As a young boy, I was a fairly precocious musician and I used to deputize playing the organ for the sabbath morning services at the Westminster Synagogue in Knightsbridge, London, (which was a Reform congregation - there is no organ in a traditional or orthodox synagogue). It was about 1972 and I was fortunate to be playing the morning service on the day Bette Joan Perske (Lauren Bacall) came for Shabbas. She was a strikingly lovely looking woman, tall and imposing in appearance. She was mobbed by people after the service, so I felt very flattered when, after playing everybody out of the synagogue at the end of the service and shutting down the organ, I came next door to the banqueting room for the kiddush and she immediately shook off everyone and came over to congratulate me and ask about my music ‘career’. I was able to impress her with the response, “Well, I grew up playing piano and violin but I am actually a medical student”. I was in my teens, but she was still beautiful enough to get my heart rate up! To say I felt flattered would be an understatement: I was getting personal attention from Humphrey Bogart’s favorite co-star. This would have been happening in about 1970 or 71.
As a young boy, I was a fairly precocious musician and I used to deputize playing the organ for the sabbath morning services at the Westminster Synagogue in Knightsbridge, London, (which was a Reform congregation - there is no organ in a traditional or orthodox synagogue). It was about 1972 and I was fortunate to be playing the morning service on the day Bette Joan Perske (Lauren Bacall) came for Shabbas. She was a strikingly lovely looking woman, tall and imposing in appearance. She was mobbed by people after the service, so I felt very flattered when, after playing everybody out of the synagogue at the end of the service and shutting down the organ, I came next door to the banqueting room for the kiddush and she immediately shook off everyone and came over to congratulate me and ask about my music ‘career’. I was able to impress her with the response, “Well, I grew up playing piano and violin but I am actually a medical student”. I was in my teens, but she was still beautiful enough to get my heart rate up! To say I felt flattered would be an understatement: I was getting personal attention from Humphrey Bogart’s favorite co-star. This would have been happening in about 1970 or 71.