Here’s a fab picture I found recently in a book that I hadn’t seen before. George Harrison with his parents, Louise and Harold, getting ready to fly to America for the second time. George had flown to the U.S. on his own in September ’63 to see his sister Louise. George’s father looked like George Orwell! The custom British European Airways logo was later seen in A Hard Day’s Night.
Everybody knows the story of George Harrison meeting Pattie Boyd on the set of A Hard Day’s Night. But who is the girl in this photo?
For my money, for sheer beauty she is in Vivien Leigh territory, and she outshines Pattie. Here they are together in AHDN.
[flv:/Video/2008/MAY/AHDN.flv 440 330]
But who is she? I’m not 100% sure, but I believe her name is Prudence Hooper. There is virtually no information available on Prue Hooper that I have ever been able to find. Where are you, Prudence?
I remember watching a PET-icular Muppet Show at Bismo’s house, way back in 1977 when he was still living with his parents. It starred Petula Clark, and little did I know at the time that Bismo’s dad is also a Pet fan. One of the CD’s I had Pet sign on Sunday is for him. (Yes, Jean, there’s one for you, too!)
I was going to post these as a custom YouTube player, but whomever posted the show prevented embedding, so I downloaded them.
[flv:/Video/2008/MAY/PetMuppet1.flv 400 300]
[flv:/Video/2008/MAY/PetMuppet2.flv 400 300]
[flv:/Video/2008/MAY/PetMuppet3.flv 400 300]
The first item I posted about Pet Clark was a scene with her in the classic 1945 movie by Powell and Pressburger, I Know Where I’m Going! But there’s an even earlier screen appearance by Pet as a child actress, in a 20-minute educational film from 1944, called Trouble at Townsend. Petula’s UK fan club has posted the film. A classic this movie certainly is not. The quality of the picture and sound are well below average, and the video player controls are hidden (right-click to pause and resume), but nevertheless it provides a fascinating glimpse into why Petula Clark was a child star in England more than 20 years before most Americans first heard her on the radio, with no preconceptions whatsoever about who she was or what she had done, before bursting onto the American scene with “Downtown.” Click here to watch Petula Clark at age 11, in Trouble at Townsend.
It seems that Firefox uses a Flash player, and IE brings up Media Player. The IE version of the movie has an incorrect aspect ratio.
Petula Clark’s American fan club, PetulaClark.net, has this announcement:
40th Anniversary of the NBC
Petula Clark Special “Petula”
with Harry Belafonte
POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
Hey, that must mean Petula will be back in the area! Here’s hoping she does another show here.
D.F. Rogers caught the moment last night that my moment with Petula Clark was caught. Thanks, Dennis.
Even with her head down, Petula takes a lovely picture, and she displays her unmistakable flourish and sense of style even when signing an autograph. Pet has the Rap and Hip-Hop section behind her! Talk about contrasting styles.
