Susan George

Speaker 30:00

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen eighty seven, and the presenter was Michael Parkinson.

Presenter0:29

Our Castaway is an actress who started her career as a very small child. By the time she was eleven she'd appeared in more than a dozen television plays and series. At twelve she was on stage in the sound of music.

Presenter0:40

In her teens she made her screen debut and has been a film star for more than twenty years. She's also a producer, a writer of songs and the author of a recently published book of poems. She is Susan George. Susan, given that you you started this career at such an early age, can we assume that you came from a showbiz background?

Susan George0:58

Yes, you can. I mean, in terms of my mother was certainly showbiz orientated. My father much more music background because he was a jazz musician. They had a a club, my parents, when I was very, very young, called the Starboard Club at Twickenham.

Susan George1:14

and Daddy used to go out gigging all the time.

Susan George1:17

and mummy was sort of running the club, and so music was a greater part of my life.

Susan George1:22

A most amazing story about that, if I may tell you this. I was one time at this club. It was a bit of a.

Presenter1:24

Meta

Susan George1:28

I mean, mummy would not like to hear me say it was a bit of a rough diamond clump, but in those days I think it was, or at least I thought so from my vision as a very, very tiny child.

Susan George1:38

there would be some rough types sometimes that would stay on late and there used to be I remember a few sort of barroom brawls and things like that when I would be whisked away. And in one particular instance I will never forget. I

Susan George1:50

had gone up to the Starboard Club with uh my nanny at that time, who was Doris, and it was late in the evening and I'd I'd been sleeping and they were now going to take me back home.

Susan George2:02

and I came out I was they were whisking me through the bar and off to our home, which was by the river.

Susan George2:07

And uh one of these awful barroom brawls broke out and it was dreadful. I mean there were chairs being flung. I mean I really remember this very, very vividly.

Susan George2:17

And this great big

Susan George2:19

hefty. I mean, he was a a real brawler and people used to know of him as being so. In the middle of all these chairs flying and people fighting and screaming, God knows what, I was on the floor running about. I mean, I somehow got lost from Doris and I was running about

Susan George2:35

not knowing what to do. And this man saw me, and he picked me up and he sat me on the table.

Susan George2:41

And in the middle of all this going on he sang to me In your Easter bonnet.

Presenter2:47

That's her first choice of music, not Easter Bonnet.

Susan George2:50

No. My first choice of record is from a film.

Susan George2:54

that I saw many, many moons ago, called Five Pennies.

Speaker 22:58

This little penny is the last little penny.

Speaker 23:03

And most important of all

Speaker 23:08

For this penny is to love on

Speaker 23:12

And where love is, heaven is there.

Speaker 23:17

So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies, you'll be

Speaker 23:24

Tell me.

Presenter3:28

That was a fivepenny song by Danny Kaye.

Presenter3:32

Susan, you started of course in the acting in in television, didn't you? In plays and series. You did about a dozen before, in fact you were eleven. What kind of stuff were you in?

Susan George3:43

Well, a lot of different things. Some were children's topics. Um, Swallows and Amazons I did, for instance. I did that Arthur Ransom series, which I went and filmed in the Lake District.

Susan George3:54

So that was a children's piece. But there were some quite serious plays.

Susan George3:59

I remember one with Jack Headley.

Susan George4:01

that was all about women in his life, and I know I was the only child.

Susan George4:06

of all the women. I also did one of the first plays that opened BBC Two in actual fact.

Susan George4:12

Which was called, I'm not sure if it was that, or whether it was opening BBC2, or whether it was first time in colour. It was one of those.

Susan George4:19

and it was called the life class, which was an extremely

Susan George4:23

provocative play of the times and

Susan George4:26

People there was a lot of objection about it actually for the reason that it was about a life class of children drawing live nudes, and we had

Susan George4:34

This woman who was right there on television with no clothes on. And that was people really didn't understand that at all. I remember that being a

Presenter4:42

I'm not sure.

Susan George4:44

An enormous thing at the time.

Presenter4:45

What did you want to be in those days when you're coming up through the the early acting experiences? I mean, did you want to be a film star? Were your heroes film stars? Were your heroes up there on the silver screen? What what were they? What was your ambition?

Susan George4:56

Oh, I think they all were because of the glamour of it all. It was so beautiful. However, I think my ambition grew.

Susan George5:02

within me the same way as it took over when I was eleven years of age and made up my mind I was going to do this. I think it's growing still. I still don't really know what I want to be. I just want to be

Susan George5:14

Better.

Susan George5:16

And do more and more challenge all the time, and I know that I'm capable of

Susan George5:22

of great things and I just want want to be able to accomplish what I know I'm capable of.

Presenter5:26

Let's have another choice of record.

Susan George5:29

Ella Fitzgerald and the song Would Be Every Time We Say Goodbye.

Speaker 35:34

Every time we say goodbye, I doubt a little

Speaker 35:51

Every time we say goodbye.

Speaker 35:58

I wonder why

Presenter6:03

Ella Fitzgerald with co-porters every time we say goodbye.

Presenter6:06

Susan, I suppose looking back on your very early career, your your big break was uh was getting into the sound of music. I think you were all of twelve, weren't you, at the time? In fact, younger, I believe, when you auditioned for the poem.

Susan George6:15

Boom.

Susan George6:17

Yes. Oh, you want to remind me of that? Yes, very much younger. Six months younger in actual fact.

Presenter6:19

Yeah.

Susan George6:23

Yes, because I I remember my parents took me to see the sound of music and we sat in a box and there was one of those

Susan George6:29

Visions when you say, What did you want to be? Silver screen. That was very clear to me. I saw these children on stage and I said to my parents, I want to be one of those so badly And so it was one of my great goals to be one of these children. I love their happiness and

Susan George6:45

Their excitement and a great show to be in absolutely fantastic.

Susan George6:48

And so I wanted to be one of those children. So

Susan George6:51

When I was at I was at Corona now, at Corona Stage School, and um I was sent out on a explanatory audition, I think, for the grounds that I was too young in actual fact to do any going to work, if I indeed

Susan George7:03

was to land the roll, because I was eleven and a half, not twelve.

Susan George7:07

But I was told to say that I was twelve, and they didn't expect me to get it, not for one second, so I went along with three hundred.

Susan George7:14

other children for this audition that went on from quarter to ten in the morning until quarter to five.

Susan George7:20

With children being ri when you see that story or

Susan George7:23

Read or

Susan George7:25

See the movie, a chorus line. It is the absolute truth. That's why I love that so much. Absolutely. That film is.

Speaker 37:29

That's why I love

Susan George7:32

Well, not well, I love the film, but the actual stage play is so true of the feelings and the emotions and that fear and

Susan George7:40

Oh, it's incredible and um

Susan George7:43

So I went along to this audition one of three hundred, and we went through all the ramifications of the day, the reading and the singing and the dancing, etcetera., and coming back and going away and coming back.

Susan George7:53

And at the very, very end of the day, they then do get it down to this last line up, and they do the same thing as they do in Chorus Line in terms of they say, Well, thank you very much, and they name they thank very much the ones who have not got it, and they leave the names outstanding of the ones who have.

Susan George8:07

And so from this last line, which was ten children,

Susan George8:11

Gerry Phillips said, well thank you very much and listed and my name was not mentioned, therefore I had actually got the job.

Susan George8:18

Well, it was absolutely wonderful. I mean, I was thrilled pieces immediately, of course, forgot that I had lied and that I actually wasn't the age. I wasn't twelve, which you had to be in those days to be in theatre production.

Susan George8:29

And so I went rushing to my chaperone and said, It's wonderful, it's wonderful, I'm going to do it and she said, No, no, no, no, calm down, there's a problem And so we went and we told the producer that I had actually told a rather large white lie and he was of course furious, because I had much wasted his time, quite rightly so.

Susan George8:47

and um he had to go to his second and third choice, but he had certainly put a lot of time into this day and I perfectly understood that, so I was in big trouble and I didn't get it and I returned to school and it was all very sad.

Susan George8:59

However, six months later I was indeed allowed to go back for another audition, and I arrived on the stage that time for my first reading when you come on with your piece of sheet music and the

Susan George9:09

Pianist is sitting at the side, and I have my piece of sheet music ready, and he said, Your name, and I said,

Susan George9:15

Susan George, sir.

Susan George9:17

And there was this long

Susan George9:18

Deafening pause, and he said

Susan George9:22

And how old are you now, Susan George? And I said, Twelve, sir. And he said, You're quite sure. And I said, Quite sure, sir. And I got it again.

Presenter9:24

Susan Jill

Speaker 29:25

I love it.

Presenter9:25

Uh

Speaker 29:25

Uh

Presenter9:32

Let's have another choice of uh a music, please, Susan.

Susan George9:35

Well, my choice would be following that thought, the sound of music.

Speaker 39:41

The hills are alive with the sound of musing.

Speaker 39:50

With songs they have sung.

Speaker 39:54

For a thousand years.

Speaker 310:00

My heels fill my heart with the sound of music.

Presenter10:09

Title song from The Sound of Music.

Presenter10:12

Susan, let's now talk about the the movie career, because that was the next step, wasn't it? You'd done television, you'd done the stage, and then you've got into movies. You've met some fairly appalling phases, haven't you, in movies? I mean, this sort of what is it do you call it, your victim phase that you've been through.

Susan George10:22

I mean this sort of what is it? Do you call it your

Susan George10:25

By victim phase, absolutely.

Susan George10:29

Raped several times.

Presenter10:30

Was that?

Susan George10:31

Pregnant several times without being married. I think I only saw one marriage through, and that was in All Neat in Black Stockings. I actually did get married.

Susan George10:39

Several deaths, rather ugly deaths, poisoned and um died in a car crash right before your eyes.

Susan George10:47

Those are most of my sticky ends I've come to. I've also played a villainess rather often as well.

Presenter10:52

Well why is that? Why first of all why do you think people always cast you as the victim?

Susan George10:56

Yeah.

Presenter10:57

Is there a kind of vulnerability about you, do you think, that that appeals to producers?

Susan George11:01

I suppose it it is, or at least it was, and there's no question about it, obviously, you do get stuck with an image and a situation and once you have done something, if you've done it indeed.

Susan George11:12

Rather well hopefully rather well. Then you are perhaps hired to do that over and over again, and it does become a bit

Susan George11:19

Boring and a bit repetitive, and one does search for other things in life, but I'm

Susan George11:25

Not s not so up to now. I mean, I'm I'm pleased with the things that I've done up to now. It's nothing that I really have any regrets about in terms of work. It's all been a learning process and knowledge to go on.

Presenter11:37

Let's have another choice of record.

Susan George11:39

My next choice would be something I was only introduced to very few years ago for someone of my age, really very few years ago.

Susan George11:47

Three, in fact, and that was opera.

Susan George11:50

which had not been a part of my life at all.

Susan George11:53

until, in fact, I met my husband.

Susan George11:55

And he is an opera fanatic, he absolutely loves it.

Susan George11:59

My first opera was a very funny situation which you would appreciate very much was in Vienna, which is one of my favorite cities in the world, when I was making a picture. Simon came to meet me there.

Susan George12:09

and he said I'm going to take you to your first opera and I was thrilled to pieces.

Susan George12:14

and we went to see Salome.

Susan George12:16

But what was so wonderful about it was in all my great knowledge, which I didn't have of opera,

Susan George12:21

and this slightly rebellious attitude.

Susan George12:24

I didn't want to be told anything about it. I didn't want to be told the story,'cause I was going to gather that that night when I was there, me, of course, thinking it was like pantomime or like play, that I would understand it as I arrived. I would

Susan George12:35

But of course to watch Salome for three and a half hours in German

Susan George12:41

It was very hard to come to grips with what the actual story was and what it was actually all about, but I can say that the magic of opera for me was that I sat three rows back indeed it was in German indeed I couldn't understand a word.

Susan George12:54

But the whole atmosphere of opera was so wonderful that it didn't matter to me, and that's where my eyes were first opened, and that was what made me love opera, and my second was going to see the film La Traviata.

Susan George13:07

So I would like to hear Violetta's Aria from Act One.

Speaker 313:24

La spelljormo unjorno moya, se preya ne ritrove

Presenter14:10

Sempre Libre?

Presenter14:12

From Verdi's Latraviata, sung by Victoria Los Angeles.

Presenter14:17

Susan, let's talk continuously about the the victim phase in in your life. I suppose the most famous victim part that you you played, people would remember you for would be in the Straw Dogs. Indeed, you call your production company, I think, Amy Productions, haven't you, after the name of the the person you played, in fact, in Straw Dogs. And that uh that film of course was uh directed by one of the most extraordinary talents in the motion picture industry, mm Sam Peckinpau. I just wonder what kind of memories you had of uh of that man and and of making that film.

Susan George14:47

Well, enormous. A genius in his time. I mean, I have enormously strong memories of him. One couldn't have weak memories of him, that's for sure.

Susan George14:56

He was an amazing man, and um he had a lot more to do yet, I believe. I'm sure he's doing it up there, however, nevertheless, right now.

Susan George15:06

It was extraordinary for me because there was obviously a lot of friction.

Susan George15:12

A lot of painful experiences.

Susan George15:14

because of the way he was.

Susan George15:16

an extraordinarily intelligent man,

Susan George15:19

and in his own way incredibly genteel, which is a side I think don't people didn't know about him. Although he was very, very violent, he also had an incredible violent side to his nature. He was also incredibly genteel.

Presenter15:31

He was a bad drinker, wasn't he? I mean, that was the point. I mean, he drank an awful lot.

Susan George15:33

I made

Susan George15:34

Yes, he did. Yes, he did. And with that drink came

Presenter15:35

Yeah.

Susan George15:37

As it does so often.

Presenter15:38

Ugliness

Susan George15:39

This awful ugliness, yes, which was

Presenter15:40

See?

Susan George15:42

Really sad because I know it made him sad as much as it made everyone else. It made him desperately sad.

Susan George15:49

But and so the friction was well

Susan George15:52

The two

Susan George15:53

Individuals, Him and Hoffman.

Susan George15:56

When

Susan George15:57

an enormous contrast.

Susan George15:59

and both as strong in their own ways. Augustine and his

Susan George16:04

incredible, insatiable humour of a very odd nature at times.

Susan George16:09

and Sam's sometimes enormous gloom. It was an extraordinary thing for someone which I was not well, twenty one just at the end of the picture. I was a buffer for a lot of things, and I I took a lot from both of them. But that was the experience of doing the picture, and I really believed that was the chemistry which made it work so wonderfully. And so with all the emotional traumas which there indeed were every single day, one or two without fail, it was all put to great purpose.

Presenter16:38

Another record please.

Susan George16:40

This is a a wonderfully

Susan George16:42

Talented performer.

Susan George16:45

Singer, performer, I've seen him perform many, many times.

Susan George16:49

And um he's very much of a cult figure.

Susan George16:52

You don't see him very often, although he's made some wonderful albums. He was married to Liza Mannelli. The man I'm talking about, of course, in question is Peter Allen, a great singer-songwriter, and as I say, a great performer. And this song that I love so very, very much was written, in actual fact, about Liza's mother, about Judy Garland.

Susan George17:11

And it's called Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage.

Speaker 317:15

My tree

Speaker 317:18

That's a person out there.

Speaker 317:21

She's been on us through the songs Long before your consciousness was raised

Speaker 317:31

Doesn't that deserve a little praise?

Speaker 317:37

Put your hands together, help her along.

Speaker 317:44

All that's left of the sing

Presenter17:46

Peter Allen, quite pleased there's a lady on stage. Susan George, looking through the list of leading men you've had, you've had uh an extraordinary line up, uh Michael Kean, Lord Olivier, Trevor Howard, Oliver Reed.

Presenter18:00

James Mason. Why'd you laugh, Nicae? I'll ever read.

Susan George18:03

Who doesn't one says Oliver Reed, he makes me smile.

Presenter18:03

Yeah. One says all over RD

Presenter18:06

Me too. I like him. But um, I mean, uh wh which which one would you t picking out of that lot? Whi which was the the one that gave you the greatest thrill in working?

Susan George18:15

Well, initially the greatest thrill, of course, was James Mason, whom I had the enormous honour of working with twice, who played my father on two separate occasions, one which was Spring and Port Wine. He was a great experience in my life. I would have sadly missed not knowing him, and I'm very sad he's not with us any longer.

Susan George18:34

But I have to say that

Susan George18:36

Absolute chills and fear were in the sight of Lord Olivier. That was just only two and a half years ago, so it's obviously very much on my mind.

Susan George18:46

And um

Susan George18:48

One of the best thrills of my life.

Susan George18:50

Absolutely. It was it was an extraordinary experience.

Presenter18:53

And how did you find him?

Susan George18:54

Oh, wonderful, wonderful What a gentleman

Susan George18:58

so so incredibly knowledgeable and articulate and has all the world with him to tell you about, if indeed he had the time to tell you, or you it's just wonderful. And when I first went

Susan George19:11

to do the first day's rehearsal with him and

Susan George19:14

Well, in fact, what a lovely story is that when I first started Jigsaw Man, I just pulled up to um the club where we were all working that day, and he was out in his trailer.

Susan George19:23

And Terence Young, the director, had said to me, I do want you to come out and and meet Lord Olivia, he wants to meet you too.

Susan George19:30

I was really looking forward to meeting him, and he was outside, and I was watching his trailer out of his enormous windows. The chap pulled up on a bicycle with goggles and plus fours.

Susan George19:41

And um

Susan George19:43

I couldn't believe who this was and he sort of he trotted over and knocked on

Susan George19:47

So Laura says

Susan George19:49

trailer door and I said to Terence, Who is that? and he said, That's Ralph Richardson gone to wish him luck which I thought was just wonderful on his first day of shooting. So it was really wonderful.

Presenter19:57

Yeah.

Presenter19:59

The

Susan George20:01

And I was really shaky about the whole thing. I really was. This was an enormous thing for me in my life, and something I'm so glad that I I have had, something that I will never forget.

Susan George20:12

And we read that day together, we rehearsed, and he was absolutely wonderful.

Susan George20:17

And then we walked off arm in arm to the pub together.

Susan George20:21

And he sang to me cook-k-k-katy as we walked up the embankment, which I shall never ever forget.

Presenter20:28

Another record, please.

Susan George20:30

This song was first introduced to me as I'm sure it was introduced to most people as an instrumental piece, Cavatina.

Susan George20:37

I loved it then. I thought it was the most wonderful, wonderful piece of music. And later on, in the summer, several years ago, I shall never forget this, I was laying out in the sun,

Susan George20:48

One of those

Susan George20:49

Peculiar moments in England in a bikini in the garden.

Presenter20:50

Tran English

Susan George20:53

On an incredibly hot day.

Susan George20:55

and my father and mother came over for Sunday lunch, which they always do.

Susan George20:59

and Daddy came out into the garden in this extraordinary sunlight.

Susan George21:02

and said to me, I want you to share something with me. And he had a tape.

Susan George21:07

and I had my walkman and brought it out into the garden and put it on.

Susan George21:10

And

Susan George21:11

Here was this wonderful version.

Susan George21:14

of Clear Lane singing

Susan George21:16

now adapted because

Susan George21:18

she had put words to, which is and is now entitled You Are Beautiful.

Susan George21:23

and I remember lying in the sun, this extraordinary sun, with tears just pouring down my face.

Speaker 321:39

Whoa, speaker.

Speaker 321:46

Yeah.

Presenter21:59

He was Beautiful Cabattina, sung there by Cleo Lane.

Presenter22:04

Susan, we've talked about your about your acting, about the movies, about the stage and all that, but the the other p part of it that's interesting, there are two areas I want to to look at. One is the the the poetry. You've just written this very expensive book of poetry, I must say, seventy five quid a knob it is, which comes out, it's beautifully produced, which it ought to be for seventy five quid.

Susan George22:22

Uh

Speaker 322:22

Yes, it ought to be.

Presenter22:23

Mm-hmm. And it's got a tape here too of you reading the poetry called Songs to Bedroom Walls. When did you start writing poetry? I mean, how long ago?

Susan George22:32

Ten years ago, in actual fact, um probably more than that when I first started writing.

Susan George22:38

And these writings are all indeed.

Susan George22:41

away in a trunk, and that's how they had remained for years.

Susan George22:45

I think that my

Susan George22:47

The art that I have for writing, my craft, is in just being able to put down on paper what I see and think in my mind.

Speaker 322:53

Huh.

Presenter22:53

Yeah.

Susan George22:54

And I've done that for a long, long time. As I say, these thoughts have all been stored up.

Presenter23:00

Obviously, it's strongly autobiographical, the poems. I mean, they're about you and about your finish.

Susan George23:03

Yes, indeed.

Presenter23:05

And I happen to know that you've been offered a lot of money throughout your life to write your life story, and you've always turned it down. Is this a is this a way of doing it?

Speaker 323:13

Yeah.

Presenter23:13

In a sense. I mean, you've been offered something a hundred thousand pounds, haven't you, to to do the memoirs. There would have to be, of course, the kiss and tell memoirs, no doubt. But you've always turned that down.

Susan George23:20

No doubt.

Susan George23:22

Yes, I have, for a reason that I don't believe it's anyone's business, unless that one should get this extraordinary amount of money for it being nobody's business.

Susan George23:30

But it's um

Susan George23:31

It's not something that ever appealed to me. In fact, at one time in my life many, many years ago,

Susan George23:37

By some conjure of advents I was lured into the fact of beginning this sort of business of writing one's memoirs, when I was really hardly old enough to have any memoirs really, and I thought it was rather pretentious at the time. But I did sort of begin to do it because I was lured into doing it by somebody else you know how everyone does say, as you quite rightly said.

Susan George23:57

And then I realized this is you know, I don't want to be any part of this. This is just not for me.

Susan George24:03

And I would never do it. I knew the book I wanted to write, but nobody wanted to read it, I was told. It was very clear. I mean, I wanted to write about my life in the acting world.

Susan George24:14

The growing up, all the the questions really that you've asked me about today. That's what I wanted to talk about, my years in the sound of music, etcetera, etcetera. And hopefully, one day when

Susan George24:22

A few more years have passed, I will be lucky enough to share those things with somebody, with with the public. But that's what I wanted to write, and I realized

Susan George24:31

As you quite rightly say, when people came to me about writing a book, I realized that that's actually not what they wanted to hear at all. And what they told me, no more did the public want to read. The public really wanted to read about

Susan George24:43

As you say, kiss and tell.

Presenter24:45

Another choice of record.

Susan George24:47

This is the Vienna Boys' Choir and my favorite song.

Susan George24:51

Of them singing is the carol Silent Night.

Speaker 325:04

God is believed.

Speaker 325:07

Boards on board.

Speaker 325:12

What does the road?

Speaker 325:21

Oh, but he never

Speaker 325:23

Okay.

Presenter25:55

It was set at night sung by the Vienna Boys Choir.

Presenter25:59

Susan, w what about the future now? You've uh you've been over in in America for the past sort of four years or so. Is the future there or back here in England?

Susan George26:07

No, no. The future is very much back here in England, I'm glad to say.

Susan George26:11

I am now home.

Presenter26:12

Gladly?

Susan George26:13

Gladly. Yes, very, very gladly. Not that I don't think I mean, I was I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity that I was given in Los Angeles and in Hollywood and the acceptance and hopefully the continuing acceptance.

Susan George26:28

Um it's just that Los Angeles itself is just not the place for me.

Presenter26:32

Hmm.

Susan George26:32

It's too competitive.

Presenter26:34

Back here now, I mean what's it gonna be? Acting continuing, you've got a production company now. I mean what are you gonna do with your life? Is it gonna be split between the two, between p producing and acting?

Susan George26:43

Yes, very much so. Very much so. I'm a great believer in you mustn't complain about.

Susan George26:48

the lack of work or the lack of wonderful women's roles in particular for myself unless you're prepared to get up and do something about it.

Susan George26:55

I love this world and this industry so much. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a creator.

Susan George27:01

And these things take a long while to come about they don't happen overnight, as everyone knows, and there'll be many more knocks to take yet.

Susan George27:10

Talk about I mean, this world of acting is all full of rejection and that's the one thing we must learn very early, to take rejection and to take it well. Well, producing is equally

Susan George27:20

Equally undesirable in that area, with regards to rejection, you get it every single day about something that just you're told cannot be done.

Susan George27:28

I want to be, as I say, a creator, and I want to be a great part of the British film industry above all.

Susan George27:34

I know how much we're capable of. We have the greatest technicians in the world.

Susan George27:38

Some of the greatest actors.

Susan George27:40

I'm obviously a

Susan George27:42

a huge I'm a huge royalist and I'm a huge lover of Great Britain and all that we have to offer. And I really that's my plight. I want to see us come to the front line and do all that we're capable of because we really are.

Susan George27:55

And so I want to be a great part of that. So producing pictures.

Susan George27:59

Is something that I just can't stand back and wait for things to happen. I want to be a great part of making it happen, achieving that goal.

Presenter28:05

Final record

Susan George28:07

The Beatles.

Susan George28:09

How could she

Speaker 328:10

He said to me, Love will find a way.

Speaker 328:17

Gather round all you clowns, let me hear you sing.

Speaker 328:29

Hey, you've got to hide your love away.

Speaker 328:37

Hey, you've got to have

Presenter28:39

Out the Beatles and Hide Your Love Away

Presenter28:41

Susan, you're now on this desert island with your eight records. You have to imagine that some tidal wave comes along and and wipes away seven. You're left with one. Which one would you care to preserve?

Susan George28:52

for all its memories.

Susan George28:54

It would be Ella Fitzgerald every time we say goodbye.

Presenter28:57

And what about the book? Assume that you've got the works of Shakespeare and you've got the Bible. Which book would you take with you?

Susan George29:04

Well, I would take with me a book that I have

Susan George29:06

carried round with me for years since I since I first bought it. It is in fact a book of poetry written by a Canadian man called James Cavanagh.

Susan George29:15

Um it is called Will You Be My Friend?

Susan George29:18

And

Susan George29:19

He has a great sense of humour.

Susan George29:21

and some of his writings are extremely cynical.

Susan George29:25

But he has this wonderful vision of life.

Susan George29:28

And he has an incredible imagination, and his whole thought process is so evocative that I just think it's wonderful. I love this book.

Presenter29:39

And what about the luxury object, inanimate?

Susan George29:42

The luxury object would most certainly be a four poster bed.

Presenter29:48

I can't think of anything more inanimate than that.

Susan George29:50

Well, it would be. See, the most important thing, I will go after any adventure in life. I love adventure. I mean, it's my passion, really.

Susan George29:57

and I would do anything or try anything.

Susan George30:01

But I

Susan George30:02

would not go without my sleep and my comfort at the end of a day. It's one of the it really is one of the most important things to me. So whatever I might be trying or whatever I might be going after,

Susan George30:13

If it's whatever happens, as long as I can know that I can actually get I'm I like to snuggle up and get into my bed and have a good night's sleep, and that's terribly important to me.

Presenter30:24

Susan George, thank you very much indeed.

Susan George30:25

And thank you.

Speaker 330:33

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio four.