Feeling she was too ill to travel, Baxter told her she must stay in London. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. contact the editor here. Beaten with sticks.'. Kenneth asked Stanley what future he could expect if he married Moira Robertson. He was left with a terror of being held up to public shame. But it worried me: was it right to doorstep a man who had worked so hard all his life to keep the private roped off from the public? She was in love with him and Baxter believed he was falling in love with her. 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. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. 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. Very boring!' It was a dark day. I wondered if I could have a word? If it doesn't work out, you just get divorced and you move on. And my father replied with a very heavy voice, No, it's not as easy as that., The following Monday, the Scottish Daily Express wrote of the 'quiet' wedding. He never appeared as himself. but not to publish it. Calls went unreturned, faxes unanswered. She was very good about letting them go to bed with me. . But fame made his clandestine life even more risky. But she ignored the signs. I shouldn't have done, but I did. Helen Wright, 67, and Moira. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. Moura Robertson. He took his time. In an extract publicised by The Scotsman, Stanley said he tried to split from Moira, who died in 1997, when she wanted to get married. If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. He had always felt guilty for marrying her. 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. HP10 9TY. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Moira's connections and jobs at similar companies. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was making a mistake that would ruin both their lives, Baxter sat on the wedding bed and sobbed. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), 4897x4870px (41,46 x 41,23 cm) - 300 dpi - 6 MB. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. After switching to ITV with the promise of a colossal budget for The Stanley Baxter Picture Show, he met a 28-year-old German accountant named Marcus. Surely his peers would wish to pay homage? Sharing his guilt at the time, the veteran actor wrote: "I couldn't entertain such a thought [marriage] and I felt the relationship simply had to stop, so I broke it off. . I was utterly overwhelmed. When he stopped doing TV spectaculars, we were told that everybody had an eye on the clock because the clock meant money. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. After all, he was only a comedian, not a criminal or a crooked politician. We like to think we can find out anything about anyone, as a matter of professional pride, and the challenge of doing so can get under your skin. In fact, Mum showed her disapproval of Moira right from the start., Stanley agrees. Whatever changes come into society, they have already learnt discretion. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. But more than that, he feared his fiercely ambitious mother. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. I told him of how she was slipping into little overdoses, and I would be going round to see her and reviving her. What about? He had also appeared alongside Baxter in many Scottish pantomimes, including the comedians last, and was prepared to talk, up to a point. "Thankfully Moira was very understanding. Again. A visit to the local library to see the electoral register confirmed that S stood for Stanley. Me, said David White. Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. 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. "There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. Their new home, a large ground-floor flat, at 73 Clouston Street, was just a few doors along from Moiras previous flat. 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. What would the neighbours think? As he grew up, she was intensely jealous and would shoo away any girls who admired him: 'She started telling me about these two boys who once took a wee girl into a haunted house up the road and did terrible things to her. Williams believed Stanley to be taking advantage of Moira and a traitor to the cause. His performance of Eager Young Husband was the worst he would give in his life. He is completely woven into the Scottish psyche, says Mary Brennan, a critic for the Herald. 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. This would be no life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily a homosexual.'. Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. 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. The star, who is best. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. Not at all? Yes, said Young. And why shouldn't he? He moved to London eight years later. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. Anyone trying to hide will be photographed from a distance or forced on to daytime television. Organisieren, kontrollieren, verteilen und messen Sie alle Ihre digitalen Inhalte. And he reads the Independent. 'I thought, 'My career will never survive this. I began to be scared someone else would do better than me on stage, and my mother would clatter me.'. 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. No. I was apprehensive about getting involved for all the obvious reasons. The book was 10 years old, but it was worth a try. "Stanley Baxter and his wife Moira were secretly married in the drawing room of the bride's house in Dumbarton. A porter at the club confirmed that the comedian did swim in the pool most days. Baxter would tell the whole truth, on condition that it remained a secret. Absolutely not? So, no pantos either then? Although we'd spend lots of time in each other's beds, nothing happened. Other cuttings described him as practically a recluse. 'It was then she physically attacked me. It wasnt like theatres of today, which are heavily populated with gay people. Mary Brennan sees nothing surprising about Baxter being so jealous of his privacy. How could it happen? Instead, Baxter told Moira he could no longer live with her. 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. Baxter is appearing on a charges of soliciting and public indecency. Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? Sometimes it can blur ones sense of right and wrong. 'Marcus took me completely by surprise. There, he saw a notice appealing for performers to join the Combined Services Entertainment unit [CSE]. 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. Moiras death left Stanley bereft. WHEN DOES curiosity become intrusion? He was previously married to Moira Robertson. Even though Moira was dead from an overdose by this time, he was sickened at the thought that his sexuality might become common knowledge. Mit unserem einfachen Abonnement erhalten Sie Zugriff auf die besten Inhalte von Getty Images und iStock . (Later in my quest, I rang the clubs charming PR woman. 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. It was the future Carry On star Kenneth Williams, also barely out of his teens but playing an old man in a CSE production. Meanwhile, on January 15, 1951, the engagement became national news, yet this didnt really register with Stanley. Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. The pair developed a closeness that meant when they weren't working they enjoyed a movie or dinner together. If she did, she never let on. His associates would not return my calls. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. Moira tried to take her own life on two occasions. . Moira Robertson was the wife of actor Stanley Baxter. 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. By then, he had fallen in love for the first time. Argyll and Bute Council. Ill let you know through my agent, OK? Stanleys marriage to Moira became difficult over the next few years, as she struggled with mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. 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. And then my impulse to pick up the trail again received further encouragement, when, out of the blue, one of the many former associates of Baxter with whom I had placed calls finally decided to ring me back. A lot of people are interested in this. But of course I should have been stronger. Hes never done a chat show in his life. But it was because I knew I'd made the biggest mistake of my life.. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. ', Until, inevitably, it did. The last panto was in 1991, wasnt it? He said: Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . She now had to be a housewife, which she found very frustrating. But just weeks later he realised he had boarded a runaway train. Baxter had done Shakespeare, and in 1969 he appeared alongside Sir Ralph Richardson in the original cast of Joe Ortons last play, What The Butler Saw. 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. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. For decades he has hated to venture out: 'I didn't want to be seen as someone who was once Stanley Baxter,' he says. Yet, the relationship was doomed from the start. 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. The Real Stanley Baxter by Brian Beacom is published by Luath Press Ltd, 20. '. Recluse. She visited the LWT studios while her husband's show was recording, and danced in the lobby when she was not allowed onto the stage. Moira chased Stanley, says Stanleys sister, Alice. Baxter would go. I dont know if you got it? I don't think you know what you're talking about and I don't think you realise that the future will be bleak for you and difficult for me., Stanley was adamant. However, Moira was very, very upset. She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.'. But even today he finds it difficult to discuss the case, referring to it as 'le scandale'. Millionen hochwertiger Bilder, Videos und Musiktracks warten auf Sie. 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