Exasperated, his ITV television bosses told him they could no longer afford his extravaganzas. His act was so daring that he was probably the first TV comedian to impersonate the Queen. Fred Baxter, knowing his son was unconvincing in the role of Happy Groom, attempted a last-minute derailment. In a television era rich with comic talent, from Morecambe and Wise to Tommy Cooper, Dick Emery to Mike Yarwood, everyone agreed Stanley Baxter was king. No other intimate had ever talked about him in public. Its a long season in Scotland, it runs from November through to February. HP10 9TY. He is an actor and writer, known for Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Fast Lady (1962) and The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show (1974). On December 23, 1950, Williams made another note in his diary: 'Stanley wrote to say he is going to marry Moira. 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. Their new home, a large ground-floor flat, at 73 Clouston Street, was just a few doors along from Moiras previous flat. There had been no mystery about the retirement, said Lennie, who talked about the physical demands of changing costumes so often. And your editor. How much had the big television specials cost to make? Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was making a mistake that would ruin both their lives, Baxter sat on the wedding bed and sobbed. So that was the answer: a recluse in the phone book. but hes never done one. What none but his closest friends realised was that Baxter was desperately unhappy, his personal life a battlefield. Offer price valid until 06/11/2020. contact the editor here. 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. Comments have been closed on this article. He suggested I contact Mentorn Films, who were recording new links for the show. 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. Yes I did, and I spoke to you through my agent. Its a dead loss, to be honest. 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 was also aware of the need to have a cover. Looking up at me, expecting me to speak. Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. You mustn't let that worry you. However, Moira was very, very upset. 'She probably felt if she praised me I'd try less hard. In terms of countries? If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. It was the future Carry On star Kenneth Williams, also barely out of his teens but playing an old man in a CSE production. 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. No. His agent was still stonewalling, and his old television company had forgotten him. Say sorry? Later that week, Marcus visited her they got on well and found her nursing a dying pigeon by the fire. Oh yes? Still smiling. After all, the pair had spent endless hours discussing sexuality, preferences and honesty. Autumn turning to winter before my eyes, and Stanley Baxter was not at home. It was a dark day. 'One wounded bird helping to look after another,' Stanley said. 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We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. Me, said David White. There was no answer. He later recalled trying to use his scripts to hide hands encrusted with coal dust, an early indication of the self- consciousness that was to become as ingrained as the coal.Invalided out of the mines with an ear problem, Baxter joined the left- wing Unity Theatre in Glasgow. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Not him, then. His relationship with Marcus deepened and continued until the younger man died of lung cancer four years ago, though the two never lived together. Finally, I realised that I would have to let Stanley Baxter rest in peace. She's just 18 years old and has already started her astronaut training to be the first person to walk on Mars in 2033. I had felt the relationship simply had to stop, so I broke it off. He lived in dread of being exposed in the press as a gay man. Baxter himself often spoke of wanting to die. Even though Moira was dead from an overdose by this time, he was sickened at the thought that his sexuality might become common knowledge. In fact, Mum showed her disapproval of Moira right from the start., Stanley agrees. He was happy to talk about the Scottish approach to pantomime, with its emphasis on storyline and tradition, but declined to talk about Baxter as a person. He told Moira the relationship was over. The most outrageously funny man on British television 50 years ago was Stanley Baxter. In that moment, I thought the world had changed. There was some communication, through Andy Young, who had been authorised to tell me that Baxter was refusing all work except voice-overs and radio. Stanley added in the book that he decided to turn down work and ended his career in showbusiness. Since our merger with Granada theres nobody higher up who would have been involved either. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. What Williams didnt know, however, was the pressure Stanley had been under. And after nearly a year of thinking about this man, after all the work I had done to find him, I had absolutely no idea what to say. '. Kenny thought I was making a terrible mistake, says Stanley. Yet there is one celebrity who has bucked the trend. I told him of how she was slipping into little overdoses, and I would be going round to see her and reviving her. ', Stanley was terrified. He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. After all, she was with the man she adored. Marcus was a constant support. 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. Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. A bit boring! Well see what happens. In London, Stanley found immediate success with TV satire On The Bright Side. Baxter resolved to repress his sexuality when he returned to Glasgow two years later to live, as he put it, 'as a straight actor'. Despite his success, he had, in fact, always had a certain invisibility. But there was no chance of a reconciliation. Meanwhile, on January 15, 1951, the engagement became national news, yet this didnt really register with Stanley. He was previously married to Moira Robertson. . But over the years, Moiras mental health issues worsened. 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. A Gannett Company. 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. No mention of his wife, Moira, though. ', To pacify her, Baxter promised they would marry, if she would consent to wait a year. Of all those stories, it is hard to imagine anything more sad than this one. But immediately afterwards she was so sorry.'. Meet Alyssa Carson. Yes. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. The Real Stanley Baxter by Brian Beacom is published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. He could sing, dance, deliver broad panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any star, male or female. But Baxter's anxieties were channelled into his work, and his perfectionist instincts became overwhelming. I told her my preference and said, Thats why I am breaking off the relationship. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? It wasnt like theatres of today, which are heavily populated with gay people. And, yes, the address I had was the correct one. 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 . The veteran Glaswegian actor reveals in his new biography The Real Stanley Baxter, written with his approval by Brian Beacom, that his wife of 45 years Moira Robertson knew about his sexuality and he brought men home with her blessing. Baxter was 46, and thought their two-day fling would be no more than a brief encounter. He divulged: "I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men. . He rang back the next day, but the news was bad. He couldnt say when Baxter was expected next, but took my number to pass on. Stanley confesses that he is not comfortable with his sexuality to this day. almost as often as a chambermaid turns down bed sheets.'. At the same time, Moira's mental health deteriorated. So: Mr White hadnt been having me on Baxter did live in London, then. Say goodbye? Stanley weighed up what this all meant. 'It was partly a feeling of, 'I'll show them,' he admits. . Yes. How? It was a golden period for British film-making, and he appeared in mildly successful black-and-white movies like the Highland comedy Geordie and Very Important Person, in which he starred alongside James Robertson Justice and Leslie Phillips. A dreadful fantasy played in his head, that he would suffer a heart attack backstage during panto season and be found dead on the floor of the dressing room. Hes having a holiday with his wife, Moira. Helen Wright and Moira Robertson were in a police raid (Image: Spindrift) Two Glasgow pensioners caught with more than 24,000 of cocaine are behind bars. 'I was going to top myself,' he says. . I was utterly overwhelmed. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. I felt vulnerable. 'Anybody else would have gotten rid of me but she was devoted. What it did entail was years of loneliness, beginning on their honeymoon night.
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