Fawlty film set
JOHN Cleese, the British humour merchant, has been stalking his imperious and mock-aggressive way about the verdant Midlands, I'm told. He is starring in Spud: The Movie, the adaptation of John van der Riet's book based on his schooldays at Michaelhouse.
Cleese, who was mainstay of the Monty Python's Flying Circus TV series – cutting edge satire - then star of the later Fawlty Towers, set in a small English country hotel, is actually a heck of a nice fellow, according to somebody who has been on set with him at Michaelhouse – fairly reserved but very witty, a lot of fun.
My informant is a bloke with whom I played cricket for years, often at Michaelhouse funnily enough, where the Durban Press XI would take on Caversham, a side made up of Michaelhouse masters and local farmers.
My man in the movie business is none other than Lorne Maclaine, former wicketkeeper in the Press XI and known as "Drambuie" because he is (I kid you not) chieftain of the Scottish Maclaine clan and his correct title is "The Maclaine of Loch Buie."
Drambuie is also marketing director of this newspaper. He found himself hired as an extra for Spud: The Movie after a few glasses of port one evening. One thing leads to another.
Drambuie is now in agonies of apprehension. After days of shooting at Michaelhouse he still doesn't know if his screen career is about to take off. Eighty percent of the footage shot ends up on the cutting room floor. He will know in November.
Does a new career beckon? Or does he keep his day job?
Blame game
ACTUALLY I partly blame Drambuie for the demise of the Durban Press XI. There was a mix-up between he and our notably erratic skipper, the Compton Boy (not to be confused with Compton the Elder, who is cricket scribe on this newspaper).
The Compton Boy left our bag of kit outside Drambuie's office for his attention. Argus Community Projects (in the next office) was organising a jumble sale.
Yes, you've guessed. Our complete bag of kit – bats, pads, gloves, the lot – was sold as jumble. No more Press XI. No more thrilling matches at Michaelhouse, Richmond, Kloof, Umhlali, Kingsmead (again I kid you not) and elsewhere.
Each blames the other. I blame them both.
I mention this because I think we have here the elements of a great screenplay. Drambuie already has experience on set. The slightly manic John Cleese would be excellently cast as the Compton Boy
Lights, camera, action!
That test
IT SEEMS I was right after all that a cricket Test between England and South Africa took place at Kingsmead in 1948, featuring Alec Bedser in a last-wicket stand. One reader says the match was in 1950, but three more respond that it was definitely 1948.
But it seems I was wrong about Bedser scoring the winning runs for England. It was his partner, Gladwin, and he got the final run with a leg-bye. So it was Extras who got the glory.
Who says Test cricket is on the way out? They're still talking about a game that happened 62 years ago. Test cricket is important in people's lives.
That clock
MORE on the Greenacres clock. A reader recently asked if anyone recalls this timepiece which had a figure walking out every hour dressed in a tuxedo, rather like a cuckoo clock.
Patricia Charlton says she remembers it very well. It was on the balcony on the corner of Greenacres department store and Greenacres Passage.
"On the hour a clock would chime, a door opened and a figure would come out. At the end of the chime it went back into the area behind the door. Someone said it was supposed to represent George Cato (Durban's first mayor) but of that I am not sure."
I'm afraid I just don't recall this clock with its tuxedo cuckoo. I was never one to hang about department stores. But a picture is gradually building up.
Tailpiece
A HOSPITAL receives a call. "How is Mr Jackson in Ward B?"
Duty nurse: "Mr Jackson's fine. His test results were normal. Who's calling?"
Caller: "This is Mr Jackson in Ward B. Nobody tells me anything."
Last word
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith.
GRAHAM LINSCOTT
No comments:
Post a Comment