Peyton Place Michael Crawford: "I'm in quite a few episodes of Peyton Place"

[Mel O'Drama]

Frank Spencer talks to Larry Grayson about getting dressed in Peyton Place while working with Barbra Streisand. I watched this late last night and woke up this morning convinced it was some wacky dream. But no.

PP reference starts at 2 min 10 sec:

 

[Willie Oleson]

For a moment I thought I was about to witness a dramatic staircase moment, but was that misstep coincidental or not?

From his IMDB page:
A former St Paul's Cathedral choir boy soprano he starred on Broadway in 'Black Comedy'where he tumbled down a steep staircase and crashed into a solid door face first eight times a week during the run of the play

 

[Willie Oleson]

Bizarre. I was going to make a smart joke about Joan Van Ark using that same dressing room and then accidentally walked into the action on the Peyton Place set.
I checked if she had played a nurse in the late 60s (to add some credibility to that joke) only to discover that she was the Joan Van Ark look-alike nurse in Peyton Place.

It's a bit like LOST. The deeper you dig, the more mysterious it becomes.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

For a moment I thought I was about to witness a dramatic staircase moment, but was that misstep coincidental or not?

He's so good at physical stuff it's hard to tell. I can't help feeling if he'd purposely done it it might have been a bit more dramatic...

I was going to make a smart joke about Joan Van Ark using that same dressing room and then accidentally walked into the action on the Peyton Place set.
I checked if she had played a nurse in the late 60s (to add some credibility to that joke) only to discover that she was the Joan Van Ark look-alike nurse in Peyton Place.

Oh, ha. I didn't know you didn't know (if that makes sense). It is a little bizarre seeing her, with that "same but different" quality.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A former St Paul's Cathedral choir boy soprano he starred on Broadway in 'Black Comedy'where he tumbled down a steep staircase and crashed into a solid door face first eight times a week during the run of the play

Incidentally, and only tenuously related, I'm currently reading Leslie Phillips's autobiography (suave English character actor, usually playing smooth womanisers) and he speaks a number of times about "tumblers" in theatre: the people employed particularly to do risky stuff that involves falling and suchlike. He dabbled in it himself in his younger days, but only to be employed, and with the proviso that he left the serious falls to the pros.

 

[Willie Oleson]

He's so good at physical stuff

Goodness, I almost didn't dare to watch!

Oh, ha. I didn't know you didn't know (if that makes sense).

I did mention her during my Peyton Place watch, assuming that it wasn't true because it seemed too good to be true, and assuming that whoever was going to read that comment assumed that I made that comment tongue in cheek rather than simply stating a fact (if that makes sense).

 

[James from London]

Ah, that's a sweet little interview. It reminds me of a story I heard a while back. Michael Crawford was in a big hit West End musical -- Phantom of the Opera or Barnum or something like that -- which they decided to make a soundtrack album of. At Crawford's insistence, the backstage crew who worked on the show but had nothing to do with the recording were given a small percentage of the royalties. Of course, the album was very successful and so every year after that for however many years the backstage crew (who don't get paid all that much as a rule) would receive a nice-sized cheque from their piece of the pie.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Goodness, I almost didn't dare to watch!

On reflection, my turn of phrase could have been a little better.

I did mention her during my Peyton Place watch, assuming that it wasn't true because it seemed too good to be true, and assuming that whoever was going to read that comment assumed that I made that comment tongue in cheek rather than simply stating a fact (if that makes sense).

It makes perfect sense to me. I just love that you've made the discovery that it was true even though it seemed too good to be true quite by serendipity.

It reminds me of a story I heard a while back.

That's lovely. He does seem like a nice, thoughtful kind of man.

 

[Willie Oleson]

On reflection, my turn of phrase could have been a little better.

Yes. Like "he's so good at not dying in extremely bizarre stunt scenes". That office scene looks hilarious, btw.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Yes. Like "he's so good at not dying in extremely bizarre stunt scenes".

When you put it like that it sounds so obvious.

That office scene looks hilarious, btw.

It's from the very first episode...

 

[Willie Oleson]

Ha! It looks like Mr Bean meets Laurel & Hardy. But maybe it's better to read this series' entry in the Great British Sitcom thread.