'Anybody else would have gotten rid of me but she was devoted. It was so long ago, the production team was disbanded straight after the last show, and theres nobody left here who worked on it. Alec Guinness and John Gielgud had both been charged with Importuning. Stanley Baxter is one of the most successful entertainers of his generation and for many years had his own Bafta-winning TV series. And the decision may have played a part his wifes untimely death. Vergrern Sie die Reichweite Ihrer Marke authentisch und teilen Sie Markeninhalte mit Kreativen im Internet. He had his chance to make a clean break, to move on alone. Moura Robertson. Stanley asked the same question of himself but pushed the answer aside. 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. Its a long season in Scotland, it runs from November through to February. But Ill tell you the basic outline. We became close, without it ever being more than friendship.'. To order a copy for 17.60 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Say sorry? From beyond the grave, Williams talked about him more frankly and perhaps imaginatively than any living friend would. Join Facebook to connect with Moira Robertson and others you may know. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he was making a mistake that would ruin both their lives, Baxter sat on the wedding bed and sobbed. He was married for 46 years, but beneath his cheerful exterior lies a man tortured by the fact he is gay. He kept phoning all the time, telling me there was something special between us. Im going to cut you short. She had thought about becoming an actress herself and was very supportive of her childrens aspirations for the stage: Baxter put aside thoughts of teaching to go into the theatre, while his sister went off to work as an actress in Australia, under the name of Alice Dale.Baxter had already begun broadcasting on the wireless at the age of 14, and continued doing so even after he was called up at 17 to help the war effort by going down the mines. That was that. Why? If he was only prepared to work on the radio these days, could he be a total wreck? She wanted to come, too. Especially when youre in high heels, do you know what I mean? Marcus was a constant support. Stanley Baxter is one of my all-time favourites, he said. No. The Real Stanley Baxter, by Brian Beacom. Robertson Baxter Independent Financial Advice enquiry@robertsonbaxter.com 01484 608095 Client login About us About you Why choose us? His agent was still stonewalling, and his old television company had forgotten him. Kenneth Williams certainly thought so. Is it possible that we can have a chat with him? Friday afternoon. How would I know what he looked like? Exclusively representing clients who are going through a divorce and . Baxter would tell the whole truth, on condition that it remained a secret. We need you! Can you just tell me, finally, what city he lives in? So he just thought: No, its all too much for me. 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. He said: Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. 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. But she ignored the signs. She was desperate for a baby, something Baxter refused to contemplate. Would he like to explain why? Should I have taken her to Cyprus? Your Trusted Advocate. He had recorded a radio version of Compton Mackenzies book, Whisky Galore! 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. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images If I wanted a closer look at him it would have to be on my television on 4 January. I dont deserve it, I know, but if anyone can help me at this dreadful period, it is him, Williams wrote before leaving home. THE LEAVES on the pavement were being sucked upwards by the cold wind, or turned to mush by rain. Look, do you mind? Liked by Moira Robertson. I still don't. But Andy Young, who considers himself a close friend of the couple, insisted that they still lived together. She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.'. (this was eventually broadcast on Radio 2 earlier this week). He had also appeared alongside Baxter in many Scottish pantomimes, including the comedians last, and was prepared to talk, up to a point. Stanley Baxter. Since he was a toddler, Bessie had taken him to vaudeville shows. Offer price valid until 06/11/2020. It was a gloomy place, full of old men moving in slow motion and staring into space. Early on, Stanley had hinted at his preference to Moira. Meanwhile, Moira had landed part-time work with a milliner but it didnt seem to hold her interest. Fixated,' he says. Baxter is appearing on a charges of soliciting and public indecency. Today aged 94, he lives as he has for 25 years a virtual recluse at his flat in Highgate Village, North London. I was just ringing for you. Certainly not Kenneth Williams: 'I remember sitting with him in an Italian restaurant, and telling him that I was very low. And he said dismissively, 'Oh yes, I've had all my friends'.'. 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. Perhaps that is why hardly anyone noticed when, after 1985, he left the television spotlight altogether, just as the glare was getting hotter. But not a complete no: perhaps, hed said, perhaps yours will be the one. In fact, Mum showed her disapproval of Moira right from the start., Stanley agrees. It was all very selfish of me and a bit macho. My mother didnt think any woman was good enough for me [Bessie Baxters principal purpose in life was to grow a showbiz star] but there was more to her criticism of Moira. But Stanley, and Moiras family, coaxed her to take medication. He is an absolute control freak, said the critic Mary Brennan. Chic, with hooded eyes, Moira could have been Bette Davis's younger sister. In that moment, I thought the world had changed. View the profiles of professionals named "Moira Robertson" on LinkedIn. He moved to London eight years later. 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. . But he hadnt been in that afternoon. Anyone would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life.' Sometimes it can blur ones sense of right and wrong. 'He just liked the look of me, I guess,' Baxter says, 'which wasn't always the way with Kenny and people. Fred Baxter, knowing his son was unconvincing in the role of Happy Groom, attempted a last-minute derailment. He never replied. Surely his peers would wish to pay homage? His act was so daring that he was probably the first TV comedian to impersonate the Queen. Moira Robertson was the wife of actor Stanley Baxter. Stanley was bringing the values of a different time and place into a world that had changed. Of all those stories, it is hard to imagine anything more sad than this one. 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. . 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. Scots who never visit a theatre for the rest of the year still find their way to the panto, where the scenarios and jokes have the familiarity of ritual. He is an intelligent guy, and he likes to know who hes talking to. It looked right. No. I sat on the edge of the bed and sobbed my heart out, he admits. Favourite Place: My living room in [he named a very nice suburb of north London]. Stanley had to move out, he says, for the sake of his own sanity. And wasnt marriage about compromise? Unknown to Stanley, Moira had ditched her medication and the demons raged again. At the same time, Moira's mental health deteriorated. 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. I shouldn't have done, but I did. 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. 'She told me she was hearing voices,' Baxter says. But where? Im not sure that Stanley would say it just now, but he had this kind of sexual whats the expression? 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. . Smiling at me. Yes, there would be a show. The most outrageously funny man on British television 50 years ago was Stanley Baxter. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Instead, Baxter told Moira he could no longer live with her. Argyll and Bute Council. But unknown to the world, Granny and the eponymous hero had decided to marry. I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think. People who knew you knew the shorthand and the jargon. Their relationship was fraught with difficulty Williams called it a very shaky ship but it was underpinned by deep affection. In 1997, he decided to spend a month at the villa they owned in Cyprus. 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'There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality,' he says. There was nothing like his dames, who entered in outfits sumptuous enough for Danny LaRue, but who could drop into rough Glaswegian patois at a moments notice. Get to know more about our different teams and meet the people behind the business. She was only using the gate to rest. So that was the answer: a recluse in the phone book. He was the lead in one play before going off to serve with the Royal Army Service Corps in the Far East, where he was recruited for the Combined Services Entertainment unit, a drag- and-greasepaint outfit straight out of It Aint Half Hot Mum. The dark, often highly dramatic script of their life together began when he joined the Citz in 1948, shortly after being demobbed. Very boring!' The decriminalisation of gay sex between consenting adults was still five years away. 'If you can sing, dance, play a musical instrument or whatever,' the announcement read, 'please apply'. 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. 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? I like to retreat into playing other people. I still dont. He soon gave up any pretence of being faithful, or heterosexual. For decades he has hated to venture out: 'I didn't want to be seen as someone who was once Stanley Baxter,' he says. 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Auditions were in Singapore and, after arriving there in December 1946 by flying boat, he was taken under the wing of a stooped, grey-haired man with a dusty moustache and a strident, nasal voice. 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. Oh yes? Still smiling. This girl finally gets to head back to work soon! Two years into the marriage, relations with Moira were "fine", but the sex was dwindling. Ah-ha. No, you might publish it. There were things he might like to say, but it wouldnt be in keeping to do so. The spotlight was his. A psychiatrist diagnosed schizophrenia, but she refused to take medication. Private passions are what we care about most, skeletons in the cupboard; but even knowing the colour of the upholstery will do. 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. 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. Hes not there anyway. She was very good about letting them go to bed with me. 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. A wee'un would surely have grown up with problems and taken drugs.'. Hes offered stage plays and everything all the time, but he doesnt want to lock himself into eight performances a week for six months, you know? This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's You know, the same sort of thing as Kenneth Williams. Shall we say affinity, I asked? I still dont.". Getting dark. She then went to their new Glasgow flat to cook spaghetti for his supper.". This wasnt unrestrained hyperbole. 'I admired how fashionable she looked. She was 69 years old. It was more than weakness. He says: Did she carry some hope that I would get off the plane, rush round and save her again? Moira Robertson & Stanley Baxter, 1962 British actress Moira Robertson (year of birth unknown-1997) and her husband, British comedian and actor Stanley Baxter, at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London, England, 5th March 1962. His relationship with Marcus deepened and continued until the younger man died of lung cancer four years ago, though the two never lived together. In January 1962, he visited the public toilets in Madras Place, Holloway, hoping to pick up a man for casual sex. Certified Fellow since 2006. ', Until, inevitably, it did. The pair developed a closeness that meant when they weren't working they enjoyed a movie or dinner together. Moiras death left Stanley bereft. Optimieren Sie Ihren Workflow mit unserem erstklassigen Digitalen Asset Management System. Early on she used to say, That woman's following you around like a wee dug! And she was right. Sometimes that provides the extra spurt of energy or imagination needed to unearth a story. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. May 2021 - Present1 year 9 months. He told Moira the relationship was over. There were few people he could tell of his worries. This was going nowhere. A Scottish national treasure. 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. I thought she would be still be heartbroken. LWTs press officer had never even heard of him, but promised to investigate. As one critic wrote: The joke is not that Stanley Baxter is dressed up as a woman. A stage smile. Did Bessie Baxter have any idea of Stanleys true sexuality? No. 'I'm too afraid of what people will think of me,' he said. I don't wish that to stop. 'She guessed wrongly what being with a gay man entailed.'. Kenneth Williams was among the first to be told and he couldnt believe his ears. where are we up to? So he decided that rather than cut his cloth down because hes not a stand-up Channel 4 comedian, is he? Managing a portfolio of SME clients across a range of sectors and complexities. 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 the couple tied the knot, Stanley said they had a pact which permitted him to bring men to the house they shared. Since then, he has been completely absent from stage or television, and rarely even mentioned in print. Im not being naughty, but no. Just a couple of years later he landed a five-picture deal with Rank Films. Moira was dead on her bed from an overdose. It was all good, clean, pre-Carry On fun. Writer and broadcaster, Interviewer of the Year for the Mail, winner of Radio Academy gold with BBC Radio 4. Hes having a holiday with his wife, Moira. 'I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.'. More info. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please A visit to the local library to see the electoral register confirmed that S stood for Stanley. It was absolutely selfish. ', To pacify her, Baxter promised they would marry, if she would consent to wait a year. 96 Stanley naci en Glasgow, Scotland -1 pero desconocemos donde naci Moira Robertson She looked up at me, shrugged and said Oh, I don't care about that at all. He is now out of the public eye, but appeared in ITV special Stanley Baxter: Now and Then in 2008 and Channel 5 documentary Comedy National Treasures: Stanley Baxter in 2019. Alpha Events. Perhaps uniquely, Stanley Baxter has succeeded in making himself invisible. One night on his way home he was arrested after being entrapped by North London police in a toilet and charged with Importuning. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. 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. Stanleys marriage to Moira became difficult over the next few years, as she struggled with mental health issues and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Not at all? And Stanley noticed her little eccentricities, her remoteness, her rejection of life's boring rituals of cleaning, cooking, washing laundry, had become more pronounced. Yes. It was a relief. Find him.. Experiences in the Far East during his concert party stint confirmed to the Scot where his heart lay. 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. I kept getting those sheeps eyes every time she passed me in the theatre and she appeared to be heartbroken. What Williams didnt know, however, was the pressure Stanley had been under. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to Whatever changes come into society, they have already learnt discretion. He took her passport, to prevent her from trying to follow him. 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. Brian Beacom 2020. Kenny thought I was making a terrible mistake, says Stanley. Why did Stanley agree to marry Moira? But more than that, he feared his fiercely ambitious mother. '. No, for the reason I just gave. THE PRICE of fame seems to have shot through the roof; just ask Michael Barrymore or Gazza. Helen Wright, 67, and Moira. Stanley reckoned his wife's place was in the home. So funny that hes disappeared. For good. Dunoon, Scotland, United Kingdom. Dressed in a sailor suit, his hair tonged in waves, he did impersonations of Laurel and Hardy, and Mae West. She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.". I really dont. 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 1970, with The Stanley Baxter Show a huge BBC hit, he moved out of their house and took the apartment in Highgate Village that would be his refuge for the rest of his life. Moiras role, however, was reduced from Actress to Wife. They included women, from Shirley Bassey to, later, the Princess of Wales, each precisely observed. . She punched me and my glasses flew off. But of course I should have been stronger. British actress Moira Robertson (year of birth unknown-1997) and her husband, British comedian and actor Stanley Baxter, at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London, England, 5th March 1962. Managing Director. Anyone who can dress up as Judy Garland with a nose like his and get away with it, has to be a genius. In the book, Stanley admits he hid his sexuality throughout his career and explained he initially decided to end his relationship with Moira when she told him she wanted to get married. This builders daughter and art school graduate was a clever and attractive, if rather ethereal, young woman. 'I didn't want to bring any child into the world who suffered what I suffered. Baxter was a great talker among his close-knit circle of friends, said Mr Young, but was also wary of outsiders. Im a character actor. For Bill this was just sexual experimentation, and he would later reject a sexual relationship with Stanley, preferring women. 'Marcus took me completely by surprise. January 1977: Talented Stanley could sing, dance, deliver broad panto comedy and perform pinsharp impressions of any star, male or female, 'I was in love with Bill,' Stanley says, 'but he certainly wasn't in love with me. He left for a theatre tour of Australia in a Brian Rix farce, leaving his wife behind. ', Stanley was terrified. Oh, they all varied, said the agent, suddenly sounding irritated. Rather than resolve the issue, I let it slip. The last panto was in 1991, wasnt it? His wife Moira, from whom he was separated, was tormented by mental illness and had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists in the bath. Baxter was 46, and thought their two-day fling would be no more than a brief encounter. Having made it big south of the border, he regularly returned to direct and star in big-budget productions. Divorce can be one of the most difficult times in your life. In 1959, Stanley realised the writing was on the wall for variety theatre in Scotland and moved to London. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Could he look really old, like the man in the corner with cigarette ash all down his dark suit? There are 30+ professionals named "Moira Robertson", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. He suggested I contact Mentorn Films, who were recording new links for the show. Useless. 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.. Its such hard, hard work. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. Just let me ask you one thing. He rang back the next day, but the news was bad. Baxter is appearing on a charges of soliciting and public indecency. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. 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. You can tell Ive talked to the press before, cant you? Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. To pre-empt that, he agreed to let me tell his story . In the front room of Moira Robertsons parents home in Dumbarton, Stanley slowly, cautiously, uttered the words I do. He failed to convince. This is it, I thought, suddenly breathless. It was time, I decided, to find him myself, face-to-face, in the hope that he might talk. Choosing to eliminate the obvious first, I checked the phone book. 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. 64, I said. He felt guilty for the many affairs and the new partners. When he first came to fame in the Fifties, his identity was largely irrelevant: we were content to let stars glitter from afar. Having made it big south of the border, he regularly returned to direct and star in big-budget productions. And what does the master of disguise look like now? If there was one place where he could still feel at home, it was the world of Scottish pantomime. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. I dont see Stanley ever leaving himself that vulnerable hes too self- obsessed a cookie), not about Baxter the human being. 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. 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. Stanley Baxter is arguably the funniest man and one of the most fetching women in Britain. Stanley Baxter has come out as gay at the age of 94. Yes! One more try. 'I liked her,' Baxter says. Me, said David White. Mildly discouraged, I tried another approach: Melvyn Bragg, who had been head of arts at LWT when Baxter was at his peak. Yet there is one celebrity who has bucked the trend. He probably knew the way I felt about him. Ill let you know through my agent, OK? WHERE do you start, with only a name to go on? The more I got to know of her I realised she was a lovely person, a woman of enormous heart.. 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 turned to walk away. That would seem to indicate that there might be a return at some point, even just a one-off? Thats a difficult question. He had indeed dreamed of being a professional actor since appearing on stage as a seven-year-old at local talent contests. Hed be a bit suspicious if a tabloid or something like that was trying to turn him over. When he returned, he decided to seek medical treatment for his sexual urges. The star penned: "Anybody would be insane to choose to live such a very difficult life. 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! Are you sure you want to delete this comment? But although the urgency had gone, the curiosity remained. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can . Another professional acquaintance was prepared to talk anonymously, but only about his retirement (Nureyev kept going until he was censured and taken apart at the seams for coming on stage when he was obviously dying. He's willing to let the world decide for itself. Millions were scandalised and breathless with laughter. London. So, no pantos either then? So he must have felt a shiver when the waspish diaries of his late friend Kenneth Williams were published two years ago. 'She probably felt if she praised me I'd try less hard. No mention of his wife, Moira, though. Instead, he was arrested. There was an S Baxter in that area, with an address. DON'T MISS:Sean Connery 'sad sight' and wanted to die sooner, Jackie Stewart says[COMMENT]Cold Feet's John Thomson details what 'saved his bacon' in 2020[INTERVIEW]Andrea McLean steps in to 'calm down' Loose Women's Gloria and Saira[PICS]. 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. He went on: Thankfully Moira was very understanding. 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). Anybody who survived the Fifties is very adept at covering their trail, she said. Stanley came out of retirement in 2008 to record a retrospective special about his life for ITV. It wasnt like theatres of today, which are heavily populated with gay people. Then, in early autumn, I heard that Channel 4 was working on a compilation of the best of Baxters television shows, to be screened this Christmas. Yes, as a 14-year-old hed had a frolic with the maid (despite living in a West End tenement Bessie Baxter insisted upon live-in help) but this was an entirely new adventure. 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. 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. Robertson is regarded as one of the top Family Law attorneys in Oklahoma. She once flew to Belfast to be "reunited with the spirit of [theatre director] Tyronne Guthrie." Mary Brennan sees nothing surprising about Baxter being so jealous of his privacy. Eccentric. And I did love her deeply, in my own way.. Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. I never wanted to be gay. The Citz was a heterosexual theatre company. It was partly a feeling of I'll show them, that I could be as heterosexual as the rest of them.. Stanley confesses that he is not comfortable with his sexuality to this day. Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. Baxter is appearing on a charges of. Ill be calmer tomorrow. However the charges were dropped when the police officers who arrested him admitting he was on his own at the time. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images It was real weakness on my part.. Stanley Baxter as the Pantomime Dame in "Jack and the Beanstalk" at the King's Theatre, Glasgow. In December 1965, Baxters wife Moira suggested that Williams and her husband should go on holiday together in Beirut. Well, you, really. At a time when being gay was illegal in Britain, the actor would bring men home with his wifes knowledge. The star was honest with her about being gay and told her: This would be NO life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily homosexual.. One last piece for the Independent on Sunday, The Invisible Man: Searching for the Reclusive Stanley Baxter. Now that personal publicists are de rigueur for everyone from ministers mistresses to rugby players wives, we may even catch ourselves feeling faintly disapproving at the thought that he might want to do without the oxygen of publicity. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The truth is, I dont really want to be me.. Identifying clients needs and developing solutions for both existing and new to Bank clients. Looking up at me, expecting me to speak. Yes, was the terse reply. Beaten with sticks.'. We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments. In 1949, it was illegal to be gay and entrapment of homosexual men by covert police officers was common. 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. It said, words to the effect of, 'I'll let you off if you don't want to marry me'. Back home again, Baxter joined the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, a fine company with aspirations to form a Scottish national theatre. There, he saw a notice appealing for performers to join the Combined Services Entertainment unit [CSE]. 'It was like a 3,000 volt electric current going through me. 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. By being proactive, well informed and aware of your condition this is the first step to making a difference. He stood facing the audience for a moment and then said, in a vampish voice: I call this my hand grenade dress. Perhaps it was time to forget it, let him be. There was no answer. 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. The book was 10 years old, but it was worth a try. His lawyer managed to get the charge dropped but the incident left him in fear for his acting career. Stanley was freaked out at my turning up at his house. but a Yorkshire accent. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Moira's connections and jobs at similar companies. Actors have agents, and Baxters was listed in various theatrical yearbooks as David White Associates. Meet Alyssa Carson. He plays in Scotland to capacity every time, but thats not the point. 'It was partly a feeling of, 'I'll show them,' he admits. 'I. However, Moira was very, very upset. Yet my interest had been rekindled, my hopes raised, before being dashed against the same old stonewalling. Bringing the very best to his latest film role, Crooks Anonymous, starring alongside Julie Christie and Leslie Philips. almost as often as a chambermaid turns down bed sheets.'. But by that time he was established as a television comic with his own show, in which he played a series of characters rather than himself. At one point during my researches I was intrigued to meet a person in north London who had lived near the Baxters for a while in recent years, and who believed that they now lived apart, but that Stanley visited his wifes new home for lunch most days. . It was a dark day. But there was no chance of a reconciliation. A porter at the club confirmed that the comedian did swim in the pool most days. That counts for a lot in this part of north London, where there are more antique shops than newsagents. 'Silly boy,' the actor noted pithily in his diary. The lavish, multi-layered dresses worn by classic pantomime dames are built on a bodysuit of gripping Lycra whose fierce constriction can leave the body raw and bruised by the end of each performance. It was in CSE that Baxter met openly gay men for the first time. But Stanley couldnt contain his sexual frustrations. You're not much fun any more. And he turned it down. But in joining the Citz and aiming for the stars (however small his initial parts were as an Assistant Stage Manager) the young actor realised his sexuality could prove to be his downfall. There had been no mystery about the retirement, said Lennie, who talked about the physical demands of changing costumes so often. After all, she was with the man she adored. 'Thankfully Moira was very understanding. There are many gay people these days who are fairly comfortable with their sexuality, fairly happy with who they are. Baxter appeared alongside Jimmy Logan and Rikki Fulton in extravagantly-produced shows with Ziegfeld-scale sets and dancing girls, but also made his first BBC television appearance in 1951. What it did entail was years of loneliness, beginning on their honeymoon night. The tracks had long been covered by this time last year, when Ian Jack, then editor of the Independent on Sunday and (being a Scot) a Stanley Baxter fan, issued his decree. What about? He is an actor and writer, known for Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Fast Lady (1962) and The Stanley Baxter Moving Picture Show (1974). Millionen hochwertiger Bilder, Videos und Musiktracks warten auf Sie. And now he felt incredibly guilty because at the very end, he wasn't there to do what? HP10 9TY. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. 'I'm not. Client stories Our approach Blog FAQs Contact us Feel the value of financial planning First-class financial planning for people who strive for more. Its just prohibitive, you know, because they were such big specials. I felt vulnerable. After all, he was only a comedian, not a criminal or a crooked politician. Who was this man, who inspired so much silence? The show featured interviews about his life alongside new comedy material including a skit about the Queen's Christmas speech. What would the neighbours think? Hello, Mr Baxter. Face full of character. And I said Well, it does worry me. We hope you've really thought about how important it is., And I said nonchalantly, Oh, not nowadays. His family remained in Glasgow during the Blitz at first, a teenage Stanley and his mother sheltering under a dining table during the bombing. What had happened to Stanley Baxter? I believed that no-one in our family should be anything but a star.. British actress Moira Robertson and her husband, British comedian and actor Stanley Baxter, at Clerkenwell Magistrates Court in London, England, 5th March 1962. He was previously married to Moira Robertson. 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. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. And he met Moira Robertson, a 22-year-old who had worked her way up from the wardrobe department to the stage. But the question is also intriguing: how could someone who once inspired such affection slip from the public gaze so completely, in so short a space of time? . I was utterly overwhelmed. Her husband's career blossomed, with a series of cinema roles that led to star billing in films such as The Fast Lady. Yet, I had all sorts of excuses for developing a relationship. Not Stanleys fee, particularly, but you have to pay the Musicians Union, youve got to pay all the dancers, Equity and so on. No. I guess I had come to really like Moira. 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. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), 4897x4870px (41,46 x 41,23 cm) - 300 dpi - 6 MB. They would meet for lunch every day. This is no mean achievement. Baxter reveals he spent his entire career hiding his sexuality and discussed the impact it had on his relationship with his wife Moira Robertson, who died in 1997, In the book, he says he. And so, a few weeks later, I did the right journalistic thing and rang Mentorn and Channel 4. 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Its Christmas, he said. In 1944, his call-up papers arrived. 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. 'It was real weakness on my part,' he says now. In this remarkable new authorised biography, which Stanley originally refused to have published before his death for fear of being judged journalist Brian Beacom reveals the secrecy and sadness that have haunted the entertainer all his life. There was also a tiny quote from Baxter in the Times of November 1992, about how the role of Principal Boy should only be played by a woman: All those frills. I thought, I really hate this. And he reads the Independent. 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. Stanley explained he had tender feelings for Moira but agreeing to continue the relationship was real weakness on my part. WHEN DOES curiosity become intrusion? A bit boring! 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. Hes always quite pernickety about who hell speak to, which is why I dont want to say too much about him at the moment. Ill tell you, he said, managing to communicate weariness down the line. What could he do? Fair enough. He had moved past me to the door, and said good-bye as he shut it. If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. Ive been in audiences where women in their sixties would sit there and say, with absolute envy: Ooh, look at them legs. Her favourite memory is of one entrance in full rig, with craggy face underneath what looked like a mound of candyfloss. But it would be wrong to imagine he has found peace. 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I had never written anything longer than a thousand words for publication before, but Richard helped me through and opened the door to a career as a feature writer, for which I am extremely grateful. She would turn up at the stage door in Glasgow, unannounced. When he stopped doing TV spectaculars, we were told that everybody had an eye on the clock because the clock meant money. I was apprehensive about getting involved for all the obvious reasons. As his mother Bessie, a blacksmith's daughter, accompanied him on the piano, the boy belted out saucy music hall numbers with titles such as I'm One Of The Lads Of Valencia: 'You can't beat a Spaniard for kissing, Oh ladies, just think what you're missing!' Calls went unreturned, faxes unanswered. However he changed his mind when she became very, very upset and appeared to be heartbroken. It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. 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. 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? There was to be no further co-operation. And it worked. She wandered, like Ophelia through Hamlet, but she would have moved to the ends of the earth for me.. 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. The showbiz world is rife with tales of heartbreak, loneliness, wasted talent and regrets. Since graduating from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1992, Robertson has been honored with numerous awards for her work as a Tulsa Family Law attorney. A Gannett Company. 'It was then she physically attacked me. Some of it I knew from later editions: Hobbies: swimming, cycling, reading. Im not a personality, he once said. 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. 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. I tried to keep things calm and said, Okay, okay, well if you want to get engaged, we could try it for a year or so and see what happens., Just after the window ledge moment, Stanley was handed a Get Out of Jail Free card. Tragically, however, in 1997, the year Princess Diana died, Moira took her own life. contact the editor here. Whether your divorce is contested or uncontested, Tulsa Divorce Attorney Moura Robertson has the . 'And suddenly Kenny cut in, 'Yes! 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!. After the war in Europe was over, in June 1945, a 19-year-old Baxter was told to report to the Seaforth Highlanders regiment. My call was answered by Mr White himself, who seemed suspicious of my reasons for ringing. . And she was very good about letting them go to bed with me. After 11 months of waiting, I was becoming frustrated. I explained a great part of the problem was Moira. Waiting around outside the entrance to the flats where he lived was making me feel like a burglar casing the joint. Well, it was worth a go. Stanley managed to survive the threat to his career just and Moira, as expected stood by her man. Moira wrote him a very sane and balanced letter. 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. London, England, United Kingdom. No. He couldnt say when Baxter was expected next, but took my number to pass on. hed rather not do them. I kept getting those sheeps eyes every time she passed me in the theatre and she appeared to be heartbroken READ MOREShowbiz legend Stanley Baxter says No, "I told her my preference and said: 'Thats why I am breaking off the relationship. In terms of countries? A year later, on March 5, 1952, the train sped west to Moiras parents home in Dumbarton for the ceremony. The star, who is best. And she never knew of the window ledge incident. It was the one and only time she had ever reacted in this way. A nice, professional no. Moira's behaviour became more alarming. She recovered in hospital and wrote to her husband, insisting, 'I'll never do something so foolish again.' She would go off to our bedroom and let me take the one opposite.. 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. Fine, I said. I dont think I could go on then. My names Cole Moreton, from the Independent on Sunday. His associates would not return my calls. . He said, Oh well, if you did I should just follow you. 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." Baxter was charged with soliciting for sex. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Hes never done a chat show in his life. 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. A search through the IoS cuttings library unearthed a few mentions of Baxter, one of them an unexpected tribute from Andy Bell, lead singer with the pop group Erasure and another man given to wearing extravagant frocks. ' Friends suddenly shunned him, fearful of guilt by association. Margot Robbie reveals there was an entire room for pubic wigs on The Wolf Of Wall Street set, Bonnie Bartlett Daniels, 93, wife of Boy Meets World star William Daniels, 95, reveals they had open marriage, Britney Spears reveals new tattoo but admits it sucks and already needs fixing, Inside the love life and Strictly Come Dancing romances of Giovanni Pernice, Saira Khan claims lockdown does not work during heated clash with Loose Women co-stars, Do not sell or share my personal information. She called him her Sonny Boy and, as his precocious talent emerged, had him perform at every family gathering. Nigel Dempsters often there, and so are Stanley Baxter and Terry Stamp. They moved to London and Moira gave up the theatre, to be a housewife. There are folk who could tell you what kind of Christmas it was by recalling that years panto. So he wouldnt talk to a newspaper, even over the phone? Once stardom had been achieved, he limited his television appearances and won an unusual amount of power over how they were made. Anxious, he took a taxi to the house. Yet, the relationship was doomed from the start. The changing weather had given me a cold, so the stout went straight to my head, and the meal was tasteless. Comments have been closed on this article. The relationship made a sort of sense, says Stanley. He took his time. I wrote you a letter. Still smiling, though. He never appeared as himself. Clerical Office Worker. When hes like this, one could die for him. This would be no life for you, married to someone who is essentially and primarily a homosexual.'. 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. He felt guilty when he moved out, unable to share a home with her any longer. Organisieren, kontrollieren, verteilen und messen Sie alle Ihre digitalen Inhalte. View Moira Robertson's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Well, I spoke to your television company, and they said you might be doing some soon. The rest was silence. Can you tell me where they are? 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. 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.) 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. One diary entry, for March 1954, described Baxter as suspicious and ungenerous and said that being with him was like sitting on an oven. On December 23, 1950, Williams made another note in his diary: 'Stanley wrote to say he is going to marry Moira. He died aged just 26 and Stanley was heartbroken. If there were someone I were interested in, I could bring them home. That never happened: once television began to damage theatre audiences, many serious Scottish actors were forced into variety. She kept calling for him and my mother wasnt too happy about this. Stanley Baxter, Actor: Crooks Anonymous. 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. I didn't think that she was ever going to make it very big and I suggested she give it up. A loved one. He loved the applause 'a hundred people shouting 'Bravo' and I'm beating the adults to the prizes'.