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. This is no mean achievement. Stanley would indeed come to regret it for the rest of his life. 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 shouldn't have done, but I did. By that time, I had so many tender feelings for her, he explains. Could he look really old, like the man in the corner with cigarette ash all down his dark suit? In 1944, his call-up papers arrived. Optimieren Sie Ihren Workflow mit unserem erstklassigen Digitalen Asset Management System. 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. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. ', Beset with doubts, he confessed to Moira that all his previous affairs had been with men. Look, do you mind? Well, I spoke to your television company, and they said you might be doing some soon. Its Christmas, he said. Nobody would tell me. They werent interested in doing another take just because Stanley felt there was a whisker of it that wasnt right. Birth sign: Gemini. Men just look nelly, however hard they try. And he had been sighted on a visit to Scotland in July 1994, to unveil a tribute to his late friend and fellow comic Duncan Macrae, during which he had confirmed that it had been his intention to drop out of public life completely: Most comics work till they drop, but Im happier now than ever. To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. No. But immediately afterwards she was so sorry.'. There was an S Baxter in that area, with an address. So he must have felt a shiver when the waspish diaries of his late friend Kenneth Williams were published two years ago. I explained a great part of the problem was Moira. When he returned, he decided to seek medical treatment for his sexual urges. So that was the answer: a recluse in the phone book. 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. Its a long season in Scotland, it runs from November through to February. His heart raced as he rushed towards her and pulled her back. Again. Moira chased Stanley, says Stanleys sister, Alice. The Real Stanley Baxter by Brian Beacom is published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. This was the defining moment of Stanleys life. We are lucky at The Herald. But there was no chance of a reconciliation. Suddenly, she raced to the front window of their second storey flat, opened it and climbed out onto the window ledge, yelling, If I can't have you then I won't settle for anyone else! Well see what happens. 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. I told him of how she was slipping into little overdoses, and I would be going round to see her and reviving her. MORE : Inside the love life and Strictly Come Dancing romances of Giovanni Pernice, MORE : Saira Khan claims lockdown does not work during heated clash with Loose Women co-stars, Brendan Fraser didnt speak to Dwayne The Rock Johnson on set of The Mummy Returns for pretty good reason, Kate Moss talks proudly about nickname she earned in Ireland unaware its actually an insult, Did we hear that right? So: a legend. But it was a whole new experience. The most outrageously funny man on British television 50 years ago was Stanley Baxter. Its a dead loss, to be honest. View more posts, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), It was 20 years ago todayish. Stanley went on to claim Moira became very emotional and threatened to jump out of a window following his revelation, so he opted to continue the relationship and get married. He had always felt guilty for marrying her. He never replied. But what the Daily Express didnt know was that when Stanley arrived home, with the sound of Saturday evening theatre applause still ringing in his ears, he broke down in tears. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. By the age of 14 when he became radio star he knew where his destiny lay. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. What none but his closest friends realised was that Baxter was desperately unhappy, his personal life a battlefield. At Robertson Baxter, our clients are looked after by a full team of experts, including their adviser, we are consultants, confidantes, life coaches, jargon-busters, family friends - the list goes on!. The spotlight was his. They went on a trip to Amsterdam together in 1964, although Williams who described their sitting in clubs with a load of poofs returned to Britain early. Well, you, really. Despite his success, he had, in fact, always had a certain invisibility. Stanley knew he was gay. However, it was Moira who was determined to take the relationship to the next stage. 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 . And they were birched! Anyone who can dress up as Judy Garland with a nose like his and get away with it, has to be a genius. If I wanted a closer look at him it would have to be on my television on 4 January. No. But just weeks later he realised he had boarded a runaway train. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. But Baxter's anxieties were channelled into his work, and his perfectionist instincts became overwhelming. But Ill tell you the basic outline. In that moment, I thought the world had changed. Im not being naughty, but no. Managing Director. 'She guessed wrongly what being with a gay man entailed.'. She punched me and my glasses flew off. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web! Anyway, here it is: a piece from a time before the internet or ubiquitous mobiles, when the celebrity age was just beginning but you still had to go to the library to look at the electoral register. She died in 1997 at the age of 69 after suffering an overdose. At close range, under the cap and behind the scarf, he turned out to be an elderly woman. Should I have taken her to Cyprus? The pair developed a closeness that meant when they weren't working they enjoyed a movie or dinner together. I wrote you a letter. 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He moved to London eight years later. And what does the master of disguise look like now? I was just ringing for you. I know it all sounds terribly old-fashioned but men had those expectations in those days., Now, Stanley admits another reason why he felt Moira should remain at home. A wee'un would surely have grown up with problems and taken drugs.'. Meanwhile, on January 15, 1951, the engagement became national news, yet this didnt really register with Stanley. Today aged 94, he lives as he has for 25 years a virtual recluse at his flat in Highgate Village, North London. Stanley Baxter has come out as gay at the age of 94. He's willing to let the world decide for itself. What about? British actress Moira Robertson and her husband, British comedian and actor Stanley Baxter, at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London, England, 5th March 1962. She is the. If she did, she never let on. But fame made his clandestine life even more risky. He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. 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. Lara Clark, who said she was terribly sorry, but she couldnt show me round: the RAC liked to keep a low profile. but hes never done one. 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. Young was cagey, preferring to ring Baxter before he would talk to me. I rang David White again the following morning. Did Bessie Baxter have any idea of Stanleys true sexuality? He wanted to be left alone, so why not? We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. Just to be with. We became close, without it ever being more than friendship.'. He is an actor and writer, known for Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Fast Lady (1962) and The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show (1974). More info. Thinking about that took me back to my first major feature for the IOS, commissioned as an act of reckless faith by the editor Ian Jack and Richard Askwith, who ran the Review magazine and remains one of the finest copy editors I have ever come across. 'I admired how fashionable she looked. Stanley Baxter specials became vanishingly rare: one at Christmas 1976, the next at Easter 1979. There's no doubt about that. I believed that no-one in our family should be anything but a star.. WHEN DOES curiosity become intrusion? My call was answered by Mr White himself, who seemed suspicious of my reasons for ringing. 'I couldn't put up with very long periods of not being with men,' he says frankly. He says now that he'd known for years that he found men more attractive than women, because at the Saturday morning cinema club he could not take his eyes off the half-naked Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan, rather than Maureen O'Sullivan's Jane. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The rest was silence. It was more than weakness. They all wanted him: Aspel, Parkinson. One more try. I kept getting those sheeps eyes every time she passed me in the theatre and she appeared to be heartbroken. And, meanwhile, my deadline had passed, and there were other things to do. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. 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. When he called her from the airport, on his return to the UK several weeks later, she didn't answer. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. Fixated,' he says. She then went to their new Glasgow flat to cook spaghetti for his supper.". The charges were dropped, on condition that Baxter promised not to sue the police for wrongful arrest. He relished the opportunity to live in pristine order, with a housekeeper to keep the place spotless. But even today he finds it difficult to discuss the case, referring to it as 'le scandale'. It was all good, clean, pre-Carry On fun. 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. The front door was open. 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. One last piece for the Independent on Sunday, The Invisible Man: Searching for the Reclusive Stanley Baxter. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Moira's connections and jobs at similar companies. He adds, his voice dark: 'The truth is, I don't really want to be me.'. And she never knew of the window ledge incident. She's just 18 years old and has already started her astronaut training to be the first person to walk on Mars in 2033. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. And I did love her deeply, in my own way.. ' Friends suddenly shunned him, fearful of guilt by association. 'Silly boy,' the actor noted pithily in his diary. How? It said, words to the effect of, 'I'll let you off if you don't want to marry me'. He returned to the BBC but, after a one-off in 1986 in which he played 37 roles (including Mae West, whom he first impersonated aged six), that contract also ended. Not at all? Yes, was the terse reply. Too short-sighted for active Army service, he was afraid of being assigned to the merchant navy and the Atlantic convoys, but instead he was ordered to report to the coal pits, as a 'Bevin Boy' one of the conscripted mine workers. I never wanted to be gay. I still don't. Actor Stanley Baxter, 94, has bravely come out as gay and opened up about how his sexuality impacted his relationship with his wife Moira Robertson, who died in 1997. 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. . And the sex was fine not rockets going off or anything.. That never happened: once television began to damage theatre audiences, many serious Scottish actors were forced into variety. On December 23, 1950, Williams made another note in his diary: 'Stanley wrote to say he is going to marry Moira. He could sing, dance, deliver broad panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any star, male or female. . Anyone trying to hide will be photographed from a distance or forced on to daytime television. 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. There, he saw a notice appealing for performers to join the Combined Services Entertainment unit [CSE]. Moira's behaviour became more alarming. A loved one. He reckoned it would at least a few years before the couple arrived at Wedding Central. Which is not good, when youre in your sixties, is it? I dont see Stanley ever leaving himself that vulnerable hes too self- obsessed a cookie), not about Baxter the human being. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? Everythings being raked around in here ready for Christmas. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. A visit to the local library to see the electoral register confirmed that S stood for Stanley. Its simple and has the few things I need warmth, decent light for reading, a gramophone and a TV if I wish to view. Bingo! Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. A stage smile. Afterwards, I gasped, 'Have you done this before?' . Their relationship was fraught with difficulty Williams called it a very shaky ship but it was underpinned by deep affection. Hello, Mr Baxter. Instead of gaining the confidence to join them, he shied away, repelled by the high camp 'all chiffon hankies and make-up and flouncing about. 'I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.'. Yes. She was in love with him and Baxter believed he was falling in love with her. "Stanley Baxter and his wife Moira were secretly married in the drawing room of the bride's house in Dumbarton. Just when it was looking hopeless, I discovered a quote from Don Black, the lyricist of Sunset Boulevard, about keeping himself fit at the RAC Club: I take a Turkish bath at the club every Saturday. After all, the pair had spent endless hours discussing sexuality, preferences and honesty. 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. 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. And as the years progressed, the medicated Moira and Stanley became close again. Play it now! Divorce can be one of the most difficult times in your life. It was so long ago, the production team was disbanded straight after the last show, and theres nobody left here who worked on it. So I asked if he was aware that there had been a piece in the Sun over the summer, calling for Baxter to come back to television. No other intimate had ever talked about him in public. 'I was going to top myself,' he says. I couldve hugged him. Other entries in the diary recall Baxter speaking of a desperate clinging to privacy and the rejection of a potentially hostile world. Fair enough. He had moved past me to the door, and said good-bye as he shut it. 'He just liked the look of me, I guess,' Baxter says, 'which wasn't always the way with Kenny and people. I dont know if you got it? Anxious, he took a taxi to the house. So: Mr White hadnt been having me on Baxter did live in London, then. Club gossip suggested that he preferred the bigger and busier squash changing- rooms to those by the poolside, and was a bit of a loner.) 'She would think the television was talking to her.' Would he like to explain why? And it worked. And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. I like to retreat into playing other people. And wasnt marriage about compromise? But over the years, Moiras mental health issues worsened. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. Moira wasnt entirely unhappy with the situation. When his friend Kenneth Williams's diaries were published posthumously in the early Nineties, he fought a legal battle to ensure nothing about his sex life was printed. ', Stanley and Moira (left and right) on their honeymoon in London in 1952. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Friday afternoon. The comments below have been moderated in advance. She now had to be a housewife, which she found very frustrating. Yet, I had all sorts of excuses for developing a relationship. He was working out in a gym and swimming several lengths of the RAC pool every day. Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? Mit unserem einfachen Abonnement erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die besten Inhalte von Getty Images und iStock . She wanted to come, too. 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. You're not much fun any more. Recluse. Autumn turning to winter before my eyes, and Stanley Baxter was not at home. And the decision may have played a part his wifes untimely death. STANLEY Baxter has come out as gay, revealing for the first time that his marriage was a faade. Stanley weighed up what this all meant. His biographer Brian Beacom examines why the brilliant Scots entertainer with a thousand faces refused to show his real one to the world.

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