TO – PETER WYNGARDE: The Official Website

…WITH PANACHE!

In December 1971 Peter, along with a number of other well-known personalities from stage and screen, took part in a one-day Golden lo charity event under the canvas of the world famous Circus Krone in Munich, (West) Germany. It was there that the moustachioed-one took the applause of the capacity crowd after a spot of clowning around, which involved being doused in water, and having his expensive handmade jacket torn off.

But not content with reducing his tailor to tears, something a little more daring was expected from Germany’s favourite television hero, and so it wasn’t long before Peter MUNICH found himself curled up like a contortionist in a 5 ft x 4ft basket, suspended below a hot air balloon, which was hovering almost 100 feet above the circus ring.

Left: During his visit to Munich, Peter was treated to a private tour of the Olympic Stadium and Village, that was still under construction at the time.

For the rehearsal Peter, who arrived dressed in faded blue denims and with a red silk scarf wrapped around his neck, told a British journalist who’d accompanied him that, although the routine was “hard on the bum”, he’d found himself in far more precarious positions prior to taking the role of Jason King:

“I was once fighting in a cable car high above the Swiss Alps, when the door slid open and I slipped on my new boots,” he said. “The terror on my face was so real that they had to cut it out of the film!”

Looking up from the basket during a try-out, Peter noticed that there was only about a 12 children’s balloons tugging at the ropes. There was, however, a strong cable holding our hero aloft.

“Damn it!” cried Peter. “You’d have thought that they’d have given us a real balloon!”

The day of the main event hadn’t started too well for the adventurous actor, who’d arrived to find that his dressing room was situated midway between the elephant stalls and a pen holding the performing pig! However, because Peter is always prepared to see the funny side of every situation, he simply placed a few bunches of fresh flowers in the wash basin, and left to attend an autograph session at a Munich department store – muttering something about everything being “alright on the night”.

Back in 1971, Peter had replaced (West) Germany’s Chancellor, Willy Brant, as the country’s most popular personality in numerous polls, so everywhere he went in the Bavarian capital, he was mobbed by crowds of adoring fans.

One of his stop-off’s on 12th December, was to sign his posters at the ‘Schwabing poster shop. After all the adoration, t was something of a relief, therefore, for him to return to the relative peace of his dressing room in the evening to MUNICH2 prepare for his grand entrance.

Left: Peter is lowered safely to the ground from the roof of the Big Top

Crouching inside the tiny basket out of sight of the unsuspecting crowd, Peter was hauled high above the heads of the capacity audience – accompanied only by an umbrella and a huge Union Jack flag, which he insisted was unfurling before he made his decent. “Well, we are joining the Common Market, after all!” he quipped at the time.

As the balloon was lowered slowly to the ground, Peter emerged; his cuffs turned back characteristically (“It’s the only sensible way to wear a shirt; they don’t get in the way, and you can look at your watch!”) to the applause of the crowd, who confirmed him as the star of the show. Well, he did say something about it being alright on the night!

Trivia…. Other guests at the gala event were Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, and actors Marc Slade (‘The High Chaparral’) and Ron Ely (‘Tarzan’).