From:   "Colin Kilgour" 
Date:  Tue Sep 23, 2003  5:54 pm
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Anthony Newley
 
ANTHONY NEWLEY

Born 24 September, 1931 in Hackney, London
Died 14 April, 1999 in Jensen Beach, Florida (at age 67)

I am interested in Newley's career and am working my way through the recent
issue of the first biography on his life. Whilst I admit to never being
short of words, this is quite a long piece but even so, only takes us (from
'pre-birth') to the early sixties. If there is sufficient interest, I will
(over the next few months) issue the ongoing chapters in Newley's colourful
life, as I complete the reading and research.

Writer, actor, pop star, singer, songwriter and director; his career spanned
more than 50 years and embraced film, repertory theatre, rock and roll,
comedy revues, music hall and television. He was a man who gained the world
but behind the mask of success lay a fractured life, a man plagued with
depression and self-doubt.

The dark clown who needed the approval and love of his audience to fight off
his despair and loneliness.

In the 1950s and 1960s he was everywhere - on the screen, on television and,
seven times, in the UK Top Ten.

Tony Newley married and divorced, three times. He had four children. He was
one of entertainment's genuine triple treats in the 'Big Three': an actor,
singer, and composer with an international following, equally adept and
prodigious in all three fields. Moreover, he enjoyed success as a performer
in such seemingly mutually exclusive fields as pop music (OK, not rock &
roll as such) and the legitimate stage. And even more improbably, he did it
with a working-class Cockney persona that should never have found much
currency outside of England. Indeed for some 30 years he was one of the most
imposing talents to come out of England.

Tony was born Sept. 24, 1931, illegitimately in Oswald Street, Hackney, east
London. Hackney and neighbouring Clapton became his 'manors'. His family
history was interesting, let's start with his grandparents:

Arthur Newley a cabinet & birdcage maker and according to the family,
descended from the Huguenots. He was a musician, a good oboist.

Frances Grace Morris - amateur dancer and singer, her brother Bob Morris was
a sometime professional comedian, a regular at the Holborn Empire.

Around 1912, the family unit was the above parents with 5 children (six
others had died in infancy). We need to concentrate on Tony's mother,
Gracie born around 1904. She shared her own mother's first two names. Her
father lost a great deal of money when Farrow's Bank collapsed and the onset
of World War 1 put paid to any hopes of financial recovery. He was in fact
called up and sent as a regular soldier to South Africa.

His first son and namesake added a few years to his age and also took the
King's shilling, an impetuous decision that would lead to his death from war
wounds and T.B. some five years later.

Gracie was taken out of school aged 11 and given responsibility for looking
after the house and children whilst her mother found other ways of
supplementing the meagre soldier's pay.

Between 1913 and '16 Arthur and Frances (somehow!) had two other daughters
adding to the various pressures. It appears that Frances (quite a beauty)
fell into dubious ways and was carried off by consumption before the decade
was out.

All this hardship added to Gracie's struggles as surrogate mother and
although things did improve eventually, it was not before they turned for
help to the Salvation Army. Her father was apparently a 'saint' of a man
and as the 20s wore on, a little of the good fortune the Newleys once
enjoyed, returned to their home.

Come the turn of the decade, Gracie made the acquaintance of Nell and George
Kirby who ran a Gents' Outfitters. George was some years younger than his
wife and quite a charmer. Gracie fell in love with the man destined to
become Anthony Newley's father.

Gracie started to work for the Kirbys and she and George became lovers. She
became pregnant in February of 1931. alone one night she tried to get rid
of the baby (as directed by Kirby) but with no success. Her son was born on
24 September, 1931 at Homerton Hospital up Marsh Hill (Hackney way), an
institution not far short of a workhouse.

The child was named George Anthony Newley, the middle name after a character
in a novel she had been reading. On her arrival home it became clear her
upset family would not readily accept the name George. So it was just
'Anthony'. The whole family was ostracised and called names, there being a
definite stigma having a child out of wedlock back then.

Kirby had made a clumsy approach via his solicitors to 'set her up for life'
if Gracie signed an affidavit stating he was not the father. She refused.
It was all the more amazing then, that she resumed furtive liaisons with
George Kirby for four years until the inevitable happened (again). This
time Kirby took control and arranged a termination operation with a dodgy
doctor. After this great upset, Gracie unsurprisingly lost touch with Kirby
(but see later extracts towards year end).

From this distance one can criticise and call her actions stupid but it
should be remembered she had sacrificed her education, then her adolescence
entirely for her family. Why should she be deprived of love and affection?
It's just a pity it could not have come from a more suitable source.

She became a doting mother and was probably guilty of being too close to her
son and smothering him. As he headed toward and beyond the age of ten,
whilst he was streetwise up to appoint, Tony was dreamy, almost poetic and
gentle.

Gracie worked as a barmaid and started seeing Ron Gardiner, one of the
barmen. Aged eight, Newley was evacuated at the outbreak of World War 2
with a pal to Sawbridgeworth, Herts (23 miles away). The boys were billeted
with Edith Chappell, an elderly lady whom Newley came to despise as callous
and mean (Sawbridgeworth is where the England soccer captain now has his £5
million home, 'Beckingham Palace').

Gracie married Ron in 1939 and they moved to Troon, Scotland following his
army posting. This exacerbated Newley's feeling of abandonment and the
devastation in his young mind was perhaps never healed.

TN's second location under evacuation was 255 miles north-west of London in
Morecambe, Lancs with George Cornille Pescud and his wife, Belle. He had
been a professional music hall entertainer and actor/manager and the couple
were hugely welcoming. Newley's luck had turned.

Pescud opened up Newley and his friends to a range of arts, including music,
writing, and painting, that he might otherwise never have appreciated or
understood. He immersed himself in these treasures and perhaps more
importantly found people with whom he could connect. He blossomed and found
himself wanting to emulate Pescud.

Eventually he went back to London and school, where he was a good student.
In spite of this, he didn't enjoy school and was unsettled. On leaving, he
had a succession of short-lived jobs but existed to get home to his books
and painting.

He worked briefly in an insurance office until he saw an advertisement for
the Italia Conti stage school, where, aged 14 he was accepted as a pupil and
tea boy, his salary covering his the fees. Newley's engaging personality
and cocky cheerfulness won the day.

He progressed well, becoming an outstanding child actor. A natural talent,
impressing Peter Ustinov early on. Petula Clark developed an unrequited
crush on Newley and it was she who coerced him into singing. His initial
acting performances lead to David Lean casting him as the Artful Dodger in
Lean's 1948 film Oliver Twist. Lean, unhappy with the neatness of the boy's
face, pushed a walnut up his left nostril to distort his features! Ouch.
Newley however gave a remarkable performance opposite Alec Guinness and
Robert Newton.

At Conti's, he met and fell for Jennifer Jones (well who wouldn't?). He
secured a seven-year contract with the Rank Organisation and met, fell in
love with and enjoyed the intimate acquaintance of the young Diana Dors
(Miss Fluck to designate her given surname). It doesn't appear Ms. Dors
reciprocated emotionally ....... clearly she just used poor Newley for her
carnal needs ;-)) 

His diary entries display for a 17/18 year old, a remarkably negative and
gloomy outlook on life (and inevitable death). He long saw himself as a
child lost in limbo with an identity number around his helpless neck.

His acting career somewhat in the doldrums, 22312441 Private Newley A was
conscripted into the Army in the winter of 1949. In every way he was out of
his depth in this rough man's world. He couldn't hack the demands of army
discipline.

Some six weeks after his arrival, he was released from the Army on the
grounds of mental instability (Roll Over Terry Dene). Newley, who remember
had never known a father, said, "I couldn't take a man's world - I needed a
woman's presence and touch."

Aged around 19/20 (that late?) Tony began to drink heavily and become
dependent, developing a stomach ulcer. Things improved when he got a
contract for a year's Rep. in Dewsbury. Newley reasoned, if it was good
enough for Chaplin ...

It afforded a highly varied theatrical bill of fare, not all of which was
appreciated by the public. With the relative security of £12 a week, Newley
began to regain his confidence and his desire to be an actor.

The manager of the theatre became Tony's personal manager for 10 years. TN
rejected the chance of another 12 months in Rep. in Leicester choosing
instead to get back into films after two years' absence.

It paid off .... he got several roles and he also started writing again - a
number of revues. He started a double act with Dick Vosburgh (Leslie
Crowther's own film success had removed him from the team).

Newley was becoming quite the ladies' man now and took a shine to 18 year
old actress Ann Lynn. They soon moved in together and in 1954 Newley made a
Navy feature film with Ronald Shiner. Ann became pregnant but a back street
clinic abortion was arranged.

1955 saw Newley in 'Above Us The Waves' [Rank] with leads Mills, Sinden and
Gregson. Tony became friends with fellow bit-parter William (Schweppes)
Franklyn. They shared digs and Franklyn taught Newley to drive.

Soon Tony finally got a more substantial role in the much-vaunted
'Cockleshell Heroes'. Bryan Forbes wrote the screenplay for the movie and
carefully constructed for himself, the role of Clarke. He was bitterly
disappointed when the part was given to Newley. It was a significant break
despite it being another Cockney cheeky chap (which got him work).

More variation came in the form of a late 1955 review 'Cranks', his West End
debut. This allowed Newley's vocal prowess and stagecraft to flourish. He
became involved with young designer Gina Goldberg who was destined to play a
major role on his later life.

During 1956 Ann became pregnant again. Tony didn't want the baby. In an
echo of his own life, Ann tried to abort the child without 'professional'
help. She failed.

Filming in Spanish Morocco, Newley roomed with Christopher (Dracula) Lee and
our man also appeared in a Hammer horror film. This was in 1956's 'X The
Unknown' something of a rip off of the previous year's smash 'The Quatermass
Experiment.'

Ann's continuing pregnancy seemed to soften Newley, so she moved back into
their UK home and Gina quietly ended the affair with Tony.

Tony's mother Gracie had never liked Ann Lynn (whom Newley called 'Face')
but the wedding nonetheless took place on 30 August, 1956 at Chelsea
Register Office. That morning Newley received a letter offering him a
five-year film deal contract worth £30,000. The wedding party included a
late night fleeting visit from Sean Connery (007 to be).

Some six weeks later, Newley pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified
and got 28 days in Brixton Prison (step forward No. 5989) and a further
three year ban.

Unlike the Army, he couldn't fiddle his way out of this. The 'Cranks'
review went to Broadway but owing to his being 'banged up', Newley's place
went to Kenneth Haigh. On emerging from prison, Newley worked on TV with
Alfred Marks and on radio with Elsie and Doris Walters, The Floggetts &
Askey Galore. With his new found 'fame' Newley told his Mum to quit her
charring and look for a house, which he would pay for.

Haigh didn't work out (singing-wise), was paid off and Newley went to New
York to make his Broadway debut. Three of the cast (incl. N) appeared on
the Ed Sullivan Show but 'Cranks didn't make the grade Stateside.

Ann gave birth to a son, Simon on 21/12/56. Sadly however he had spina
bifida, extensive brain damage (+ another ailment) and died six weeks later.
Before long, on location, Newley was in amongst the ladies again. Ann
resumed her acting career incl. playing opposite Charles Laughton and
Albert Finney.

In 'Fire Down Below', Tony played a Spanish waiter alongside Jack Lemmon,
Robert Mitchum and Rita Hayworth. Small parts they may have been but Newley
made big impressions in them. Although Tony upstaged Frankie Vaughan in two
movies, they remained great friends for life and Tony described the high
kicker as 'the sweetest man to have ever drawn breath.'

Idle On Parade (1959 film) - 
Newley played Jeep Jackson, a rock and roll star who is called up into the
British Army - a sort of 'Elvis in England' theme. Co-stars incl. Lionel
Jefferies*, Sid James, Harry Fowler and Hollywood veteran William Bendix.
It was at Newley's instigation that songs were added. The title track + 'I'
ve Waited So Long' were by Len Praverman and Gerry Laudan. Newley and Joe
'Mr. Piano' Henderson contributed two rock-a-boogie numbers, one of which
made Phil Davies' Best of British Rock 'n' Roll list.

It transpired that Newley was a rare talent - a trained actor also possessed
of genuine musical talent.

Henderson had a hit with the instrumental "Trudie", a theme written for an
earlier Newley film, 'The Man Inside' in which Newley plated a Spanish
taxi-driver. The diamond heist caper starred Jack Palance and Anita Ekberg
(and no, we don't know whether N 'did a Dors' on her as well).

Writer Laudan metamorphosed into Jerry Lordan, writer of such classics as
'Apache', 'Diamonds', 'Scarlett O'Hara', 'Atlantis', 'Wonderful Land' , 'I'm
A Moody Guy' and 'A Girl Like You.'

Newley recorded the four songs on a Decca label E.P. (extended play 45 rpm).
Gina had now come back into his life and N asked her to marry him but she
knew she couldn't tolerate or cope with his womanising. She answered 'Maybe
one day'. They parted once more and Gina later married again, surname
Fratini.

* Jefferies thought that as an actor colleague, Newley was 'wonderful ......
never late ...... always knew his lines ....... never threw his 'weight'
around ..... he just got on and did it. He was very basic and had this
God-given talent and a yearning to amuse. There was a volcano inside of
him, bursting to get out, he was this little power-house and always had to
be doing something.'

Although the film 'Idle' (or 'Idol') was a muddle of half-developed story
lines and characters, with pedestrian direction, audiences loved it. The
most remarkable thing about the movie was the E.P. Within days of its
release, the E.P. + 'I've Waited So Long' single simultaneously hit the
charts running, the latter climbing to 3.

Overnight, Anthony Newley the actor and 'serious comedian' was a pop star
and a sensation. Even had the E.P. been delayed, it's unlikely that 'Waited
' as a standalone 45 would have been a debut release chart topper, as
following Holly's posthumous 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore', Elvis was
entrenched at No.1 for quite a long run with the mighty double-sider 'I Need
YL Tonight/A Fool Such As I.'

Promoting the film, Jefferies and Newley came across Paul Robeson sat alone
in a train compartment. Newley could hardly contain himself and stammered
'Excuse me Mr. Robeson, I think you are one of the great singer-actors of
all time". Robeson beamed and replied "You couldn't be more right."

After the Army film, Newley flew to Kenya to film with fading matinee idol
Robert Taylor. Anth played a sort of Charlie Chaplin on Safari, which
dented the 'serious comedian' persona.

Returning to England, Newley was informed he'd won the Variety Club of Great
Britain Award for Most Promising Newcomer of 1959. Tony was tickled and in
his speech said "I've been making films since the age of 14 and I am very
happy to have been discovered."

Building on the success of the 'Idle' E.P. Newley now under contract to
Decca, recorded a cover of Lloyd Price's 'Personality', getting to No. 6.
Since the start of May, he had notched up 31 consecutive weeks of hit songs.

Cruising on a six-month round-the-world honeymoon, Leslie Bricusse heard
Newley's songs on board. He'd seen 'Cranks' and recalled the two had met
through a mutual girlfriend. He resolved to reacquaint as soon as possible
and to try to have Newley record a few of his songs.

The producers of 'Idle', dusted down Jazz Boat as a follow-up (it had been
hanging around, waiting for an 'owner' for quite some time). Newley had
even worked on it whilst in Brixton jail! He was Bert Harris, teaming with
Bernie Winters and our subject developed his friendship with Lionel Blair's
sister, Joyce.

Lionel's friend and fellow hoofer Sammy Davis Jnr. visited the set. Newley
had met him back in New York but it was through Lionel that the two became
friends.

The next film 'Let's Get Married' cashed in on what was now the Newley
phenomenon, shifting from an intended drama into a comedy with songs.
Newley was involved in bringing Hackney born composer Lionel Bart on board.

The film was a bit of a stinker but as consolation, another cover disc
"Why?" shot to number one in UK, duly repeated by a Bart song from LGM "Do
You Mind?" Maybe Newley should have continued recording singles with
'question marks.'

"Why?" was helped into the top slot (and a long stay) following a televised,
live performance on 'Sunday Night at The London Palladium.'

During winter 1959, he had his own television series for ATV, an avant-garde
six-parter which confounded viewers and was soon consigned to a late-night
slot. It was 'The Strange World of Gurney Slade', a small Somerset village,
which TN knew.

The series was weird - ahead of its time ....... it had no equal, or sequel.
One plus from it was a new relationship with Anneke Wills, an actress of
Dutch descent. She moved in with N but it was the virtually ever present
figure of Gracie (Tone's Mum) who waited on them, then washed and tidied,
leaving the young ones to themselves.

Newley did a short variety tour in the spring of 1960 with Anne Aubrey (one
of his film company actress colleagues) and the Winters brothers. It was a
twice-nightly sell-out but Newley felt himself to be a visitor in the pop
world.

His complex personality caused him angst, in spite of and because of his
success. He was desperate to be loved by everybody but didn't suffer fools
gladly and had a selfish disregard for the feelings of his lovers.

Bricusse (some eight months older) did meet up again with Newley and they
became instant friends, agreeing they would try to work together. Leslie
(as with his marital partner) thought it predestined. Theirs was a
forty-year friendship.

At first glance they had little in common, Bricusse being Cambridge
educated, middle class and happily married (to Evie). In spite of his
appearances in the West End of London, Leslie was resolved to write rather
than perform. Under the surface however, B & N were very compatible,
especially with their shared sense of humour. Evie Bricusse was third
corner of the Bricusse-Newley triangle.

In pre-announcing the project, Bart scuppered Newley's potential involvement
as co-writer and star in LB's new musical show 'Blitz'. The eventual
production prompted a favourite, withering Noel Coward remark after the
first performance ......... "Just as long as the real thing and twice as
loud ......... "

Newley again went top ten with 'If She Should Come To You' and recorded a
Bricusse song 'A Boy Without A Girl.'

'Strawberry Fair' reached No. 3 (Newley part wrote the update of this
traditional folk song using his old pen name Nollie Clapton). Not long
after, into the top ten again with the passionate ballad 'And The Heavens
Cried'. It was Elvis again who prevented 'S Fair' becoming Newley's third
No. 1 ... "It's Now Or Never" was unassailable.

Between Elvis and The Beatles:
Newley's hit records, strewn around that corner where the 1950s turned into
the 1960s, were a curious mix from fragmentary times. Post-(rocking) Elvis,
pre-Beatles (all of Newley's hits predated the Moptops).

On 'Do You Mind' he attempted supper-club Bobby Darin; he covered Frankie
Avalon schlock with 'Why?' and had the rarity of a top twenty extended play
disc.

Then there were novelty songs which were early essays into the end-of-Empire
music-hall pastiche which was to so occupy The Kinks and to a lesser extent,
also The Beatles, later in the decade. In 1967, a young David Bowie
recorded 'Laughing Gnome', a dreadful pastiche of a Newley song and Ziggy
continued to emulate Newley's flattened-out vowel sound for some time
afterwards. Listen again to "Ground control to Major Tom ... "

Newley always aimed to be different ....... not to repeat things, to search
for something to shock or surprise. He said "I've no illusions of grandeur,
I'm just a hard worker."

His Warwick Films contract was terminated in summer 1960 when the studio
heads' partnership ended (Irving Allen & Cubby Broccoli).

Aside from the occasional ATV spectacular, Newley found he had more time on
his hands. On the TV shows he couldn't resist dabbling and meddling into
many other activities, incl. those of the director and production team! He
went back on the road for quite a time and was often mobbed.

In Bricusse's view, Newley was first and foremost a man of the theatre. But
those are stories for another time. Bricusse has some wonderful comments
about the way Newley's life unwound and what might and should have been.

Acks:
Especially to Bardsley's biog. as below
Judy Harris at http://www.geocities.com/anewley/bio.html
Nigel Fountain (The Guardian)

The Anthony Newley Society Worldwide
contact p.goodhead@v...

Reading:
Stop The World - The Biography Of Anthony Newley
an authorised biography by Garth Bardsley, published by Oberon Books in 2003

Records: dozens, search your favourite site

Websites:
www.anthonynewley.com/

http://www.anthonynewley.com/links.html

http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/newley.htm


COLIN KILGOUR
SEPT. 2003