A new look at Anthony Wilding

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 44

A new look at Anthony Wilding

Anthony Wilding is bounding around the tennis courts of the world once again. He has been brought sharply into focus by T.V.N.Z.’s “World of Sport” team in Dunedin for a docu-mentary-style programme scheduled to screen at 5.25 p.m. on TVI on Queen’s Birthday. From the reactions of people from a broad crosssection of society interviewed in Cathedral Square, the project could not have been left any later. The man who developed from his Christchurch origins to become the tennis champion of the world and one of the first true Davis Cup heroes, is today, a century after his birth, relatively unknown in his home city. i The “World of Sport” programme set out to rectify that, but the production team became so fascinated by the story of the great athlete that its original conception of a five minute segment blossomed into an entire programme.' Adding authenticity to the production is the appearance of Grant Webb, a Tony Wilding look-alike, in the leading role. Webb has much more going for him than the distinctive features and athletic build of the tennis player who is arguably one of the top 10

sportsmen produced by New Zealand. The Dunedin man carried out the research for the programme from a rich background of his own involvement with the game; he represented Otago at Wilding Shield level for many years, and most of Canterbury’s nationally ranked players of recent vintage have been beaten by him at some stage. The programme, with big, bearded Max Quinn shouldering the twin burdens of production and direction, was four months in the filming. Most of it was accomplished in Dunedin, but a cleverly disguised Wilding Park was also brought into play for one of the match sequences.

Club members from Dunedin and Christchurch clubs robed themselves in Edwardian costumes to play the roles of spectators. Although the programme is designed mainly for child viewers, to give them an insight on the careers of famous New Zealand sporting figures, the Wilding documentary has much wider appeal. Edwin Wilding, the youngest brother of Tony and the sole survivor of his generation, makes some delightful contributions. The best is that being closely related to

the champion did not cut any ice in the hallowed halls of Christ’s College.

“If you must carry a racket,” the headmaster told young Wilding, “for goodness sake do it under your overcoat.” The front man, Danny Watson, roams around the Wilding home patch of Opawa in dark glasses and light blue T-shirt, obviously leaving the blazer and cravat image of the era to Grant Webb. No doubt Mr Watson’s many extraordinary feats for “Spot On” will endear him to the younger fans. For Christchurch viewers, a most interesting appearance in the film is made by Michael Mooney, a longtime Canterbury representative and current coach. He plays the part of Maurice McLoughlin, the American who was beaten by Wilding in one of his four Wimbledon singles victories. Mooney as McLoughlin does not quite recreate the American’s cannonball serve, but might be flattered to know that when the dynamic Yank played in a Davis Cup match at Lancaster Park in 1911-12, a young Christchurch woman referred to him as “sweet Auburn, loveliest player on the courts.” JOHN BROOKS