 |
|
|
Co-Star of ZIP GOES A MILLION George
was always sweet with me, calling me his `little Sally'. "Unfortunately,
this caused rather a rift with his wife, Beryl. She stood in the wings
watching us every night, in case he held me too tightly. "Once
he kissed me in a scene where he was just supposed to hug me. I suppose
he wanted to see what would happen. Well, at the next performance,
Beryl hid herself behind the sofa on stage to be sure there was no
repeat!" This
year, on the 50th anniversary of George's West End hit musical, his
pert leading lady reminisced about her role of Sally Whittle, beloved
by George's Percy Piggott. The
show was a musicalization of the 1906 play, Brewster 's Millions, filmed
at least a half dozen times before and after George's London version.
Sara Gregory recorded the show's charming love duet, Ordinary People,
with George, and he sang of his devotion for her in Saving Up For
Sally. Pleasure
Cruise was another well received tune in the production. "The
audiences loved it," says Sara. "George got so much applause
when he sang it that the director decided to build in an encore. George
would sing his old hit Leaning On A Lampost while I was waiting in
the wings for my next entrance. He was something of a flirt and told
me that he was singing the song just to me." At
the time, Sara was hardly a romantic threat to Beryl, being happily
married and a mother. Indeed, it was Sara's agent-husband, Richard
Stone, who had gotten her the audition for Zip
Goes a
Million. But
despite the playful nature of George's attentions, Sara recalls that,
"Beryl was upset, so it was difficult. But George and I had quite
a lot of fun together. It was a happy show. Very nice. "Zip
was the first time my name was up in lights. I stood in front of the
Palace Theatre, and it was a wonderful sight: `George Formby in Zip
Goes a Million with Barbara Perry, Ward Donovan, Wallace Eaton', and me! "The
Palace Theatre is a great place to see your name up in lights. "Ever
since, I've kept in touch with Barbara Perry. And with Ward Donovan
who later married Phyllis Diller. Sara
Gregory was born in Sydney, Australia on 16 May 1919. "I
came to England when I was 17 to go to RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts) where I met my future husband, actor Richard Stone. "During
World War II, before we got married, I returned to Australia with
Williamson's Gilbert and Sullivan opera company. "When
the tour finished in 1942, it took me three months to get back to
England! First, we crossed the Pacific in a coal‑burning steamer,
trying to avoid enemy ships. Then via the Panama Canal, up to Halifax,
and finally in a convoy of war ships to the UK. "By
coincidence, another passenger was composer Eric Maschwitz who later
wrote the music for Zip Goes
a Million." Back
in England, Sara and Richard married. There was just time for a one-week
honeymoon before Richard was posted to the Middle East. For the rest of the war, Sara toured in ENSA (Entertainments National Service Agency) shows and performed in the West End. "I
was in The Vagabond King
at the Winter Garden ‑ the theatre is now called something
else, it's where Cats is playing ‑
and a revue called Light
and Shade at the
Ambassador. I also played Cinderella in The
Glass Slipper at
the St James Theatre. "This
was just after my first son Barry was born, and I had him in my dressing
room. Robert Donal produced it, and I remember him up in his box during
the dress rehearsal, saying, `We'll now have a break while Cinderella
feeds the baby'. [The play was later made into a film with Leslie
Caron and Michael Wilding.] I also played with Robert Donat in The Sleeping Clergyman.
I have fabulous memories of him." In
1944, Sara almost became
a film performer. She was appearing in Emile Littler's pantomime Goody
Two Shoes at the Coliseum (along with another Formby leading lady, Pat Kirkwood)
when she tried out for a small role in the Gabriel Pascal epic, Caesar
and Cleopatra. "For
the film test, I performed a scene with Richard Burton who wasn't
famous yet. I got the part, but Emile Littler wouldn't let me out
of Goody Two Shoes, so that was the end of my film career." Sara's
husband Richard returned from the war with a Military Cross. Their
first son, Barry, was born in 1945. Two more children followed, Tim
in 1948 and Diana in 1950. Richard
decided to switch from acting to management and became Sara's agent.
He was soon recruited by the government to form the Combined Services
Entertainment, an organization that is still in existence. His many
clients included Dave Allen, David Jason, Benny Hill, and David Croft,
co‑writer of Dad's
Army and Are You Being Served. In
1951, Richard arranged for Sara to audition for Emile Littler's production
of Zip
Goes a Million. "I
got the part and played in Zip throughout the London run, first with
George Formby and then, after George became ill, with Reg Dixon. I
didn't do the tour because I didn't want to leave my children. Instead
I stayed in London and starred in The
Two Bouquets, a
charming Victorian pastiche. "Then
I stopped performing. With three children, it became too much. One
time, my son won the race on sports day and I wasn't there. I had
a matinee. I decided, `This is not for me anymore'. I never missed
another sports day! But there was one last play. "Paul
Elliott asked me to play the Fairy Godmother in pantomime in Canada.
(He's the big impresario whose production of Buddy is still running
in London.) My son Barry was living there, so I agreed ‑and
started the trend for elderly Fairy Godmothers. We toured Cinderella all over
eastern Canada with final performances in Toronto. That was my swan
song. Paul Elliot still calls me his Fairy Godmother." Sara
and her husband moved to the Isle of Wight that is still her home.
Her children live in California. Sara winters in California and her
family visits her in the summer. On
her 75th birthday, her sons prepared a surprise video of greetings
from her many friends, including Pat Kirkwood and Barbara Perry. Then,
for their golden wedding anniversary, Barry and Tim produced another
video tribute that included Benny Hill in his last recorded appearance.
(Richard was Benny Hill's agent.) Richard
wrote a book about his life and war experiences, called You
Should Have Been In Last Night
‑ a humorous reference to the actor's traditional excuse
when friends or agents view a disappointing performance. He
autographed many copies at the big book launch at the Green Room Club
in London in September 2000. Sadly, he died two days later. Richard
Stone had contributed to a book on pantomime, Dames,
Principal Boys, and All That
by Lady Viola Tait. Sara agreed to be in Australia for the April
2001 book launch. Later, she learned this would mean missing the London
performance of Zip on 12 May at the Theatre Museum. "I'll be
flying home when it's going on." With
the lilt in her voice and the twinkle in her eye, it seems hardly
possible that 50 years have gone by since Percy Piggott took Sally
Whittle in his arms and sang of the joys of Ordinary People. On
the recording, we can still hear Sara Gregory's infectious giggle
as she explains: And when the
ordinary moon Is in the ordinary sky What extraordinary things we'll
do!
|
 |