Barney
12-21-2009, 04:02 AM
Here's a story written by Adrian's brother Robert about their trip to the Television and Film Festival in Monaco.
Friday, February 11, 1995.
Our flight to Nice was due to leave Paris at 9:50pm. I was very excited and somewhat apprehensive as to what to expect in the next 2 days. I'd been staying with Adrian for about 2 weeks when the opportunity arose for him to attend the Monte Carlo film festival. When the invitation was extended to include myself, I was absolutely thrilled as I've never been to any similar event. Images of the Cannes Film Festival flashed through my mind.
At about 7:00 that evening, I was just making the final preparations for our trip. Adrian had been working all day on location somewhere on the outskirts of Paris and I'd arranged to meet him at the airport with all our luggage. (I knew there was a reason for me to be there!) Suddenly the phone rang. It was Yen, Adrian's assistant, who was joining us on the trip. In a grave voice, she explained that there had been an accident on set and that Adrian was on his way to the hospital. Fearing the worse, I asked her to elaborate. Apparently during a simple stunt sequence, Adrian had fallen from a railing on a staircase and landed on his head. First reports were that he had broken two vertebrae in his spine. Anxiously, I asked whether I could get a ride to the hospital, but she advised that it would be best to wait for further news and continue with our plan to leave for Nice. At this point I wasn't sure what to do as I was convinced we wouldn't be going. Although right then I didn't care. The next 20 minutes seemed like a lifetime and when the phone rang again, I picked it up before the second ring. It was Adrian calling me from his hospital gurney. I knew immediately that he was okay because he was in a jovial mood. His xrays showed that he'd severely bruised the vertebrae and the doctor had advised him to rest. Despite all of this, he was determined to go to Monte Carlo so we arranged to meet at the check-in desk at Orly airport. I replaced the receiver with a great sense of relief.
Adrian wasn't very hard to miss. There he was looking tired, in pain and sporting a thick neck brace. He resembled something out of the "Addams Family". Fortunately, we made the flight with minutes to spare and it was a relief to reach my seat after the turmoil of the past 3 hours. We arrived in Nice at 11:30pm where two cars were waiting to take us the short journey to Monte Carlo. After about twenty minutes, we arrived at the square in the center of town. The view was breathtaking. Facing us as we drove forward, was the Monte Carlo Opera House with a huge ornate fountain in the front, the Cafe De Paris to the left and our hotel, the Hotel De Paris on the right, all brightly illuminated by hundreds of lights against the dark night sky. I was told that this was the most prestigious hotel in Monte Carlo where all the rich and famous (and infamous) stay when in town. It had a feeling of grandeur, as did its clientele, so I made a note of trying to be on my best behavior! After checking in, we realized that none of us had eaten that evening, having all passed on the "gourmet" airplane food. Now I know 1:00am isn't the best time to eat, but I guess our stomachs ruled our heads and we headed to the Cafe de Paris across the square.
The other diners must have had quite a shock seeing us walk in. Whereas most of them had just left the Opera and were dressed to the "nines", there we were bedraggled after our trip, in jeans and casual shirts with one of us wearing a huge neck brace. However, the maitre 'd and waiters didn't seem to mind. As we were leaving, several of the waiters asked Adrian for autographs, a normal dinner occurrance in Europe, for which he was only too happy to oblige.
Saturday, February 12, 1995
I met Adrian and Yen in the lobby around noon where we were introduced to the festival organizer, who briefed us as to what to expect at that evening's opening ceremonies. Adrian was then asked to do an interview and photo session for the festival publication and promotional TV crew. The next interview wasn't scheduled until 2:00pm, so we all went for a walk. The town of Monte Carlo is very small and it's full of long winding hills and roads.
Since Adrian was still in pain, we didn't stay out long as he also had to go back to put his neck brace on that he had removed for his photo session. As we were walking back to the hotel, a delivery van was reversing out of a driveway some twenty yards ahead of us. This is where a comedy of errors unfolded in front of our very eyes. Not noticing a concrete post behind him, the driver accidentally hit it and knocked it over. With a few cars now having to stop since his truck was blocking both sides of the road, his passenger got out to pick up the post. As he got out, the panes of glass that they were transporting fell off of the van and smashed in the street. By this time, we were close enough to hear him babbling and cursing in French. As we giggled at the sight he looked up and gave us an embarrassed look as if to say, "Look at the mess we've gotten into". Suddenly, seeing Adrian, he did a double take and with a quizzical look which turned to one of recognition, he cried, "MacLeod! L'Highlander! L'Highlander!" Well, by this time more cars had pulled over and watched this man who was not sure whether to get back into the van to tell his friend, ask for an autograph or pick up the glass. All three of us burst into laughter. Adrian girmaced a little since it hurt to laugh, which made us laugh harder. All this happened so quickly that before I knew it, Adrian had continued walking, possibly trying to avert a huge traffic jam in the middle of the city.
After lunch, the next interview and photo session with Richard Eden, the star of "Robocop" took place on the veranda, which overlooked the bay. After one more interview, we were then free to take in more sights and generally try to relax before the night's festivities. We perused the exclusive shops, halls and casino, although we didn't gamble because all the tables for Adrian's favorite game of Black Jack were closed. (Just as well, I say!) We met downstairs in the lobby at 8:00pm and were driven to the festival hall two minutes away. We entered the film complex on a red carpet with our names being announced on a loud speaker. In the foyer, we were greeted by a wall of camera crews and photographers with what seemed like a thousand flashbulbs. We stood for the longest minute I can remember and were then ushered into the auditorium and to our seats.
The opening film for the festival was a British entry, "Catherine The Great" starring Catherine Zeta Jones. After the film had finished we left the auditorium and made the short walk through the building complex to the dining area. Since the opening film had a Russian theme to it, we were greeted by a band of Russian musicians playing Russian folk songs. With 200 guests in the hall, the noise during dinner was incredible. Many people mingled from one table to the next with a constant flow wanting to talk to Prince Albert and Tatum O'Neal, who were both sitting at the center table. When the band of musicians, who played throughout the meal, serenaded his table, the Prince very sportingly got up and did a kind of jig, all to the delight of the other guests. After a few more hours of festivities and mingling, we finally made it back to the hotel.
Sunday, February 13, 1995
Now, it always amazes me and most of all, Adrian, when fans recognize him as the "Highlander" and today was no exception. Adrian's following is very big in Italy so one of the interviews that was scheduled was for RAI 1, one of the major Italian TV networks. The surprise for them was that Adrian spoke fluent Italian and they couldn't get over the fact that the spoke it with a Florentine accent (the region our mother is from). But the fun part came later when after a brunch buffet put on by the festival, we headed again for the large veranda outside the hotel so Adrian could do a couple more interviews and another photo session.
As you can imagine, when someone is standing in front of a large umbrella with a strobe light flashing, it can draw quite a lot of attention. Below us I watched several groups emerge looking up and pointing at the commotion above them. Several times we would hear screams of "Highlander" or "Duncan MacLeod" or just plain "AAAAHHHHH E LUI" (Aaaahhhhh, its him in Italian). But the funniest instance was when a group of young Italian fans had gathered beneath accompanied by their escorts, three nuns. Whilst Adrian posed for the shots above, the youngsters screamed and took their own pictures from below. When Adrian turned around and made the Peace sign to them, one of the nuns looked up and made the Peace sign back to him, much to everyone's delight. I don't know, but maybe she was a fan...or a memeber?!
At 6:00pm, Yen, Adrian (in his collar), and I checked out of the hotel and were taken to the heliport to start our trip back to Paris. Adrian was due back to work the following day with a fight sequence in the morning, followed by horse riding and a Cossack dance on Tuesday, and more riding and a sword fight on Wednesday. But by the end of this weekend, he was tired and in great pain. I wasn't sure whether he would make it, but I should have known him better. He's too stubborn and too much of a perfectionist to allow someone else to do the work for him. The next day, he hobbled off to work. So much for the rest!! I'll never forget my trip to Monte Carlo. It was great to be present at such an event. My thanks go out to all that made it possible for me, especially Adrian, for without him I wouldn't be writing this for you.
Friday, February 11, 1995.
Our flight to Nice was due to leave Paris at 9:50pm. I was very excited and somewhat apprehensive as to what to expect in the next 2 days. I'd been staying with Adrian for about 2 weeks when the opportunity arose for him to attend the Monte Carlo film festival. When the invitation was extended to include myself, I was absolutely thrilled as I've never been to any similar event. Images of the Cannes Film Festival flashed through my mind.
At about 7:00 that evening, I was just making the final preparations for our trip. Adrian had been working all day on location somewhere on the outskirts of Paris and I'd arranged to meet him at the airport with all our luggage. (I knew there was a reason for me to be there!) Suddenly the phone rang. It was Yen, Adrian's assistant, who was joining us on the trip. In a grave voice, she explained that there had been an accident on set and that Adrian was on his way to the hospital. Fearing the worse, I asked her to elaborate. Apparently during a simple stunt sequence, Adrian had fallen from a railing on a staircase and landed on his head. First reports were that he had broken two vertebrae in his spine. Anxiously, I asked whether I could get a ride to the hospital, but she advised that it would be best to wait for further news and continue with our plan to leave for Nice. At this point I wasn't sure what to do as I was convinced we wouldn't be going. Although right then I didn't care. The next 20 minutes seemed like a lifetime and when the phone rang again, I picked it up before the second ring. It was Adrian calling me from his hospital gurney. I knew immediately that he was okay because he was in a jovial mood. His xrays showed that he'd severely bruised the vertebrae and the doctor had advised him to rest. Despite all of this, he was determined to go to Monte Carlo so we arranged to meet at the check-in desk at Orly airport. I replaced the receiver with a great sense of relief.
Adrian wasn't very hard to miss. There he was looking tired, in pain and sporting a thick neck brace. He resembled something out of the "Addams Family". Fortunately, we made the flight with minutes to spare and it was a relief to reach my seat after the turmoil of the past 3 hours. We arrived in Nice at 11:30pm where two cars were waiting to take us the short journey to Monte Carlo. After about twenty minutes, we arrived at the square in the center of town. The view was breathtaking. Facing us as we drove forward, was the Monte Carlo Opera House with a huge ornate fountain in the front, the Cafe De Paris to the left and our hotel, the Hotel De Paris on the right, all brightly illuminated by hundreds of lights against the dark night sky. I was told that this was the most prestigious hotel in Monte Carlo where all the rich and famous (and infamous) stay when in town. It had a feeling of grandeur, as did its clientele, so I made a note of trying to be on my best behavior! After checking in, we realized that none of us had eaten that evening, having all passed on the "gourmet" airplane food. Now I know 1:00am isn't the best time to eat, but I guess our stomachs ruled our heads and we headed to the Cafe de Paris across the square.
The other diners must have had quite a shock seeing us walk in. Whereas most of them had just left the Opera and were dressed to the "nines", there we were bedraggled after our trip, in jeans and casual shirts with one of us wearing a huge neck brace. However, the maitre 'd and waiters didn't seem to mind. As we were leaving, several of the waiters asked Adrian for autographs, a normal dinner occurrance in Europe, for which he was only too happy to oblige.
Saturday, February 12, 1995
I met Adrian and Yen in the lobby around noon where we were introduced to the festival organizer, who briefed us as to what to expect at that evening's opening ceremonies. Adrian was then asked to do an interview and photo session for the festival publication and promotional TV crew. The next interview wasn't scheduled until 2:00pm, so we all went for a walk. The town of Monte Carlo is very small and it's full of long winding hills and roads.
Since Adrian was still in pain, we didn't stay out long as he also had to go back to put his neck brace on that he had removed for his photo session. As we were walking back to the hotel, a delivery van was reversing out of a driveway some twenty yards ahead of us. This is where a comedy of errors unfolded in front of our very eyes. Not noticing a concrete post behind him, the driver accidentally hit it and knocked it over. With a few cars now having to stop since his truck was blocking both sides of the road, his passenger got out to pick up the post. As he got out, the panes of glass that they were transporting fell off of the van and smashed in the street. By this time, we were close enough to hear him babbling and cursing in French. As we giggled at the sight he looked up and gave us an embarrassed look as if to say, "Look at the mess we've gotten into". Suddenly, seeing Adrian, he did a double take and with a quizzical look which turned to one of recognition, he cried, "MacLeod! L'Highlander! L'Highlander!" Well, by this time more cars had pulled over and watched this man who was not sure whether to get back into the van to tell his friend, ask for an autograph or pick up the glass. All three of us burst into laughter. Adrian girmaced a little since it hurt to laugh, which made us laugh harder. All this happened so quickly that before I knew it, Adrian had continued walking, possibly trying to avert a huge traffic jam in the middle of the city.
After lunch, the next interview and photo session with Richard Eden, the star of "Robocop" took place on the veranda, which overlooked the bay. After one more interview, we were then free to take in more sights and generally try to relax before the night's festivities. We perused the exclusive shops, halls and casino, although we didn't gamble because all the tables for Adrian's favorite game of Black Jack were closed. (Just as well, I say!) We met downstairs in the lobby at 8:00pm and were driven to the festival hall two minutes away. We entered the film complex on a red carpet with our names being announced on a loud speaker. In the foyer, we were greeted by a wall of camera crews and photographers with what seemed like a thousand flashbulbs. We stood for the longest minute I can remember and were then ushered into the auditorium and to our seats.
The opening film for the festival was a British entry, "Catherine The Great" starring Catherine Zeta Jones. After the film had finished we left the auditorium and made the short walk through the building complex to the dining area. Since the opening film had a Russian theme to it, we were greeted by a band of Russian musicians playing Russian folk songs. With 200 guests in the hall, the noise during dinner was incredible. Many people mingled from one table to the next with a constant flow wanting to talk to Prince Albert and Tatum O'Neal, who were both sitting at the center table. When the band of musicians, who played throughout the meal, serenaded his table, the Prince very sportingly got up and did a kind of jig, all to the delight of the other guests. After a few more hours of festivities and mingling, we finally made it back to the hotel.
Sunday, February 13, 1995
Now, it always amazes me and most of all, Adrian, when fans recognize him as the "Highlander" and today was no exception. Adrian's following is very big in Italy so one of the interviews that was scheduled was for RAI 1, one of the major Italian TV networks. The surprise for them was that Adrian spoke fluent Italian and they couldn't get over the fact that the spoke it with a Florentine accent (the region our mother is from). But the fun part came later when after a brunch buffet put on by the festival, we headed again for the large veranda outside the hotel so Adrian could do a couple more interviews and another photo session.
As you can imagine, when someone is standing in front of a large umbrella with a strobe light flashing, it can draw quite a lot of attention. Below us I watched several groups emerge looking up and pointing at the commotion above them. Several times we would hear screams of "Highlander" or "Duncan MacLeod" or just plain "AAAAHHHHH E LUI" (Aaaahhhhh, its him in Italian). But the funniest instance was when a group of young Italian fans had gathered beneath accompanied by their escorts, three nuns. Whilst Adrian posed for the shots above, the youngsters screamed and took their own pictures from below. When Adrian turned around and made the Peace sign to them, one of the nuns looked up and made the Peace sign back to him, much to everyone's delight. I don't know, but maybe she was a fan...or a memeber?!
At 6:00pm, Yen, Adrian (in his collar), and I checked out of the hotel and were taken to the heliport to start our trip back to Paris. Adrian was due back to work the following day with a fight sequence in the morning, followed by horse riding and a Cossack dance on Tuesday, and more riding and a sword fight on Wednesday. But by the end of this weekend, he was tired and in great pain. I wasn't sure whether he would make it, but I should have known him better. He's too stubborn and too much of a perfectionist to allow someone else to do the work for him. The next day, he hobbled off to work. So much for the rest!! I'll never forget my trip to Monte Carlo. It was great to be present at such an event. My thanks go out to all that made it possible for me, especially Adrian, for without him I wouldn't be writing this for you.