john audley

superstitions

Over on the 'Universal Tragedy' thread I posted a thought about strange co-incidences but no-one picked up on it so how about a discussion on this subject?
The Navy and all things at sea produce superstitious sailors - good ships and bad ships.
The theatre world must be one of the main areas for superstitious thought. I grew up with it 'do not whistle in the dressing room' was one.
My father was a Variety artistes and most superstitious. He would not tolerate anything painted green or metal truck boxes. I have always flouted such things - but who knows.

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

Mark O

They're new ones on me John!.......I'm not superstitous myself (though I do say "White Rabbit" three times on the first day of the month!) but I've never been able to comprehend the one about 'do not place new shoes on a table', any ideas anyone?

Mark

john audley

A lot of films cover the subject one is Third Times Lucky with Glynis Johns

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

John Llewellyn Moxey

New shoes, or any shoes on the table was supposed to bring a death to the house.

I cross my fingers on take off and tap them on the seat! It has worked so far!

John

john audley

Yes, I was hoping this thread would develop into personal experience and anecdotal
knowledge about the theatre and the film industry. A very strange event happened to me when working at a well known holiday camp circuit during the 1970s. I was unloading equipment from a roof rack (once a week) and every time a small man would stand below me shouting that I must move the vehicle but by the time I had reached the floor he had disappeared! This happened about three times and eventually I went to the camps security office to complain and they had all the photos of the employees on the wall - he was not one of them I never did find him.

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

ShirlGirl

Hmm, that's spooky. Reminds me of something my Dad used to like saying.... "I met a man upon the stair, but when I looked he wasn't there; he wasn't there again today; gee whiz, I wish he'd go away."

john audley

An absolutely true story ShirlGirl and he was a small fellow - dressed in a black suit too about 5ft tall.
There is a story about a famous film actor in America, who gave a chap a lift one rainy night.
Engaged in conversation and found later that he had had a ghost in the car. The chap had been killed on that particular stretch of road.

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

batman

YouTube - I met a man, who wasn't there.

I wish I had claws.

Steve Crook

Why do sailors consider it bad luck to whistle on board ship?

Because you "whistle up the wind" and even if you're becalmed in a sailing ship, you should never do that. You never know how much wind you'll whistle up and it can easily turn into a storm - or worse

Steve

dylan

Its because the only time it was permitted to place shoes on a table was when the wearer was dead - laid out waiting for a coffin.

D.

CaptainWaggett

I once saw Simon Russell Beale explaining in an interview that his superstitiousness had caused a certain amount of difficulty when he played the title role in Macbeth (which he wouldn't name). He then got incredibly twitchy when various members of the audience proceded to name it in questions!

john audley

I was watching some TV programme about five years ago about the paranormal with a studio audience when a spokesperson/expert was called forward to say something and a heavy light fitting fell from the housing above to land precisely upon the seat he had been sitting on! It went hushed for a few seconds but no reference was made to it. It could not have been a stunt I feel sure.

I don't know about whistling on ships but it is a strong negative with theatricals.

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

funlover

My father had some superstitions. He would never pass anyone on a set of stairs. If somebody was ascending/descending he would wait until they had completed or if they started while he was on them he would go back until they had passed.

Another thing he had was never placea knife on a table blade facing you.

My Nan would turn round three times if she saw a funeral and if it were a Jewish one she would cover her head.

Gazza

Steve, it's for the same reason that whistling is bad luck in theatres. It's all to do with the rigging/flies. Riggers on ship and flymen in theatres used to use a system of whistles to alert others to rope/weight movements/lifting/dropping/unfurling and other dangers.

Recreational whistling got in the way and muddled the messages!

john audley

Gazza, you lean something every day, but the 'no whistling in theatres was always confined to the dressing rooms in my experience and rigging was never mentioned but you are probably right, theatricals will find any excuse to explain a bad (self) performance!

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