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 Being a millionaire before you're twenty is definitely something to laugh about. It gives you the rose-coloured view on life, bolstered by a bulging bank balance. |
 eter Blair Noone (for film billings) alias Herman (for record label and pop tour billings) is a happy soul, always chuckling about something in between his work and checking the financial pages of the newspaper.He looms big in the British export drive to the States. It's not only because of the music and song which he puts down with The Hermits, or his increasing importance as a youthful, new MGM Hollywood film star. Herman certainly has a head start - literally. One look at that cheeky, impish face, and you can't feel depressed any longer. He has a happily infectious personality, which survives virtually any doomy situation, and comes out triumphantly, turning events into a laughing matter without even trying. Take that time when he was in Hollywood filming "Hold On." Another picture in production at the same time on the MGM lot was "The Singing Nun" starring Debbie Reynolds. There were cars outside the studios reserved for the use of the stars working on the films. Herman got into one thinking anybody could use any of them. Debbie had other ideas. She came out as Herman got in the car, which she regarded as hers for the evening. She had had a hard, tiring day working on her film, she was still dressed in her nun's habit, and she was not in a good mood. "She bawled at me," recalled Herman with his famous wide grin. 'Get out, or I'll smash your face in,' or words to that effect!" The spectacle of Miss Reynolds in her nun's habit uttering a dire threat like this had all the onlookers within earshot grimacing madly to suppress their mirth. Herman leaped obediently out of the car and hurried round to apologise reverently in his broadest Mancunian accent to Sister Debbie. This was too much, even for her black mood. She burst out laughing, everybody joined in, and she and Herman have been the best of friends ever since. Herman's theory about the Manchester accents of himself and the Hermits in relation to Hollywood films has convulsed everyone. "I reckon they'll have to show our films with sub-titles," he declaired solemnly. "Otherwise probably nobody will understand a word we're saying!" He met Elvis Presley in Hawaii, and amused |
many with his description of their get-together. "He had his court jesters with him," said Herman. "About ten fellows who are always with him, friends like. They make him laugh." They took the mickey out of Herman, too, on account of his hair and his teeth. But they failed to sour the sunny Noone nature with their jibes. He remained unconcerned and smiling even when they got him to stand under a film set waterfall, and turned it on, drenching him. "They laugh and go wild even at the sound of our voices," he remarked. "They'll say to me, 'Say something.' and I'll say 'What do you mean, say something?' And they say 'Fantastic! Say it again!' and fall about the place." Herman's records tickle the Americans' humorous fancy too. "I'm Henry the Eighth I Am" and "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" are amusing enough to British ears, but in the States they have listeners in stitches. Underneath that cheery, chirpy, boy-next-door expression lies a shrewd, highly sensible nature and purpose. After his initial wild spending spree and driving license endorsements when he first hit the big money, Herman simmered down, and thought seriously about himself and the future. He invests much of his money, hence his keen interest in stocks and share and price indexes. He is not unaware of what is exploding in Vietnam and other trouble flashspots of the world. He doesn't like the knowledge that innocent men, women and especially children are dying because politicians arrogantly believe they are always right and the knowledge that lots of people don't have at least one square meal a day. But he doesn't sound off in public about these matters like some vociferous members of the pop scene. He gets on with entertaining as many people as well as he can in as many parts of the world as possible. Peter Blair Noone is going to keep millions chuckling for a long time to come. Not because he's a brilliant wit or joke raconteur, but because he looks bright and bouncy and talks with an accent. Which puts him high on the credit list of our human exports. Keeping people happy, laughing, smiling and spreading good cheer wherever you go is beyond value in any mere currency. |