Saturday 5 September 2009

Keith Waterhouse and Stevie Nicks

The death of Keith Waterhouse at the age of 80 (nice headline in The Times - 'Wit's End' ) put me in mind of his book - which I confess I have never read - Billy Liar - and its film adaptation, which I most certainly have seen. Above is a trailer for the film, directed by John Schlesinger. Anyone who has never seen it and gets a chance to do so should make a point of not missing it. It is a real period piece, set in northern England in the late 1950s but introduces such a delicious element of surrealism from the demented, and mendacious, mind of the principal character that time and place are overridden in crazed - and very funny - fantasy. The backdrop, northern England at the fag end of the industrial era, brings back half remembered images from my childhood and the actors are a combination of the even then venerable (Wilfred Pickles and Finlay Currie even) and the then new and young: Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Leonard Rossiter and Rodney Bewes. Do yourself a favour - check it out.

Wholly unconnected - here is Fleetwood Mac in Stevie Nicks with knobs on mode and Rhiannon. Stevie Nicks did induce great excitement among gentlemen of a certain age. I have to confess I do see why. She's 61 now by the way...


4 comments:

Barlinnie said...

Finlay Currie... now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. I'm starting to feel really old.

Unknown said...

Stevie Nicks is cool.

Anonymous said...

Storming. A voice honed with 40 Marlboro a day, and who says somoking leads to erectile disfunction. In my sad middle age, I live for the day Charlize Theron plays Stevie in the bio pic.

white rabbit said...

Jimmy - Finlay Currie was in his eighties when Billy Liar was filmed. Actors never retire - just like impecunious barristers ;)

Mike/Anon - Quite so. In addition to 40 Marlboro a day she had a huge cocaine problem - looks well on it, though...