Thursday, 23 July 2009

Raising Hell!


Above is a caricature of four of my favourite hellraisers. Imagine sharing an "Early Doors" session with this lot....WOW! 

Today O'Toole is the only one left standing. I met him once at a charity cricket match, just a handshake and an autograph but I'll treasure it forever.

I can heartily recommend Robert Sellers book "Hellraisers" on the subject. It's a splendid assembly of the exploits of these magnificent rakes....and what exploits they were! 

Burton, Harris and Reed may be gone...but never forgotten. I hope the near future brings O'Toole a knighthood... although I suspect he'd turn it down, citing his "Irishness" as mitigating circumstances.

Excelsior Out!  

Update: The legend that is Peter O'Toole passed away December 14th 2013. He was many things actor, raconteur, author, wit, drinker...genius; and in all of those guises he dwarfed real life completely. In "My Favourite Year" he screamed "I'm not an actor I'm a movies star!"...he was both; perhaps the last great one. He could break your heart and break you up...sometimes within the same moment. To meet him was to love him...I did, and I did; Heaven's Green Room just got a little rowdier.

RIP T.E. Lawrence, Alan Swan, Eli Cross...to name but a few.

Excelsior...

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