Noel Coward

[lovegod]

Noel was born ... 16 December 1899 ... just days before the start of the 20th century, he died 26 March 1973

Born in Teddington London, he made his acting debut at age 11.

He went on to become a doyen of the theatre.... an actor... writer of plays and musicals... a filmstar...

he became famous too in America and friends with the New York theatre and Hollywood elite.





Noel in 1972

[Girard]

It’s probably been close to fifteen years ago that I taped The Noël Coward Story, which was shown on public television, and have since watched it many times. It’s worth a look for any of his fans. He narrates much of it and is interviewed by a very modish 1960s type (David Frost?)—I never could learn the guy’s name.



Also of interest was Coward’s travelogue which he filmed with one of the first personal movie cameras. Some is scratchy but interesting. There’s also a great deal of coverage of his home, his friends, and snippets of The Vortex and Sail Away.



Eddie Fisher made some unflattering remarks about Noël Coward in the only Fisher autobiography I read. Fisher was better looking and sang better, but Coward’s name will be remembered a century after Eddie Fisher is totally forgotten (and isn’t that about the case now?).

[will.15]

Eddie Fisher will never be forgotten completely because he married Liz Taylor and he dumped Deb for her and she dumped him for Burton.



But certainly no one remembers him for being a singer and he couldn't do anything else and he didn't do that professionally very long.



Coward sang, wrote songs and plays and acted, and did them all superbly.

[didi-5]

Coward was excellent as a writer and as a performer; he also left a large body of work which will be remembered. A magnificent writer of plays, songs, operetta, light verse, and letters. Bright, intelligent, and very funny. As an actor he was mannered but effective - In Which We Serve is a case in point.



As for Eddie Fisher, he has only recently passed but given what Debbie Reynolds has said about him he will probably only be remembered for leaving Debbie for Miss Taylor, if at all.

[lovegod]

He lived the high life in the 20s and 30s.... lots of parties... by age 25 he had 4 of his shows running in the West End

He was still writing musicals and plays in the 1960s !



In the 1950s he became a tax exile which did nt go down very well with his adoring public.

He had a house in Jamaica but I think his main base was in the village of Les Avantes... in Switzerland

His neighbours there were.....David Niven... Eliz Taylor... Richard Burton....Joan Sutherland...and Julie Andrews...

(Tax dodgers one and all ! )

[Steve Crook]

name='lovegod' timestamp='1285437350' post='477335']

In the 1950s he became a tax exile which did nt go down very well with his adoring public.

He had a house in Jamaica but I think his main base was in the village of Les Avantes... in Switzerland

His neighbours there were.....David Niven... Eliz Taylor... Richard Burton....Joan Sutherland...and Julie Andrews...

(Tax dodgers one and all ! )

Do you blame them, when income tax took 95% of their earnings?



Steve

[GRAEME]

His cameo turn in Bunny Lake is Missing as an outrageously pervy writer-cum-radio personaility is an absolute joy!



And his scene-stealing is easily the biggest heist in the Italian Job...

[lovegod]

The teenage Noel

( bit of a Tony Blair look-alike ! )

[Girard]

name='lovegod' timestamp='1285437350' post='477335']

He lived the high life in the 20s and 30s.... lots of parties... by age 25 he had 4 of his shows running in the West End

He was still writing musicals and plays in the 1960s !



In the 1950s he became a tax exile which did nt go down very well with his adoring public.

He had a house in Jamaica but I think his main base was in the village of Les Avantes... in Switzerland

His neighbours there were.....David Niven... Eliz Taylor... Richard Burton....Joan Sutherland...and Julie Andrews...

(Tax dodgers one and all ! )

His heyday was indeed the 1920s and 1930s, and he was still writing in the decade prior to his death. With few successes, the critics began writing him off as passé. He played before a sell-out crowd in Las Vegas, which somehow I can't associate with the sophisticated Mr. Coward, who epitomized his day and place.



I’d like to have seen Sail Away with Eileen Stricht. She had an alcohol problem and Coward warned her before attending some soirée or other connected with the production not to drink. Eileen said she nursed one drink all evening long. Noël came back later and said, with his sharp tongue, ‘Eileen, I asked you not to get drunk, not to be a f——g nun!’ Or words to that effect.



I can't blame someone for not wanting to keep as much of his hard-earned money as possible from the confiscatory tax system.

[will.15]

Liz didn't go there because of the Briteh income tax.

[lovegod]

Its a wonder one of the Beatles did nt take the Tax Exile route.... what was George's song about the taxman...



...... "There's one for you... 19 for me "



John went to America but he was probably paying similar tax over there !



I think Noel turned down a lot of work... (was nt he offered the lead in King and I on Broadway ?) because he wanted time for his own creative work... painting and writing etc. He was also a voracious reader battling his way thru all the works of Shakespeare.... then all the novels of Charles Dickens... endless biographies on Queen Elizabeth 1st and Marie Antoinette....

Like many talented people.... Elton John.... John Lennon come to mind.... they are dynamic and never stop writing and being creative.

[Girard]

name='lovegod' timestamp='1285450768' post='477412']



* * *



He was also a voracious reader battling his way thru all the works of Shakespeare.... then all the novels of Charles Dickens... endless biographies on Queen Elizabeth 1st and Marie Antoinette....

Like many talented people.... Elton John.... John Lennon come to mind.... they are dynamic and never stop writing and being creative.

Many well-known, talented people, like Coward, didn't get very far in school, but also remained 'Paris Hilton-ignorant' throughout their lives. Noel Coward's self-taught education doubtless equaled the degrees of many who received diplomas from prestigious institutions. I'm wondering, however, if he wasn't conscious of his lack of formal education?

[will.15]

I don't knpw about the British tax system, but the American income tax in the sixties and seventies were nominally seventy percent, but tax loopholes made them only slightly higher than current rates.

[Steve Crook]

name='will.15' timestamp='1285464253' post='477459']

I don't knpw about the British tax system, but the American income tax in the sixties and seventies were nominally seventy percent, but tax loopholes made them only slightly higher than current rates.

The highest earners here had to pay 95% of it in tax. That's why so many of them became tax exiles



Steve

[SirOllyBolly]

Can anyone recommend a good book about Noel Coward? - I'd like to know more about him.

[Rick C]

name='SirOllyBolly' timestamp='1285568983' post='477882']

Can anyone recommend a good book about Noel Coward? - I'd like to know more about him.

What is widely recognised as the biography par excellence-"A Talent to Amuse" by Sheridan Morley. Out of print after some thirty(?) years but every half-decent public library should have-or be able to get-a copy.

[lovegod]

HE got to age 73 but cant help thinking... without those fags, he might have lived a lot longer !

[Hugo]

The definitive biography of Coward is Noel Coward A Biography by Philip Hoare, published in 1995 which is still in print. Highly recommended

[Rowdon]

name='lovegod' timestamp='1285575768' post='477905']

HE got to age 73 but cant help thinking... without those fags, he might have lived a lot longer !

I'm not touching this one. Anybody else want it?

[Girard]

name='Rick C' timestamp='1285571962' post='477886']

What is widely recognised as the biography par excellence-"A Talent to Amuse" by Sheridan Morley. Out of print after some thirty(?) years but every half-decent public library should have-or be able to get-a copy.

Sheridan Morley did a lot of the narration on the televised The Noel Coward Story, so his biography of the composer would probably be the one I'd choose. I have to admit, I've done precious little reading on Coward.