I first met him in 1981 when I became assistant editor of The Sun and my memories of my dealings with him are certainly mixed.
He knew the right buttons to push: "If you don't want it, then I suppose I'll have to go to the News of the World or Sunday Mirror."
When stories didn't work out as planned - a not uncommon occurrence - one could be certain that the calmest person in the media storm would be Max himself. He had a way of extricating himself, and his clients, from tight spots.
When a young man boasted in a typical Sun "exclusive" of his sexual frolics with a then well-known soap star, her lawyers threatened legal action on the grounds that he was gay.
Max, summoned to MacKenzie's office and confronted with the legal threat, exhibited no sign of panic. After a brief conversation with his client, he simply said: "Some days he's gay, some days he's straight. This happened on straight day." I think we settled out of court...
When stories didn't work out as planned - a not uncommon occurrence - one could be certain that the calmest person in the media storm would be Max himself. He had a way of extricating himself, and his clients, from tight spots.
When a young man boasted in a typical Sun "exclusive" of his sexual frolics with a then well-known soap star, her lawyers threatened legal action on the grounds that he was gay.
Max, summoned to MacKenzie's office and confronted with the legal threat, exhibited no sign of panic. After a brief conversation with his client, he simply said: "Some days he's gay, some days he's straight. This happened on straight day." I think we settled out of court...
Moral: Don't tell lies for a living.
PS Email if you want to hear my amusing anecdote about Roy Greenslade. He used to live round the corner from me. And, yes, it involves the IRA.
PS Email if you want to hear my amusing anecdote about Roy Greenslade. He used to live round the corner from me. And, yes, it involves the IRA.
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