Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Hawaii
NOT a single catastrophic incident befell San Francisco when I stopped over for a few days en route to London. I felt I'd shaken the nickname I'd acquired there thanks to earthquakes, fires, explosions etc. S.F. visit brings
no disasterswhich occurred during earlier visits. "Disaster Dave," they called me. But on my first day in London, where I houseguested with old friends Sheridan Morley and his wife, Ruth Leon, I heard on the telly that "Foot and Mouth Disease" had struck England. "They don't mean "Foot IN Mouth Disease?" I inquired, thinking it might be a signal to my arrival. But no, it was the worst outbreak of the real thing in over 30 years and thousands of cattle, sheep and pigs had to be slaughtered and burned in an attempt to stop the spreading. Alas, too late...
WRITER and critic Morley, whom I've known since he spent a year at UH in 1963, was putting the final edit on his authorized biography of the late, great actor, John Gielgud, and I discovered that Hawaii was featured on the very first page. He mentioned an early meeting with Gielgud at the Honolulu airport when the actor had a layover en route to Australia and a number of us greeted him at the airport. The theatrical great knew Sheridan's father, actor Robert Morley. Sheridan writes in his bio that he gave Gielgud a kind of "flowery necklace." He couldn't bring himself to use the word "lei," figuring most readers would have no idea of what he meant or misinterpret. The biography will be published later this year in England...
From Gielgud to Olivier
ONE main purpose of the London trip was to see live theater, and I managed to take in 10 plays in seven days -- more on that tomorrow -- plus attend the 2001 Olivier Awards, Britain's answer to the Tony's, with Sheridan and Ruth. I didn't recognize too many people there, but sightings were plentiful at a late dinner at the Ivy, a kind of upscale Sardi's with theater people all around. Jean Marsh was there chatting with the women who created the "Upstairs/Downstairs" series in which she starred. Seated at the table next to ours was "007" himself, Roger Moore, with his wife. There were giggles when I wondered aloud if 007 was the number of facelifts he's had. I was introduced to Anharad Rhys, there with her ex-husband. I suggested she might find herself in Hawaii one day and gave her my card. After her thanks and smiling departure, Ruth stated quite matter-of-factly, "She's now married to Alan Bates." Ouch! ...
Hawaii connections
MET up with local stage star Kathleen Stuart, now in her second year at Mountview Academy for the Performing Arts, and we took in a couple of plays together ... Isle-born actor Peter Clark was out of town, attending the funeral of his brother in Denver. (He's due in Hawaii this month.) ...Visited with Lolly Susi backstage at "The Graduate" after learning from the program she had a good role in the show. She directed "Blood Brothers" for Manoa Valley Theatre ... I spent one afternoon looking in on Simon Cardew, my best friend in Hawaii and later in Europe when he worked for Sheraton. He's suffering from the little-known debilitating disease, P.S.P., the same ailment that's shortened the career of Dudley Moore. Cardew and wife Joan live in the Belgravia flat they purchased when Simon was with Sheraton. Against all odds, Simon has been battling for a dozen years with the dread disease. How can he continue, I wondered, and his wife put it best: "He has such a big heart." Amen ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com