Sir Michael Caine was hailed as the "greatest movie actor" Britain has produced as stars gathered to celebrate his career at London's Albert Hall.

The star of films including Zulu, The Italian Job and Get Carter staged A Night Out With Sir Michael Caine to raise cash for the NSPCC.

Jonathan Ross interviewed the two-time Oscar winner on stage and looked back on a career which has spanned seven decades.

Speaking before the event, Ross said: "Michael Caine, I think, is probably the greatest movie actor we've produced in this country when you look at that period.

"Not this decade, but for the last four decades he's one of the few actors nominated for an Academy Award in every one of those decades.

"He's a great actor. He's a great movie star as well. He's also a lovely man."

Sir Michael, 81, said he had retired "sort of" but continues to work when he is offered scripts too good to turn down.

He said: "I've retired about 30 times and then I always get a script I can't refuse.

"Now I've retired sort of. I'm doing a second one of Now You See Me, a picture I did about magicians. I do that in December and then I stop. But then someone will give me a script."

Speaking of his chosen charity, Sir Michael said: "When I was a little boy I was evacuated for a couple of weeks and I was very ill-treated, so I've always wanted to help children and I'm happy to support the NSPCC."

Stars from across the film and music worlds celebrated Sir Michael, with singers Joss Stone and Lance Ellington performing songs from Alfie, The Italian Job and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Among the stars to attend were comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, actress Joan Collins, James Bond star Sir Roger Moore and music producer Quincy Jones.

Sir Michael revealed he nearly died while serving in the Army in the Korean War before returning to Britain to launch his acting career at the age of 20.

"We always knew when the Chinese were coming because you could smell garlic," he told the audience.

"They always ate garlic.

"We got in this situation where we knew we were going to die.

"We thought if we're all going to die, we will make it as expensive as possible."

He added that he and his fellow troops were saved in "no man's land" by US marines.

Addressing the audience, Sir Michael said he missed out on collecting his best supporting actor Oscar for Woody Allen's Hannah and her Sisters because he was filming Jaws: The Revenge in the Caribbean.

"I got paid a million dollars for 10 days' work," he said.

He added he had never watched the Jaws sequel, but he had seen the house built for his mother from the fee, which was "fabulous".

Ross told the audience the event had raised more than £75,000 for the NSPCC.