessed for probate of £158,917 10s. 0d. (equivalent to £6,526,073 in 2020).

That would be a tidy sum of $8,556,334.31. Not bad for a 3-year-old!

Well, there was still this 3-year-old's mom and sisters.

Ole Giggs?

Are we simply making up names now?

I can't find anyone named Ole Giggs. It's not he.

5. When I was eight years old, four of my friends and I were caned by our school's headmaster after putting a dead mouse in a jar of candy at the local sweet shop, which was owned by a "mean and loathsome" old woman named Mrs. Pratchett. The type of candy would betray my identity in a New York minute.

Actually, I’m using a technique employed by one of our participants to move things along. (Theodor Geisel as one of the Beat generation writers?)

But, admittedly, instead of guessing unrelated “real” personalities, for this round I’m inventing them by combining commonly used Welsh and Norwegian names. In the hope of moving things along.

But in all seriousness, are you referring to Roald Dahl?

In all seriousness, yes.

Mrs. Pratchett gave it away.

As an aside, I realized that Rodney Dangerfield was omitted from the list of names (see above) which had been used twice.

I was born in London in 1919; the youngest of nine children born to working class parents. My father delivered coal, and my mother cleaned trains in the evening.

I started to learn piano at the age of three and received four years of formal training. I was influenced by classical music as well as the records of Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller.

Though I was offered several scholarships, I opted to perform at a local pub for "25 bob a week" playing piano and accordion.

After sleeping on it, I've decided that I'm done here.

This used to be fun. Lately, not so much.

Do you mean the Café as a whole, Bill? Or just this thread?

Around 1942, I was recruited by the French-Italian violinist Stéphane Grappelli (domiciled in London during World War II) to join his band. I won six consecutive Top Pianist Melody Maker polls from this time onwards.

Just this thread.

In 1947, I emigrated to the United States, where my playing style (mixing swing, bop and classical influences) gained popularity. I performed with the Oscar Pettiford Trio, and led a jazz quartet with Buddy DeFranco.