Father and Son - The Bob Kerridge Story

Harper Collins 2004 edition
Father and Son tells the story of two men, both named Robert James Kerridge. The elder, Sir Robert Kerridge, rose from humble beginnings to become one of this country's richest men. In the 30s and 40s, his Kerridge Odeon chain of movie theatres grew from a single theatre in Gisborne to dominate the local entertainment industry. As a flamboyant movie mogul, he was famous for having three wives, numerous mistresses and illegitimate children, and possessed of both great personal charm and foresight, as well as a reputation for hard-nosed business acumen. His son Robert (Bob) was the classic poor little rich boy. Driven to school in a Rolls Royce, with a model railway that occupied the entire top floor of the family's Glen Dowie Mansion, he travelled to Hollywood with his father, where he met Lassie and fell in Cecil B DeMille's swimming pool, he was also lonely and deprived of a mother's love and affection. His mother left him behind and moved to Italy when her marriage to Sir Robert ended. His father then married one of his mistresses, and the mother of two of his illegitimate children, who would eventually challenge Sir Robert's estate in a bitter and protracted legal battle. Bob initially worked in his father's company, but eventually moved out to start his own advertising agency, and after the controversial collapse of the Pacer Kerridge company in the 1980s, he abandoned the corporate life and turned his back on the world his father had created. As a lonely child his favourite companion had been a small dog, and his resulting lifelong love of animals led him to a new focus - as CEO of the SPCA, where his flair for fundraising and dynamic vision for the society has caused a number of controversies and upheavals. Now acknowledged as a passionate and eloquent advocate for animal rights, Bob is the face of the SPCA and his story of a life in the shadow of a loving but dominating father makes fascinating reading...