Victor Spinetti
Victor Spinetti | |
---|---|
Born | Vittorio Giorgio Andre Spinetti 2 September 1929 Cwm, Monmouthshire, Wales |
Died | 19 June 2012 Monmouth, Wales | (aged 82)
Alma mater | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
Occupation(s) | Actor, author, poet, raconteur |
Years active | 1961–2012 |
Partner | Graham Curnow (1953–1997; Curnow's death) |
Relatives | Henry Spinetti (brother) Gianina Hughes (sister) |
Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012)[1][2] was a Welsh[3] actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Magical Mystery Tour.
Born in
During his later career, Spinetti acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in such roles as Lord Foppington in The Relapse and the Archbishop in Richard III, at Stratford-upon-Avon; and, in 1990, he appeared in The Krays. In 2008 he appeared in a one-man show, A Very Private Diary, which toured the UK as A Very Private Diary ... Revisited!, recounting his life story. Spinetti was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011 and died of the disease in June 2012.
Early life
Vittorio Giorgio Andre Spinetti was born on 2 September 1929
Career
Early on, Spinetti worked as a waiter and factory worker.[
Film
Spinetti gained international fame during the 1960s due to his association with the Beatles. He appeared in the first three Beatles films: A Hard Day's Night (1964), Help! (1965), and Magical Mystery Tour (1967). He also appeared on the Beatles' 1967 Christmas recording, released to members of their fan club. The best explanation for this long-running collaboration and friendship might have been provided by George Harrison, who told Spinetti, "You've got to be in all our films ... if you're not in them me Mum won't come and see them – because she fancies you."[8] But Harrison also later told him, "You've got a lovely karma, Vic." Paul McCartney once described Spinetti as "the man who makes clouds disappear". Spinetti made a small appearance in the promotional video for McCartney's song "London Town" from the 1978 album of the same name. Spinetti's July 2010 performance of the song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", at the Festival Theatre, Malvern in Worcestershire, was available on "The Beatles Complete on Ukulele" podcast.[9]
Spinetti appeared in around 30 films, including The Gentle Terror (1961), Sparrows Can't Sing (1963), The Wild Affair (1964), Becket (1964), Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968), Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), This, That and the Other (1969), Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), Under Milk Wood (1972), Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World (1973), The Great McGonagall (1974), The Little Prince (1974), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Emily (1976), Hardcore (1977), Casanova & Co. (1977), Under the Cherry Moon (1986) and The Krays (1990).
Spinetti's last on-screen appearance was in the DVD release of the independent film Beatles Stories by US musician Seth Swirsky, issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first recording sessions at Abbey Road.[3]
Theatre
Spinetti's work in
One of Spinetti's most challenging theatre roles was as the principal male character in
Spinetti co-authored
He also directed Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair, including productions staged in Europe. His many television appearances on British TV, include Take My Wife in which he played a London-based booking agent and schemer who was forever promising his comedian client that fame was just around the corner, and the sitcom An Actor's Life For Me.
In 1999, Victor Spinetti played in a Jim Davidson Adult Pantomime of Babes In The Wood (Boobs In The Wood) plays as Friar Tuck who had been taking weed. He had been told by The Sheriff of Nottingham (Jim Davidson) to kill his niece and nephew, who were escaped convicts (one of them played by Kenny Baker).
In September 2008, Spinetti reprised his one-man show, A Very Private Diary, touring the UK, as A Very Private Diary ... Revisited!, telling his life story.[10]
Television
From 1968 to 1969, Spinetti was a cast member of the Marty Feldman sketch show It's Marty, which was written by Barry Took, with contributions by John Cleese, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman, members of Monty Python as well as John Junkin, who appeared with Spinetti in A Hard Day's Night. In 1969 and 1970, Spinetti appeared on Thames Television, alongside Sid James, as one half of Two in Clover over two series. A sitcom about two office workers who jack it all in to become farmers, he starred in all but one of the 13 episodes. His absence in episode No. 3 of the second series was covered by fellow Welsh actor Richard Davies, playing Spinetti's character's brother.
In the 1970s, Spinetti appeared in a series of television advertisements for
From 1999 to 2002, Spinetti played Max, the 'man of a thousand faces', in the children's TV programme Harry and the Wrinklies, which also starred Nick Robinson in the title role.
Appearances
- Spinetti appears in This Is Your Life.
- 1985: The "All I Need Is a Miracle" music video by Mike and the Mechanics as the club owner.
Writing
Spinetti's poetry, notably Watchers Along the Mall (1963), and prose appeared in various publications. His memoir, Victor Spinetti Up Front...: His Strictly Confidential Autobiography, published in September 2006, is filled with anecdotes. In conversation with BBC Radio 2's
Personal life
Spinetti lived with his partner of forty-four years, Graham Curnow, who died in 1997.[3] Curnow appeared in the 1959 British horror film Horrors of the Black Museum.[12]
Death
Spinetti had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2011, after he collapsed onstage on Valentine's Day. He suffered a spinal fracture and discovered only by chance that he had a tumour. He was at first treated in London, but after being cared for by his sister and brother-in-law, he moved to the Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch for radiotherapy treatment.[13][14] He died from the disease[15] at Monnow Vale Integrated Health and Social Care Facility in Monmouth on the morning of 19 June 2012. His funeral was conducted by Ajahn Khemadhammo.[16]
Tributes
Spinetti was visited shortly before his death by
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1958 | Behind the Mask | Minor Role | Uncredited |
1961 | The Gentle Terror | Joe | |
1963 | Sparrows Can't Sing | Arnold | |
1963 | Stolen Hours | Freddy Cadogan - Party Guest | Uncredited |
1964 | Becket | French Tailor | Uncredited |
1964 | A Hard Day's Night | T.V. Director | |
1965 | Help! | Foot | |
1965 | The Wild Affair | Quentin | |
1967 | The Taming of the Shrew | Hortensio | |
1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | Army Sergeant | |
1968 | The Biggest Bundle of Them All | Captain Giglio | |
1969 | Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? | Critic Sharpnose | |
1970 | Start the Revolution Without Me | Duke d'Escargot | |
1970 | A Promise of Bed | George | |
1970 | Defeat of the Mafia | Charles Agostino | |
1972 | Under Milk Wood | Mog Edwards | |
1973 | Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World | Professor Ribart | |
1974 | The Little Prince | The Historian | |
1975 | The Great McGonagall | Mr. Stewart / Second-Lieutenant Rotlo / Supposed John Brown / Gentleman / Revolutionary / Cardinal / Policeman | |
1975 | The Return of the Pink Panther | Hotel Concierge | |
1975 | Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done | Dick Deadeye | Voice |
1976 | Emily | Richard Walker | |
1976 | Voyage of the Damned | Dr. Erich Strauss | |
1977 | Casanova & Co. | The Prefect | |
1977 | Hardcore | Duncan | |
1986 | Under the Cherry Moon | The Jaded Three #1 | |
1990 | The Krays | Mr. Lawson | |
1990 | Romeo.Juliet[19] | Tybalt / Benvolio | Voice |
1991 | The Princess and the Goblin | Glump | Voice |
1999 | Julie and the Cadillacs | Cyril Wise | |
1999 | Dragon Tales | Narrator (Audiobooks) |
References
- ^ a b c "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Victor Spinetti – the man The Beatles loved. WalesOnline (15 September 2010). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Coveney, Michael (19 June 2012). "Victor Spinetti obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
Victor Spinetti, who has died of cancer aged 82, was an outrageously talented Welsh actor and raconteur
- ]
- ^ Victor Spinetti. The Daily Telegraph. (19 June 2012). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Ference, Ian (18 December 2020). "The Irving Theatre: VistaScreen's rarest set shows London's first strip joint". Brooklyn Stereography. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ "The Irving Theatre Club — Revues with Vues". Pamela Green. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "Victor Spinetti, actor and star of Beatles films, dies", BBC News, 19 June 2012
- ^ "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" – Victor Spinetti. Thebeatlescompleteonukulele.com. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Entertainer Spinetti to tour life story. The Stage. (30 August 2013). Retrieved 3 September 2013. Archived 12 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ""Bottom" Finger (TV Episode 1995)". IMDb.com.
- ^ "Graham Curnow (1930-1997)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ TRIBUTES TO LARGER-THAN-LIFE STAR SPINETTI WHO'S DIED AT 82. WalesOnline.co.uk via Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
"Victor was a magnificent man, a wonderful man who was full of great stories... Liz Taylor and Richard Burton wanted him at their parties, The Beatles loved him – they wouldn't do a film without him." - ^ Victor Spinetti. Beatlesbible.com. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ Actor Victor Spinetti loses his battle with prostate cancer, aged 82 at walesonline, 19 June 2012. Walesonline.co.uk (19 June 2012). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ 'The Monk Who Gave Up Acting With Laurence Olivier To Lead Buddhism In British Prisons'. HuffPost. 25 November 2014.
- ^ ""Victor Spinetti 1929 – 2012"". Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
- ^ In Conversation: Victor Spinetti Special – Friday 7pm Archived 24 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Bestkeptsecrets.biz (21 June 2012). Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^ "Victor Spinetti - Filmography". Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
External links
- Victor Spinetti at the Internet Broadway Database
- Victor Spinetti at IMDb
- Victor Spinetti at the TCM Movie Database
- Stories, biography, filmography
- Paul & Lucy's BEST KEPT SECRETS: In Conversation: Victor Spinetti Special
- doollee.com listing of Spinetti's works written for the stage Archived 17 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine