REVOLUTION REMEMBERED: Film star came to the rescue of tennis tournament

The next of our articles looking back at the filming of Revolution, starring Al Pacino, in the 1980s…Leading lady Nastassja Kinsky served up a winner when she went to the rescue of the annual West Norfolk Tennis Tournament.The Lynn News reported that, as a beginner and eager to improve her game, she was being privately coached at her hideaway home in Burnham Deepdale by the match captain of Hunstanton Tennis Club, Mr Eddie Gee.

Miss Kinski’s husband, Ibrahim Moussa, who was staying with her, was also having tuition and immediately offered to help when Mr Gee mentioned that sponsorship for that summer’s tournament was expected to fall short because of an administrative mix-up.Mr Moussa gave Mr Gee £30 on the spot and promised there would be more cash available if it was needed.“He said that Miss Kinski was interested in tennis and would like to sponsor the West Norfolk tennis tournament,” Mr Gee told the Lynn News.

Representatives of the Kinski family initially contacted Mrs Valerie Scoles of Brancaster Tennis Club to see if someone in the area would be prepared to give private lessons. Mr Gee agreed to step in and arranged a series of visits to Miss Kinski’s temporary home which had its own tennis court. He was not paid for his services, but accepted the sponsorship money for the tournament instead.“It’s fascinating. You never know who you’re going to meet at tennis,” he said. The tournament went ahead in mid-June at Lynn’s Springwood High School.MOVIE STARS STAYED IN COASTAL HIDEAWAYSThe three top stars of Revolution settled into secret hideaways on the picturesque North Norfolk coast, the Lynn News revealed.

Instead of using hotels, the stars moved into luxury privately-owned homes and some 25 miles away from the film set. Al Pacino and Donald Sutherland both stayed in Brancaster, where they kept a low profile, and leading lady Nastassja Kinsky had her young family staying with her at Burnham Deepdale.The film’s director Hugh Hudson also found accommodation at Brancaster and the producer Irwin Winkler was believed to be at a nearby village.

SISTERS WERE FILM STARS STAND-INSTwo Nastassja Kinski look-alikes were picked from hundreds of extras and models to play the part of the film star’s stand-in.Twenty-one-year-old Tracie Tyrrell and her sister Sharon (19) had the chance to mix with the Revolution stars and see what went on behind the scenes.

Tracie’s home was at North Wootton, but at the time she was living in London during the week where she was a fashion retail management student. She was selected as a stand-in because of her resemblance to Miss Kinski. Part of her job was to act out Miss Kinski’s role to allow the film crew to set up the lighting and cameras and to adjust timing. It meant a rapid promotion for Tracie who had played the part of a merchant’s wife when filming started in March.Sharon, who was taking her A-levels at Lynn’s Norfolk College of Arts and Technology was her sister’s stand-in when Tracie was unavailable.Tracie’s role gave her the opportunity to meet Nastassja face to face and she told the Lynn News: “She is a very good actress, very attractive and good at her job. She often asks how I am getting on, but Al Pacino doesn’t say much.Following her lucky break, Tracie said she could have a change in career as she was hoping to apply to the Arts Theatre in London to become an actress. Pacino’s stand-in was Michael Bailey, a model from Norwich. Tracie said she and Michael got on well, which was a good thing as they had to lie in a “compromising” position for some 45 minutes for a love scene in a field at Castle Rising while the film crew worked out which would be the best shots.WELCOME TO THE PACINO PARTY!Revolution star Al Pacino was host at a party in Lynn which, at the time, was rated as the town’s biggest bash for years.A special marquee was put up on the lawn and terrace of the Riverside Restaurant where two hundred guests danced into the early hours. Admittance was strictly by invitation only, but Mr Mike Savage, proprietor of the Riverside, said a few gate-crashers did manage to get beyond security men at the King Street entrance gate. Most were soon kicked out.The party, a tradition in the film-making world, was put on by the stars to thank the production crew involved in making the movie.Many of them enjoyed it so much they stayed on for breakfast, which was cooked at 7.15am by Mr Savage.FILMING CONFUSION FOR MP When filming of Revolution took place in front of Lynn Town Hall it threw a top Government minister into a spin when he arrived for a private lunch.Housing minister Ian Gow had arrived in his own car to attend the tenth anniversary lunch given by South West Norfolk Conservative Association’s Beacon Club.But filming of the movie in the Saturday Market Place meant the main front entrance to the town hall was closed.He then found himself in High Street where he was shown the way to the rear entrance of the building by Mrs Medeni Wolf, who lived above one of the town centre shops. Beacon Club chairman Mr Jeremy Bagge was also caught out when he arrived at the town hall only to find the Revolution filming in full swing. He said the club always invited an important guest from the Conservative Party to its annual lunch.Mr Gow was quite amused by the slight hitch which meant he had to climb the back staircase to get into the hall. He told the Lynn News: “[We] were looking for a way to get into the hall. We found a passageway and met an enchanting lady who let us through.”