While I’ve done interviews that I enjoyed more than others the absolute worst one I conducted was with Peter Noone of Herman and his Hermits.
It was a strange assignment from the start. I was to go to the studio where the popular television show ‘Mister Ed’ was shot and interview the main cast members. After that I could interview Peter Noone.
What made it strange was that I received a list of questions given to the magazine by the show’s producers. I could ask some of my own questions but I was required to ask the scripted questions as well.
OK. I could live with that because I was looking forward to meeting Alan Young and Connie Hines and one of my favorite actors, Leon Ames. As it turned out Leon Ames was ill or otherwise engaged and I interviewed Alan, Connie, the voice of Mister Ed (Allan Lane), Mister Ed himself and his trainer, Les Wilson.
The scripted questions were for Mister Ed with the answers read from a script by Allan Lane. It was all quite surreal.
It seems that Derek Taylor was representing Herman and His Hermits and had arranged for an article supplied by him about their visit to the Mister Ed set to appear in an issue of KRLA BEAT.
As often happens in the business the “I’ll scratch your back” was for the show’s producer, Arthur Lubin. The show’s ratings were starting to slip and Mr Lubin wanted an article just about the show and the Peter Noone interview was “if you scratch mine.”
The interview with the cast went well and was a lot of fun. The set was surpsingly compact for what they were able to get out of it on the show and I learned a lot about how the trainer made it appear that Mister Ed was moving his lips. Actually, he DID move his lips to his trainer’s cues and, from memory, Vaseline.
Then came the time for me to interview Peter Noone. To be honest I didn’t like the music produced by Herman and His Hermits. I thought of it as novelty music and not very good novelty music at that. Too cute. Too superficial and lollypop … or bubblegum. Take your pick.
I’d seen them on television and didn’t like Peter’s Herman act either. Far too swarmy. I wasn’t looking forward to meeting him but wasn’t about to show it.
As it turns out, the feeling was mutual. Peter made it clear that the interview in Arthur Lubins overstuffed office was an imposition and that he was far too important for yet another interview.
But I had my assignment and decieded to be as cordial and professional as I could, ask the questions I’d prepared and look fascinated by the anwers.
I’m 6’3″. Peter isn’t. He didn’t bother to get up and shake my hand. Instead he parked himself behind Lubins massive desk and swiveled around in his massive chair. Like a petualant child in an adult’s world.
At some point he’d picked up a dagger-like letter opener from the desk and started stabbing the point into the tooled, inlaid leather writting surface of the desk. His answsers were brief and insolent. He was trying to act like a real rock star without the balls to bring it off.
As the interview deteriorated further he increased the stabbing until he finally drew the point across the leather, ruining Mr Lubin’s desk top. I’m sure he wasn’t amused when he returned but by that time I’d thanked the obnoxious little twerp for his time and walked out.
Maybe Peter Noone will read this one day. I hope he does and remembers what an jerk he was. I also hope he’s grown up since then … although he’ll never be any taller.
Herman The Jerk © Robert R. Feigel 2022 – All rights reserved
Pieces from a Puzzling Life 