Victor Spinetti performed his one man show, A Very Private Diary! at the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts. His acting career has taken him from regional theater in his birth country of Wales to a Tony Award for Oh! What A Lovely War to the Return of the Pink Panther. He is probably most recognized in this country for his roles in A Hard Day's Night, Help! and Magical Myster Tour. His show recreates celebrity encounters from his illustrious career. Stories of Liz Taylor, Richard Burton, Tallulah Bankhead, Warren Beatty and of course The Beatles are all conveyed in his eccentric, endearing manner. During the height of Beatlemania, Victor had a large fan club. While on route to the Bahamas with the Beatles to shoot Help!, the plane had a stop over at JFK airport to refuel. No one was going to leave the plane until an announcement was made asking for Victor Spinetti. They asked if he would please leave the plane to say hi to the hordes of fan looking for him. So he got out and waved to the crowd. Needless to say, The Beatles gave it to him when he got back on the plane.
He also recounted the visit by John and George to ask him to be in A Hard Days Night: George Harrison, said, "You've got to be in all our films ... if you're not in them me Mum won't come and see them--because she fancies you."
What I remember most about Victor was the amazing mohair sweater his character Richard, the TV director wore in A Hard Day's Night. Rosemary Flannery, being more pop culture aware than I am, found an interview in which he said the sweater was his own. So much for a wardrobe budget. The acting skills of Victor and the participants in A Hard Day's Night should not be overlooked, as it's a gem. The movie was improvised and apparently so was the wardrobe.
No comments:
Post a Comment