Raymond Stanley's Show Buzz The Two Hermiones It was in the early 1940s that I first became aware of comedienne Hermione Gingold. She was in the revue Rise Above It, and with her was that other brilliant comedienne, Hermione Baddeley. I adored Gingold’s rasping voice, and her bitter, witty remarks. Later the two of them enraptured me in the revue Sky High, and then Gingold again in the first of the wonderful trio of Sweet and Low revues. Best of all perhaps when the two Hermiones appeared in a double bill of Noel Coward’s Fumed Oak and Fallen Angels. Coward was reputed to be furious with what they did with his plays. Eventually with their onstage antics, each trying to outdo the other, the evening’s proceedings were so lengthened that only Fallen Angels was played. Like everyone else I revelled in their ‘Poison Ivy’ sketch in Sweet and Low. Supposedly sitting at a table in the famous theatrical West End haunt, the Ivy Restaurant, Gingold and Walter Crisham wickedly name-dropped and sent up just about everybody in theatreland. “Isn’t that Florence Desmond over there doing an impersonation of John Gielgud?, Crisham would ask. “My deah, it is John Gielgud,” Gingold would reply, bringing down the house. There was her remark about actress Diana Wynyard: “So nice that such a nice woman should play such nice roles!” And then the difference between actors Laurence Olivier and Donald Wolfit. “Olivier is a tour-de-force, whilst Wolfit is forced to tour!” Of course one knew Alan Melville wrote the lines, but how lucky he was to have Gingold deliver them. I went along to see Sweet and Low in the company of an actor friend, who apparently knew La Gingold, and so, after the performance, we went backstage. She was friendly, but a trifle offhand. Perhaps the actor friend didn’t know her as well as he claimed! I asked if I could have her autograph and she was about to demur when I produced the latest copy of Theatre World, which had a photograph of her on the cover. Somewhat mollified, she signed it. Naturally I saw her in the second edition, Sweeter and Lower - several times - and then in perhaps the best of the series, Sweetest and Lowest. In the latter revue was a sketch in which Gingold, as an actress in the first world war receives a bear-skinned guards officer (Henry Kendall) in her dressing room. “Charmaine, Charmaine,” he declares passionately, “never, never change”. “Thart”, replies Gingold, “would be a leetle insanitaree”. It was about this time that I became very much involved in the activities of the Forces Writers’ Circle. We were attempting to attain a higher profile and holding social events with well known identities as honoured guests. Trading on my one and only meeting with Hermione Gingold, I suggested her and, much to our delight, she accepted. The exact details have now faded in my memory, so whether I paid another visit backstage or there was correspondence, I cannot recall. I suspect the former, otherwise I would undoubtedly still possess her letter in that regard. This was the autumn of 1946 and, with the War only recently over, performances still were starting early. Thus we calculated Gingold could arrive mid-way through the proceedings. To offset her late appearance, we invited along novelist/journalist Godfrey Winn. Obviously flattered, he said really he was a ‘no one’, and we should have invited someone like Somerset Maugham! In his entertaining way he managed to converse with everyone present and hold the limelight. It previously had been arranged that one of the women committee members and myself should proceed to the Ambassadors Theatre to collect Gingold in a taxi. In reply to my letter suggesting this, she wrote: “Thank you so much for your letter. It is very sweet of you to offer to send a taxi round for me but I have a taxi driver who calls for me every evening at the theatre. However, if you like to send an escort I shall be charmed.” In the final event, it turned out that she was her own taxi driver, and drove us from the theatre to the venue. Upon tapping on her dressing room door, swathed in a somewhat dirty dressing gown, she half opened it and, saying she had to change, asked me to wait in the corridor - but my female colleague could come in. Standing in the corridor, I could hear their voices, and gathered there were “I was dreadful tonight,” I heard her say, “just like Bea Lillie!” After a few minutes of such banter, she said: “I’m still not dressed and there’s your poor friend waiting out in the corridor. He’d better come in and watch the operation!” Again the door was opened - this time by one of the Americans - and I was ushered into the minute dressing room, its pink walls making it somehow look dowdier than it probably was. Still in stage make-up, with false eyelashes that seemed to be at least six inches long, was Miss Gingold, almost stark naked, and reflected in several mirrors on the walls. “Has dear Godfrey arrived yet?”, she asked and, when we confirmed he had, went on: “talking and talking as usual, I suppose.” Yes, indeed, we answered. Eventually La Gingold was dressed and the three of us set off. As we walked up the stairs to where the event was being held there came the sounds of loud noise and laughter, which changed to complete silence as we entered. Winn and Gingold fell upon each other, exchanging theatrical ‘darlings!’ and kissing each other profusely. Then Winn made a tactful silent exit. Obviously he felt the competition would be too great, that he would be the loser. Introductions were made, but somehow most people seemed too shy to talk to Gingold, and she became very much an observer. One young writer, a bit more daring than the others, approached her. “How does it feel, Miss Gingold, to be among such a lot of writers?”, he asked. “Well,” she said in that deep voice of her’s, “I have written a few things myself you know!” Eventually it came time for her departure and I escorted her to her car, and for a few minutes we stood by it and chatted. She became quite serious, showing an interest in the Circle, and making suggestions. Hermione Gingold undoubtedly was one of the great eccentrics of the 20th century, and it is as an eccentric that Kenneth Tynan provided a brilliant profile of her in his book He That Plays The King. Anyone wishing to know what Gingold was really like in a revue, should track that down. A friend of mine once told me about being taken to Gingold’s house and of his experience when going to the toilet. As he lifted the seat he noticed, inscribed around the inside of its rim, the words: “Thank God there’s a man in the house!” * * * * * * * * * * * * * There was a sequel to Hermione Gingold’s appearance as guest of honour at a Forces Writers’ Circle function. Having ‘ensnared’ one Hermione, as it were, it was decided it would be nice to have the other Hermione - Baddeley - along to a gathering. Accordingly, with a certain amount of trepidation, I ventured one night backstage at the Apollo Theatre were Baddeley was appearing with Leslie Banks in the play Grand Night Final. Petite and plumpish, she was extremely friendly and, hearing that Gingold had been a guest of honour, readily accepted our invitation. This time there was no taxi. Accompanied by a few friends, Baddeley made her own way, and her arrival was later than had been hoped for. Indeed, as she made her entrance, some members, with last trains to catch, already were preparing to leave. Displaying an interest in the activities of the Circle, Baddeley gaily chattered to all and sundry. Aware that Gingold sometimes contributed to the writing of numbers for her revues, Baddeley was asked if she did likewise. Answering in the negative, she somehow inferred that neither did Miss Gingold.... well not always... not exactly. Very sweetly Baddeley told us that sometimes people would come up with ideas for revue items, perhaps scripts, and submit them to the other Hermione. These would be rejected, BUT..... well, it sometimes happened that Gingold herself later would write something very very similar. Not that she was suggesting..... No doubt the other Hermione had a bad memory, that it was done unconsciously..... A coincidence perhaps! But - it did happen! There was much talk about the revue items the two had so perfectly performed together. The one of trying on of hats in Rise Above It. (“You look just like George Arliss in that one!”). And their sketch in Sky High as two mermaids at the bottom of the sea, searching for sailors. Suddenly Baddeley had the brilliant idea that the two Hermiones should be reunited for a future FWC function and perform some of those items. We, thinking of the publicity value, enthusiastically agreed, and Baddeley promised to speak to the other Hermione about it. Needless to say nothing ever eventuated in that regard. A few years after these events took place I was involved in the running of a playwrights club and it was decided that we should have a discussion on writing for revues. I wrote to Alan Melville who had contributed much revue material for Gingold and Baddeley and asked if he had any advice to convey in this regard. Amongst the tips he provided he included the following: “Never attend rehearsals, and NEVER complain when the leading lady cuts out three-quarters of your funniest lines and substitues lines of her own. They are certain to get bigger laughs than yours”. I think he had the two Hermiones very much in mind when he penned those words. |