Stan Munro (continued) Part 2/2 – `
When I was in Hong Kong, Burgess Meredith was in the audience one night. He played the penguin in the Batman TV series and he was big movie star in the 40s. He offered me a part in a movie he was making called The Yin and Yang of Mr Go. I’ve seen it on the internet. It’s the worst movie ever. I did the movie and I met Jeff Bridges and James Mason. I had a cameo role, it was so small you could have called it a brooch.
Another time in Melbourne the Director of Alvin Purple was in the audience. He said he had a great part for me and he wanted me to audition for the part os a Transgender person called Mrs Warren who is a frustrated house wife. Perfect! I can do frustrated housewife. That movie went right around the world. It went to the town where my Mum lived and she went to see it. Because there’s lot’s of sex in it she thought it was disgusting, so there you go.
I came back to the mainland and compered a male strip show for about 4 years called The Cheeky Chaps. We took the show all over the states and it was the first male strip show. When that finished I got a job compering a female strip show. The female agent sent us on this tour but she never told the management of the venues that it was a drag queen compering so all these men in the audience in Darwin are there wanting to see these female burlesque strippers which I might add were amazing, and I went out into a packed house. Within 2 minutes they realised I was a bloke and they started throwing cans at me. It wasn’t very pleasant (laughs).
My brothers have all passed now and I’m only in contact with my Gay nephew and a Niece. I’ve burned bridges over there. My Nephew is my best friend as is one of my Nieces. I was over in the UK last year and a friend of mine called the club ‘Half way to Heaven’ in Soho. He asked me to bring some Drag and do a show which I did.
I met my partner Phillip in 1972. We are no longer together though we still share a house. We’ve known each other for over 50 years. I ended up going back to Les Girls. We were living in Newtown and after the Cheeky Chaps finished I was contacted by the management of Les Girls. It now belonged to the famous criminal Abe Saffron and they’d run it into the ground. I went there to star and compere again. The reason I got the job was Carlotta had taken off. After 4 months Carlotta appeared again and I knew then that my days were numbered. Carlotta was famous for being the first sex change but a lot had come before her, anyway I went back to doing clubs.
At this time in my life I started getting panic attacks. The first time I thought I was going to die. I didn’t know where they came from, it was awful and they got worse and worse. It affected Phillip and my relationship because at the time he didn’t understand panic attacks. The depression came on and I didn’t know what to do. I went to so many Psychiatrists and every time an attack happened I’d run to Doctor saying…I’m having a heart attack, help me! I went to this Psychiatrist pleading for help. Anyway I had to have treatment for a month and of course I couldn’t work at all. Phillip and I had a house and a mortgage. We had to sell the house in Sydney and it was the worst period of my life.
Friends of ours lived on a farm and all the money we had left was enough to buy a big caravan. We parked it on their farm, of all places, the most homophobic city at the time…Dubbo! I was there, not being able to work for about 2 to 3 years. A lot of funny things happened in Dubbo. I was getting better and I went to the Doctor this day. The Receptionist was a woman I knew from the gym. She was a real Karen and I walked in for my appointment. She said take this with you and threw a large envelope with my files on the counter. As I was walking down to the Doctor I looked down and written right across the front of the envelope was HOMOSEXUAL. I went in and the Doc said, What can I do for you Stan? I said well first of all you can remove that on my files thankyou.
I’d heard there was a lot of work Newcastle way so I thought I’d put an ad in a Newcastle paper looking for work, like Bette Davis did. (laughs). I got a call from a guy called Gary who ran a cabaret bistro down at Wangi Workers Club. He wanted me to do a show so I did and that turned into a few more shows. One night there was guy in the audience whose name was Steve Holly and he was a stripper who knew me. He was also a singer and he suggested we do a show together in Wangi which we did. I ended up moving to Wangi for 9 months and I lived in a granny flat behind a woman who was a Potter.
I returned home and Phillip had met someone else from Castlemaine and they were going back there so I went with them to Castlemaine. Eventually I moved and got a place on my own. They moved to Byron Bay and I ended up buying the house I was renting in Castlemaine. Cut to the chase Phillip and his partner moved to Roseberry Creek, Kyogle. I decided to come up and visit one Christmas where they were having a party. I brought some drag up and did a big show for them. They had a fabulous house with a big verandah and a big staircase that led to the pool. After a couple of years Phillip and his partner separated so I sold my house and moved up to Kyogle. We ended up buying a house together here in Kyogle and we still live here on separate floors. When I first moved here I’d still travel to all the different states to do shows.
I’ve lived in Kyogle for 16 years and I’ve become a bit of a feature here. I’ve done a lot of charity shows at the Cinema. I did a show here just last Saturday which I may be bringing to Lismore in September. The show is called Vintage Drag in Mint Condition. Here I am now at nearly 84 and still performing. My next gig is on August 3rd at Ballina RSL. They only want me for about 20 mins. It’s for the, are you ready for this? International Meeting of Line Dancers.(laughs). They’ve already sold 500 tickets. The theme is Priscilla Queen of the Desert and I’m supposed to be the icing on the cake.
I’ve been a Pescatarian for 25 years. I eat lots of greens and I eat a lot Salmon for the Omegas and I love the gym.
I feel as though I’ve been taken into the hearts of the people in Kyogle. They’ve been so good to me. I walk down the street and everybody knows me and it’s a good feeling. That’s why the show was packed last Saturday. I’m meeting the Ex Mayor on Friday and this photograph of me is being put in a frame with a plaque saying ‘This is the home of Stan Munro’ blah blah blah. When Backroads came to Kyogle I got so many contacts from all over from people who remembered me from different places and times. I’d love to hear from people and I need a date (laughs). It’s very hard for me to meet someone because there’s always that Drag stigma and then there is the heading for 84 at 100 mph.”