Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
John Paddy Carstairs
Roy Plomley's castaway is writer and filmmaker John Paddy Carstairs.
Favourite track: Swan Lake (Act 2) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Book: Thesaurus by Roget
Luxury: Piano
12/7/1959 • 5 minutes, 23 seconds
Joan Sutherland
Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Joan Sutherland.
Favourite track: Mira, O Norma by Vincenzo Bellini
Book: Memoirs of Jenny Lind by Otto Goldschmidt
Luxury: Bed
11/23/1959 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
Benny Hill
Roy Plomley's castaway is comedian Benny Hill.
Favourite track: Le Gamin de Paris by Yves Montand
Book: Collection of language courses
Luxury: Film camera
11/16/1959 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
Alfred Hitchcock (1959)
Roy Plomley's castaway on Desert Island Discs is film director Alfred Hitchcock.
Favourite track: Siegfried's Horn Call by Richard Wagner
Book: Household Management by Mrs Beeton
Luxury: Continental railway timetable
This is the only extract the BBC has of this episode of Desert Island Discs.
10/19/1959 • 7 minutes, 36 seconds
Dave Brubeck
Roy Plomley's castaway is jazz musician Dave Brubeck.
Book: Encyclopaedia
Luxury: Piano
10/12/1959 • 17 minutes, 6 seconds
Sir Leonard Hutton
Roy Plomley's castaway is cricketer Sir Leonard Hutton.
Book: History of cricket
Luxury: Golf clubs
9/7/1959 • 6 minutes, 36 seconds
John Snagge
Roy Plomley's castaway is radio presenter John Snagge.
Book: The Little World of Don Camillo by Giovannino Guareschi
Luxury: Painting by Rembrandt
8/31/1959 • 2 minutes, 5 seconds
Lotte Lehmann
Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Lotte Lehmann.
Book: Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Luxury: Paintbox
6/22/1959 • 15 minutes, 18 seconds
Judy Grinham
Roy Plomley's castaway is world champion swimmer Judy Grinham.
Favourite track: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye by Ella Fitzgerald
Book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Luxury: Typewriter and paper
3/9/1959 • 2 minutes, 26 seconds
John Osborne
Roy Plomley's castaway is actor and playwright John Osborne.
Luxury: Perfume
1/19/1959 • 6 minutes, 17 seconds
Elena Gerhardt
Roy Plomley's castaway is mezzo-soprano Elena Gerhardt.
Book: A philosophical work by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Luxury: Tapestry-making kit
11/10/1958 • 14 minutes
Richard Dimbleby
Roy Plomley's castaway is journalist and broadcaster Richard Dimbleby.
Luxury: Piano
10/13/1958 • 5 minutes, 45 seconds
Alicia Markova
Roy Plomley's castaway is prima ballerina Alicia Markova.
Luxury: Perfume
9/22/1958 • 5 minutes, 43 seconds
Elsie & Doris Waters
Roy Plomley's castaways are comedians Elsie & Doris Waters.
Book: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith
Luxury: Sunshade and a garbage disposal unit
8/11/1958 • 6 minutes, 18 seconds
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
Book: French cookery book
Luxury: Sun-tan oil
7/28/1958 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
Lupino Lane
Roy Plomley's castaway is comedian Lupino Lane.
Luxury: Camera
12/30/1957 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
Christopher Stone
Roy Plomley's castaway is DJ Christopher Stone.
Luxury: Paper and fountain pen
9/23/1957 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
Leopold Stokowski
Roy Plomley's castaway is conductor Leopold Stokowski.
Luxury: Tape recorder
8/19/1957 • 5 minutes, 17 seconds
Fred Streeter
Roy Plomley's castaway is horticulturalist Fred Streeter.
Book: Gardening dictionary
Luxury: Greenhouse for growing orchids
7/15/1957 • 14 minutes, 11 seconds
Dennis Brain
Roy Plomley's castaway is French horn player Dennis Brain.
Book: Back numbers of motor magazines
Luxury: Typewriter and paper
8/13/1956 • 12 minutes, 55 seconds
Tex Ritter
Roy Plomley's castaway is actor and singer Tex Ritter.
Luxury: Cards and guitar
7/23/1956 • 6 minutes, 7 seconds
Jim Laker
Roy Plomley's castaway is cricketer Jim Laker.
Luxury: Cricket ball and a piano
7/9/1956 • 4 minutes, 55 seconds
Tod Slaughter
Roy Plomley's castaway is actor Tod Slaughter.
Luxury: Harmonica
3/24/1955 • 5 minutes, 38 seconds
Kirsten Flagstad
Roy Plomley's castaway is soprano Kirsten Flagstad.
Luxury: Knitting needles and wool