One of my favourite showbiz anecdotes concerns David Niven - actor, gentleman. And more than a little flawed*.
In the late 1960s before leaving his home in the south of France to go on a film shoot, Niven gave specific instructions to his builder for the dimensions of his new swimming pool. Thirty by twenty by eight.
When Niven came back the pool had been built to his exact requirements. Sort of.
Ever the Brit, Niven had been talking in feet. His French builder, however, had been listening in metres.
Niven would often boast that he owned the deepest swimming pool in Europe, if not the world.
George Benson (featuring Joe Sample) - Deeper Than You Think
* It was said of Niven that he had charm. But not to spare.
Two of the first non-children's books I ever read were The Moon's A Balloon and Bring On The Empty Horses by David Niven. Great stories about old Hollywood in there but don't remember that one - Apt song.
ReplyDelete(The Empty Horses were riderless horses, but the Director of the movie, out in the desert back lot, didn't have a good grasp of English, so called them Empty.)
Growing up in the mid 70s I remember a copy of The Moon's a Balloon always being around the house. My dad, and I think mum too, read it as did visiting friends and relatives.
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