Penny Black’s Social Diary: Hollywood history; Altus’s pancakes

Silver screen shenanigans

I was utterly captivated by senior consultant for London market insurance at HFG Insurance Recruitment Paul Miller’s LinkedIn post detailing Lloyd’s of London’s fascinating history with Hollywood insurance.

From insuring 13-year-old Chet Allen against his voice breaking mid-production (for £35,000 in 1952) to Deborah Kerr’s £143,000 policy in 1950 protecting her from “the dangers of the African jungle” while filming King Solomon’s Mines.

But my favourite tidbit? Stanley Kubrick insuring 2001: A Space Odyssey against the discovery of extra-terrestrial intelligence before the film’s release. One can only imagine the quoting process for the risk of alien encounters.

The tale of Mick Jagger’s film Ned Kelly proved particularly entertaining as insurance covered filming delays when he injured his right hand with a backfiring pistol, leading him to develop an alternative guitar technique that birthed “Brown Sugar”. 

Perhaps we should credit Lloyd’s underwriters as unnamed collaborators on the Rolling Stones classic!

Penny’s Lunch Box

Altus Consulting’s Spring Networking Reception deserves a standing ovation for keeping its promise of making sure each attendee got to celebrate pancake day with its mini pancake canapés.

I must admit I put the serving staff to work, eating as many of those cream covered golden discs as I could. However, I’m sure my enthusiasm was refreshing compared with the usual modesty of insurance professionals when it comes to enjoying canapés. Five stars.