For years John Dark was one of Britain's leading film producers. His films include the first 'Casino Royale'. 'There's a Girl in my Soup', 'The Land That Time Forgot' and 'Shirley Valentine'.

'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' is his no-holds-barred, no-feelings-spared autobiography.

A master raconteur, John Dark introduces us to his world of hunting for Orson Welles's noses in Hong Kong, of nude photo-shoots with Ursula Andress, of private concerts given by Liza Minnelli - and of despair at the debacle that was 'El Dorado'.

But he also introduces us to the private John Dark - John the son, the wartime evacuee, the conscript in Kenya, the drapery salesman; John the lover, husband, father, friend.

'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' will tell you what the words 'Produced by .' really mean - not just in terms of the job's responsibilities, its perks and privileges, but in terms too of the sometimes tremendous cost it exacts.

In one of his conversations with Orson Welles, the screen legend refers to film-making as a "fascinating business". 'Dark at the Top of the Stairs' is a fascinating read about that fascinating business.