A buzz circulated around the theatre on the heels of a rumor - that the Duchess of York was slated to attend the Q & A - once the credits rolled at the end of the screening of "Young Victoria".
A few naysayers were adamant that it certainly could not be so!
"I didn't see any security," one snotty bottle-blond huffed in a seat behind me.
"I don't think so."
Party pooper!
After all, I had it on good authority (the usher confirmed it!) that the flaming red-haired freckled-beauty, was expected to trot out to bask in the glow a tad.
But, for those unfamiliar with the production notes, the notion was obviously an absurd one.
Truth of the matter is - Sarah Ferguson (formerly the Duchess of Pork - um - York) - hatched the idea for the big-screen biopic which focuses solely on the early days of Queen Victoria's reign (and her subsequent proposal of marriage to handsome cousin Albert from across the English Channel).
"We're all familiar with the image of the elderly Victoria in her black mourning clothes," Fergie (dare I refer to the former Royal so casually in passing?) noted somewhat poignantly to the rapt filmgoers hanging on every succinct (effervescent) word.
One day - as Ferguson was hunkered down in the very quarters at Buckingham Palace where Victoria wiled away many an hour away from her subjects - it hit her like a bolt of lightning.
So - a treatment was lovingly pieced together as a sort-of tribute to the celebrated Monarch - who still holds the prestigious honor of being the longest-reigning Queen in England's history.
Eventually, the project ended up in the lap of Julian Fellowes, which ended up being an auspicious turning-point for the mother of two skirting the outer fringes of Tinseltown in a breathy-search for backers.
When an interviewer from the LA TIMES (on behalf of the "Envelope" series currently in full swing) probed a bit about the integrity of the material, Ms. Ferguson didn't hesitate to point a finger at one producer who intended to sensationalize the material (to the Royal Family's detriment).
"He was going to shoot a scene of Victoria in bed with one of the Lords," she lamented, to all within earshot.
That's show biz, ducky!
Altough the germ of the idea sprang from Ferguson's own creative vision - and painstaking research on the Queen Victoria (and the Royals in general) - she downplayed her role in a humorous fashion last night.
"I was just a chick in the henhouse," she giggled, as her earthy-side (which often got her knickers caught in a twist with the Queen Mom) surfaced a smidgen out-of-control and reared its gutsy head.
There was an awkward silence for a sec - at which point - it dawned on Ferguson that perhaps she misspoke.
"Well, maybe a wolf in the henhouse."
Indeed, the sometimes-author of children's books, had no qualms admitting it was tenacity - and bit of the old spit-and-shove - that got the production into high gear eventually.
In fact, the Queen's cast-off daughter-in-law (black sheep of the family, dudes!) was such a formidable public relations spokesperson for the project that it tended to force hands.
For example, when Ferguson was invited to attend the screeing of DEPARTED, a soon as Julian Fellowes spied her strident approach in his direction, he stopped her dead in her tracks from afar.
"Yes, Fergie. We're going to shoot that picture," he hollered across the crowded causeway.
The sets and costumes are lush - exquisite - in fact; surprising, when you consider that there were budget constraints.
"How did you land those locations," the interviewer quizzed the Duchess excitedly.
"Did you have to ask the Queen for permission?"
"Well, yes. Usually, that is required," she chided tongue-in-cheek.
"When I got divorced from the Queen's handsomest son, I did the right thing and remained friends. After all, I really admire her (Elizabeth II). Also, she is the grandmother of my children," she noted in so many words.
Almost in an aside, the spunky spirited dish, noted (somewhat reluctantly) that several of the fabulous castles and country estates the production team facilitated for the shoot were owned personally by a handful of her friends.
As the Divine Diva - Bettle Midler - would warble:
"You've got to have friends."
On that note, it should be pointed out that Fergie remains friends with her ex-husband (Prince Andrew).
As to "Young Victoria", well, I was so entralled (and caught up in every mesmerizing moment) that I lost track of all time in the plush theatre environs last evening.
In fact, when it was apparent the film was winding down, I was taken aback.
Indignant!
What - it's over - so soon?
For many, this will be one of those rare screen adventures, filmgoers would prefer to never end.
The acting, for starters, was simply superb.
And, all the elements sure to guarantee a blockbuster success, were up there on the silver screen, too: witty, fast-paced dialogue, touches of high drama interspered with side-splitting humorous interludes, gorgeous sweeping vistas of turn-of-the century England, a fascinating storyline filled with wonder and intrigue, and - above all - and a delicious love story sure to break out the soft kleenex and bon bons from the get-go.
4 Stars!
Congrats, Duchie.
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