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THE QUEEN MOTHER

In the early seventies there was no greater director working than Ken Russell, and like Eric Von Stroheim before him, Russell flaunted convention and especially his critics by creating one masterpiece after another, first on the BBC, and then with his first wave of films.

At one point in London Russell had three films playing at the same time. His greatest film THE DEVILS had just opened while THE MUSIC LOVERS and WOMEN IN LOVE were already running in the West End cinemas.

My admiration for Ken Russell knew no bounds, thus I would see these films over and over again until I knew cast and crew alike. I am telling you this, dear reader, as an explanation for why a few years later I would take into my life the actress known as Izabella Telezynska. You see, Izabella acted the role of Madam Von Meck, the wealthy patron of Tchaikovsky as played by Richard Chamberlain in Ken Russell’s film of THE MUSIC LOVERS. She had also made quite an impression as the “Queen Mother” in Visconti’s film LUDWIG with his amorata Helmut Berger in the title role.

By this time I had already met several of Russell’s stock company through his close friend, designer /photographer Leonard J. Pollack. Lennie was and still is a great friend of mine, and through him I would come to know many of Ken Russell’s band of players.

Lennie had photographed most of my clients when I still had the agency and delighted in sharing the “Russell” contacts with me as they came into town.

Now in meeting the fabulous Madame Von Meck there came a warning from Lennie: “She is a royal pain in the ass so proceed at your own risk” At this point fools rush in as the saying goes, so I went ahead and invited the “Queen Mother” to my apartment for cocktails. Just to make the evening as regal as possible I asked Elizabeth Shepherd to join us for what I imagined to be a subdued evening of conversation with insightful glimpses into the world of Ken Russell.

Izabella Telezynski, the patron of the arts and Queen Mother to Ludwig of Bavaria, arrived at my apartment dressed like the gypsy queen Maria Ouspenskaya from THE WOLF MAN; she stood framed in my doorway in a blouse pulled off her shoulders to reveal the silver necklace made of stars and moons around her neck. “I am Izabella Telezynski” she announced as she came through the door. “I work for Visconti and Ken Russell. You got any whiskey in the house?” Well I did not have any whiskey, and after giving her a large glass of Champagne I introduced her to Elizabeth who broke the ice by telling her that she had indeed seen the full three hour version of the Visconti film in London and thought Izabella exquisite in the role of “Queen Mother”. From that moment on Izabella felt at home and proceeded to enlighten one and all about her glory days in Rome with Helmut and Visconti “Helmut gave me a golden phallus on a gold chain that I treasure to this day! Visconti spoiled any actress that ever worked for him because his standards were that of a nobleman, which of course he was in life.” On Ken Russell she had praise but also a sense of loss as he did not find enough work for her to remain in the UK. Russell had put her in THE DEVILS as one of the mad nuns. She also has a fleeting moment in LISTOMANIA. One of the last things she did in England was a cameo in COUNT DRACULA, the Louis Jourdan version, as the woman in the coach that gives Harker a cross to wear. Izabella had a much better part in the last Hammer film ever made, TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER. As Margaret, she bears a child of the demon Astaroth, having been impregnated by evil defrocked priest Christopher Lee, of all people. I was on the phone with Lee at some point during her time in Hollywood and when I told him of meeting her he replied “I know this woman and no, you may not give her my number!”

The evening was not what I had expected but I certainly got an earful. Having adjusted my conception of Izabella-the-person from her screen persona (something I needed to learn anyway in dealing with actors), I discovered that I liked her and a friendship was born.

Izabella had made only one film while she was in Hollywood – a comedy that started out being called SATURDAY THE 14TH starring Tommy Smothers and Carol Kane, directed by the very strange Alfred Sole. Sole was known as the director of Brooke Shields’ first film ALICE SWEET ALICE, where she is killed off in the first reel in a very unpleasant manner. The film’s title was then changed to PANDEMONIUM and ironically she would play a parody of the Gypsy in THE WOLF MAN, appearing during the film saying “Beware the full moon when the pom poms are in bloom.” The plot, such as it was, involved a serial killer on the loose loose around sorority girls in college. The film was a disaster and I don’t think Alfred Sole made many films after that.

One evening in particular will always stand out when I think back on my memories of her – the night Izabella acquired her nickname “Iza Duck” As usual she proceeded to take over a dinner party I was having in which a theme had not yet been decided. One of my clients had given me a present of several ducklings to cook when I received an impromptu visit from Izabella. She took one look at the ducks and said “Now David, the point is this: in London we have a tradition called the “bottle and dish” party. Everybody brings a bottle or a dish and if you have enough of the right people you have a fine party. After all nobody in London can afford to have parties anymore unless you do it this way.” “These ducks must be cooked with lots of potatoes to absorb the grease. You leave it to ‘IZA.’” So I immediately got on the phone and invited Antonia Ellis and her boyfriend (they were both dancing in the road show of “Chicago” which was downtown at the moment). Antonia was very dear to me as she played in both Ken Russell’s THE BOY FRIEND as well as MAHLER. Her scenes with Robert Powell are simply jaw-dropping. Waris Hussain was also invited and chose to bring Elisabeth Shepherd. Martine Beswicke and her latest young man, Dmitri (who was building a dream house in Laguna Beach for Robert England at the time) rounded out the guest list for the evening.

After all was said and done Iza had her own special way with the ducks and created a splendid dinner for one and all. Afterwards we had our drinks in the living room, enjoying the fire and conversation that went from Ken Russell to out-of-body experiences. In the mean time our chef Iza had been sampling generously of all the whiskey and Champagne in the kitchen, therefore she felt no pain as she sat down next to Martine’s boyfriend and began her monologue about “Hollywood” or as she was fond of calling it, “Hollywooding.” “The point is this – I don’t understand this place at all…I go to posh dinner club and meet man who was playing the violin for everyone after he meet me we talk and I think he likes me so I invite him around to my flat the next evening for a drink. He arrives and after a drink or two tries to kiss me and then asks if I could give him fifty dollars……I don’t think Izabella going to meet a man in this town they all on make or fancy each other”…Since none of us could add to that line of thought the evening came to well deserved finale. From that night on she would always be our own “Iza Duck” if not a lonely one. “Lord love an “Iza” Duck”

Izabella’s time in Tinsel Town was not a happy one as work was nearly impossible for someone as exotic as she was and with that accent. Her age presented yet another woe as all the parts were for the young or well established character actresses. Izabella would lament that “I do all this Hollywooding and still can’t work or meet a man!” She had a daughter living in South America and began a correspondence with her to perhaps join her daughter and work in television. After a very stressful year, that is exactly what happened and indeed Izabella wound up on a soap opera in Buenos Aires until she and her daughter could stand each other no more. The “Queen Mother” now resides in London where she does the odd television show. I can still hear that distinctive voice starting every sentence with “The point is this! – I play the Queen mother for Visconti!”

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