George
Harrison Marks Strange
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Harrison Marks, as he came to be known, first got involved in glamour photography in 1953 after he met, and started a relationship with Pamela Green, a photographic model. He was 27, she was 22 and together they were to transform the British glamour scene and gain world-wide recognition. They started out by producing postcard-sized black and white glamour photographs in sets of five packed in cellophane bags, which they sold through book shops and newsagents in the Soho area of London where they had established their home and studio together. These tastefully posed pin-ups quickly became popular and the business expanded rapidly. |
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In 1957, they launched 'Kamera', their first printed publication. The 7 x 5 inch, 36 page, monthly pocketbook of nudes was an instant success (we have recreated Kamera, and all 89 issues are now available on CD - click here for further details). They followed Kamera with an array of similar publications and an annual, 13 page colour calendar. Their success grew, and at the end of the fifties they ventured into home movie production featuring their most popular models, and went on to make their first feature film, 'Naked as Nature Intended', which played to packed houses at a West End cinema in 1960 before being released nationally and then internationally. The Marks-Green partnership came to an end in the mid-sixties, but Harrison Marks carried on producing adult entertainment until he died in 1997, spanning a remarkable forty-five years. |
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My friend George Facts of Life: George's father, Mossy, became an entrepreneur following an horrific tour of duty in the First World War - where he suffered a German Mustard Gas attack. He produced Music Hall shows, eventually becoming an 'angel' (theatrical financier). He began investing in property and bought a number of houses in Stamford Hill - including both of the above mentioned (19 & 23 Wellington Avenue). He died in 1933, when George was just seven years old; as a result of inhaling the Mustard Gas. Mossy's tenants included a number of show business families - the area produced many household names; including the notorious Lord Haw Haw. A number of George's childhood friends were to become celebrities: Mike & Bernie Winters, Lionel Blair, Alfred Marks and others. Mossy left the properties to George, his mother and a couple of tenant aunts. Around this same time (1933) a boy of similar age to George was walking home from school, when George noticed him kicking something along the gutter - on closer inspection it was a parcel of rotting fish! The lad was Stuart Samuels and they were to become close, life long, friends. Stuart also became George's comedy partner in the many black & white, silent short films; mainly for sale as Super 8mm home movies but 'The Chimney Sweeps' was financed from the old 'E.D. Fund', shot on 16mm and released in cinemas as a 'Support film' - 'Second Feature' - also referred to as a: 'B Movie'. Stuart also played support roles in George's feature films - 'Naked as Nature Intended' saw Stuart in almost every scene - though 'heavily disguised', he is always instantly recognizable - the office manager - the guide at Stone Henge - the hotel waiter - the old fisherman in Cornwall - etc.., etc.., that nose defies make up or prosthetics - hang on, it looks like a prosthetic to begin with! As kids, Stuart and George began a business partnership - they would follow the bakers van, collect the horse's droppings and sell them to the locals as garden manure. Not affected by their obvious Jewish background, they visited the local Catholic Church and collected the 'free' postcards depicting Jesus, the nativity etc…, which they then sold on. Mossy had left a property - a bungalow - in Wembley and George's mum decided to move into it. She bought a new gas cooker - the fitters name was Bert - he fitted the cooker and stayed for the rest of his life! They had two children, David and Christine - George's half siblings. The second fisticuffs with the Germans had begun and mum thought it would be safer to move in with a relative in Cheltenham - George (thirteen years old and already defiant) didn't want to go and so he stayed in the bungalow - Stuart joining him at weekends. George began his working life as a counter assistant at the Home & Colonial (a grocery store) and made local deliveries on one of those bicycles with a big basket on the front. Following various jobs he went to see an aging alcoholic uncle in Brighton and stayed, being smothered by two lovely old aunts and the uncle's various mistresses. The uncle bought George a camera and he got a job at Brighton's Theatre Royal - the dream to become a theatrical photographer was born. Each week the theatre would run a competition - George would snap pictures of punters and then chose the best looking group, who would then be given free tickets for next week's show. George saw a lot of his mother, step father, half brother and sister at that time - they won the prize with monotonous regularity!! One of his proudest moments from that time, was in producing the posters for Bela Lugosi's 'Dracula' - touring show. A belief in himself as the best theatrical photographer ever, brought him back to London full of hope - he had now become a heavy drinker and was well on the road to alcoholism. He was still in his early twenties, had acquired an Alsation dog, had nowhere to live and no one was interested in him. He tried 'smudging' (slang for street or beach photography) around Trafalgar Square - but was soon chased off by the mob who controlled it. He regularly visited Bernard Delfonts offices (over the 'Hippodrome' - later to become 'The Talk of the Town', eventually returning to its former name) attempting to find his chosen work. During this time, he was living (with the dog) in Goodge Street (off of Tottenham Court Road, London) above a strip joint. He took a job with a mail order firm advertising and selling ladies dresses through the national newspapers. The money was coming in so fast, the company couldn't keep up with it - George was a natural help in this department - he soon found ways of placing it where it was needed most - '. . . one for them . . . and one for me!'. He met a girl (Diana Bugsgang) in Goodge Street, she was quite a few years older than he and, much to his family's horror, he married her. Her mother was a huge woman and a local character. The marriage didn't last long, the divorce was incredibly messy. Diana never re-married and George paid her three pounds a week (under sufferance - for fifty years) until he died - it became a standing joke - the court would ring and threaten him, he would tell them that it was difficult to keep finding the three quid (even during his 'wealthy periods') and would send off a cheque for a couple of weeks payments! One day, whilst irritating Delfont's secretary, he was offered the chance of photographing 'Delfont's Follies' - a forerunner to 'Paul Raymonds Revue Bar'. One of the models was the gorgeous Pamela Green. Pam suggested that she and George could make a lot of money - she would pose (always tastefully) in the nude whilst he photographed her. They moved into Gerrard Street, converted a room into a studio, another into a darkroom and they were away. Stuart began working for George, as did brother David. George had met (through Diana) a brilliant but nutty chap from an even nuttier family - Tony Roberts. Tony became George's studio manager - he built incredible sets - technical equipment and - in his free time - a full blown yacht on the roof of the block of flats in which he and his crazy family lived; in Leicester Square. When finished, the boat was lifted down by crane and pictured in the national papers - crazy or what? Tony had a lunatic brother (now a deeply serious expert on a rare breed of mice - world acclaimed!) was, at that time, a self proclaimed professional in pyrotechnics and explosives - the truth was, he was nothing but a very dangerous bastard; with the most evil idea of a joke! Examples: a) He blew up a piano (in a studio) with such ferocity that Stuart Samuels (playing it at the time) was blown across the studio coming close to death! B) The writer (me!) whilst shooting 'The Nine Ages of Nakedness', was taking a picture of a group, including David and Tony dressed in Cromwell's 'Round Head' costumes and holding ancient muskets. David shouted: 'Open fire!'. Unbeknown to anyone else, he had loaded the guns with explosives, earth, mud and small stones - I was ripped to bits and he fell down in hysterics! C) during the shooting of 'The Chimney Sweeps', Diz Dizley had to perch atop an orchestra conductors podium, in the middle of a swampy field. David and Tony dug a deep hole underneath - which quickly filled with water. At the magic moment, Diz conducted the crescendo, the podium blew apart and he found himself up to his neck in muddy water! I was once also handcuffed to a hand rail inside a London tube train - I managed to keep my shiny new 'bracelet' covered by my coat until the train reached the end of the 'Northern' line (Morden) where I was instructed to: 'All change - end of the line!'. I was taken (blushing) into the siding, where a policeman was called - then a police historian (the 'cuffs' were Victorian!) who rummaged through a box of old keys; eventually freeing me. Oh David, Tony - such funny chaps - arseholes! George employed a freelance 'stills photographer', freeing him to concentrate on 'directing'. Douglas Web (Dougie) was a lovely chap and a war hero - one of the Dam Busters team and heavily decorated - Pam had become tired of George's drinking and the subsequent moods and rows; she left with Doug, made for the Isle of Wight and lived happily until his sad death - she manages to stay as lovely and as warm hearted as ever. Stuart remained at Gerrard Street - running the exhibition of George's work - whilst the studio moved to Lilly Place, Saffron Hill (off Farringdon Road) an old Army barracks which produced six huge sound floors, dark rooms, reception areas and a flat (apartment) on the top floor - George's 'Penthouse', many a pretty young filly had her jib spliced up there! George would refer to those moments as: 'A quick yence!'. He was good at inventing language - a crap was: 'Plurning the Crut', a drink was always announced with 'Pornyarkis!' - the nearest he could come to 'cheers!'. Tony was christened 'The Gargoyle' - poor sod! After Pam (whom he never married - but always said he did!) came Vivienne - she was gorgeous, too gorgeous for his nonsense and left after spending huge volumes of his dosh - and why not? Though they did share their honeymoon in Capri with Tony Newley and Joan Collins - spending a lot of time with Gracie Fields (Dear Old Gracie!) George disappeared - his Rolls Royce was found but no George. He turned up, weeks later, having spent the time reflecting in Switzerland Toni Burnett was the next wife, she and George produced a daughter (his only child - as far as is known!) Josephine Deborah - she hates that - preferring either 'Josie' or 'Jo'. In 1970 George was declared bankrupt and lost just about everything that the 'bums' (Jewish for bailiffs) could find - he fell into a pit of alcoholism and blues. Toni chucked him out (another story) and he moved into a sad bedsit over his local (St. John's Wood) butchers. A wonderful man, who had been George's odd job and 'handyman', looked after him on a regular daily basis - taking him food, sobering him up etc., very few people knew where George was or what a state he had got himself into and had it not been for Louis (Lewy) I don't believe he would have made it. Lewy died shortly before George. Another good friend to us all. George tried everything to get back on top, he eventually moved into 23, Wellington Avenue - left completely to him when his mother died - and got himself a job at Janus - a magazine for C.P. enthusiasts (them who like to see big bad girls getting their bottoms smacked! - isn't that all of us?) George saw an opportunity - borrowed against the house (here we go again!) and started a competitive C.P. magazine called Kane! George had just turned fifty - though still claiming to be thirty eight - and, knowing that I had a film and TV production company, suggested that we become partners and produce some videos for sale through the mag. For the last twenty years of his life, I managed (somehow and with great difficulty) to keep him on a fairly straight road financially - a few days before he died, he admitted to me that it had been the longest period he had had, without being broke! He was the very best friend imaginable, I knew him through thirty two unbelievable years and we didn't stop laughing for a moment (well, hardly!). In 1967 we fought over a painting which was for sale on the railings at Green Park (London). We tossed a coin and he won. He agreed at that time that he would leave it to me in his will - he never forgot! Following his wishes (proving to be his final practical joke) he was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium and his ashes were scattered in St Pauls Cathedral - oh yes they were! Tony Roberts died shortly after George - I miss them both - such wonderful friends for so much of my life. Peter B Fairbrass © 1997 |
