By Richard K. Munro

Raquel Welch (Spain August 1973)

Castillo Berlanga del Duero (Soria, Spain)

I remember my meeting with Michael York in Spain in 1973 vividly.

He was in Soria to film exterior scenes of THE THREE MUSKETEERS.    

In fact, I had just recently seen CABARET at the Rex Theater in Soria just a few days before I  met him.  A very significant picture for me because I went with a Spanish friend and later that Spanish friend became my wife (we have been married almost 43 years!) We found we had a similar passion for musicals and classic films.

 I was studying at the time with a Spanish program with the University of Northern Iowa at the time (sadly the program which flourished for over 30 years is now defunct).   

Soria was a great place (especially then) to study Spanish because

1) there was almost no English-speaking tourism so there was almost total immersion

2) Most Sorians were reasonably well-educated and spoke a beautiful and rich Castilian dialect. 

But it meant monolingual English speakers might experience loneliness. I enjoyed living in Europe immensely. In those days Spain was inexpensive for Americans (not true today!).  Soria itself had a beautiful natural setting and many historic castles and ruins dating from Celitc,  Roman, Moorish and Medieval times.  El Cid was at Berlanga de Duero and attended Mass there and in churches in Soria. There is a statue to the anonymous JUGLAR DEL CID (author of the Poem of the Cid) in Soria.

I could be mistaken as to the date but I think the date I met York was July 4 1973 because we had the whole day off from classes  for the 4th of July which was the custom of the program for a group activity and we took the bus to Berlanga del Duero where they were doing the exterior shots of the Three Musketeers.  

I was lucky enough to observe the epic “battle scenes” as the soldiers “assaulted” the castles in their colorful uniforms and swords and lances.   If it was not a cast of thousands there were at least hundreds of uniformed extras.  I got to see and talk to the extras (all Spaniards) in the town.  After watching this assault of the Castle I went hiking around the ruins on the base and approached the castle.   

It was a very hot day and I took refuge from the late afternoon sun for in the shade of a ruined castle wall.   

And who should I find there, alone, resting in the shade none other than Michael York?

 Of course, I recognized him immediately (he was not that famous then) because  I had just seen him in Cabaret.   Michael invited me to sit down next to him and we shared our picnic lunches   (he had chorizo, Manchego cheese and I had  Tortilla de Patatas sandwich. I had a big bottle of water (agua sin gas) and we shared that.  I seem to remember he had a bota of red wine and he offered me some as well.

A cast member passing by took a picture of us together.    York seemed happy to have the company of an English-speaking person. We had a few laughs together.  I was a totally unexpected visitor.

Michael was very friendly and we talked about Britain and America (briefly),   Spanish history and of course the movie the THREE MUSKETEERS and CABARET.  

 I explained I was a big classical movie buff and loved British films (my family emigrated from Britian to the USA 1923-1948).  He asked me if I was just visiting Spain for tourism and I said no I was there to study the language and culture with a view to get an MA in Spanish literature.  My father encouraged me to study Spanish as it was a “real expertise”;  there is no question Soria and Spanish culture changed  my entire life and career.  

Michael talked about his experience on the stage in England and I mentioned my father always believed British actors had better training because of their stage experience than a lot of “California Kids” who showed much less range that the great British actors  (Maurice Evans, Laurence Olivier,  Alex Guinness,  Jack Hawkins,  Leslie Howard,  Wendy Hiller, Paul Scofield, John Mills) and of course himself whom I put as a talent in the same category. York was a little surprised that I could rattle off the names of British actors like that.   

York laughed and modestly said,  “I take my craft seriously and try to give my best performance. “

I was eager to see or meet RAQUEL WELCH who was in the movie.  The late Miss Welch was one of the great sex symbols of the 60s and 70s.    

Michael laughed and explained that if I went down to the town I would only find her stunt double because all of Miss Welch’s scenes were shot in the studio in London.   I don’t remember if they had already filmed them or were going to film them a little later.     

 I told Michael that I  really enjoyed his performance in Cabaret and thought the picture itself was original and powerful and would be remembered as one of the great musicals.  He was impressed by my critique and said,  “That’s every actors dream to do something important and memorable.” 

We talked about movies filmed in Spain especially DR ZHIVAGO some of whose scenes were filmed in SORIA.   I also mentioned that the trains with Russian slogans were preserved in a train museum in Madrid.    He said he was going to make an effort to see that.

Michael specifically mentioned other exterior shots that they were going to film in Canon Del Rio Lobos ( a very picturesque place.)   A friend asked me about other shots such as a night swordfight on the frozen lake.   

Since it was Soria in summertime an about 90 degrees or more I don’t think that shot was filmed in Soria.  It is much more likely to have been shot in the studio in London like Miss Raquel’s scenes.  But that is just speculation on my part because Michael and I only talked about Berlanga del Duero and Canon Del Rio Lobos.  

Of course,  lunch break doesn’t last forever so Michael shook my hand and excused himself to go back to work. 

I wished him best of luck in this film.  I stopped one moment more to ask him to tell Raquel Welch that a fan was very disappointed that he didn’t have a chance to meet her in person and he said he would make sure to tell Miss Welch when they were in London together.

So that is my Michael York story.     Like ships passing in the night, we met and made our final farewells. He probably would not remember me but I would always remember him.

For years I would show people among my Spanish photos MY FRIEND MICHAEL YORK.   

It interesting to meet authors or celebrities in person   

My grandfather heard GEORGE BERNARD SHAW speak in person in Glasgow and met THOMAS EDISON in the 1920’s .  My father met GENERAL MACARTHUR in 1945 in Manila and my uncle knew PRESIDENT EISENHOWER while he was at Columbia University and later met JOHN F. KENNEDY.  My uncle worked in the Faculty dining room and served Eisenhower and his friends many times. Ike, in fact, called him NORM!  I met Pamela Harriman (daughter-in-law to Winston Churchill) when she was then Mrs. Harriman.   Harriman didn’t mean much to me at the time, but I was aware that Pamela Harriman was at one time Mrs. Randolph Churchill. I remembered seeing her interviewed for the series THE WORLD AT WAR.

One Broadway star we knew well was BILL TABBERT then original Lt Cabel of South Pacific.  He was our next door neighbor and my sister and I were friends with his kids.  He sang at my mother’s Hamiliton Piano many times (I still have the piano).  He was a very nice man but as my father said he was devasted when he was turned down for the Hollywood role.   He came close. Ezio Pinza was to be in it and said he wouldn’t do it without Bill but then Pinza died unexpectedly and that was it.    Hollywood and the theater is a tough business.  He was in three Broadway hits and had one bestselling record (Soundtrack of South Pacific).  His signature song was YOUNGER THAN SPRINGTIME.  At the end of his life, he hawked LPs in dinner clubs around New York and acted in soap operas.  He had one LP of his greatest hits recorded in Italy.   He died fairly young. My father liked him a lot and they had lunch together in New York many times a favorite haunts such as the the now vanished 1407 Club or Luchow’s. Sic transit gloria mundi.

My parents saw many famous actors and actresses live on the stage from 1933-1990 chiefly in New York or London.   

I had a great experience at the revival of GIGI in 1976 when I sat next to E. G. Marshall (he was alone and like me wearing a MOYNIHAN FOR SENATE PIN so I think it was about October 1976).   Many would know Marshall for his TV shows and TV appearances, but I was especially interested in his classic films such as TWELVE ANGRY MEN,  It is one thing to see a person perform LIVE but another to have a chance to interact and get to know that person a little in real life.       Marshall was a very cultivated and polite man who had a vast knowledge of classical music, opera, and musicals.  He was somewhat surprised that I only in my early 20s had almost the same musical tastes as he!  In his case, I got his autographs. No selfies in those days!

In my later life I enjoy reading, studying languages, listening to classical music as well as the traditional and national music of Scotland,   blogging on the internet and corresponding with authors such as Johnathan Leaf (the playwright)  Arthur Herman and Andrew Roberts.  

I had the pleasure and honor of working with Lord Roberts on his great WALKING WITH DESTINY biography of Churchill as well as his book on GEORGE III.   Roberts is a fine fellow.  If you ever read his biography on Churchill you will notice many references to films and actors -many of these were researched by me. 

I am older than Lord Roberts so I have memories of the late 1950s and early 1960s and have seen many classic films.  His uncle was in the great film THE LAST VALLEY and he was very surprised to know the film was a financial disaster in America because of the controversial subject matter (30 Years War and Christianity).  My father and I went to see it in a movie palace in NYC and we were the only customers.  

 My daughter has an annotated (autographed ) copy with all the refences and footnotes I contributed.  LORD ROBERTS was very thankful and we had a wonderful collaboration that lasted very a year.  I helped edit the book and read all the galleys before publication.   I have edited or reviewed other books for other authors (Diane Ravitch, Rosalie Pedalino Porter ) but WALKING WITH DESTINY was the greatest experience and best book I have ever worked on. 

Meeting Michael York was a very memorable and happy interlude from my Spanish days.    I never saw him again but of course. Yet it remains a very pleasant memory. Show business is a tough business and I have known many singers and players who just never made it big though they had some success. Michael York kept working and as far as I know, he is still (as of 2025) working in his 80s! Very glad to have met him and glad to know he has known some happiness and success!