YOMBA
Limelight
The lush life
of Oliver Messel
BEHIND IT ALL
A LOVE AFFAIR
WITH THE PAST
IN an overpoweringly opulent house, cluttered with crystal chandeliers and gilt cherubs, one discovers the small, neat, sports-jacketed figure of Mr Oliver Messel eating a Bovril sandwich for his tea.
"It's an eccentricity of mine," he says, Ho is referring to the sand- wich, not the cherubs. A Barbadian house-boy wearing a Cecil Gee beach- shirt by way of uniform comes in to announce the arrival of an emissary from the Arts Council.
"Ol dear," murmurs Messel "now you understand why I have to do most of my work at night. The day always seems to be taken up with tha thing or another,'
Working through the night, ha has recently completed a bed for Cleopatra, a house for Sidney Bernstein and a gleam-bath for a new West End club. And all these various creations will bear the unmistakable stamp of Oliver Messel's exotic person- elity.
"I can Assure you," he declared, "that my sleam-bath will not look like anybody else's steam-bath. I see no reason why something that is useful should have to look utilitarian,"
NO PROBLEM
In
to
than one of my sols. And you out of me designing the sets for can't imagiya hovy much it takes
20 opera acoson at Glynde- bourne.
"It sometimes makes me quite £11, And it is really a very extravagant thing for me to do enough to make it worthwhile. because they can't possibly pay
Sceking a more rewarding and permanent way of expressing his talent, he has, at the age of 60, taken up architecture.
"The first house that I have designed completely is a place for Sidney Bernstein in Bar- bados, It is what I would call a modern house, but I am not inspired.
modern architects seem to be, by airport buildings.
some
Ï
"I am not against modern functional mechanistic world. Mr Messel
things I think the now road Is con- tinually looking
leading to London Airport has a back lusher, more
but rather pretty shapo, Corgeous periods wouldn't want to live in it." of history, is involved in a perpetual love affair with the pite his apparent predilec
tion for things of the past, ho declares adamantly that ho not wish to have been would born in any age other than the present.
past.
Understandably when a film producer needs someone to design costumes for Cleopatra, Mr Messel is called In.
Was there any problem in cou voying twentieth-century sexi neo of the Elizabeth, Taylor kind in terms of an early- Egyptian wardrobe?
"I would have hated ta. live in the 18th century" he says. "1 think the snobblehness of the period would have been qulie unbearable. The segregation of the classes Is something 1 can't bear. One wants to have a cosy "On the contrary," says Mr relationship with one's servants, Messel with a glight giggle. doesn't one.' "The evidence is that Cleopatra That his profession-of which, exposed even more of her bosom ho is probably the world's most han a dim star. In fact, all of celebrated exponent brings rich rewards is evident from the fact that he can afford to live in a style and an almosphere every bit as lush as one of his more fantastic sets.
"Of course ono cannot be as historically authentic as al that But the dresses I have designed for Miss Taylor are not. shall we say, needlessly
decerous." Miss Taylor was understandably
delighted,
But, he says wistfulb: " have never stayed at the Oliver Messel sulfo. Can't afford it,"
EXTRAVAGANT. MR JUDD IS
But Mr Mesrel, who designe operas, ballets, films, hotel. suites and garden parties, is
SO DISCREET
worried about the imperman TDWARD JUDD is a 28-
ence of his work,
Jill gives
her verdict...
eminent critic as "a throat to O'Toole and an ambush to Finney."
that group of gusty young actors Certainly Mr Judd belongs to
who have been storming the theatrical establishments, terri- tying the defenders with their blood-curdling regional accents,
Ploture by MIDHARL Wand
· THERE ARE INDICATIONS that the revue u,becoming Sharper in favour, more barbed in its approach to con- temporary life, The other day I called in at a rehearsal of the Lord Chamberlain Regrets and found. Miss Jill. Ireland doing a aldi on Mrs Jackie Kennedy
There was also a number celebrating the demise of the Labour Party done to the music of Gotterdammerung and one about Mr Alfred Krupp.
at
There is another tem in which Miss' Ireland, Madaine Pompadour, is taking part, in an 18th century veraim, of, Juke Boź Jury. Aiked to give her opinion of Mr Handel's latest disc, The Messiah, she says: "I liked the tune, But I couldn't hear the words."
Though the cast of The Lord Chamberlain Regrets là rehearsing these numbers with considerable relish, they are apprehensive on one, score. The Lord Chamberlain, now considering the material, may regretfully exelse some of their best nes-including the title."
"To make a living. I've had to accept all sorts of ports 200 on television, walk-ons in Alms— that I didn't necessarily ko,
arrogant now.. So I can't really start getting
"Besides, I think there Is than nothing more conformist non-conformity. It's a band- wagon that everybody Is climb- Ing on now, and I don't want to has be part of any group.
Though still unknown to the general publie. Mr Judd been given the leading male role ka new film being made by Val Guest, The Day the Earth Caught Fire.
He has also signed a £100,000 contract with Columbla.
torish) and in manner (row, In appearance (tough, unac-
forthright, tense) he is com- parable to OToole and Finney, But his general attitude is for more compliant and discreet.
‘MY PARTS'
he "Finney."
said, younger than me and he made his BURGESS without
10
"The job of the actor ja to entertain the public, not indulge his own cgotistic, fantasies,"
It might almost be Nocl Coward speaking.
having censor
JOHN HUSTON. I hear, is Amerien with his film about troublo in
Freud. The censor, it stems, ia objecting to the inclusion in the script of such words n incent. Mr Huston reasonably insists that it is impossible to Fa film about Freud moke
the use of such
Ewer olductor who has much of a struggle, so having without
"A counell. house," he says disdainfully, "has a longer life been
described by
he can afford to be moro Inde-
on pendent,
-Londen Express Beroics);
GODFREY WINN
↓
I HAVE just come back from Bath where I went
The next
time you
to stay with friends for the opening of the hear our festival. It was all very civilised, very remote,
in a way, from life.
And then my hostess said: "I want you to young come and see a club here, that is unlike anything
elge in Britain. I want you to meet the young called
people behind it all.
hands they would restore and
people
layabouts.
"I met them myself, because the Festival Committed asked me to arrange dancing in the someone said: Go and cnilst sumclont youth club. streets the coming, week, and evate the house, and turn It
into a self-supporting, self- the club's, founder, expipined to Keith Johnson........he will help
ine.. "It often stems down to That same evening he wrote the question of vitality. you fix up the Jam Beshsa,"
The to the council,.
one with the mast,' 1 mean. IL Dancing every night in the
can be wasted in hooliganism or streets....that's aasočiai revolu-
harnessed 10 what we tire ion for Bath, I thought.
slowly building up here with However, it was nothing to the
our own hands?! ather far greater social revolu- Įtion, or evolution in living that
I discovered
The start
In the seven years since the club's inception, the members
by chance whun Anoument, for they sent for every penny plece of which has
FT must have been an unusual have somehow raised £7,000,
we parked our car in Gros- venor-place, one ol Bath's him, and he was with the elty gone a materials for mending most beautiful terraces, in-front burghera for four hours.
the Adaņi ceilings, relaying the
| of a ̧house_* with a maimißeant; Ha omerged with the promise floors, and painting tint
Tucude of Ionie 'columns.
of a lense and a completely free decorating. There WAS myrke · coming through the door but not | eighteenth = "century music, in keeping with the date when the house was built as ʼn gambling club for the rich tonunta of the square round it.
A dream
hand. A pound a weelt rent, And their club los no rules, and nearly a week for rates. except good will, good. temper,
There was no water, no gas or grid good pense. electricity, and no sonttatlan at any lnd. The whole placo stank to high heaven of dry rot
"How did you start your gamble?" I asked the young man with the vory ascetle face.
the direct gazo, and the neat
dark sult,
Enthusiasm
of the group who went
and with me, showing me
"I started by chanting my the Churchili Cinema, avith, the job. I became self-employed, I extremely professional projec AFTER a chequered career, ne bought a vacuum cleaner on the tion room they had built, war an academy, for young mover-novor, and wont from Gordon Holton, the treasurer of officers, and a girls', finishing door to door canvassing. Ono the club and an electrician by school, it ended una ati awoman gaked me to clean, two day. And equally now, an elec- A.R.P, Post, in the war, muttering chairs. I charged a tob. I trician by night, much damugo to lia roof and took eight hours.
"Every night?" I echood. windows.
"I learned the hard way, and "Almost every night," he So much damago that the in the process I learned a lot grinned. "I like coming here." officials estimate to set the place about carpels. Today I havo, my ̧· That simple sentence naid properly in order was £03,000. own carpet centro, which is everything. Literally, only the facado doing woil, and my partner. វ៉ក The enthusiasm and good remained, but that facade was, the fellow who helped mo comradeship that was manifest sumcient to inspire the imegin launch the club,"
overywhere. Oven in the ation of a youth, just starting They began by enrolling 200 extremely well-equipped lobora- work in a bicycle chop, working members, each putting tory, where its creator, 21-year- One qurly-closing afternoon, 21 into the kitty, Young men old Brian Stannard in a white without a bicycle himself, and woman between the ages of coat was waiting to show mo without the price of his 17 and 23.
his treasures, bus 'Ucket, Keith Johnson Some avarg students, some
"I used to house all my stuff started to walk home, and from worked in shops or offices, some in a shed in the arden ht high up on the other side of the were artisans, minny were on home," he explained. "Then I River Avon, saw the house, the perilous verge of becoming came here cre Saturday night, from a new angle. and his Teddy Boys or Giris,
to the dotice, and suggested that dream was crystallised.,
"There is such ∙narrow. I would house it all here, and He would get together a band dividing lino, vuch a tight-rope- sirare it with anyone with Ike
London Express Service), --
Lot
young people of his awn thinness between minking the Interests." generation, and with their own grade, or going over the edgo,"
NEW
RONSON
VARAFLAME
ADEINE
CALA OPENING
APARTHEID
THRILLS.
WHITES ONLY
CHARLIE
(WHIPLASH). SWART
THE GOOD. NEIGHBOUR
• MEAN
DIRECT
ERD
CERT X
Mr. Bwart, fre: President or the Republic of South Africa, was once a/Alm extra in Hollywbod::
GORKAN KEDYULr deritza
Low fi touch of
With the Rodadh Varallame, you choose the flymo’height
you want and set it at a touch of the Varaflame wheel, Exclusive to Ronson, Varaflamacinstans · "fluite adjustment gives you the right flamme height, for every occasion,
Ronson Varoflame Butane - Multi-Flit : fuela' thr Rouson Vargfuma":tz B`arçondi-farts about e year in formal k
FUSE E
Bola Agents: EDIA:KELLER