Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 19 June 2012) was a Welsh 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 in Cwm, Monmouthshire, of Welsh and Italian descent from a grandfather who was said to have walked from Italy to Wales to work as a coal miner, just to earn enough money to buy a plough. His parents, Giuseppe and Lily (née Watson), and his younger brother, Henry (born 1951), is a session drummer. Spinetti was educated at Monmouth School and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, of which he later became a Fellow. It was at the college that Spinetti met actor Graham Curnow, who became his life partner.
Spinetti started at Dhurjati Chaudhury's Irving Theatre Club on Irving Street, off Leicester Square, London.
Film
thumb|At [[Monmouth School on speech day, 2009]]
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." 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 Wings' 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.
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 American musician Seth Swirsky, issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first recording sessions at Abbey Road.
Theatre
thumb|Spinetti directing the premiere of [[Hair (musical)|Hair in Amsterdam, 1969]]
Spinetti's work in Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop produced many memorable performances including Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (1959, by Frank Norman, with music by Lionel Bart), and Oh, What a Lovely War! (1963), which transferred to New York City and for which he won a Tony Award for his main role as an obnoxious Drill Sergeant. He appeared in the West End in The Odd Couple (as Felix); in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the West End; and as Albert Einstein in a critically lauded performance in 2005 in a new play, Albert's Boy at the Finborough Theatre. He launched his own one-man show of witty reminiscences, A Very Private Diary, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 1980, he directed The Biograph Girl, a musical about the silent film era, at the Phoenix Theatre. In 1986, he appeared as Fagin in the musical Oliver!, which was the last professional production to use Sean Kenny's original stage design. He appeared on Broadway in The Hostage and The Philanthropist, and also acted in 1995 with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in such roles as Lord Foppington in The Relapse and the Archbishop in Richard III, at Stratford-upon-Avon, although this was not a happy experience for him.
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 McVities' (now United Biscuits) Jaffa Cakes, as "The Mad Jaffa Cake Eater", a turbaned, Middle-Eastern style character who rode a bicycle and surreptitiously stole and ate other people's Jaffa Cakes, prompting the catchphrase "There's Orangey!" He hosted Victor's Party for Granada. In 1979, he voiced Mr. Tumnus in the USA dubbed version of the 1979 animated adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as well as voice directing for the film. (Spinetti was also the voice of Shift the ape in the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre adaptation of The Last Battle.) Later he voiced arch villain Texas Pete in the popular S4C animated TV series SuperTed (1982–84) He also starred in the 1999 DVD film Boobs in the Wood with Jim Davidson.
From 2000 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 and personal insights into life with the Beatles as well as previously unpublished photos of the Fab Four. In conversation with BBC Radio 2's Michael Ball, on his show broadcast on 7 September 2008, Spinetti revealed that Princess Margaret had been instrumental in securing the necessary censor permission for the first run of Oh, What A Lovely War!.
Personal life
Spinetti lived in Brighton with his partner of 44 years, Graham Curnow. They were openly non-monogamous, and Spinetti openly talked about other sexual encounters in his memoir. Curnow appeared in the 1959 British horror film Horrors of the Black Museum. Curnow became seriously ill towards the end of his life, and Spinetti sold most of his Beatles memorabilia to ensure Curnow was comfortable. He died from the disease 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.
Tributes
Spinetti was visited shortly before his death by Barbara Windsor, who had co-starred with him in the West End production of Oh, What a Lovely War! Windsor said, "We were very close. He was another of my great friends from that era. He was such a great man. He was such a good actor because he took notice of people and used their characters. He portrayed them wonderfully, whatever he did." At a memorial service for Spinetti, attended by McCartney, the Beatles song "In My Life" was sung by Michael Ball. Preston FM scheduled a tribute broadcast, for 22 June, of a previously unaired in-depth interview with Spinetti, recorded when he visited Blackpool in July 2010, in Paul and Lucy Breeze's Best Kept Secrets in Conversation.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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 ||
|-
|1964|| I Think They Call Him John || Co-Narrator (with Bessie Love)||
|-
|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 No. 1 ||
|-
|1990|| The Krays || Mr. Lawson ||
|-
|1990|| Romeo.Juliet || Tybalt / Benvolio || Voice
|-
|1991|| The Princess and the Goblin || Glump || Voice
|-
|1999|| Julie and the Cadillacs || Cyril Wise ||
|-
|1999|| Dragon Tales || Narrator (Audiobooks)||
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1963
|The Saint
|Commisionaire
|Episode: "The Romantic Matron"
|-
|Richard the Lionheart
|Pierre
|Episode: "The Heir of England"
|-
|1964
|Zero One
|Roberto
|Episode: "A Case of Charity"
|-
|1966
|Thirty-Minute Theatre
|George
|Story: "Not for Just an Hour"
|-
|1969
|Opening Night
|General Irrigua
|Story: "Cat Among the Pigeons!"
|-
|1969-
1970
|Two in Clover
|Vic Evans
|12 episodes
|-
|1973
|Harriet's Back in Town
|Aubrey Stokes
|2 episodes
|-
|1975
|Whodunnit?
|Randel
|Episode: "Worth Dying For"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1979
|The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe
|Mr. Tumms
|TV Movie
|-
|Take My Wife
|Maurice Watkins
|6 episodes
|-
|1978
|BBC Play of the Month
|Hatch
|Story: "The Sea"
|-
|1980
|Time of My Life
|Vittorio
|1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" |1983
|Sweet Sixteen
|Ken Green
|3 episodes
|-
|BBC Play of the Month
|Trivelin
|Story: "Infidelities"
|-
|1983-
1986
|SuperTed
|Texas Pete (voice)
|35 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984
|Danger: Maramalade at Work
|Chef Robbo
|Episode: "Marmalade and Chef Robbo"
|-
|Mistral's Daughter
|Bianchi
|3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1986
|Emu's All Live Pink Windmill Show
|Captain Squint
|4 episodes
|-
|Sins
|Susumu
|1 episode
|-
| rowspan="2" |1988
|The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank
|Herman Van Dann
|TV Movie
|-
|Bad Boys
|Inspector Oiseau
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1989
|The Further Adventures of SuperTed
|Texas Pete (voice)
|6 episodes
|-
|The Paradise Club
|Elliot Rossini
|Episode: "Family Favours"
|-
|1990
|Omnibus
|Dr. Gachet
|Episode: "Van Gogh"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1991
|An Actor's Life For Me
|Desmond Shaw
|6 episodes
|-
|Paul Merton: The Series
|Soldier
|1 episode
|-
|Singles
|Louis
|Episode: "From Russia with Love"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1992
|Secrets
|Sigmund Vandenhoff
|2 episodes
|-
|Take Off with T-Bag
|Darren Katz
|Episode: "The Red Shoes"
|-
|Tales of the Tooth Fairies
|The King of the Rats (voice)
|Episode: "The Present"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1995
|The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen
|Bragas/ Major D.
|TV Movie
|-
|Bottom
|Maitre'd
|Episode: "Finger"
|-
|2000
|In the Beginning
|Happetezoah/ Pharoah's Magician
|2 episodes
|-
|2000-
2002
|Harry and the Wrinklies
|Max
|13 episodes
|-
|2002
|First Degree
|Founder
|9 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
|High Hopes
|Daniel Gold
|Episode: "Every Picture Tells A Story"
|-
|New Tricks
|Binky
|Episodes: "Old and Cold"
|}
References
External links
- 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