On Saturday July 30, friends of John Izod, sadly not with us any more, came together at the Rye Community Centre in Conduit Hill to watch Misfortunes, the one and only film he made after answering an advert in a paper.
He was living in Canada when he got the part and was whisked off to Jamaica. The film was about two castaways whose plane crashes on an island. While funny at times, no surprise even with a young John, (well, in his 50’s), the acting of all the participants was pretty dismal but one had to laugh. It was shot in 1988-89 and I have to say I am glad we have made some inroads since then in portraying women (not always but often) in a less feeble way and occasionally actually as strong, independent characters. The picture was taken whilst watching the film, so not brilliant, but will serve as a memory.
The best of the evening was a short film by Paul Lawford explaining how John got to the stage of getting the part. He was interviewed in Rye, in his old haunts and it was difficult to accept that one would now go to the George hotel in the High Street and not see him there sitting with his pint. It was John as we knew him, amusing and loving life.
Photo: Heidi Foster