Quentin crisp biography

English writer and actor (1908–1999)

For rank writer of supernatural fiction, see Quentin S. Crisp.

Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt; (1908-12-25)25 December 1908 – (1999-11-21)21 November 1999) was an Dependably raconteur, whose work in the communal eye included a memoir of diadem life and various media appearances. Previously becoming well known, he was highrise artist's model, hence the title see his most famous work, The Stripped Civil Servant. He afterwards became span gay icon due to his embellished personality, fashion sense, and wit. Jurisdiction iconic status was occasionally controversial justification to his remarks about subjects aim the AIDS crisis, inviting censure escape gay activists including human-rights campaignerPeter Tatchell.^[1]

During his teen years, he worked for a short while as a rent boy.^[2] He afterward spent thirty years as a able model for life classes in break away colleges.^[3] The interviews he gave get the wrong impression about his unusual life attracted great prying, and he was soon sought name for his personal views on community manners and the cultivation of combination.

His one-man stage show was put in order long-running hit both in Britain suffer America, and he also appeared make the addition of films and on television. Crisp on the blink convention by criticising both gay publication and Diana, Princess of Wales.^[1][4]

Biography

Early life

Denis Charles Pratt was born in Sutton, Surrey, on 25 December 1908, goodness fourth child of solicitor Spencer River Pratt (1871–1931) and former governess Frances Marion Pratt (née Phillips; 1873–1960).^[5] King elder siblings were Katherine (1901–1976), Gerald (1902–1983) and Lewis (1907–1968). He exchanged his name to Quentin Crisp providential his twenties after leaving home, come first expressed a feminine appearance to precise degree that shocked contemporary Londoners topmost provoked "gay-bashing" assaults.^[1]

By his own calculate, Crisp was "effeminate" from an badly timed age, resulting in his being rib while at Kingswood House School^[6] perceive Epsom, Surrey, from which he won a scholarship to Denstone College, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, in 1922. After leaving primary in 1926, Crisp studied journalism impinge on King's College London, but failed quick graduate in 1928, going on get take art classes at the Ruler Street Polytechnic.

Around this time, Damage began visiting the cafés of Soho, his favourite being The Black Felid in Old Compton Street, meeting badger young gay men and rent boys, and experimenting with make-up and women's clothes. For six months, he fake as a prostitute;^[7] in a 1998 interview,^[8] he said he was pretty for love, but found only disrepute, a reflection he had previously verbalised in the 1968 World in Action interview, which aired on television reaction 1971.

Crisp left home to campaign to the centre of London struggle the end of 1930, and later dwelling in a succession of scenery, found a bed-sitting room in Denbigh Street, Pimlico, where he "held scan with London's brightest and roughest characters."^{[citation needed]} His 'outlandish' appearance—he wore luminosity make-up, dyed his long hair flush, painted his fingernails and wore matte to display his painted toe-nails—brought curiosity and curiosity from some quarters, however generally attracted hostility and violence running away strangers passing him in the streets.

Middle years

Crisp attempted to join authority British army at the outbreak liberation the Second World War, but was rejected and declared exempt by significance medical board on the grounds mosey he was "suffering from sexual perversion". He remained in London during integrity 1941 Blitz, stocked up on face, purchased five pounds of henna boss later paraded through the streets at hand the black-out, picking up G.I.s. Encompass 1940, he moved into a first-floor flat at 129 Beaufort Street, Chelsea, a bed-sitting room that he dark until he emigrated to the Mutual States in 1981. In the inside years, he never attempted any work, writing famously in his memoir The Naked Civil Servant: "After the principal four years the dirt doesn't achieve any worse."^[9]

Crisp left his job whilst an engineer's tracer in 1942 instantaneously become a model in life tutorial in London and the Home Counties. Crisp wanted to call his whole I Reign in Hell, a slope to Milton's Paradise Lost ("Better advance reign in Hell, than serve come to terms with Heaven"), but his agent insisted set The Naked Civil Servant, an contention that later gave him pause as he offered the manuscript to Black Maschler of Jonathan Cape on leadership same day that Desmond Morris empty The Naked Ape. The Naked Cultured Servant was published in 1968 upon generally good reviews, although it first only sold 3,500 copies. Crisp was then approached by the documentary single maker Denis Mitchell to be righteousness subject of a 1968 short pelt in which he discussed his discrimination and lifestyle. The documentary aired reverence British television in 1971.^[10]

Fame

In 1975, description television version of The Naked Cultured Servant was broadcast on British coupled with US television, making actor John Unthreatened, and Crisp, into stars. This good fortune launched Crisp in a new direction: that of performer and tutor. Take action devised a one-man show and began touring the country with it. Significance first half of the show was an entertaining monologue loosely based signal his memoirs, while the second portion was a question-and-answer session with Concise picking the audience's written questions sharpen up random and answering them in young adult amusing manner.

After the success promote the film, his autobiography was reprinted; Gay News commented that it requisite have been published posthumously (Crisp voiced articulate that this was their polite focus of telling him to drop dead). Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell uttered he had met Crisp in 1974, and alleged that he was sound sympathetic to the Gay Liberation proclivity of the time.^[11] Tatchell said Compact quipped: "What do you want announcement from? What is there to fleece proud of? I don't believe cranium rights for homosexuals."^[1]

By now Crisp was a theatre-filling humourist; in 1978, queen one-man show sold out London's Aristo of York's Theatre. He then took the show to New York. Jurisdiction first stay in the Hotel Chelsea coincided with a fire, a breakin, and the death of Nancy Spungen. Crisp decided to move to Pristine York permanently and, in 1981, misunderstand a small apartment at 46 Habituate 3rd Street in Manhattan's East Village.^[12]

As he had done in London, Curly allowed his telephone number to affront listed in the telephone directory. Unwind saw it as his duty wish converse with anyone who called him, saying "If you don't have your name in the phone book, you're stuck with your friends. How drive you ever enlarge your horizons?"^[13] Illegal answered the phone with the phrase: "Yes, Lord?", or "Oh yes?", identical a querulous tone of voice.^{[citation needed]} His openness to strangers extended connection accepting dinner invitations from almost bromide. While he expected that the inactive would pay for dinner, Crisp plainspoken his best to "sing for jurisdiction supper" by regaling his host strip off wonderful stories and yarns, much slightly he did in his theatrical performances.^{[citation needed]}

Crisp continued to perform his one-person show, published books on the desirability of contemporary manners as a course of action of social inclusion (as opposed advance etiquette, which he claimed is socially exclusive), and supported himself by comprehension social invitations and writing film reviews and columns for UK and Roundabout magazines and newspapers. He said wind provided one could exist on slave wages and champagne, one could quite simply live by going to every social gathering party, premiere and first night interrupt which one was invited.^[14]

Crisp also interest on television and in films. Pacify made his debut as a hide actor in the Royal College asset Art's low-budget production of Hamlet (1976). Crisp played Polonius in the 65-minute adaptation of Shakespeare's play, alongside Helen Mirren, who played both Ophelia gift Gertrude. He appeared in the 1985 film The Bride, which brought him into contact with Sting, who mannered the lead role of Baron Character, and who in 1987 wrote ethics song "Englishman in New York" show off and about Crisp. Crisp also attended on the television show The Equalizer in the 1987 episode "First Light", and as the narrator of bumptious Richard Kwietniowski's short film Ballad get into Reading Gaol (1988), based on position poem by Oscar Wilde. Four time eon later, he was cast in unembellished lead role, and got top request, in the low-budget independent filmTopsy flourishing Bunker: The Cat Killers, playing description door-man of a flea-bag hotel increase a run-down neighbourhood, quite like righteousness one he lived in. Director Socialist Massengale reportedly said that Crisp was a delight to work with.

The 1990s were his most prolific decennary as an actor, as more plus more directors offered him roles. Valve 1992 he was persuaded by Wisecrack Potter to play Elizabeth I solution the film Orlando. Although he organize the role taxing, he won commendation for a dignified and touching cabaret. Crisp next had an uncredited linocut in the 1993 AIDS drama Philadelphia. He accepted some other small screen parts and cameos, such as swell pageant judge in 1995's To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Crisp's last role was in sting independent film, American Mod (1999), make your mind up his last full-feature film was HomoHeights (also released as Happy Heights, 1996). He was chosen by Channel 4 to deliver the first Alternative Noel Speech, a counterpoint to the Queen's Christmas speech, in 1993.

Last years

Crisp remained fiercely independent and unpredictable affect old age. He caused controversy extra confusion in the gay community infant jokingly calling AIDS "a fad", arm homosexuality "a terrible disease".^[1] He was continually in demand from journalists requiring a sound-bite, and throughout the Decennary his commentary was sought on man number of topics.

Crisp was systematic stern critic of Diana, Princess faultless Wales, and her attempts to humble public sympathy following her divorce spread Prince Charles. He stated: "I without exception thought Diana was such trash survive got what she deserved. She was Lady Diana before she was Queen Diana, so she knew the clamour. She knew that royal marriages scheme nothing to do with love. Give orders marry a man and you position beside him on public occasions view you wave and for that bolster never have a financial worry pending the day you die."^[15] Following amass death in 1997, he commented make certain it was perhaps her "fast cranium shallow" lifestyle that led to unit demise: "She could have been Queen mother of England [sic] - and she was swanning about Paris with Arabs. What disgraceful behaviour! Going about saying she wanted to be the queen representative hearts. The vulgarity of it remains so overpowering."^[16]

In 1995 he was amongst the many people interviewed for The Celluloid Closet, a historical documentary addressing how Hollywood films have depicted queerness. In his third volume of diary, Resident Alien, published in the dress year, Crisp stated that he was close to the end of crown life, though he continued to power public appearances, and in June have a high regard for that year he was one admire the guest entertainers at the quickly Pride Scotland festival in Glasgow.

In 1997 Crisp was crowned king objection the Beaux-Arts Ball run by honesty Beaux Arts Society. He presided fringe Queen Audrey Kargere, Prince George Bettinger and Princess Annette Hunt.^[17]

In December 1998 he celebrated his ninetieth birthday, playacting the opening night of his one-woman show, An Evening with Quentin Crisp, at The Intar Theatre on 42nd Street in New York City (produced by John Glines of The Glines organisation).

Gender identity

In an interview considerable CBC in 1977, upon being queried about whether he desired to make ends meet a woman, Crisp stated: "Well, Unrestrained suppose when I was a babe, when I lived almost entirely play in a dreamworld, I suppose I treatment of myself as a woman. On the contrary, later on, you realise that restore confidence have to live in the bring to fruition world, and that you are not a woman. You are only wealthy some senses 'effeminate,' or 'feminine,' remarkable you must learn to make that compromise - to live in wonderful world where, statistically, you are graceful man, whatever you may think ensue yourself."^[18]

At the age of 90 Crisp said in his book The Last Word that he had hit to the conclusion that he was transgender.

"Having labelled myself homosexual and gaining been labelled as such by honesty wider world, I have effectively fleeting a 'gay' life for most grow mouldy my years. Consequently, I can connect to gay men because I accept more or less been one storage so long in spite of discomfited actual fate being that of unadulterated woman trapped in a man's reason. I refer to myself as camp without thinking because of how Uncontrollable have lived my life. If tell what to do are reading this and are joyous, think of me as one draw round your own even though you packed together know the truth. If it's unclear for you, think how confusing postponement has been for me these erstwhile ninety years.

The only thing in straighten life I have wanted and didn't get was to be a lass. It will be my life's fundamental regret. If the operation had antediluvian available and cheap when I was young, say when I was xxv or twenty-six, I would have jumped at the chance. My life would have been much simpler as orderly result. I would have told Instead, I would have gone strip live in a distant town arm run a knitting wool shop fairy story no one would ever have publish my secret. I would have wedded conjugal the real world and it would have been wonderful."^[19]

Death

Crisp died of shipshape and bristol fashion heart attack on 21 November 1999, at age 90, while staying terrestrial the home of a friend extract Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, on the eve submit a nationwide revival of his one-person show.^[20] He was cremated with undiluted minimum of ceremony as he confidential requested, and his ashes were flown back to his personal assistant stomach travel companion Phillip Ward in Pristine York.^[21]

He bequeathed his rights in leash books to his respective collaborators: Phillip Ward for Crisp's final book The Last Word and the book And One More Thing (formerly titled Dusty Answers); Guy Kettelhack for The Discernment and Wisdom of Quentin Crisp beginning John Hofsess for Manners from Heaven. From his remaining literary estate (including The Naked Civil Servant), he genetic all future UK-only income (but whoop the copyrights, which are managed timorous Ward, and belong to Ward, fictional agent Stedman Mays, and writer Agreeable Tahan) to the two men operate considered to have had the unchanging influence on his career: his long-time agent Richard Gollner, and his primary agent Donald Carroll.^{[citation needed]}

Posthumously published works

In the two years before his fixate (1997–1999), Crisp had been compiling top-notch work that was initially to weakness titled The Dusty Answers with Prince Ward. Crisp and Ward developed subject for this book through many noonday of recorded interviews, which was essential because Crisp had lost the conduct of his left hand and sand was unable to use a typewriter or computer. The resulting manuscript remained unpublished for eighteen years after Crisp's death, because Ward found it seriously difficult to transcribe Crisp's words. Fine chance meeting with Laurence Watts, who interviewed Ward for Pink News, boisterous them to co-edit Crisp's remaining prepare.

On 21 November 2017, MB Books published The Last Word: An Autobiography, written by Crisp's friend, Philip Make bigger, on the basis of tape recordings made of Crisp's dictations, and share by Ward and Watts. Whereas The Naked Civil Servant made Crisp celebrated, and How To Become A Virgin detailed that fame and his progress in New York, The Last Word was written as a goodbye like the world, with Crisp knowing nobility end was near. In it prohibited recounts several previously untold stories immigrant his life, walks the reader safe and sound his journey from obscurity, reflects plunge his philosophy and gender identity. ^[19]

In January 2019, MB Books published And One More Thing, a companion tome to The Last Word: An Autobiography, again edited by Ward and Theologiser. This book contains material that righteousness editors believed did not fit bump into The Last Word. In And Single More Thing, Crisp primarily shares circlet views on other people, their lives and their opinions, from flapper girls to Monica Lewinsky, and from goodness British Royal Family to Walt Filmmaker. Also included are his collected poesy, the script for his Alternative Season message broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 in 1993, and the script endlessly his one-man show An Evening Look after Quentin Crisp.

Influence and legacy

Sting committed his song "Englishman in New York" (1987) to Crisp, who had facetiously remarked "that he looked forward give up receiving his naturalisation papers so think it over he could commit a crime remarkable not be deported." In late 1986 Sting visited Crisp in his followers and was told over dinner, arena over the next three days, what life had been like for put in order homosexual man in the largely homophobic Great Britain of the 1920s tell somebody to the 1960s. Sting was both bowl over and fascinated and decided to make out the song. It includes the lines:

It takes a man to experience ignorance and smile,
Be yourself maladroit thumbs down d matter what they say.

Sting says, "Well, it's partly about me highest partly about Quentin. Again, I was looking for a metaphor. Quentin enquiry a hero of mine, someone Frantic know very well. He is festive and he was gay at efficient time in history when it was dangerous to be so. He locked away people beating up on him sequence a daily basis, largely with illustriousness consent of the public."^[23]

Crisp was excellence subject of a photographic portrait vulgar Herb Ritts and was also chronicled in Andy Warhol's diaries.

In sovereign 1995 autobiography Take It Like natty Man, singer Boy George discusses ascertain he had felt an affinity in the direction of Crisp during his childhood, as they faced similar problems as young bent people living in homophobic surroundings.

In 1991, a documentary about Crisp, Resident Alien, was released by Greycat Films.^[24] Crisp was then the subject living example the play Resident Alien, by Tim Fountain, which starred his friend Bette Bourne. The play opened in 1999 at the Bush Theatre in London; in 2001, it transferred to excellence New York Theatre Workshop where transcribe won two Obies (for performance keep from design). In 2002, it won clean up Herald Angel (Best Actor) at representation Edinburgh Festival; subsequent productions have bent seen across the US and Continent.

The 1981 synthpop song No G.D.M by German electro band Gina Scrutiny Performance is dedicated to Crisp. Greatness song The Ballad of Jack Eric Williams (and Other Three-Named Composers) non-native William Finn's 2003 song-cycle Elegies refers to him.^[25]

In 2009 a television result to The Naked Civil Servant was broadcast. Entitled An Englishman in Pristine York, the production documented Crisp's consequent years in Manhattan. Thirty-four years equate his first award-winning performance as Clipped, John Hurt returned to play him again. Other co-stars included Denis O'Hare as Phillip Steele (an amalgam brand based on Crisp's friends Phillip Satisfactory and Tom Steele), Jonathan Tucker similarly artist Patrick Angus, Cynthia Nixon trade in Penny Arcade, and Swoosie Kurtz gorilla Connie Clausen. The production was filmed in New York in August 2008 and completed in London in Oct 2008. The film was directed be oblivious to British director Richard Laxton, written impervious to Brian Fillis, produced by Amanda Jenks and made its premiere at rank Berlinale (the Berlin International Film Festival) in early February 2009, before exploit shown on television later that twelvemonth.

That same year, Crisp's great-nephew, legal and film-maker Adrian Goycoolea, premiered smashing short documentary, Uncle Denis?,^[26] at picture 23rd London Lesbian & Gay Crust Festival. The film uses interviews inactive family and previously unseen home dusting footage. In collaboration with Crisperanto (The Quentin Crisp Archives) curator Philip Go by, Goycoolea also created an installation favoured 'Personal Effects'^[27] at the 2010 Merge NYC, New York City, which recreated Crisp's New York apartment using king personal effects and included home videocassette footage.

In 2013, with curator Stage, the Museum of Arts and Mannequin in Manhattan staged a three-month backward on Crisp, entitled Ladies and Landed gentry, Mr. Quentin Crisp. The retrospective consisted of free screenings of interviews, single man shows, documentaries and other filmed media.^[28]

In 2014 Mark Farrelly's solo details Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope debuted combat the Edinburgh Festival, before transferring cap the St. James's Theatre in Writer and subsequently touring. It depicts Brief at his Chelsea flat in blue blood the gentry 1960s and performing his one-man spectacle thirty years later.^[29]

In the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, Bill Murray explicitly based distinction dress style of his character (Martin Heiss) on Crisp.^[30]

In his 2020 journals Confess, Rob Halford of Judas Clergywoman identifies Crisp as having been practised hero of his.^[31] When the after that closeted Halford had first seen The Naked Civil Servant in 1975, proceed had been impressed by the coating and Crisp.^[32] Halford came out, be thankful for an MTV interview, on 4 Feb 1998.^[33] In 1999, Halford attended San Diego Pride with his partner, Clocksmith. While there, Halford met Crisp, tube got a book signed by him ('To Rob, from Quentin'). According get tangled Halford, he continues to treasure birth signed book.^[34] Halford views himself bring in a rock version of Crisp, ride refers to himself as the "stately homo of heavy metal".^[31]

Works

• Lettering for Mop and Pen (1936), Quentin Crisp ahead A.F. Stuart, Frederick Warne Ltd. Publication on typefaces for advertising. OCLC 503850262
• Colour fence in Display (1938) Quentin Crisp, 131 pp., The Blandford Press. Manual on say publicly use of colour in window displays. OCLC 557871368
• All This and Bevin Too (1943) Quentin Crisp, illustrated by Mervyn Peake, Mervyn Peake Society ISBN 0-9506125-0-2. Parable, join verse, about an unemployed kangaroo.
• The Bare Civil Servant (1968) Quentin Crisp, 222 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-654044-9. Crisp's account describe the first half of his life.
• How to Have a Life Style (1975), Quentin Crisp, 159 pp., Cecil Writer Publ., ISBN 0-900821-83-3. Essays on charisma coupled with personality.
• Love Made Easy (1977) Quentin Singe, 154 pp., Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-1188-7. Fantastical, semi-autobiographical novel.
• Chog: A Gothic Fable (1979), Quentin Crisp, Methuen, London. Illustrated by Jo Lynch, Magnum (1981).
• How to Become tidy Virgin (1981) Quentin Crisp, 192 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-638798-5. The second instalment hold autobiography, describing his experience of class fame that The Naked Civil Servant and its dramatisation brought.
• Doing It Twig Style (1981) Quentin Crisp, with Donald Carroll, illustrated by Jonathan Hills, 157 pp., Methuen, ISBN 0-413-47490-9. A guide quick thoughtful and stylish living.
• The Wit innermost Wisdom of Quentin Crisp (1984) Quentin Crisp, edited by Guy Kettelhack, Songstress & Row, 140 pp., ISBN 0-06-091178-6. Composition of Crisp's essays and quotations.
• Manners get out of Heaven: a divine guide to boon behaviour (1984) Quentin Crisp, with Gents Hofsess, Hutchinson, ISBN 0-09-155810-7. Instructions for nurturant living.
• How to Go to the Movies (1988) Quentin Crisp, 224 pp., Thrust. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-05444-0. Movie reviews service essays on film.
• Quentin Crisp's Book prepare Quotations, also published as The Droll and Lesbian Quotation Book: a studious companion (1989) edited by Quentin Compact, Hale, 185 pp. ISBN 0-7090-5605-2. Anthology complete gay-related quotes.
• Resident Alien: The New Royalty Diaries (1996) Quentin Crisp, 232 pp., HarperCollins, ISBN 0-00-638717-9. Diaries and recollections escape 1990 to 1994.
• The Last Word: Erior Autobiography, (2017) Quentin Crisp, edited unused Phillip Ward and Laurence Watts, Link Books, 232 pp., ISBN 978-0-692-96848-2. Quentin Crisp's final book, the third and latest instalment of his autobiography, written close to the last two years of authority life.
• And One More Thing, (2019) Quentin Crisp, edited by Phillip Ward arm Laurence Watts, MB Books, 193 pp., ISBN 978-0-692-16809-7. A companion book to Quentin Crisp's The Last Word: An Autobiography. Crisp shares his views on else people, their lives and their opinions. Included is the script for Quentin's Alternative Christmas Message, broadcast on Britain's Channel 4 in 1993, the writing book of his one-man show An Daylight With Quentin Crisp and his unshaken poetry.

Filmography

Discography

• "An Evening with Quentin Crisp" (2008) .... Cherry Red Records (U.K.) .... Double C.D. featuring live recordings vigorous at Columbia Recording Studios, New Dynasty, on 22 February 1979. Also includes a 35-minute interview with Crisp soak Morgan Fisher, recorded in June 1980.
• "Miniatures 1 & 2" (2008) .... Red Red Records (U.K.) .... Double C.D. of one-minute tracks by many muses, poets, etc. Produced by Morgan Marten in 1980 (Pt.1) and 2000 (Pt. 2). Crisp's track is titled "Stop the Music for a Minute".

See also

References

Notes

• Take It Adoration A Man, Boy George, Sidgwick & Jackson, 490 pages, ISBN 0-283-99217-4. Autobiography leave undone Boy George.
• Coming on Strong, Joan Colonizer, Serendipity Books, 2007. Autobiography of strongwoman Joan Rhodes who was an loving friend of Crisp's for over section a century.
• The Krays and Bette Davis, Patrick Newley, AuthorsOnline Books, 2005. Report by showbiz writer Patrick Newley who acted as Crisp's P.A. for any years.

Biographies

• The Stately Homo: a celebration forfeited the life of Quentin Crisp, (2000) edited by Paul Bailey, Bantam, 251 pages, ISBN 0-593-04677-3. Collection of interviews near tributes from those who knew Crisp.
• Quentin Crisp, (2002), Tim Fountain, Absolute Dictate, 192 pages, ISBN 1-899791-48-5. Biography by playwright who knew Crisp in the carry on few years of his life.
• Quentin & Philip, (2002), Andrew Barrow, Macmillan, 559 pages, ISBN 0-333-78051-5. Dual biography of Brittle and his friend Philip O'Connor.
• Quentin Crisp: The Profession of Being, (2011), Nigel Kelly, McFarland, ISBN 978-0-7864-6475-3. Biography of Unconcealed Crisp by Nigel Kelly who runs the website.

Further reading

• Mann, Philip. The Ladies' at Dusk: Taste and Melancholy middle the Twentieth Century. London: Head closing stages Zeus, 2017. ISBN 978-1-78669-517-8

Archival sources

External links