Julia Foster

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young and you're listening to Desert Island Discs.

Speaker 10:04

This edition may be slightly different from what was actually broadcast, but it's the only version we have. It comes from the British Library's radio collection. It was archived without the music, so although the Castaways choices are introduced, they're not part of this recording. Full details can be found on the Castaways page on the Desert Island Disc's website.

Speaker 10:26

The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy six.

Speaker 10:29

And the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:33

This week, our castaway is the actress Julia Foster. Julia, do you play records a lot?

Julia Foster0:39

Yes, I do. Um maybe not a lot by some people's standards, but I enjoy music and I play quite a lot.

Presenter0:46

How did you set about choosing just eight that may have to last a long, long time?

Julia Foster0:48

Yeah.

Julia Foster0:50

It was absolute agony.

Julia Foster0:53

I think I relied on my first

Julia Foster0:56

First instincts rather than actually thinking about it too much. And I tried to pick.

Julia Foster1:01

I don't know, something classical and something jazz and something

Julia Foster1:05

folk and something funny, the other things I enjoyed. Funnily enough, the thing that interested me most, when I seriously started thinking about it,

Julia Foster1:14

The people involved in the records were more important than the actual music they played.

Presenter1:18

Mm-hmm.

Presenter1:19

How do you feel about this desert island proposition? Could you endure loneliness, do you think?

Julia Foster1:25

I don't know.

Julia Foster1:26

I mean, I think after the first six months and once one had got a super suntan, I think I would be wanting to show it off rather broadly.

Presenter1:33

Good.

Julia Foster1:34

I wouldn't enjoy it.

Presenter1:36

What would you be happiest to have got away from?

Julia Foster1:38

Oh

Julia Foster1:40

Traffic, cars, noise. Uh

Julia Foster1:44

That's why I like Venice so much. The tranquillity.

Presenter1:49

What's your first record?

Julia Foster1:50

Um my first record is um

Julia Foster1:53

I think as Zuckerman, I I like the violin very much, and its bach, which I also enjoy a great deal.

Julia Foster2:01

And it is also directed by um Barren Bohm, who I also enjoy very much. So it's sort of the combination of all all three.

Presenter2:06

Tips

Presenter2:12

What's your second disc?

Julia Foster2:14

Carol King and it's a record called Tapestry.

Presenter2:18

Uh

Julia Foster2:18

Uh

Presenter2:18

Uh

Julia Foster2:18

I identify with her in some way, and also I I think of my life as a tapestry.

Julia Foster2:25

And I enjoy tapestry tremendously too.

Presenter2:27

Making tables.

Julia Foster2:28

Yes, very much so. It's one of my greatest pleasures, and it's what I do in my spare time.

Presenter2:31

Let's

Presenter2:33

Do you design them as well?

Julia Foster2:35

Yes, sometimes. Yes.

Presenter2:41

Carol King.

Presenter2:42

Julia, you're a Sussex girl, aren't you?

Julia Foster2:44

Yes, I am.

Julia Foster2:45

I was born in Lewis and brought up and educated in Brighton.

Presenter2:50

As a child did you go to the theatre a lot?

Julia Foster2:52

A little. Not as much as my children go, but then we were living more in the country and uh we didn't go as much.

Presenter2:59

How and when did you acquire the urge to be an actress?

Julia Foster3:02

Oh, I don't know. Uh, my mother says I wanted to be an actress when I was six, which I don't remember. Um, but I do remember when I was about

Julia Foster3:11

thirteen, I think, twelve or thirteen, in Brighton at the Dome.

Julia Foster3:16

Uh they had a musical festival every year of schoolgirls saying poems and competing for prizes and things.

Julia Foster3:23

And I was suddenly aware that I was kind of better than everybody else, and I sort of won.

Julia Foster3:30

And I kind of enjoyed that and thought maybe I'd like to be an actress.

Presenter3:31

Ten.

Presenter3:34

Did you go to drama school?

Julia Foster3:35

Yes, I did. Um, around about that time I started going

Julia Foster3:39

In fact, I'd been earlier for How Now Brown Cow kind of lessons for diction and things.

Julia Foster3:44

And I started going more seriously. I was also I l I learnt ballet and tap and all those things as well, which was wonderful fun. I enjoyed that.

Presenter3:53

What was your first professional appearance?

Julia Foster3:56

It was um at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne for a man called Richard Burnett, who runs the Penguin Players.

Presenter4:03

Richard Burnett, he is an excellent man at the theatre.

Julia Foster4:03

Here's an A

Julia Foster4:05

Oh, he's lovely. And he gave me my first job, which was the lead, of course, in a play called Lace on Her Petticoat.

Presenter4:12

Blended leading part first week.

Julia Foster4:13

First week, yes. It didn't last. I was in ASM after that, which

Presenter4:15

Yeah.

Presenter4:16

A yes, I'm doing everything. How old were you, then?

Julia Foster4:19

I was just sixteen.

Presenter4:21

And then?

Julia Foster4:22

And then

Julia Foster4:23

Then I was ASM at Brighton, at the end of the Palace Pier.

Presenter4:27

Oh, that's splendid.

Julia Foster4:27

ES, which was great fun, sort of fishing in the wings through a hole in the floor

Presenter4:31

Which is great.

Julia Foster4:32

It's great fun. I enjoyed that.

Presenter4:33

Enjoy that.

Julia Foster4:33

Yeah.

Julia Foster4:34

Then things got a little better and I did other things apart from repertory companies.

Julia Foster4:40

I did a play with Darcy Gray called The Bestseller about a vampire. I think I was a hundred in it. And um

Presenter4:46

Yeah.

Julia Foster4:47

Ooh, various odd plays.

Presenter4:49

Yes.

Presenter4:51

There was one very odd one.

Julia Foster4:53

I know what you're going to mention.

Presenter4:53

I know what you're going to make.

Julia Foster4:55

We were. What was it called?

Presenter4:56

Why is it

Presenter4:58

Tax-free with Richard Murd.

Julia Foster4:59

Free with Richard Murdoch

Presenter5:00

That's right.

Julia Foster5:01

Yeah, so

Presenter5:02

I'd written it with Archie Menzies and it went on a disastrous tour where the backers backed out.

Julia Foster5:04

And it went on a

Julia Foster5:08

And they certainly did.

Presenter5:09

And then we ran into a small park scare or something, and nobody was allowed to go to the theatre.

Julia Foster5:12

Nobody was alive.

Julia Foster5:14

No, but we still hope.

Presenter5:15

I don't think tax free did your crude very much good, but you were very funny as the maid.

Julia Foster5:19

Well very funny as the maid.

Presenter5:21

at the age of, I think, seventy.

Julia Foster5:22

Yes, just seventeen, I

Presenter5:24

Or what happened that was of more import later?

Julia Foster5:27

Well, I suddenly got thrust into films, which was something I never expected. It was never in my horizons, certainly, when I started.

Presenter5:34

Yes.

Julia Foster5:35

I was in term of trial with Laurence Olivier, and then Tony Richardson directed me in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

Presenter5:42

And you were in Emergency Ward Ten for a while on the box.

Julia Foster5:43

You would have

Julia Foster5:45

Yes, I was. Just around just around about this time when I started doing the films. Yes, I was in it for months, months. It was marvellous. It was the first time, I think, when anybody'd ever really heard of Julia Foster.

Julia Foster5:56

Television is ver is very good for that.

Presenter5:58

Well, at that

Presenter6:00

point at that important point in your career, let's break for record number three.

Julia Foster6:04

I'm absolutely crazy about dancing of all kinds, particularly tap dancing. I love it, and therefore I'm mad about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and all those wonderful films.

Julia Foster6:16

And I really couldn't imagine being without something, and top hat was one of my favourites, and so that's what I'd like.

Presenter6:27

Fredester, singing and dancing. What was your first appearance in the West End?

Julia Foster6:27

Yeah.

Julia Foster6:32

It was a play called Travelling Light.

Julia Foster6:34

with Harry H. Corbett and Michael Crawford. In fact, I think it was virtually three-handed at the Prince of Wales.

Presenter6:40

Hmm.

Presenter6:41

Julia, you were and are a small girl, about five foot two and blonde. You you were typed, weren't you, as the fluffy, blonde, small girl, for quite a long time.

Julia Foster6:50

Yes, I was, very much so, and I also have always looked younger.

Julia Foster6:54

than I was. So even at nineteen and twenty, I was still looking fourteen and fifteen. I did, I played the

Julia Foster7:01

Girl next door, the kind of girl that got taken advantage of for years and years. North country girls too, I played a string of them. Quite happily, though, I never minded.

Presenter7:10

What was the next good film part?

Julia Foster7:12

Oh, well, there was a whole string of films in between, but uh I suppose the next best part, really, was with Michael Kane and Alfie.

Presenter7:21

Yes.

Julia Foster7:24

Oh, it was very much so. But but interesting. I mean, a really super part. One of the first good parts I had in films, really.

Presenter7:31

And then you had a cracker of a leading part in a big film.

Julia Foster7:34

Yes, with lovely Tommy's steel in half a sixpence. That was wonderful.

Presenter7:37

Snap.

Presenter7:38

Now, you're not a musical lady. How did you get that part?

Julia Foster7:40

Yeah, how did you get that?

Julia Foster7:41

It was I was so surprised when they they rang and said, Would I go and see them about it? So I went to see them. And I thought, Now, you know, you mustn't hedge your bet. So I said, You do know I can't sing and they said, Neither could Audrey Hepburn, and she was fine in my fair lady, so I kept quiet after that. You know, they were quite happy.

Julia Foster7:59

to dub my voice, but being slightly stubborn and kind of I thought, like hell, I'll see if I can learn to sing. So I started singing lessons with Erwin Kostel, who was our musical director, and ended up singing an enormous amount of it, or mean over three quarters of it, which was very pleasing.

Presenter8:17

Record number four.

Julia Foster8:18

As I've already said, I love the violin.

Julia Foster8:21

And I also like artists doing things outside their usual range. And this record is um

Julia Foster8:28

Yehudi Menuin and Stefan Grapelli playing jazz, which is really wonderful. I love it.

Presenter8:37

Stefan Grapelli and Yehudi Menouin in Co-Porters I Get a Kick Out of You.

Presenter8:42

Julia, your work had been almost entirely lightweight so far in your career. When did you get a chance to tackle something more serious?

Julia Foster8:50

Well, just after half a sixpence I was under contract to Paramount Films, and I was offered all those awful, kind of slightly busty ladies in films that are there just for the sake of it and no other reason.

Julia Foster9:02

And about this time also I

Julia Foster9:04

I had my first child, my daughter was born, and it gave one time to sort of sit back and take stock and think about one's career a little, which I'd never really done before.

Julia Foster9:14

and I decided that if I wanted the kind of career that I did,

Julia Foster9:17

which was a career rather than being a star. I mean, I would like to think that I was still an actress at eighty, and not just here today and gone to morrow. Then really the theatre was the place that I ought to sort of go back to and make a good reputation in.

Julia Foster9:33

So it was just about this time that I consciously made the decision that um to do slightly more serious work. So I turned down numerous films, so my contract was cancelled, which pleased me. And I started by doing Bernard Shaw's on the Rocks.

Speaker 19:49

Hmm.

Julia Foster9:51

Playing Aloysia Brollikins, which is a marvellous shawl heroine.

Julia Foster9:57

After that I did I worked with Sir Rafe Richardson, which was a great experience in What the Butler Saw. I mean it was a more lightweight play, but it was still very serious. It was by Joe Arthur.

Julia Foster10:08

So it was very interesting.

Presenter10:10

And that played the criterion.

Julia Foster10:12

Oh, oh, heavenly times. Yes, David Mercer's play Flint, which I played opposite Michael Horden. I know it was the kind of part that I'd played before, the North Country put upon girl, but it was very deep and serious. And I think one of the happiest times of my career. Working with Michael Horden is a joy, a real joy.

Presenter10:33

And then you played Vatikin's Lulu.

Julia Foster10:35

Oh, that surprised everybody, including me.

Julia Foster10:39

It was marvellous, and an enormous turning point, I mean, for me mentally, as well as for everyone else.

Julia Foster10:45

It's not that I'd never thought of myself as

Julia Foster10:48

sort of sexy, but I I'd never I mean, people didn't think of me like that.

Julia Foster10:53

I'd I'd always been thought of as either sort of pretty or nice or

Julia Foster10:58

So when I was asked to do this it was an enormous challenge and it was an enormous success. I mean much more than I ever imagined.

Presenter11:05

Yes. Yeah.

Presenter11:06

And then Saint Joan.

Julia Foster11:08

Go.

Julia Foster11:09

Yes, isn't it funny? The things that

Julia Foster11:12

I I mean I had always wanted to play Saint Joan, and I was looking forward to it tremendously, and I was looking forward even more to working with Sir John Clements.

Julia Foster11:20

because he is, I think, one of the world's greatest authorities on shore.

Julia Foster11:25

And I didn't actually enjoy it.

Presenter11:26

You didn't.

Julia Foster11:27

No, it it isn't it's a disappointment to me to think about it.

Presenter11:27

We did it.

Julia Foster11:31

I don't know. I think

Julia Foster11:33

I think Saint Joan is a very difficult part to play for a start. I mean, not that that should put one off, that should encourage one even more. But I found Saint Joan easy to play the girl herself.

Julia Foster11:46

But given Shaw's poetry as well, the combination of the two was an exceedingly difficult thing to do. It really put me off Shaw terribly. I I hope not for ever. Maybe I'll go back to it one day.

Presenter11:58

And recently on the box, Moll Flounders.

Presenter12:02

Great fun to play, I should think.

Julia Foster12:03

Absolutely wonderful. I can't think, in fact, that I've enjoyed anything as much as that. It was really marvellous.

Presenter12:09

Record number five we've got to what is it?

Julia Foster12:11

When I was a child I enjoyed dancing and ballet so much. If I'd have been good enough, I think maybe I might have tried to be a ballet dancer. So ballet music is would be terribly important to me on my island.

Julia Foster12:23

And it was very hard to choose a witch because I love it all so much, but I came down to the theme from Giselle.

Presenter12:30

Jean Martinon conducting the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra in Adams Giselle.

Presenter12:37

Julia, your career has been interrupted a couple of times. In fact, it's being interrupted again quite soon.

Julia Foster12:43

But what

Presenter12:44

Now what are the problems of an actress with almost three children?

Julia Foster12:48

They are enormous, the essential.

Julia Foster12:51

I think is a good nanny, which thank goodness I have.

Julia Foster12:55

And after that it's just it's funny because I always try to make sure that my children don't suffer, so I think it's only me that ever suffer.

Presenter13:02

That's the catstaff.

Julia Foster13:03

torn in ten directions at once.

Presenter13:05

With all those rewarding facets of life.

Julia Foster13:07

Oh, absolutely wonderful. I adore children more than more than anything.

Presenter13:13

What next in the middle school line?

Julia Foster13:16

Michel Legrande. I think he is just wonderful. I love the music that he writes, and I like the way that he plays.

Julia Foster13:25

I've chosen this particular record because I

Julia Foster13:29

I also like the atmosphere that one gets when musicians get together and play for themselves. It doesn't matter whether anybody's listening or not. It's I suppose you call it a jam session. They really enjoy it themselves.

Julia Foster13:43

Um I finally decided on I Will Wait For You, which is the theme from that lovely film, The Umbrellas of Sherberg.

Presenter13:51

Michel Legrand playing his own tune, I will wait for you. We didn't, I'm afraid, get far into the jam session, because it goes on for nine minutes, but that's Legrand starting it off.

Julia Foster13:57

goes on for nine minutes, but that's

Julia Foster14:01

I can listen to that all on my own, can't I?

Presenter14:04

Now obviously you're a domesticated lady. Are you a good cook?

Julia Foster14:08

Yes, I am. Yes, I think so. I I mean, I enjoy cooking, therefore I think

Julia Foster14:13

I'm fairly good at it.

Presenter14:14

What about a hut?

Julia Foster14:15

Oh, I'd be fine. I mean, no problems. I nothing like that would worry me. I'm a great survivor, and I can turn my hand to more or less anything. Oh, I'm sure I'd uh

Julia Foster14:23

get something put up straight away and cook and fish and do all that. I'd be fine.

Presenter14:28

Understand.

Julia Foster14:30

I never was a very good swimmer, and I can't think of any other way at the moment, but boy would I put my mind to it

Presenter14:36

Record number seven.

Julia Foster14:37

Record number seven is for lots of reasons, mainly because it makes me laugh.

Julia Foster14:42

And also it reminds me very much of a very happy time in my life when my son was born.

Julia Foster14:47

And we always used to sing ying tong, ying tongue, ying tongue, so I couldn't possibly go without the goons singing the ying tong song.

Presenter14:57

The goons. Which brings us to our last record.

Julia Foster15:01

Yes.

Julia Foster15:02

It's an American man called Bobby Goldsborough, whose voice sort of

Julia Foster15:07

I don't know, I just love it.

Julia Foster15:10

That's all. No other reason, except that it just makes me feel good.

Presenter15:17

Bobby Goldsborough singing And I Love You So

Presenter15:20

If you could take just one disk of your eight,

Julia Foster15:24

I think it would be that, Bobby Goldsborough.

Presenter15:27

And one luxury to take with you?

Julia Foster15:30

Can I take my dog if I don't eat her?

Presenter15:32

No, you can't take your dog. No, we've got rules about that sort of thing.

Julia Foster15:36

It should be such a comfort though, you see. Never mind. Well, if I can't, then

Julia Foster15:42

I thought very hard about it, actually, after the

Julia Foster15:46

And I decided that

Julia Foster15:48

I am really only happy when I have something to do.

Julia Foster15:52

And please may I have a large, large tapestry to be able to do'cause it would fill those lonely days and evenings, and I would at least feel that I was sort of doing something.

Presenter16:04

And one book apart from the Bible, Shakespeare, and big encyclopedias.

Julia Foster16:09

It's funny. Um a while back I did a television series called Good Girl which was written by Philip Mackey and the whole of the series was based on

Presenter16:15

Uh

Julia Foster16:18

Quotations

Julia Foster16:19

and it made me go out and buy the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, and it's given me the most enormous pleasure, because on every single page it sends the mind into great flights of fancy about

Julia Foster16:33

every writer and every poem and books and it would give me enormous pleasure.

Presenter16:39

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, and thank you, Julia Foster, for letting us hear your Desert Island Disc.

Julia Foster16:45

Thank you very much.

Presenter16:47

Goodbye everyone.