Problems throughout the tour - rewrites & rewrites. When playing Liverpool, we even spent
the entire night with NOEL COWARD trying to get it 'right'!! We opened eventually, at the
ADELPHI THEATRE (again!!) to appalling notices.
Then some bright spark hit upon the idea of staging an excerpt on TV's Sunday Night At The London Palladium. "Oh! The power of television!! The next morning at the box-office? NOTHING!
The one good thing for me was as the director GEORGE CARDEN fancied me rotten, I got to go round on the revolve at the end of the show holding the letter 'M' !! (Think he really only
wanted to see me in sailor's gear!!)
Then, 'that' nasty little man JACK HYLTON tries to take over and add girls to the piece, his offers were refused and we closed three weeks later!
THE KRAYS
Round this time I was very heavily involved with an up & coming pop singer, ROY TIERNEY
(sadly, recently died) a very talented and dishy guy, who eventually recorded a cover version
of SAM COOK'S Cupid, the record did rather well in the charts and he appeared umpteen times on TV including THE SID JAMES SHOW (brother did he have problems!!) Roy was appearing at
the EL SOMBRERO nighterie in Kensington. On occasions I would act as MC for the night, during one particular evening THE KRAYS arrived and immediately booked us for their Soho niterie.
They insisted on a drag act and a couple of show-girls. We obliged, adding the fabulous
TOMMY OSBOURNE and two smashing girls.
We opened a couple of weeks later, I introduced the girls - during their opening number, they were drenched in soda-water, came off in tears! Tommy went on and stormed the place, as for Roy? encore after encore. After a couple of days we realised the audiences were nothing but a load of crooks, most of whom had just been released from jail! We completed our first week of our two week contract - no money - so, rather bravely (I thought) didn't go back but returned to the EL SOMBRERO.
Few days later, THE KRAYS arrived, thank God one of them was gay and mental for Roy, they actually paid us in full for the two weeks!!!
What do I think of them now? Should have rotted in jail 'til the bitter end both were evil murderers.
While at the EL SOMBRERO one night, whispers went round the room that MARLON BRANDO was in!! Turned out to be true, was playing footsie with a lady who we all thought was old enough
to be his gran! So! each to their own!! And Roy? sang like an angel!
SUMMER SEASON (Blackpool)
During this time, I fall 'head over heels' for an ice skater, appearing over the road at the PLEASURE BEACH.
At my interview for the job with the great impresario LARRY PARNES (Mr Parnes, Shillings & Pence!) it was suggested that I keep my sexuality quiet, as he, indeed had done, to a certain extent!
It was, however, somewhat difficult and it was not long before various people cottoned on, including members of the show's orchestra THE FLEAWRECKERS (terrible name - terrible band). Violent threats against my person ensued!
One evening I was summoned to MARTY'S dressing room. He and his group the fabulous WILDECATS were waiting for me, the upshot was that they would all look after me for the rest of the season! They kept their word and all threats were dropped.
MARTY WILDE was unbelievably kind, not only was & is extremely talented but now I remember, he had the most beautiful hands that I had ever seen! Drove me back to London at the end
of the 6 month season.
Towards the end of the season Larry 'phoned me to say that a colleague of his needed a road manager for a new group and he had put my name forward. I duly called, it was explained to me that the group had been turned down by one and all but he thought that they had a "certain something"
I decided not to take it or them on!! They sounded totally obnoxious (probably right actually!) Obviously the right decision?!!!
COME SPY WITH ME
The show received appalling notices (deservedly) and the notice was about to 'go up'.
The BBC in their wisdom decided to transmit THIS IS YOUR LIFE DANNY LA RUE. Again, the power of television but this time, the following morning, phone never stopped and the queues
stretched down Whitehall. The show ran a year - 'hell on earth' as far as I was concerned. GARY MILLER gave me his front-row dress circle seats to see a certain BARBRA STREISAND in FUNNY GIRL She was quite stunning but, believe it or not had a very 'tiny voice' (miked to the hilt) when she delivered lines, you had to strain to hear and when she sang, you needed ear-plugs - price of technology!!! But I saw her!!!!
DROPPING A BRICK
A Theatre Director rang a friend of mine and asked, at very short notice, if he could take over a role the following week.
My friend explained that he was already working and declined.
"Oh! what a pity!" said the Director.
"Could you suggest an actor, as I have scraped the bottom of the barrel!
