Daily Mirror

Peter Sellers always tried it on... I said ‘You can put that away...’

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LIZ Fraser was one of our bestloved actresses — playing the “dumb blonde” in countless films including four Carry Ons.

The London-born star, who died this month at 88, was pals with all the big names of the time...not least Peter Sellers.

In an extract from her autobiogra­phy, Liz Fraser... and Other Characters, she tells how the Pink Panther actor tried it on with her — again and again. Although I was only five years his junior, I was playing Peter Sellers’ daughter in I’m All Right Jack. I’d first met him during my earliest days on television.

We all knew one another in those days. He lived round the corner from me and from the first day we met he was trying it on. And he never stopped trying. His major passions were cars and cameras, plus women of course. He was always showing me the latest models of camera and he asked me to pose. And he wanted to do some topless shots. “Certainly not,” I said. I met his wife Anne as we went up to Peter’s studio at the top of the house and the pictures he took remain among my favourites of all the photos I’ve had taken. They certainly weren’t the pictures he had wanted to take, however, because everything he did was aimed at getting one into bed.

He succeeded with a close friend of mine called June, who somehow became his secretary. She loved him very much but he was married and so was she.

He quickly started taking her for granted, as he did with all the women he had affairs with.

At lunchtimes, he would have June sent over to the studios at Elstree for “dictation” purposes but he wanted sex for lunch. She’d turn up, he’d satisfy himself and send her back to London.

This went on for months and June said she was beginning to feel like a prostitute. So one day she said “No” to him. When she got back to the office, all her belongings were already packed up in a box. And that was that.

I was still unsure of myself in 1959 on I’m All Right Jack so I didn’t confront Peter about how he had treated June until we were making Two-Way Stretch a few months later.

He was completely unapologet­ic, saying they were both consenting adults. The relationsh­ip was meaningles­s to him — so he turned the conversati­on to cars and cameras instead.

Two-Way Stretch was a prison comedy and in it Peter was playing my boyfriend, not my father.

He had pneumonia for most of the shoot. Our passionate kissing scenes took take after take to get right. But this wasn’t a ruse on Peter’s part; he really wasn’t well.

Yet every day he would suggest lunch in his dressing room. I knew what lunch involved so I kept away.

Peter re-entered in my life in 1962 when I was filming The Amorous Prawn at Shepperton. He was on another sound stage shooting The Dock Brief. The same as before, every time he saw me he would say “How about joining me for lunch in my dressing room?” I felt much more confident so I called his bluff and said: “Great”. Well, I arrived at his dressing room and he invited me in. No lunch. Instead, he locked the door and whipped off his trousers. The only way I could get out of the situation — and not arouse Peter’s vindictive nature — was to tell him I found him attractive but couldn’t participat­e because I knew Anne so well. He reluctantl­y put his trousers back on. His womanising finally

destroyed his marriage to Anne and really hurt him. He claimed to have had an affair with Sophia Loren, with whom he had starred in The Millionair­ess. He was so pleased he even told Anne, who threw him out. Peter suggested a fresh start. He bought a property in a Hampstead apartment block and told Anne to hire an architect and create her dream home. Well, she did hire an architect — and then ran off with him. Soon afterwards I was at a Variety Club meeting and having a wonderful time with pals such as Tommy Cooper and David Lodge. The conversati­on turned to Peter and his problems. David suggested we telephone him and cheer him up. When it was my turn on the telephone, Peter said: “I’m on my own and it’s my birthday.”

I felt sorry for him. I said: “Come out with us. We’re all off to a casino.”

“I can’t possibly face all those people,” he replied. “Will you come over here? I’ll take you out to a quiet restaurant.”

I drove over to Peter’s place in my new MGB. He wasn’t exactly dressed to go out to a restaurant, wearing slacks and an old sweater.

He offered me a drink. “I thought we were going out,” I said. “We’re eating in,” he replied. His manservant was preparing a gorgeous dinner. “While we wait, would you like the guided tour?” he added. Of course, that included the bedroom. There he paused and said: “You know, we have at least an hour before dinner is ready.” “Peter,” I explained, “I’m only here for the dinner.” He began to get mournful about Anne. He couldn’t possibly go on without her, he said. With that, he suddenly unzipped his trousers and exposed himself. “You can put that away,” I said. And he did. We carried on talking as if nothing had happened. While we were eating, Peter became curious about a beautiful eternity ring I wore on my wedding finger. He knew I was divorced. He asked: “What’s this ring?” “Oh,” I said, “I’ve met somebody, Peter, and I love him dearly.”

I continued to tuck into the soup but the conversati­on had frozen. After what seemed like minutes, Peter said: “I think you’d better go. I can’t see any point in your staying.” I was so angry. I told him: “Look, Peter, what I’m not going to do is leave without having my dinner. I came round here because it was your birthday and you were on your own.” He didn’t say another word. The manservant took away the empty soup plates, and then brought in steaks with asparagus, mushrooms and potatoes, followed by strawberri­es and cream. I ate the meal in silence. Then I said: “Thank you very much for a lovely dinner, Peter. And happy birthday.” At least my appetite was satisfied.

Extracted from Liz Fraser... and Other Characters by Liz Fraser. Signum Books, £18.99, from amazon and bookshops.

 ??  ?? 2007: Liz at an awards evening 1960: With Sellers in Two-Way Stretch 1959: As Cynthia in I’m All Right Jack 1970: In Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
2007: Liz at an awards evening 1960: With Sellers in Two-Way Stretch 1959: As Cynthia in I’m All Right Jack 1970: In Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
 ??  ?? Liz Fraser was a screen tease 1961: In Carry on Regardless 1965: Liz marries Bill Hitchcock Giving Sellers a screen cuddle
Liz Fraser was a screen tease 1961: In Carry on Regardless 1965: Liz marries Bill Hitchcock Giving Sellers a screen cuddle

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