The Talk Of The Town - Opening Programme

Creating "a wonderful time"

To Charles Forte, The Talk of the Town is not merely another business venture. As becomes the chairman of the London Publicity Committee, he has an ambition to see London, already the greatest city in the world, established also as the gayest. He feels there is a vast difference between genuine night life and night club life, and he looks to The Talk of the Town considerably to enhance London's reputation as a gay city by providing late dining facilities and wholesome entertainment till early morning for the young in heart, whether they be Londoners celebrating an occasion, business visitors needing relaxation, or holiday makers out on the Town.

With a strong family catering background he pressed on to build up the largest privately owned catering business in Great Britain. His most recent ventures being the Criterion, the Cafe Royal, all the catering at London Airport and the West London Air Terminal, the Hungarian, and the Waldorf Hotel.

Gilbert Harding says of him that 'He is as good a Londoner and as fond of London as I am. He is the man whose ideas have revolutionised many of the places where Londoners and visitors go to eat and celebrate. Simply his main idea is to give people what they want. It is his secret though to give them a little more than they expect".

Recognised even in the earliest stages of his career as a progressive man of the theatre, Bernard Delfont has in recent years firmly established himself as London's leading impresario.

He first began to influence the trend of events in the entertainment world when he persuaded a number of international variety stars to visit this country; nowadays his name is synonymous with spectacular showmanship and headline talent.

In association with Val Parnell, he has presented a dazzling sequence of lavish revusicals at the London Palladium, and the standard of his productions at the Prince of Wales, featuring artists of the highest calibre, is one of the highlights of London entertainment. Responsible for many summer shows at seaside resorts, he has theatrical interests all over the country, and is influential in the world of television.

Bernard Delfont has always been instinctively appreciative of talent and far-sighted in its management; it is to his help and encouragement that many big names in show-business owe a great deal of their success. Joining forces with Charles Forte to launch The Talk of the Town is an important milestone in Bernard Delfont's career; there could be no happier augery for the success of London's new Theatre-Restaurant than that it is sponsored by a partnership which brings together for the first time the two leading lights in the theatre and restaurant worlds.

From the early 'thirties, the phrase "devised and produced by Robert Nesbitt" has had a magic ring in the world of show-business; familiar to Londoners as the guarantee-label of dozens of successful productions, it has become the hallmark of exciting entertainment.

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