High life

Favourite dates

7 July 2007

But back to modern history this time. Tom Cruise is about to begin filming in Germany, and he’s portraying none other than the great Claus von Stauffenberg, the officer who tried to assassinate Hitler. When I rang my friend Elizabeth Stauffenberg Roberti — her father was Claus’s brother and was also put to death after the July 20 plot — she did not seem too perturbed that Cruise was to play her uncle. ‘He is a foot shorter but what the hell...’ My problem with Cruise is not his religion, far from it, but his mannerisms. I don’t think he is capable of playing an upper-class Wehrmacht officer of noble background. It takes more than acting lessons to do that. Stauffenberg was very handsome and a great hero, something perhaps a Gary Cooper could have brought across, but not Cruise. Mind you, I hope I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t bet on it. A German journalist was not pleased by the choice. ‘It is like casting Judas in the role of Jesus.’ Easy, Trigger. It’s not as bad as all that, but they should have got Leopold Bismarck for the role.

And speaking of Bismarck, I am off with them to Rome for the Valentino three-day bash to end all bashes. I will be reporting on it next week, but in preparation we had a very jolly lunch at the Bismarck house in order to get our livers acclimatised to booze. Nick Scott, an old Etonian, was telling a schoolmate of his, George Moreton, about how hard it was for Boris Johnson to be the editor of the Speccie because Boris was Lyndon Johnson’s nephew. ‘Jesus Christ,’ said George. ‘And,’ continued Nick, ‘it got more complicated because of Barry Lyndon...’ ‘F*****g right,’ said George, and we all collapsed in tears of laughter. See you in Rome.