Botham

 

I read an interview the other day with Ian Botham. He was a great hero when he played cricket for England and a sight not to behold these days when he took his seat in The House of Lords. The interview was published as a Q&A and when it came to the inevitable question of Brexit his quick answer was 'Forget it mate, we won.'

First of all 'we' and secondly he and they, didn't win. They lost – they lost confidence in a great idea, an idea of a peaceful togetherness with the other peoples of Europe, lost faith in their trust of others and became suspicious of them claiming that a non-elected body was making the rules when we actually  voted for MEPs - but all that is water under the bridge. By the time the UK try to rejoin the EU I will be water under the bridge. So it won't affect me at all. I don't live near a lorry park in Kent and I can carry on making my little films and entering them in the festivals all over the world – including Europe. The irony is, of course, that Botham was of the opinion he was getting rid of an unelected organisation and for this he joins another – The House of Lords.

But it's amazing how boyhood heroes suddenly become arseholes. I remember Clint Eastwood at one of the 'nasty party' conventions bringing a chair on to the stage and started talking to it, rather like someone at a drama school audition.

'My Lord I have letters here from France' – of course if that joke ever travels from this page it won't be in America. You see in Britain French Letters is another name for condoms.

Eastwood talked to the chair pretending he was speaking to Obama telling him where he went wrong. I loved Clint's films and love him as a director. He changed attitudes in Hollywood as he would never shout 'action' as most of the time he would be doing horse operas or big movie westerns. He had worked with many a director who would use the big voiced 'Action!!!' only to see the horses bolt as soon as they heard the clapper.

I have to say most of the people, who were heroes to me as a child, and whom I have met, have never let me down. I have written on here a couple of posts about Roger Bannister and he was the nicest man you could think of. One of my favourite actors, Tony Curtis, greeted me as if I was an old friend, as if we had a history and it was the same when I met Rod Stewart. He said, Chris, you were always my hero and you haven't let me down – of course I'm kidding there, but we had a couple of drinks together then parted company with a 'be lucky' farewell from both of us which made me laugh at least.

By the way I found out that one of Marlon Brando's favourite actors was Tony Curtis. I remember telling a New York antique dealer, when we were talking late at night over glasses on wine, and how do you learn the lines and who is your favourite actor and I mentioned Tony Curtis.

'Oh you mean, my mudder and my farder, Tony Curtis?' sometimes, some people think they know all about acting and who it is fashionable to like and that is all they know.

I think the reason why Brando liked him was because he could smile – so you smile now and look in the mirror. 

Does it still look like a smile? Well fake it.

Be Lucky.