See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Early on, Stanley had hinted at his preference to Moira. Ive often wondered how her life would have turned out had she married a devoted heterosexual husband., He adds, his voice breaking: I will never know why she loved me so much. A life without stress you cannae whack it! '. But he hadnt been in that afternoon. His father was a branch manager of Commercial Union while his mother would have liked to have been an actress, When the family agreed that acting was respectable his mother took him round halls where he gave renderings of Harry Lauder and Mae West, Schooling eventually came to a stop which disappointed his father who'd wanted him to be a doctor. Stanley was up for the challenge. And although she was a good cook, she wasn't very good at washing. The book was 10 years old, but it was worth a try. The Citz was a heterosexual theatre company. where are we up to? Nigel Dempsters often there, and so are Stanley Baxter and Terry Stamp. As spring approached, Stanley saw even more of the woman with the hooded eyes, even taking her along to his parents home at 5 Wilton Mansions in Glasgow's Kelvinside. One more try. So, no pantos either then? And now he felt incredibly guilty because at the very end, he wasn't there to do what? To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Moira asked me what was wrong and I said something about the emotion of it all. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. Stanley walked through the doors of the Gorbals theatre and into theatre heaven, loving this avant-garde world populated by the likes of Sybil Thorndyke and Duncan Macrae. I sloped away to look around some of them, then went for some Fishermans Bake and a pint at the local pub, feeling pretty miserable. It was in CSE that Baxter met openly gay men for the first time. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. 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. 'Silly boy,' the actor noted pithily in his diary. My mother didnt think any woman was good enough for me [Bessie Baxters principal purpose in life was to grow a showbiz star] but there was more to her criticism of Moira. Sometimes it can blur ones sense of right and wrong. 'Anybody else would have gotten rid of me but she was devoted. 'Thankfully Moira was very understanding. He had indeed dreamed of being a professional actor since appearing on stage as a seven-year-old at local talent contests. Get to know more about our different teams and meet the people behind the business. How? Im not a personality, he once said. Just to talk to a faithful hand that takes all the chaff and grain together, keeps whats worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blows the rest away. Perhaps that is why hardly anyone noticed when, after 1985, he left the television spotlight altogether, just as the glare was getting hotter. Editors' Code of Practice. . I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. It is that he has carefully, precisely and often cruelly embodied the particular woman herself. It was all I ever dreamed of.. Oh, they all varied, said the agent, suddenly sounding irritated. The star penned: "Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. The BBC couldnt help, and neither could London Weekend Television, for whom Baxter had made many of his most successful shows in the Seventies. He was working out in a gym and swimming several lengths of the RAC pool every day. They would meet for lunch every day. The tracks had long been covered by this time last year, when Ian Jack, then editor of the Independent on Sunday and (being a Scot) a Stanley Baxter fan, issued his decree. London, England, United Kingdom. His agent advised him to engage the celebrity barrister David Jacobs, who had recently won a libel case for Liberace when a newspaper implied the flamboyant entertainer was gay. He said lots of theatrical things about how marvellous it had been to work with Baxter, with whom he still corresponded from time to time. He had his chance to make a clean break, to move on alone. The star, who is best. 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. Fixated,' he says. They were married for 46 years, This year, he changed his mind. Television doesnt work like that: budgets and budgets. Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web! 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. And that was that. 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. The show featured interviews about his life alongside new comedy material including a skit about the Queen's Christmas speech. Like his previous TV specials, it was a delirious collection of sketches and set-pieces featuring Baxter in character (his meticulously observed parodies of women like Shirley Bassey and Marlene Dietrich were a trademark), complete with spectacular sets and breathtaking changes of costume and make-up. Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. 'I turned down too many parts . Exasperated, his ITV television bosses told him they could no longer afford his extravaganzas. She once flew to Belfast to be "reunited with the spirit of [theatre director] Tyronne Guthrie." There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. Moira meanwhile, had pushed aside question marks against Stanleys sexuality, partly because she adored her boyfriend and loved his talent. Do not sell or share my personal information. Since then, he has been completely absent from stage or television, and rarely even mentioned in print. He felt guilty for the many affairs and the new partners. We hope you've really thought about how important it is., And I said nonchalantly, Oh, not nowadays. No, for the reason I just gave. Is it possible that we can have a chat with him? A bit boring! Me, said David White. For a nation still mourning the loss of Eric Morecambe, Baxter another survivor of the gentler, pre-television days of variety theatre seemed ready to succeed to the title of Britains Favourite Comedian. I felt vulnerable. Find him.. ', Stanley was terrified. Meanwhile, Moira had landed part-time work with a milliner but it didnt seem to hold her interest. Absolutely not? but hes never done one. Im not. The spotlight was his. Yes, as a 14-year-old hed had a frolic with the maid (despite living in a West End tenement Bessie Baxter insisted upon live-in help) but this was an entirely new adventure. It was more than weakness. The Real Stanley Baxter by Brian Beacom is published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. A lot of people are interested in this. There was to be no further co-operation. Ill let you know through my agent, OK? My dad said This is a very big step you're taking, Stanley. Stanley Baxter, Actor: Crooks Anonymous. Friday afternoon. And wasnt marriage about compromise? It was a relief. I never wanted to be gay. Eccentric. Perhaps it was time to forget it, let him be. The decriminalisation of gay sex between consenting adults was still five years away. She kept calling for him and my mother wasnt too happy about this. I still dont.". 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. After four months of waiting out this covid stuff, our spring shutdowns are starting in summer, and. And he said dismissively, 'Oh yes, I've had all my friends'.'. And they were birched! Baxter had married Moira Robertson, an actress at the Citizens Theatre, in the early Fifties. When he sat down on a streetcar bench between a priest and a woman with a hat box on her lap, he suddenly saw another female rider in front of him lose her clothes (through a double-exposure dissolve), and then his seat-mates on his right and left turned female without clothes. A loved one. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Divorce can be one of the most difficult times in your life. "And she was very good about letting them go to bed with me. Yes. Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? And she never knew of the window ledge incident. Fellow Scottish comic legend Rikki Fulton, who has presented his own hugely popular Hogmanay TV show for the last 16 years, said that Baxter retired from playing dames because the energy and athleticism required was exhausting. He was previously married to Moira Robertson. 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. Feeling she was too ill to travel, Baxter told her she must stay in London. The star was honest with her about being gay and told her: This would be NO life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily homosexual.. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. It was becoming obvious that the real Stanley Baxter was as studiously hidden as his Lycra supports. Certainly not Kenneth Williams: 'I remember sitting with him in an Italian restaurant, and telling him that I was very low. And then he met Moira, this soft-spoken chic young woman with the Bette Davis eyes. Mildly discouraged, I tried another approach: Melvyn Bragg, who had been head of arts at LWT when Baxter was at his peak. In fact, Mum showed her disapproval of Moira right from the start., Stanley agrees. For years, they have resisted the English trend towards pop and soap stars making fools of themselves in tights, in favour of veteran panto specialists like Baxter. Stanley's wife of over 45 years Moira Robertson died in 1997 (Picture: REX) At a time when being gay was illegal in Britain, the actor would bring men home with his wife's knowledge. 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. He stood facing the audience for a moment and then said, in a vampish voice: I call this my hand grenade dress. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Newspaper interviews were very rare; he never appeared on a chat show. But a fellow member of the club in Pall Mall, which costs up to 500 a year, confirmed that Baxter was frequently there. She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.". Moira wasnt entirely unhappy with the situation. Bringing businesses together in the emerging, disruptive technology space across; FinTech, Quantum Technologies and Quantitative Trading Technologies through face to face and virtual meetings and events. January 1977: Talented Stanley could sing, dance, deliver broad panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any star, male or female, 'I was in love with Bill,' Stanley says, 'but he certainly wasn't in love with me. Baxter was charged with soliciting for sex. Yes. The more I got to know of her I realised she was a lovely person, a woman of enormous heart.. Yet he was, and is, missed: in England, as the funniest man on television; in Scotland - where they take panto very seriously - as the greatest dame of the century: a master of the double entendre and the quick, stunning costume-change. In that moment, I thought the world had changed. Later, they decamped to an island outside the city. Moira chased Stanley, says Stanleys sister, Alice. DON'T MISS:Sean Connery 'sad sight' and wanted to die sooner, Jackie Stewart says[COMMENT]Cold Feet's John Thomson details what 'saved his bacon' in 2020[INTERVIEW]Andrea McLean steps in to 'calm down' Loose Women's Gloria and Saira[PICS]. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Jacobs convinced the court that Baxter could not have been 'soliciting' when he was arrested because, apart from two policemen, there was no one else in the lavatories. They werent interested in doing another take just because Stanley felt there was a whisker of it that wasnt right. 'I admired how fashionable she looked. In December 1965, Baxters wife Moira suggested that Williams and her husband should go on holiday together in Beirut. Hes never done a chat show in his life. I felt I had to be very careful not to allow anyone a glimpse of my predilection.. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. As a last shot I rang David White, who said I had been very naughty. Anyone would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life.' And the decision may have played a part his wifes untimely death. He took an immediate shine to Baxter. Stanleys marriage to Moira became difficult over the next few years, as she struggled with mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Yes I did, and I spoke to you through my agent. But although the urgency had gone, the curiosity remained. 'If you can sing, dance, play a musical instrument or whatever,' the announcement read, 'please apply'. This would be NO life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily homosexual!, Moira's reaction was surprising, even to those who knew how liberal she was. The Real Stanley Baxter, by Brian Beacom. His father was apparently a solid, reliable type who worked in insurance; it was his mother who encouraged the young Stanleys gift for mimicry, accompanying him on the piano while he did Harry Lauder impressions for friends and relatives. They all wanted him: Aspel, Parkinson. What about? He relished the opportunity to live in pristine order, with a housekeeper to keep the place spotless. Dressed in a sailor suit, his hair tonged in waves, he did impersonations of Laurel and Hardy, and Mae West. 'It was partly a feeling of, 'I'll show them,' he admits. Would it have happened anyway? He said: Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. He was the lead in one play before going off to serve with the Royal Army Service Corps in the Far East, where he was recruited for the Combined Services Entertainment unit, a drag- and-greasepaint outfit straight out of It Aint Half Hot Mum. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. In 1970, with The Stanley Baxter Show a huge BBC hit, he moved out of their house and took the apartment in Highgate Village that would be his refuge for the rest of his life. Would he like to explain why? He had to get on with his life. There was also a tiny quote from Baxter in the Times of November 1992, about how the role of Principal Boy should only be played by a woman: All those frills. But more than that, he feared his fiercely ambitious mother. OK. Although we'd spend lots of time in each other's beds, nothing happened. Offer price valid until 06/11/2020. Play it now! Hes not there anyway. 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. He rang back the next day, but the news was bad. A public face is no longer enough if youre a public figure. Moira tried to take her own life on two occasions. 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From beyond the grave, Williams talked about him more frankly and perhaps imaginatively than any living friend would. Fair enough. He had moved past me to the door, and said good-bye as he shut it. 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 had Moira truly leapt at the idea of leaving Glasgow and friends and family behind? His wife Moira, from whom he was separated, was tormented by mental illness and had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists in the bath. Margot Robbie reveals there was an entire room for pubic wigs on The Wolf Of Wall Street set, Bonnie Bartlett Daniels, 93, wife of Boy Meets World star William Daniels, 95, reveals they had open marriage, Britney Spears reveals new tattoo but admits it sucks and already needs fixing, Inside the love life and Strictly Come Dancing romances of Giovanni Pernice, Saira Khan claims lockdown does not work during heated clash with Loose Women co-stars, Do not sell or share my personal information. So: a legend. He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. Her reaction was dramatic. I don't wish that to stop. Moiras role, however, was reduced from Actress to Wife. Instead, he withdrew from the showbiz world. While addressing his sexuality in the book, he explained he had a very difficult life. We are lucky at The Herald. Instead, Baxter told Moira he could no longer live with her. In this remarkable new authorised biography, which Stanley originally refused to have published before his death for fear of being judged journalist Brian Beacom reveals the secrecy and sadness that have haunted the entertainer all his life. So that was the answer: a recluse in the phone book. He moved to London eight years later. With silk gloves up to his armpits and a tiara, he announced himself as the Duchess of Brendagh and delivered a Christmas message that talked of the Queen Mum as a priceless antique. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. There's no doubt about that. ', To pacify her, Baxter promised they would marry, if she would consent to wait a year. A stage smile. Still smiling, though. If she did, she never let on. 'It was then she physically attacked me. 'I. You can tell Ive talked to the press before, cant you? I believed that no-one in our family should be anything but a star.. 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Afford his extravaganzas the point alongside new comedy material including a skit about the Queen 's Christmas.... Adults was still five years away, Stanley agrees Baxter was as hidden.
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