Used to be Ustinov, but used to's not good enough for me.

October 2, 2011 10:27 PM

Is the story Lauren Christy tells about saving Peter Ustinov's life true?

I've been wondering this for a dozen years or more. In 'The Night I Saved Peter Ustinov' (lyrics are here, about 3/4 of the way down the page), Lauren Christy essentially claims to have saved Ustinov from jumping to his death from St. Paul's bridge.

Is the story true? Did Ustinov try to commit suicide and did Lauren Christy really save him, or is this just a poetic device to give her a chance to sing about Billy Budd?

posted by yellowcandy to media & arts (3 answers total)

AFAIK it's just a literary device. There's no St Paul's Bridge in London, and no reference I can find online to any such event. My reading of the lyrics has it as a metaphorical Ustinov anyway.
posted by roofus at 5:43 AM on October 3, 2011

I always assumed that the whole thing developed from how fun it is to say "Useta be Ustinov" -- and was entirely fiction. But thank you for reminding me of it, haven't thought of Lauren Christy in years.
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 6:37 AM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Hi all,

I'm tagging this 'stumped' since nobody seems to have any hard evidence either way.

Thanks!
posted by yellowcandy at 1:18 PM on October 11, 2011