I think your argument based on Cecil and Hitchcock is flawed because neither are able to be or do what their charges are able to. Cecil can hardly be a beautiful lady, nor Alfred able to be as physical as Cary's role demands in NBNW.
Thus my difficulty, and criticism of Alan is that he is able to easily practice what he preach. Michael's picture of him above shows an a lack of understanding or practice in elegance. He looks awful.
storeynicholas wrote: Moreover, I do not subscribe to the view that the best teachers are necessarily recognizable as the best incarnation of the principles that they are very well adapted to teach. Maybe it's akin to being a film director: Cecil B de Mille directed his 'young fellow' Gloria Swanson to the peak of fame - but he could hardly have taken her place now, could he? The same goes for Hitchcock and Cary Grant - and there we are - back to that bloody North By Northwest suit again....But that is not the end of it because there is an old saw that there is no such verb as 'to teach' - just that 'to learn' and, in my experience it is certainly true that the best 'teachers' do their best by making us desire to learn and to understand that this process never stops. If Alan Flusser has done much to inspire the quest in his area of understanding, then he may appear on Charlie Rose, Nude With Violin, and not have compromised himself. Several feverish entries since this thread began, is there any to deny that he has inspired that - and debate?
NJS