Early and forgotten British celebs

[everfair]

Has anyone read the book Shepperton Babylon? Must read for this type of thing!!

 

[LucyEyelesbarrow]

As for him dying by suicide, the more I read about him, the more I think it was a possibility.

I agree that it's a possibility, although he had increased his dosage of painkillers, so it could potentially still have been accidental (or perhaps he wanted it to look as such?) His last diary entries are difficult to read and he was obviously very unhappy.

 

[Dollylovesshoes]

Patricia Hayes in Edna, the Inebriate Woman made a big impact on me

Same as John Hurt in the naked civil servant ( about Quentin Crisp)

Oh yes Patricia Hayes was great, we did have some great plays etc a few years ago.

Yes remember Quentin he was so funny,just before that there was a program about him living on his own and never ever dusted his flat,Don’t know if anybody remembers that.He moved to New York I believe.

 

[House of Tea]

Peggy was in a comedy series with Pat Coombs - You only live twice I think it was called? Set in a care home/residential home if memory serves.

 

[Mrs Moon]

He was very backward as well,very low mental age poor soul.

At least he finally had a pardon and a proper grave. Thanks for the photograph.

 

[Eirawen]

I enjoyed Dirk Bogarde's autobiographies. He was a good writer. He bought an olive grove and went to live abroad with his partner. I remember him from the Doctor in the house series.

He was in that classic film "The Servant"

 

[DCI Jack Logan]

She was in one of my all-night fav films. Highlander

One of mine too, the bit where Heather is lying in her bed dying and asks Connor why he stayed with her then Freddie starts singing who wants to live forever I’m actually in tears writing this but it’s so moving or I’m just pathetic.
I actually saw some of the film being made, the bit with Sean Connery in the boat where he’s telling Christopher Lambert he’s immortal was filmed on Loch Sheil by the Jacobite monument I was watching for 3 days sitting on the top of my little old mini.
why oh why they ever made more films and a tv series is beyond me I refuse to acknowledge that any of them exist
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Vivien Leigh had a long term affair with Peter finch and in a Peter finch biography written by his ex wife she said he was upstairs seeing to her (VL) in the bedroom whilst they were all at a party. Cant remember who's house. Peter finch also had a baby with Shirley Bassey also whilst he was married and the girl died in suspicious curcumstances in her 20s?

I know Shirley Bassey's daughter was a prostitute not sure how she died drugs maybe because a guy who used to come into my pub had a father who was an undertaker and he buried her.
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One of my favourite jokes is one of theirs.

Eric: Nice out, isn't it?
Ern: Yes, but you'd better put it away again now.

Mine was them in bed and a siren is heard through the window and Eric says he’s never going to sell any ice cream going that fast.
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Oh yes,wasnt they on the Les Dawson show?Or am I getting mixed up?

I use to live in Blackpool and Mo Moreland the lead dancer was always stuck up Tracey Dawson’s arse something going on there I think. Anyway I served them at a wedding reception they were with a bloke brylcream hair, chest wig, massive chunky gold rings and bracelets, smoking the biggest cigar in the world what a bunch of self important twats. There was a free bottle of fizzy on every table and the tables were 6 people at each, apart from their table were there were 3 empty seats Anyway the table next to them all had other drinks so they told me to go and get the bottle of fizzy as they said they had been watching and nobody was drinking it. Im like I can’t just grab the bottle and Tracey said just tell them it’s for les Dawson’s wife, he’d been dead years by then

 

[Mrs Moon]

She was great in that film Taste of Honey Rita Tushinghams first film.Always loved Dora

That was another great film.

 

[Dollylovesshoes]

Another actress from Carry on films I thought was good actress was Liz Fraser,she was in Miss Marple episode Nemesis.

 

[House of Tea]

Some of those women who appeared in Hammer stuff were stunners. Sorry, I sound like a The Sun journo there.

 

[Pipsy]

Trolled by the Daily Mail 10 years ago, unfortunately. She responded.

A couple of weeks ago, Emily Lloyd was photographed walking her dog in the street where she lives. It was noted that she was wearing torn jeans and her hair was unkempt. An old mattress and bags of rubbish were strewn across the steps leading up to her flat in Hackney, East London - a million miles away from Hollywood. What, it was asked, had become of the one-time golden girl of British cinema who was nominated for a Bafta for her role in Wish You Were Here and who went on to appear in movies alongside Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis?

Emily says she would like to know what attire might have been more appropriate to take her Staffordshire bull terrier, Randolph, for a walk. 'What should I have worn - a ballgown and tiara? And as for that mattress, the neighbours were refurbishing their flat and had just put it out there. It's usually quite tidy. I didn't think it was fair to take that shot of me. I was upset, but my mum said I should laugh it off, and I sort of did.'

Emily has suffered from mental illness on and off for 20 years. There have been various diagnoses, among them mild schizophrenia, Tourette's syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder.

She says she has been offered three lead film roles in the past few years, but has turned them down. (She says film etiquette does not allow her to say what they were, out of respect to whoever did take the part.) She has been invited to appear in a number of reality shows and claims she recently turned down Dancing With The Stars, the U.S. version of Strictly Come Dancing.


In 2020, she confessed she's long-battled depression stemming from childhood abuse by her stepfather.

 

[DCI Jack Logan]

Emily Lloyd not sure what she’s doing now but what a talent, Wish you where here

 

[thegirlscout]

older Tv versions are fabulous,when BBC was Brilliant

I think a big issue with modern historical programmes is the actors and actresses invariably have had work done and it looks like an anachronism. I hate to say it but often it’s the ladies that are the worst offenders - I couldn’t watch the 10 Pound Poms because Michelle Keegan has so much obvious plastic surgery along with perfect teeth and eyebrows that aren’t of that period. Emily Blunt is verging on going to OTT, in some scenes in The English it was so obvious she had fillers.

 

[Dollylovesshoes]

He had a routine he used on lots of chat shows in the 1970s, where he'd cook a salmon in a dishwasher and then serve it. This got him so much attention that he ended up hosting his own cooking show, and published several cook books. He was a great lover of art as well, and acquired one of the best private collections in the world.

Yes,I was going to add that but forgot..Fabulous collection,very intelligent man.Remember his voice at the end of the MJ Thriller video?

I loved him in the film Witchfinder General.Awful vile man that Witchfinder.

 

[Clovis]

I know this film star was American but I read somewhere the Agatha Christie book (which was a Tv show) Miss Marple I believe,The mirror cracked from side to side,was based on the American film star Loretta Young.

The plot device was based on a tragic incident in Gene Tierney's life.

I've always thought it was rather cruel of Christie to exploit it in her book.

 

[MooBelle]

Tim Roth, I think?

Tim Roth was in the TV drama a couple of years ago with Samantha Morton playing his wife.
It was an amazing performance but do chilling.

 

[Donnavanessa]

Anybody remember the jazz singer Lita Rosa? She died 2008,I remember listening to her her hit song How much is that doggy in the window.

Ahhh yes - my dear, late mom used to sing it to me when I was little. Brings back so many lovely memories. I now sing it to my little grandchildren and they love it too!

 

[shellie]

Saw it last night, her husband being made to move into the spare room and overhearing her and her lover having it away very noisily in what used to be his bedroom.

John Le Mesurier was seemingly such a lovely guy but seemed to get walked over by the women in his life. He had to put up with Hattie flaunting it in front of him and when the divorce came, he fell on the sword and said he was the one who split the marriage up so no one would think badly of Hattie. Even when the younger guy ended up dumping her for a younger woman, rather than say what most would, he was still so warm and friendly to her.

His next wife Joan ended up cheating on him too. He was friends with the comic Tony Hancock who by then was a mess with alcoholism and his career was sliding. John took him into his home to help him recover, and he and Joan ended up starting an affair behind John's back. She left him for a while to be with Tony but went running back to John when he saw how bad Tony was. When Tony died, she left John again and it was Hattie of all people who told her what an idiot she was for leaving and she did go back, staying with him until he died in 1983. The final kick in the teeth was when she wrote a book about it a few years later, declaring her love for Hancock which caused a big fuss at the time.

Yes, they are pretty cool towards him.

I get the impression he thinks because he is such a 'national treasure', he can say and do what he wants and will get away with it.

 

[sallygsoton]

Glynis Johns the darling of 1940s and 50s British cinema is probably a good one to flag up on here. She is 99 now.

Glynis Johns - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"In 2016, with the death of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Johns became the oldest living Batman cast member. With the death of Dame Olivia de Havilland in 2020, she became the oldest living Academy Award nominee in any acting category. Similarly, Johns is currently the oldest living Disney Legend, having been honoured in 1998."

I loved her in the old film Miranda - she was a mermaid!

She was very glamourous and got carried everywhere by men (due to her fishy tail)

 

[House of Tea]

Yes, I agree. He had a rather unhappy last marriage, I've heard, and one of his wives died after an accident at a friend's party.

His memoirs always used to be in charity shops and were a good read (although it's many years since I've read them).

His beloved first wife died in a tragic accident. His second marriage became strained. His wife was an alcoholic. I think she mocked DN towards the end of his life when he was incapacitated. I think she turned up drunk to his funeral.

Loved him, a witty raconteur. His autobiographies are entertaining but should be read with a pinch of salt. He used to live with Errol Flynn back in the day, who was a bit of a lad, putting it mildly!

Has anyone read the book Shepperton Babylon? Must read for this type of thing!!

Never heard of it. Sounds right up my alley!

Update - just bought Shep Bab book too!

Is Hollywood Babylon worth a read too?