Judi Dench

And Furthermore Judi Dench as told to John Miller. St. Martin's Press: 268 pp., $26.99.

SUSAN KING'S "encounter" with Judi Dench was delightful reading ["Haughty, Yet Bawdy," Dec. 11]. Unfortunately, she failed to mention Judi's wonderfully sensitive role in "Ladies in Lavender," which is well worth seeing and out on DVD. I hope this gem will not be overlooked by those seeking beautifully crafted entertainment. LYNNE WELCH Los Angeles

IT was mostly memory that put me into a seat for "Mrs. Henderson Presents," and memory was well served ["The Actors in Their Own Words: Judi Dench," by John Horn, March 5]. This film is terrific, and Judi Dench in the title role gives a performance equal to or better than I've seen in my 80 years of film viewing. In wartime years, every soldier and sailor stationed in or visiting London felt it a duty to check out Mrs. Henderson's Windmill Theatre. I did my duty. Nostalgia? Of course, there's some nostalgia for youth and pleasure, but it isn't nostalgia that makes me think of damnation and faint praise.

Kate Hudson is the latest addition to the star-studded cast of "Nine," an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical. She joins Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard and Penelope Cruz. The film, about an Italian film director, will be directed by Rob Marshall for producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Production is scheduled to begin Oct. 10. "Nine," which originally opened on Broadway in 1982 and was revived in 2003, is based on Fellini's autobiographical film "8 1/2 ."

Judi Dench returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company in December as part of the troupe's ambitious new season under artistic director Michael Boyd. Dench, the classical theater actress who in recent years has become a film star, will start performances Dec. 3 in Stratford, England, in "All's Well That Ends Well," one of the less frequently seen Shakespeare plays.

Dame Judi Dench advised bettors Monday not to wager on her winning an Oscar this year, joking that not even the superstitious theatrical saying "Break a leg!" could bring her good luck as her leg really will be in a cast. "Don't put any money on me because you'll lose," Dench said at a good-humored news conference at the Berlin Film Festival when asked about the chances of winning best actress for her role in "Notes on a Scandal."

Re: "Women vs. Men in Oscars?" (Counterpunch, March 23): Carolyn Mackler speaks about the disappearance of older actresses in films today as if writers had merely forgotten them. It's not that simple. We don't see the great roles for 40- and 50-something women because the big-ticket bucks are rarely spent on such films. Compare the box office of Judi Dench in "Mrs. Brown" with Kate Winslet (and Leonardo DiCaprio!) in "Titanic." When you have a leading man who looks like a member of the singing group Hanson, don't expect to see him cast opposite actresses, however great their talent, who could play his mother.

You should always talk about: Ricky Gervais. Start by watching tonight's Golden Globes, where he will preside over Hollywood's booziest party. Then go and buy yourself a DVD copy of "The Invention of Lying," one of last year's most underrated comedies, about an alternative world in which everyone tells the truth. (Tuesday) Oh yes, you will want to talk about: the new season of "24." Why? You will want to know why I say that the birth of Jacqueline Bauer is a thrilling revelation.