American moviegoers may remember him in supporting roles such as sinister KGB officer MAJOR PRIBLUDA in GORKY PARK, or as Dr. GEDDES in LOCAL HERO, but to Scottish audiences, RIKKI FULTON was a bona-fide comedy and acting legend. Not only in his own right, but also alongside another giant of TV and the theatre, JACK MILROY, in their alter-egos of FRANCIE & JOSIE, the workshy layabouts from Glasgow.
Back in the merry month of May, 1982, I once had the good fortune and great privilege of meeting Rikki Fulton in JOHN MENZIES (when said establishment was situated near the bottom of Glasgow's Buchanan Street, across from FRASER'S), and, for those of you who may be interested to learn how your humble host managed to rub shoulders with the great man himself, I shall now recount for you exactly what transpired.
On this particular day I had just stepped out of the lift on the ground floor, having been up at the record and book departments on the first, when my eyes espied a familiar figure leaning on the counter at the stationery section. Recognition suddenly kicked in and I blurted (more to myself than anyone else) "Rikki Fulton!" in the sheer disbelief of seeing a leading member of showbiz royalty mingling with mere mortals. (I was only 23 at the time, so I can surely be forgiven my youthful excitement.) Rikki Fulton, who I had watched in THE FRANCIE & JOSIE show on STV back in the '60s, right in front of me in the actual, living, breathing, pulsing flesh. I would've thought such figures used servants or emissaries for menial tasks like shopping, but apparently not.
He appeared to be writing something and, thinking he was signing an autograph, I approached (having managed to calm down a bit) and meekly enquired if I too could have his autograph. "As long as it's not on one of these!", he said without missing a beat, smiling and indicating the cheque to which he was applying his signature. Clearly my cue to laugh at his witty and apropos remark, but I was still too stunned at seeing him in person to respond with appropriate appreciation for his quick-thinking, ad-libbed one-liner, so merely stood there like a fart in a trance.
I obtained a piece of paper from the girl serving him, and (all the while smiling in the friendliest manner) he asked my name. "Gordon" I managed to stammer. I had regained my composure somewhat by the time he handed me the paper inscribed "For Gordon, Rikki Fulton", so I thanked him sincerely and added "Sorry to have bothered you." "Absolutely no bother at all" was his warm and genuine response before making his way towards the exit. No minders, no entourage - just an everyday, ordinary guy doing his shopping. Of course, the fact is, there was nothing everyday or ordinary about him - the man was a showbiz titan and comedy genius.
I still have that piece of paper, tucked into the sleeve of my FRANCIE & JOSIE long-playing record by GOLDEN GUINEA. (Which, incidentally, is still available on CD on the ELM Records label - CDELM4123.) And whenever I recall that moment, a warm glow comes over me at the very thought of it. Rikki Fulton was the epitome of a perfect gentleman; kind and gracious to a stumbling, bumbling, pain in the @rse fan and treating me as if I was doing him a favour. I'll tell you, a lot of so-called celebrities in whichever field of endeavour you care to mention could learn a thing or two about how to behave to the public from the legend that was - that is - Rikki Fulton.
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