by Ray Cook

Created on: May 08, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Although I was born at the end of the great era of Hollywood musicals, my parents had grown up with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell, Deanna Durbin... you get the picture. My mother's love of the musical, especially, enthused me, and I became as fervent a fan as she was.

I guess it was rather uncool in the 1960's, but I just loved the glamour of Hollywood and my all-time, number one star was Gene Kelly (closely followed by Fred Astaire). I guess I sort of idolised him, even though I couldn't dance a step myself. From a very early age I recognised great talent and admired so many performers; but Mr Kelly was a god for me.

One of the greatest coincidences of my life began when I started Grammar school, in London, in 1966. I befriended someone who was quite a character, but it turned out that his father was a famous British film director and that he was married to Gene Kelly's ex-wife. My friend would tell me about playing Bridge with Vanessa Redgrave and the occasional encounter with "Gene" when he visited his daughter in London. Apparently, he was a friend of the family, despite the divorce! Imagine my jealousy. I suppose that I didn't really believe it, although I thought it must be true.

Then, right at the end of our schooldays, in 1974, when we had really finished school and were interviewing for University, my friend called me; he had tickets to the London premiere of "That's Entertainment" and Gene was going to be there. The film, if you recall, was directed by Jack Haley Jnr. Who was, at that time, married to Liza Minelli, and was the son of the "Tin Man" in "The Wizard of Oz". The premiere was to take place at Dominion, Tottenham Court Road. We would go by taxi with my friend's father's young editor, who later was to become a famous director himself Roger Spottiswoode,

As our taxi, with me, Spottiswoode, my friend and his two brothers approached the Dominion, we could only get so far. There was what I can only describe as a melee in front of the movie theatre; the sort of scene you only see on TV. Paparazzi, flash bulbs, furs, evening dresses and smart suits. We had to abandon ship and slunk in a side door into the foyer. I suddenly found myself surrounded by many familiar faces from the world of entertainment and sport. There was a sudden buzz, more flashes and a white mink swept passed us. That was Joan Collins.

We took our seats with famous British celebrities all around us. When the movie began, every presenter was applauded by the

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