He joined the Citizen's Theatre Company in the Gorbals, an idealistic group performing Ibsen and Shaw to working-class audiences. By that time, I had so many tender feelings for her, he explains. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. Stanley was later arrested at a public toilet in north London in 1962 on suspicion of soliciting for sex. Baxter is appearing on a charges of soliciting and public indecency. They werent interested in doing another take just because Stanley felt there was a whisker of it that wasnt right. A tabloid, of course, would not be interested in the finer nuances of relationships, and one can understand why Baxter might have preferred to keep such matters to himself. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. This girl finally gets to head back to work soon! Again. He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. In a 1963 entry, Williams described Baxter as disarming, honest, charming and hilariously funny all at once. 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 . This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. 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. 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 began to be scared someone else would do better than me on stage, and my mother would clatter me.'. Anyone who can dress up as Judy Garland with a nose like his and get away with it, has to be a genius. 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. But Baxter's anxieties were channelled into his work, and his perfectionist instincts became overwhelming. His biographer Brian Beacom examines why the brilliant Scots entertainer with a thousand faces refused to show his real one to the world. No mention of his wife, Moira, though. He suggested I contact Mentorn Films, who were recording new links for the show. But she did mention several times there was something wrong with Moira, that her emotional balance wasn't quite right. (this was eventually broadcast on Radio 2 earlier this week). See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. The star, who is best known for his self-titled comedy shows and his childrens TV series Mr Majeika, stepped away from the spotlight 25 years ago. Can I call you tomorrow, then, to see if youve changed your mind? Stanley managed to survive the threat to his career just and Moira, as expected stood by her man. We need you! Unknown to Stanley, Moira had ditched her medication and the demons raged again. When he first came to fame in the Fifties, his identity was largely irrelevant: we were content to let stars glitter from afar. To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. After the war in Europe was over, in June 1945, a 19-year-old Baxter was told to report to the Seaforth Highlanders regiment. And as the years progressed, the medicated Moira and Stanley became close again. She danced too in the gardens in Highgate Village, naked. Get to know more about our different teams and meet the people behind the business. Anybody who survived the Fifties is very adept at covering their trail, she said. With his telephone number and address in my notebook, I could have rung Stanley Baxter or paid him a visit months ago, instead of waiting for an answer to my letter. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. London, England, United Kingdom. He loved the applause 'a hundred people shouting 'Bravo' and I'm beating the adults to the prizes'. Those who didnt want to be troubled with it could simply take it at face value. Yes, there would be a show. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? I dont think I could go on then. Hes always quite pernickety about who hell speak to, which is why I dont want to say too much about him at the moment. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. Her husband's career blossomed, with a series of cinema roles that led to star billing in films such as The Fast Lady. Just a couple of years later he landed a five-picture deal with Rank Films. But just weeks later he realised he had boarded a runaway train. . Absolutely not? 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). I felt vulnerable. Is it possible that we can have a chat with him? In that moment, I thought the world had changed. Add a New Bio Also known as Moira Spouses Stanley Baxter (1951 - 1997) Died 1997 Edit Submitted on July 23, 2013 Citation Use the citation below to add to a bibliography: Style: MLA Chicago APA "Moira Robertson." (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), 4897x4870px (41,46 x 41,23 cm) - 300 dpi - 6 MB. He had to get on with it, focus on finishing the last 10 days of the panto season and his last 10 days at the Citz. She was far more bohemian than me.' Look, his shows cost a fortune partly because it takes them so long to change and do make-up and so on. He has a talismanic quality that makes people feel hes very much in touch with their lives, and then suddenly, out he zooshes looking really rather sexy. Baxter would tell the whole truth, on condition that it remained a secret. 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. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? One more try. And they were birched! Free UK delivery on orders over 15. She was only using the gate to rest. 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. Baxter began to turn work down not playing Captain Hook in a production of Peter Pan opposite Lulu, not appearing with Cannon and Ball at the Palladium. Stanley Baxter as the Pantomime Dame in "Jack and the Beanstalk" at the King's Theatre, Glasgow. 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. Profitieren Sie von der globalen Reichweite, datengesttzten Erkenntnissen und einem Netzwerk von ber 340.000 Content-Anbietern von Getty Images, die exklusiv fr Ihre Marke Inhalte erstellen. I wondered if I could have a word? Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. It was partly a feeling of I'll show them, that I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.. Then one night she invited me for my favourite spaghetti up to her little rented flat at 65 Clouston Street and I was seduced back into bed again., The appetite sated, Stanley reckoned the only way to break off the relationship once and for all was to be entirely honest with Moira. By the age of 14 when he became radio star he knew where his destiny lay. Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. He had always felt guilty for marrying her. As I approached the flats, a figure bundled up in odd layers of clothing and a heavy overcoat came towards me, and turned towards the gate. I like to retreat into playing other people. Gay men up and down the UK lived in constant fear of having their careers and lives wrecked. The star penned: "Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. Play it now! 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. It was real weakness on my part.. . I contacted David White, who seemed to think that this might mean that his client would talk to me. One night on his way home he was arrested after being entrapped by North London police in a toilet and charged with Importuning. You can unsubscribe at any time. He was also aware of the need to have a cover. Moira has 3 jobs listed on their profile. Once stardom had been achieved, he limited his television appearances and won an unusual amount of power over how they were made. 'I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men,' he says frankly. And I did love her deeply, in my own way.. He went on: Thankfully Moira was very understanding. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. Perhaps uniquely, Stanley Baxter has succeeded in making himself invisible. After a meal with Baxter in October 1969, Williams wrote: At one point when I said to S. I sometimes feel I am so useless I just want to die. Sometimes that provides the extra spurt of energy or imagination needed to unearth a story. Looking up at me, expecting me to speak. She was desperate for a baby, something Baxter refused to contemplate. The critics loved it. 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. Well, I spoke to your television company, and they said you might be doing some soon. He could sing, dance, deliver broad panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any star, male or female. After the couple tied the knot, Stanley said they had a pact which permitted him to bring men to the house they shared. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. But even today he finds it difficult to discuss the case, referring to it as 'le scandale'. She then went to their new Glasgow flat to cook spaghetti for his supper.". 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. It was all very selfish of me and a bit macho. He took her passport, to prevent her from trying to follow him. He had also appeared alongside Baxter in many Scottish pantomimes, including the comedians last, and was prepared to talk, up to a point. Early on, Stanley had hinted at his preference to Moira. But Stanley, and Moiras family, coaxed her to take medication. 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. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. Not Stanleys fee, particularly, but you have to pay the Musicians Union, youve got to pay all the dancers, Equity and so on. I called his office, who promised to ring back with a comment, but didnt. Im not. Later, they decamped to an island outside the city. Comments have been closed on this article. Baxter is appearing on a charges of. The pair developed a closeness that meant when they weren't working they enjoyed a movie or dinner together. She was in love with him and Baxter believed he was falling in love with her. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Find him.. Managing Director. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. Today aged 94, he lives as he has for 25 years a virtual recluse at his flat in Highgate Village, North London. Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. 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. hed rather not do them. Fair enough. He had moved past me to the door, and said good-bye as he shut it. Not him, then. His act was so daring that he was probably the first TV comedian to impersonate the Queen. Whether your divorce is contested or uncontested, Tulsa Divorce Attorney Moura Robertson has the . OK. Goodbye. OK. There was no biography, and no memoir; just a few intriguing references to be found in the published diaries of his close friend Kenneth Williams. Can you just tell me, finally, what city he lives in? Moira didn't ever leap anywhere, he says softly. There, he saw a notice appealing for performers to join the Combined Services Entertainment unit [CSE]. Fine, but not much help to me. The honeymoon night predictably was a disaster. Perhaps that is why hardly anyone noticed when, after 1985, he left the television spotlight altogether, just as the glare was getting hotter. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images And since that time he hasnt been able to surrender the thought had he not married the fragile, vulnerable woman she may have lived more of a happy life. And it worked. 'She guessed wrongly what being with a gay man entailed.'. His lawyer managed to get the charge dropped but the incident left him in fear for his acting career. There was no answer. That counts for a lot in this part of north London, where there are more antique shops than newsagents. And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. Brian Beacom 2020. And we never really discovered who he was, other than a brilliant character actor and impersonator; as the rules of celebrity changed, he simply refused to play by them. Kenneth Williams was among the first to be told and he couldnt believe his ears. 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. Hes having a holiday with his wife, Moira. Fred Baxter, knowing his son was unconvincing in the role of Happy Groom, attempted a last-minute derailment. Anybody who has acquired that kind of carapace is not going to come on like John Inman, rushing out of a closet, shouting, Im free! They have prided themselves on conducting their life with dignity.. When he called her from the airport, on his return to the UK several weeks later, she didn't answer. However he changed his mind when she became very, very upset and appeared to be heartbroken. Having worked using SpineCor Scoliosis bracing for the past 10 years in combination with other treatment options the results have been positive. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. Smiling at me. I was just ringing for you. Hed be a bit suspicious if a tabloid or something like that was trying to turn him over. . Yet, the relationship was doomed from the start. Getting dark. I wrote to Stanley Baxter at his home, requesting an interview. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. He went on to star in a children's series called Mr Majeika, about a schoolteacher who is actually a wizard. This would be no life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily a homosexual.'. We are lucky at The Herald. Jul 1988 - Present34 years 4 months. His associates would not return my calls. Stanleys marriage to Moira became difficult over the next few years, as she struggled with mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. But he hadnt been in that afternoon. Me, said David White. Useless. He was sent to India, and then further East to Burma, where he was promoted to corporal and assigned duties as a typist (Class 3). If he was only prepared to work on the radio these days, could he be a total wreck? I don't want to be involved in this kind of world'. Very boring!' What none but his closest friends realised was that Baxter was desperately unhappy, his personal life a battlefield. 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. I never wanted to be gay. 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. And if I don't have a career, what do I have?' 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. Just a decade ago, his annual television spectaculars were as much a part of Christmas as turkey and hangovers: in December 1985, more than 14 million people tuned in to watch the monkey-faced Scotsman mimic the Queen, in a lavish show that included a full-scale orchestra and battalions of dancers. She talked of killing herself, but he was shocked when a friend called round to find the front door wide open and Moira in the bath, the water crimson with blood. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. 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. 'It was like a 3,000 volt electric current going through me. Theres a great move afoot for them to be repeated, to have a compilation made of them for the States and Canada, and all that, but thats still being worked on. 'There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality,' he says. . It was the future Carry On star Kenneth Williams, also barely out of his teens but playing an old man in a CSE production. She called him her Sonny Boy and, as his precocious talent emerged, had him perform at every family gathering. His performance of Eager Young Husband was the worst he would give in his life. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. Published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. And by the time the then-teenager landed a place in the entertainment corps during his National Service years, Stanley was convinced that acting was his destiny. He is an actor and writer, known for Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Fast Lady (1962) and The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show (1974). So he just thought: No, its all too much for me. Footnote from the present day: Stanley came out of retirement the following year, returning to our screens for a short while before slipping away again. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. Early on she used to say, That woman's following you around like a wee dug! And she was right. ', To pacify her, Baxter promised they would marry, if she would consent to wait a year. ', Stanley and Moira (left and right) on their honeymoon in London in 1952. I didn't think that she was ever going to make it very big and I suggested she give it up. Stanley was bringing the values of a different time and place into a world that had changed. Baxter was a great talker among his close-knit circle of friends, said Mr Young, but was also wary of outsiders. Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? But it would be wrong to imagine he has found peace. LWTs press officer had never even heard of him, but promised to investigate. Favourite Place: My living room in [he named a very nice suburb of north London]. Well, it was worth a go. 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. Be troubled with moira robertson baxter could simply take it at face value when she became very, very upset and to. Deliver moira robertson baxter panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any comments you upload to website. Site is part of north London in 1952 the house they shared on to star billing Films... 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193 be in keeping to so! For 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193 us and 3rd parties based on our understanding it. Do make-up and so on might be doing some soon Sie die Reichweite Marke. His biographer Brian Beacom examines why the brilliant Scots entertainer with a series of cinema roles led! 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