Yet my interest had been rekindled, my hopes raised, before being dashed against the same old stonewalling. Stanley knew he was gay. Surely his peers would wish to pay homage? This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Calls went unreturned, faxes unanswered. I felt I had to be very careful not to allow anyone a glimpse of my predilection.. Do not sell or share my personal information. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Just let me ask you one thing. Whatever changes come into society, they have already learnt discretion. Its hard to know if the invigorating sea air or simply timing resulted in Moiras declaration, but she announced she wished to have a full-blown sexual relationship with her leading man. In the book, Stanley admits he hid his sexuality throughout his career and explained he initially decided to end his relationship with Moira when she told him she wanted to get married. I think it was probably fashionable at the time to get married even if there were undercurrents of other things that people didnt realise about, said Mr Young. . A search through the IoS cuttings library unearthed a few mentions of Baxter, one of them an unexpected tribute from Andy Bell, lead singer with the pop group Erasure and another man given to wearing extravagant frocks. So: a legend. He told Kenneth Williams as much. One of them might be him, I thought. It looked right. Should I have taken her to Cyprus? 64, I said. Me, said David White. She recovered in hospital and wrote to her husband, insisting, 'I'll never do something so foolish again.' A dreadful fantasy played in his head, that he would suffer a heart attack backstage during panto season and be found dead on the floor of the dressing room. "However, Moira was very, very upset. But he didnt tackle the issue. He divulged: "I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men. And that was that. Moira tried to take her own life on two occasions. There was no answer. . My call was answered by Mr White himself, who seemed suspicious of my reasons for ringing. Her reaction was dramatic. He took an immediate shine to Baxter. Eccentric. Early on, Stanley had hinted at his preference to Moira. Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. His lawyer managed to get the charge dropped but the incident left him in fear for his acting career. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. The most outrageously funny man on British television 50 years ago was Stanley Baxter. Im not a personality, he once said. But fame made his clandestine life even more risky. In terms of countries? He had recorded a radio version of Compton Mackenzies book, Whisky Galore! I turned to walk away. The front door was open. There was nothing like his dames, who entered in outfits sumptuous enough for Danny LaRue, but who could drop into rough Glaswegian patois at a moments notice. I began to be scared someone else would do better than me on stage, and my mother would clatter me.'. And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. And I did love her deeply, in my own way.. He revealed he was worried his career would be over because of the incident before his lawyer got the charge dropped. Express. This builders daughter and art school graduate was a clever and attractive, if rather ethereal, young woman. Experiences in the Far East during his concert party stint confirmed to the Scot where his heart lay. Fixated,' he says. Face full of character. The critics loved it. The veteran Glaswegian actor reveals in his new biography The Real Stanley Baxter, written with his approval by Brian Beacom, that his wife of 45 years Moira Robertson knew about his sexuality and he brought men home with her blessing. She danced too in the gardens in Highgate Village, naked. Possibly even liberation is distasteful, because it encourages people to come out and make features of themselves, whereas your social and sexual life should be, as Noel Coward had it, behind closed doors. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. I believed that no-one in our family should be anything but a star.. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. At the same time, Moira's mental health deteriorated. Recluse. So he decided that rather than cut his cloth down because hes not a stand-up Channel 4 comedian, is he? As his mother Bessie, a blacksmith's daughter, accompanied him on the piano, the boy belted out saucy music hall numbers with titles such as I'm One Of The Lads Of Valencia: 'You can't beat a Spaniard for kissing, Oh ladies, just think what you're missing!' HP10 9TY. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. But just weeks later he realised he had boarded a runaway train. He adds that he only agreed not to break things off when she threatened to jump out the window of their flat. For decades he has hated to venture out: 'I didn't want to be seen as someone who was once Stanley Baxter,' he says. Yet there is one celebrity who has bucked the trend. His associates would not return my calls. In 1944, his call-up papers arrived. Well, I spoke to your television company, and they said you might be doing some soon. Other members included Kenneth Williams, with whom Baxter formed a close friendship that was troubled but life-long.It was quite a strong thing, said Young. In 1959, Stanley realised the writing was on the wall for variety theatre in Scotland and moved to London. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with theMetro.co.ukentertainment team by emailing uscelebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. Hes not there anyway. He has now returned with his new biography, The Real Stanley Baxter, in which he speaks candidly about his life. Television doesnt work like that: budgets and budgets. And so, a few weeks later, I did the right journalistic thing and rang Mentorn and Channel 4. but not to publish it. What had happened to Stanley Baxter? View more posts, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), It was 20 years ago todayish. He says: Did she carry some hope that I would get off the plane, rush round and save her again? I shouldn't have done, but I did. And the new rules dont apply just to celebrities on the A-List: newsreaders and weather girls must also be prepared to have the minutiae of their lives subjected to close scrutiny, or at the very least have Loyd Grossman look through their keyholes. He is an actor and writer, known for Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Fast Lady (1962) and The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show (1974). Baxter had done Shakespeare, and in 1969 he appeared alongside Sir Ralph Richardson in the original cast of Joe Ortons last play, What The Butler Saw. I thought she would be still be heartbroken. He died aged just 26 and Stanley was heartbroken. He was also aware of the need to have a cover. And after nearly a year of thinking about this man, after all the work I had done to find him, I had absolutely no idea what to say. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. 'Anybody else would have gotten rid of me but she was devoted. That never happened: once television began to damage theatre audiences, many serious Scottish actors were forced into variety. . I was utterly overwhelmed. There's no doubt about that. After switching to ITV with the promise of a colossal budget for The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, he met a 28-year-old German accountant named Marcus. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Despite his success, he had, in fact, always had a certain invisibility. Millions were scandalised and breathless with laughter. He felt guilty for the many affairs and the new partners. . Useless. So, no pantos either then? Stanley went on to claim Moira became very emotional and threatened to jump out of a window following his revelation, so he opted to continue the relationship and get married. Your Trusted Advocate. 'I'm too afraid of what people will think of me,' he said. Pull out the pin, and its every man for himself. Meet Alyssa Carson. It was in CSE that Baxter met openly gay men for the first time. Favourite Place: My living room in [he named a very nice suburb of north London]. And it worked. Stanley Baxter as panto dame May 1985:Baxter was desperately unhappy, his personal life a battlefield as he constantly lived in dread of being exposed in the press as a gay man. You're not much fun any more. Ive been in audiences where women in their sixties would sit there and say, with absolute envy: Ooh, look at them legs. Her favourite memory is of one entrance in full rig, with craggy face underneath what looked like a mound of candyfloss. 'One wounded bird helping to look after another,' Stanley said. 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Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Still smiling, though. But he did not understand what he was feeling till he met Bill Henry, a schoolmate with blond hair and a taste for intellectual books. But the question is also intriguing: how could someone who once inspired such affection slip from the public gaze so completely, in so short a space of time? The star penned: "Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. A life without stress you cannae whack it! Its such hard, hard work. I have been writing for the Independent on Sunday for more than 20 years, but the edition that appears on Sunday will be the last. The comments below have been moderated in advance. She had thought about becoming an actress herself and was very supportive of her childrens aspirations for the stage: Baxter put aside thoughts of teaching to go into the theatre, while his sister went off to work as an actress in Australia, under the name of Alice Dale.Baxter had already begun broadcasting on the wireless at the age of 14, and continued doing so even after he was called up at 17 to help the war effort by going down the mines. Stanley Baxter is one of the most successful entertainers of his generation and for many years had his own Bafta-winning TV series. I like to retreat into playing other people. Stanley had to move out, he says, for the sake of his own sanity. No. In December at the Citz, Stanley and Moira starred in the Christmas panto Red Riding Hood (Stanley played Granny McNiven, Moira played Red Riding Hood). Again. Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. We need you! Oh yes? Still smiling. THE PRICE of fame seems to have shot through the roof; just ask Michael Barrymore or Gazza. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. Just to be with. 'She told me she was hearing voices,' Baxter says. 'Thankfully Moira was very understanding. Newspaper interviews were very rare; he never appeared on a chat show. Well, you, really. 'I. Play it now! Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. Join Facebook to connect with Moira Robertson and others you may know. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. As one critic wrote: The joke is not that Stanley Baxter is dressed up as a woman. Later, they decamped to an island outside the city. IN MARCH 1952, 26-year-old Stanley Baxter, recognised as the brightest young star in the Citizens Theatre Company, made a decision that was to shock his parents, stun his close friend Kenneth Williams and even surprise himself. Some of it I knew from later editions: Hobbies: swimming, cycling, reading. Yes. OK. I was just ringing for you. . Having made it big south of the border, he regularly returned to direct and star in big-budget productions. Club gossip suggested that he preferred the bigger and busier squash changing- rooms to those by the poolside, and was a bit of a loner.) Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows The Stanley Baxter Show, The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, The Stanley Baxter Series and Mr Majeika . Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? moira@scoliosisbracing.co.za +27 76 883 9526 Virginia Way Offices 0 Hamman Street Stellenbosch Just when it was looking hopeless, I discovered a quote from Don Black, the lyricist of Sunset Boulevard, about keeping himself fit at the RAC Club: I take a Turkish bath at the club every Saturday. I wrote to Stanley Baxter at his home, requesting an interview. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. He soon gave up any pretence of being faithful, or heterosexual. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was making a mistake that would ruin both their lives, Baxter sat on the wedding bed and sobbed. To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. Too short-sighted for active Army service, he was afraid of being assigned to the merchant navy and the Atlantic convoys, but instead he was ordered to report to the coal pits, as a 'Bevin Boy' one of the conscripted mine workers. Since our merger with Granada theres nobody higher up who would have been involved either. He returned to the BBC but, after a one-off in 1986 in which he played 37 roles (including Mae West, whom he first impersonated aged six), that contract also ended. By the age of 14 when he became radio star he knew where his destiny lay. Stanley Baxter, Actor: Crooks Anonymous. Moura A.J. A lot is at stake, including your children, your assets, and your financial future. 'It was then she physically attacked me. Stanley and Moira worked on a range of productions at the Citz together but the spring of 1949 saw the company move down to Ayr for the summer season and Stanley and Moira had lots of fun together. Now that personal publicists are de rigueur for everyone from ministers mistresses to rugby players wives, we may even catch ourselves feeling faintly disapproving at the thought that he might want to do without the oxygen of publicity. Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web! Stanley managed to survive the threat to his career just and Moira, as expected stood by her man. And why shouldn't he? Not to the Press. . He wanted to be left alone, so why not? We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. ' Friends suddenly shunned him, fearful of guilt by association. And she never knew of the window ledge incident. Baxter was a great talker among his close-knit circle of friends, said Mr Young, but was also wary of outsiders. It wasnt like theatres of today, which are heavily populated with gay people. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. But a fellow member of the club in Pall Mall, which costs up to 500 a year, confirmed that Baxter was frequently there. Stanley weighed up what this all meant. In that moment, I thought the world had changed. It was all I ever dreamed of.. The book also details the turbulent period in his life when he arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex in a north London public toilet in 1962. Anyway, here it is: a piece from a time before the internet or ubiquitous mobiles, when the celebrity age was just beginning but you still had to go to the library to look at the electoral register. It was partly a feeling of I'll show them, that I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. He took his time. 'She would think the television was talking to her.' The pulleys were always full of stuff., Moira was more Dora from David Copperfield than Glaswegian domestic goddess. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? 96 Stanley naci en Glasgow, Scotland -1 pero desconocemos donde naci Moira Robertson She was 69 years old. Perhaps uniquely, Stanley Baxter has succeeded in making himself invisible. I couldve hugged him. Other entries in the diary recall Baxter speaking of a desperate clinging to privacy and the rejection of a potentially hostile world. By then, he had fallen in love for the first time. The Real Stanley Baxter, by Brian Beacom. My dad said This is a very big step you're taking, Stanley. In January, 1962, he was focused hard on his career. Yet, the relationship was doomed from the start. Baxter himself often spoke of wanting to die. I really dont. Bei kommerzieller Verwendung sowie fr verkaufsfrdernde Zwecke kontaktieren Sie bitte Ihr. where are we up to? We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Meanwhile, if you think about it, if you changed out of your pyjamas if you wear any into your clothes, then got to the theatre and for the rest of the afternoon you had 32 dress changes to make, then you go out for a cup of tea and change again, then you do 32 in the evening. 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