John Llewellyn Moxey

I do have a story about Barbara, which may interest you. I asked the Assistant Director to give her a late call, as she had a busy day ahead.
Well...When I walked onto the stage at crew call, there she was. Fully dressed and made up, wandering around the set; sitting in chairs , trying doors, and using the staircase. When I asked her why she did not take advantage of the late call. She answered that she was not sure what I was going to ask her to do, and that she wanted to get used to a new set!
A remarkable lady and a very fine actress.

John
A remakable lady

Ray

John, I am thrilled to hear from a director who actually worked with her. I have both of the TV films that she did with you, and they are really excellent. It is well known that she was always the first person on the set in the morning, and was adored by the cast and crew's that she worked with. Stars often gave gifts the their crew's at the end of a film but it was really rare when the crews gave gifts to a star. It happened regularly with Barbara, as when she received a stool inscribed, "To the Queen 'B' from her Drones". Most of the films that she starred in came in under budget because there were never any hold ups. Not only did she know her own lines, she always learned the whole script.

Ray

Yes, that was how she behaved when I saw her. The whole evening was in her honour, yet it was quite easy for me to approach her because she was sitting all on her own, while her friends such as Bill Holden and Anne Baxter stood chatting close by. The only time that she was ever comfortable was when she had a character to hide behind, it was really agony to appear as herself. I am sure that she did not expect the overwhelming and loving reception she received when walked onto the stage of the Lincoln Centre. I really don't think that she ever realised just how loved she was.

donna

Now Barbara was so fiesty onstage its hard to believe isnt it, and what a fabulous actress, I read somewhere that she had a five year affair with Robert Wagner when he was young man.

Ray

Lets hope so, just the ego booster the 46 year old lady needed when she had been dumped by husband Robert Taylor for a younger woman. Robert Wagner talks on the commentary of the Titanic DVD, and said that he fell in love with her when they did their first scene together in that 1953 film. I also saw him when he was interviewed at the National Film Theatre, and he said that the two stars who helped him the most in the early part of his career were Barbara and Susan Hayward.

john audley

I once shared a dressing room with Leepy Lee the then pop singer who, in conversation said once 'to be a success we must keep punching'! Some time later he was arrested for GBH

'You should be kind to us normals, there are not many of us left you know'!

bhowells

I saw Jess Conrad in a panto in Cardiff in 1970, he waved at our coach from a car,he wore a big floppy hat. We were all about 10 at the time. My older brother knew about him I had not heard of him until thn.
In later years I always used to think he was a bit naff but fair play to him, he is still out there doing his stuff. Doesnt he wear a wig?

billy farmer

on sunday may 11th i went to bressingham with family members for the dad's army day i obtained the signatures of the following bill pertwee(hodges), pamela cundell(mrs fox), frank williams(the vicar), eric longworth(town clerk), jimmy perry and harold snoad they were all very nice to meet i took lots of photographs including one of jones butchers van i also saw the dad's army collection including walmington-on-sea buildings in the exhibition hall where i took more photographs i also bought a lot of merchandise from the dad's army and hi de hi stalls and had a ride on a train and went on the dodgems a very nice day celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of my all time favourite tv programmes.

vladpyre

I once met Leslie Nielsen from the Naked Gun films etc after his one-man Clarence Darrow show at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. He is a very friendly guy

MB

I've met Gary Oldman - also very nice. Made a complete fool of myself and he didn't seem that alarmed.

Hello everyone by the way!

batman

I chap I know was at drama school with Gary Oldman. Apparently Gary was so shy he could never get cast in a decent part in college productions .... they all thought he was a bit of a loser. Then one day, Gary got a small but very showy part (I can't remember which play my mate said it was) and he blew them all away with how good he was. The rest is history .....

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

Freddie Freeloader

One of the strangest sessions I ever played on was a pre-record for Nil By Mouth.

Just me and Kathleen Oldman, Garys mum !

All I new prior to the date was that it was for Gary Oldman and, being a fan, I was excited but rather nervous. All those scary, nutty characters seem too real to be unconcerned.

As it transpired, he was extremely quietly spoken and gentle with his mum. Despite this being her first trip to a recording studio be she'd be giving it the ol' cor blimey, un-affected matriarchal confidence and he'd be "yes mum" and giving me a sweet raised eye-brow as if resigning himself as to who the real boss was !

I haven't seen the film but I recall the song was Can't Help Loving That Man.

Fred

MB

Oh great! You and Kathleen Oldman! What an experience.

I'd met a few stars at the point but to actually meet someone you truly admire is quite a shock.

He was just walking down the road with, I think Uma Thurman..I had just watched Sid and Nancy and was completely taken with him - plus - he was from roughly my area (although I didn't meet him there).



Enjoyed Sid and Nancy , of course (although I cringed in places..) plus
Prick up your ears
- he's been in some bad uns - Lost in Space etc and has, essentially, sold out - but I don't think there is an edgier British actor since..

MB

He went to Rose Bruford didn't he? I knew a few peopl who went there - they loved it (Drama type here I am afraid.. yawn!

Sorry for posting again - I think I broke the editing thing..

Steve Crook

You can edit your own posts, but only for a while.
If you need to add something after that, just make another post. We don't mind

If you need to change something in a post some time after you've created it then you can ask one of the Admins to do it

Steve