Today' People
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday August 29, 1990
LIFESTYLES OF THE SACKED, PART II
* Strange tidings in Rugby League land: A little more on toothy George Donikian and the League ticket saga.
As readers of yesterday's column will know, Donikian bid $700 at a children's hospital auction last month for two tickets to the grand final. He was subsequently asked by Rugby League GM John Quayle to join him on the day in the League's box.
In yesterday's piece, our spokesman for the League said Donikian, who was last week given his marching orders from Channel Nine, "rang the Rugby League(this week) to say he was no longer in a position to take the tickets because of his changed employment situation".
"I have never contacted the Rugby League," a "miffed" Donikian said yesterday.
"I'm prepared to concede I haven't yet paid the money. But the tickets haven't arrived yet. I'm still prepared to pay for the tickets."
Sorry, folks. We said yesterday there were two tickets going for the otherwise sold-out match. Seems they're taken after all.
TRUE CONFESSIONS
* Tall tales and true: Off-loading his troubles this week was Robert Straub, the Primrose-Lorenzo best man who never was.
After telling Jayne Newling in this week's New Idea that he and flatmate Prince Montesini had "never had a sexual relationship", he went on to tell a life story perfect for an Australian version of Truman Capote's Answered Prayers.
Straub claimed in the interview that at age 11 he was molested by a strange man in a paddock. Later, when sent to work in the antique business, he was"subjected to further abuse when he came into contact with a cesspool of homosexuals".
After discussing a suicide attempt in 1968 (it was Lorenzo who apparently saved him) he then confessed he had an illegitimate son by a former relationship.
Having discovered where his son attends school, Straub said he goes there regularly to watch him.
"He doesn't know who I am and I never let him see me."
To top it off, Straub revealed that his brother, apparently a schizophrenic, died two years ago of a drug overdose. So what did Sydney's prince-in-residence think of his friend's public confession?
"I don't suppose he really wanted me to bare my soul, but he said that if that's what I wanted to do, it was up to me," Straub told us yesterday.
Straub denied any chequebooks had been involved.
TASTE OF POLITICS
* A jobs-on-offer update: The list of names for the soon-to-be vacant chairperson's seat at the Australia Council is growing. And rumoured to be among them is our own foodie/opera buff Leo Schofield.
A senior ministerial adviser in the Department of Arts, Tourism and Territories, yesterday said the choice, from a "volume of names", would be made by Cabinet soon after the Minister, David Simmons, returned from Japan on September 8.
The term of the current chairman, Donald Horne, expires in November.
I SPY
* Lunchstyles of the rich and famous: Tom and Nic's Sunday roast at Mum Kidman's place last month must have been a success. Our hard-working celeb-spotters this week found Tom (the short one) and Nicole (the tall one)munching away with the rest of the Kidman family at the Maharani Indian restaurant at Crows Nest.
It was noted that after ordering Foster's with his tandoori chicken, Cruise changed his mind and ordered an Indian beer. The proprietor, after discovering the beer was out of stock, immediately ran to the local hotel to buy some more.
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, the ever-obliging star of the new Top-Gun-with-Ferraris film broke dinner table discourse to sign a restaurant menu. Our star-struck spy now keeps it under her pillow.
We'll keep you posted.
FAMILY ALBUM
* The way they were: Practising big smiles for the camera is Miss, err, Master Ken Sutcliffe at 11 months.
Mum thought Ken Doll would have a better chance of being spotted by the'50s star-search program TV Talent Scout if she snapped him in his Sunday-best frills.
But, as the Wide World of Sports host and former Gra Gra sidekick thankfully discovered for himself later in life, boys' clothes suit him better.
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
* Acting, easy?: After finishing the Melbourne run of Neil Simon's Rumours on Saturday night, the cast was given until Tuesday morning to move bubs, bums and belongings to Sydney. That's when rehearsals started for the Sydney production of the play, which opens tonight.
Fine on paper. Not so fine, two cast members found out, in practice.
Case one: actor Ron Falk not-so-cleverly decided to drive.
In the Victorian town of Chiltern, halfway between Wodonga and Wangaratta, his car broke down. Unable to get the right part, Falk tried to rent a car, only to find his licence had expired the night before. So, too, it seemed, had his car insurance policy.
Case two: the well-endowed Lynder Stoner thoughtfully let her husband (who is also in the play) drive their Valiant to Sydney while she caught a flight with the couple's six-year-old son and his new nanny.
But five minutes from Sydney the nanny resigned, only to disappear at the airport.
Tucking son under arm, Stoner caught a cab to the family home in Sydney, which had been rented out during the family's two-month stay in Melbourne.
She arrived to find the tenants had left five weeks earlier, with the keys, forcing Stoner to break a window to get in. Inside, Old Mother Hubbard Stoner found her cupboards bare.
© 1990 Sydney Morning Herald
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