An actor was once quoted as remarking- "the way ABC talks about their Armchair Theatre, you'd think they were creating another Hamlet. How is it then their plays are so bad?"
Yes, this was a popular judgement at the time, and I must admit I always avoided the series, especially when it went through what critics regarded as its golden era (1958-1962) under the direction of the brilliant Sydney Newman, whose name became almost synonymous with the jibe Kitchen Sink.
Nevertheless, it has to be admitted Newman built up a talented team of writers who understood the demands of the new medium of television, and who were not merely writing theatrical or film scripts. Amongst these were Harold Pinter and Alun Owen. But more than this, Newman discovered directors who could mould a tv screen in a new way, amongst these were William 'Ted' Kotcheff and Philip Saville.
When Leonard White took over the reins in 1962, he made the series more accessible whilst managing to retain the unique feel to many individual plays, and the 'glorious disasters' under Newman's reign were eliminated. Perhaps however also, the brilliance of the Newman era had also departed.
Question- How many plays were there in this series made by ABC between 1956 and 1968? If you can get within fifty of the correct total, you have done well! (I am excluding from this question Armchair Mystery Theatre with its 34 additional plays)
Answer
To Main Drama menu
Main TV Menu
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Now Let Him Go (15th September 1957).
Script: JB Priestley. Director: Dennis Vance.
Only Hugh Griffith could roll his eyes thus. He's a most confused passenger on a late night train that has arrived at the terminus of Scroop.
The unusually helpful staff take him to the Railway Arms, where he is put to bed, a local doctor examining him.
He's actually the famous painter Simon Kendall, who knows his "time is running out." A bevy of press surround the pub, where his family
descends, though it transpires he'd been trying to escape from them. There's his pompous son Edmund (William Mervyn) a politician, and his drunken daughter.
It's significant they do not go to see him for ages, but merely chat in the back room of the pub. The queen's physician attends,
and lots of miscellaneous "zombies."
Granddaughter Felicity (June Thorburn) is more welcome, she listens to the old man and agrees to help him in whatever way the muddled old chap wishes.
Kendall has taken a liking to the dogsbody at the pub, Tommy (Gerald Lawson, a kind of Wilfred Lawson clone), who has recommended Simon entrusts the estranged son of the landlord,
Stan, with this unspecified job. Another to help is Nurse Judith (Ursula Howells), a widow, who also responds to his ramblings. She has to, so do we, "I want a new heaven,
a new earth."
Yet another caller is Leo, the dealer who agrees to sell all Kendall's remaining paintings, currently estimated to be worth around £150,000. But it is not yet decided who will inherit them.
More relevantly, Simon can't remember where they are. He is sure he had them with him on the train...
What the author is struggling to say, the loneliness of dying, is all too trite and obvious, not to say sad. The "dreadful noise" of a trombone practising in the background a lot of the time just adds
to our depression. Maybe it's Edmund's attitude, seeking to get immediate control of his father's estate and those paintings. But Felicity and Stan race to find them first.
As they do so, Simon spends his last hours forgetting his pain and sorting out the problems of others. But the crisis comes when his son demands he sign over
his affairs. The tired old man refuses, ranting against administrators like solicitors.
At last the paintings are found by Felicity. Now Simon can "stop worrying." To his doctor he hands his will, in which Felicity, and oddly Stan, inherit all. And the painting he is completing on
his deathbed is given to kind Nurse Judith.
More dreadful trombone music, playing Now The Day Is Over. Viewers still watching must have wondered how Priestley could have earned his reputation. Those that were still awake that is.
Critical plaudits were thin on the ground at the time also. "Mr Priestley may know how to write for the stage but I don't think he has mastered the technique of writing for tv" ... "Mr Priestley is still preaching but he cannot get away with it on TV as he can on the stage. His characters must be more vital."
Armchair Theatre menu
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Lena O My Lena (25 Sept 1960)-
Script: Alun Owen. Director: William T Kotcheff.
Set in a Salford food wholesalers, here's a study of male chauvinism in the workplace, and yet another exploration of class differences. This was the sort of entry that won the series critical acclaim, but I find it plain tedious.
Ted the foreman is played by Colin Blakely with his usual brilliant Northern bluntness, though the most interesting minor character is perhaps simple minded Derek (Patrick O' Connell), whom Ted looks after like a child.
Newcomer is student Tom (Peter McEnery) who is looking for a holiday job. He wants to get away from student types, but though he is from a working class background, he's not used to the brash ways he encounters.
Object of his affection is the worldly loud-mouthed Lena (the enticing Billie Whitelaw), who works in the adjacent press tool factory. "You're funny, you make me laugh," she says of his Liverpool accent. He thinks she's "funny" too, the way she shows her working class ideals.
Lorry driver Glyn (Scott Forbes) warns Tom off for "Lena belongs to him." And Ted tries to dissuade Tom from taking her out, but Tom won't listen, taking her to a cafe populated by noisy students: "you're lads, not men," observes Lena. Then they sit alone. "I can't think of anything to say," admits Tom, but she loosens his tongue and they have a long kiss. "You're always thinking too much," she tells him when he declares his love. She doesn't love him in the same way. Here's the core of their differences, he young and innocent, she experienced and worldly wise.
Next day at work "Glyn'll knock his block off." That's what the men are murmuring, though Lena knows he won't be bothered by any threat from Tom. Ted tries to save Tom from himself, but Glyn tells Tom the truth: she'd only been trying to make Glyn jealous. Tom starts a fight but Lena stops them- it was, she admits, only a bit of fun for her- "go back to where you belong." And that seems to be the message of this play.
"It's never easy to learn," are Ted's concluding words. Nor is it easy to watch this self-satisfied analysis of sixties working class, which is very dated today. Perhaps it's because we don't have the same sort of culture clash that it's so hard to see that at the time this was quite avant garde stuff
Armchair Theatre menu
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The Man out There (12 March 1961) -
Script: Donal Giltinan. Director: Charles Jarrott.
Wildly improbable tale, but really tense.
A Russian manned flght into space. A lot of shaky camerawork to convince us it's for real. A failure- Troika is ordered to "eject," Russian expletives from the astronaut, a major (Patrick McGoohan).
Back at control, the General (Clifford Evans) tries to devise a rescue plan, with the rocket now floating out of radio contact, orbiting the earth. He has five hours before the rocket will crash back to earth.
In an isolated snowbound Canadian trading post we meet a man and wife with quite a different problem. Young Cora (Heather Lyons) is in urgent need of medical help. Whilst he ventures out into the blizzard, stepmother Marie (Katharine Blake) sends out repeated messages for help- "this is an emergency, please answer." It comes from an unexpected source- Troika! Two people who need help badly!
"I am a doctor," the major radios to her. That's fortunate! Diptheria is the diagnosis. There's only one thing to do- "pierce the windpipe from the outside through the neck." Such a terrifying procedure is the only way Cora can be saved. Such a frightening remote controlled operation is surely any parent's worst nightmare. What is worse, such blunt instructions are all Marie is going to get because now the major has drifted out of contact. We follow his reflections on his own dilemma. This is perhaps less absorbing than Cora's drama, however much more world shattering his crisis is.
Another orbit and radio contact is reestablished. Despite his own worries, he encourages her as she dares to attempt the incision: "do it now!" shouts the major. His own chance is dwindling now- "you're talking to a dead man" he admits.
Even less absorbing is the activity at ground control who are explaining away the disaster to the press and announcing their rescue plan.
Next orbit. "You did what had to be done," the major reassures Marie. Now she is able to help him by taking down some important readings from the rocket.
With no way out for the major, it's time for McGoohan to perform his well-oiled raving looony act. His weird singing awakens an exhausted Marie on his last orbit. It's she who can encourage him now- "you mustn't give up." At last she is in a position to appreciate his danger. She thanks him for helping Cora over the worst. But she's quite helpless as she shares his last moments.
Reentry of Troika. Control implement their bold rescue plan. A last message from the major to Marie as he succeeds in understanding what has caused the catastrophe. Then screams and silence.
With Vaughan Williams' grim Fourth Symphony as the title music, we can guess there's not going to be a fairytale end. At least some joy as Cora stirs. Maybe the play would have been better if it had been tighter with Ground Control scenes omitted, and, as surely would happen today, more close-ups of the DIY surgery, which is strangely underplayed here
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The Omega Mystery (10 September 1961)-
Script: James Mitchell. Director: Guy Verney
This story at least proves that not all Sydney Newman's offerings were dull and drab.
Butler (John Gregson) and Robinson (Donald Churchill) are counter intelligence investigators, who are on their way to a nuclear power station where an experiment has gone badly wrong. They discuss their case whilst the industrious Robinson repairs their broken down car. We learn about all the workers at the lab, but I found this scene too complicated to digest properly. But once there, at a place that reminds Butler of his old prep school, there's a better introduction to the main characters, all of whom, of course, appear to have motives to wreck the place. They'd been working on what they call The Omega Process, which if successful will see the dawn of an era of cheap electricity. Unfortunately the process might have other uses, such as making h-bombs.
In charge of the plant is Kendrick (Frank Gatliff), who believes it must have been an accident.
He's supported in this view by a mathematician, Diamond, who's sure that anyway, the experiment can never work.
Dr Jones (Stanley Meadows) is the inventor of the process, though he's very much opposed to its use as a weapon of war. He is pally with journalist Isabelle, who has been lent the doctor's pass to the lab.
Finally there's Dr Chattalai, whose lab monkey Vashti was the only victim of the recent debacle.
The play is basically a picture of the two sleuths questioning their suspects, trading off comments and personalities. Gregson and Churchill make an entertaining pair, Gregson dour, slightly cynical, matter-of-fact, whilst Churchill provides a balance with some light quips. "You don't leave us much dignity," Dr Jones tells them, as they probe deeper. It's quite an absorbing variation on the usual mystery, with interesting characters, though perhaps too predictable, especially the stock drunken Irishman Diamond.
To get his proof, Butler arranges for the experiment to be reconstructed. Tension builds as Butler sets himself up for the saboteur to attempt to eliminate him. Alone in the lab, Isabelle joins him, but they are both locked in, the air conditioning switched off. "The obvious solution to a very nasty problem I set the fellow." But the question still is- who?
Butler is prepared for the situation, and some deftness extricates them from the lab. Now the experiment proceeds: "suppose the Masked Avenger strikes again?" jokes Butler.
Yes, there's the same disaster, but this time Butler and Robinson are able to demonstrate who is causing the problems. I wouldn't pretend anyone could have guaranteed to have guessed the culprit, but then that's true of almost any detective story. For that's what this is, in essence. "Who'd have ever thought of xxxxx ?"
There's an overlong coda, by way of explanation
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The Trouble with Our Ivy (19 November 1961)
Script: David Perry. Director: Charles Jarrott
You don't know whether to laugh or cry in this wayout variation of Laurel and Hardy's silent classic Big Business, carrying the warring neighbours motif to the ultimate.
"The biggest surprise Surbiton ever had" is planned by the Chards (John Barrie, Gretchen Franklin) on their estranged neighbours the Tremblows (Laurence Hardy, Dandy Nichols). This is suburbia at its exaggerated worst!
"All the neighbours think we're mad," comments Nell Tremblow, though in typical middle class-speak, this only means they prefer to spend their holidays at home. But it's partly true because the couple are fanatical prize rose growers. They exchange plenty of barbed gossip about the Chards who are "a bit peculiar too." More than a bit, for the neighbours haven't exchanged any words for the past three years, ever since Ivy Chard had committed suicide. The Chards blame the Tremblows for it too.
Jack Chard has been harbouring his revenge, and this evening he's begun his plan. To try and learn what he's up to, Nell Tremblow even pops rounds, to break the sacred silence.
The truth comes out- Amazonian Creeper! Says Nell: "that's a funny sort of thing to want to plant." The penny hasn't quite dropped, so she sends her husband to dig deeper. The contrast between the prim Harold Tremblow and the Chards, eaten up with hate, is excellently portrayed. But the "quick growing" tropical ivy even bestirs Harold out of his monotone existence, specially when he realises the creeper is actually growing six inches every five minutes! "Aren't we letting our imaginations run away with us?" he queries. Yes, that sums up this story very well!
A 999 call brings a fireman with his chopper to the Chards, but they soft sawder him til by now it's "galloping" all over the Tremblow's rose garden: "It's unnatural!" Jack jibes at them "say goodbye to your daughter Rose."
Now an eerie silence, "deathly quiet." "It's coming through the letter box."
"I'm dreaming all this," cries the fireman who is now alerted to the danger, but too late. For its stalks are growing into trunks! "It doesn't seem like Surbiton any more!"
How do you end such an inflated fantasy? The couples confront each other in a frenzy, blows exchanged. I think the Creeper was the winner, or maybe the writer who pocketed his fee. It's nearly quite fun, if you suspend your critical faculties
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The Snag (4 August 1963)-
Writer: Donald Giltinan, Director: Jonathan Alwyn.
A light hearted saga of sixties property development.
One "old dear" stands in the path of progress, to be precise- a new civic centre to be constructed by Goggins. "Calculating cad," Ed Crayshaw, and his charm, is to be turned on Madame Emma, to persuade her to sell her quaint old shop. But behind Emma is the forceful "elephantine dowager" Lady Wittering who stands against "the encroaching desert of vulgarity."
As the pair seem so "bloody minded," Ed turns his attentions on Emma's assistant, her niece Agatha; this to the dismay of Jill Goggins, who rather fancies Ed herself.
Her dad provides Derek Francis with a typically brash role, that of a Northern industrialist, the type of part he plays so beautifully. Judith Furse, as Lady Wittering has a fine forceful role of "a boa constructor," whilst Patsy Rowlands as Agatha wins the comedy acting honours with her spot-on timing. Barrie Ingham as the likeable rogue Ed, has a fun part, but he is not the ideal actor for getting laughs.
So, is it time "to cut loose" for Agatha when her aunt falls ill, and she has to take over the reins of the shop?
For his failure to persuade the old lady, Ed is sacked. He tries smooth talking Jill, but is he just spinning a line to get a toehold back in the firm? She sees through him and sets out with her dad to get her own back: "once more unto the breach, dear dad." Goggins makes his own approach to the ailing Emma. His sympathy is insufficient to bring about any agreement, but they part with mutual understanding.
Ed makes new advances on Agatha in the best comedy scene. She is rightly dubious of his kind words, and no wonder, for Jill has told her the very words he will try on her. But when a proposal is drawn from the reluctant bachelor, the lonely Agatha suddenly becomes the dominant one, and insists he honours his commitment.
The final scene is after Emma's death. "In indecent haste" Ed has married Agatha, since she will inherit the shop. He offers a deal to Goggins. But Goggins' meeting with Emma had borne fruit after all, she has left him shop quite legally, so it's Ed with mud on his face.
The characters are well drawn, but the comedy is always a little too obvious and you are never really sure on whose side your sympathies are meant to lie.
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Edward the Confessor (1969)
Script: Leigh Vance, Director: Henry Kaplan.
Edward Gobey (Ian Holm) is a habitual visitor to the police station, confessing to numerous lurid murders. The usual police
response is "run away, there's a good fellow."
Widow Mrs Blaxill (Beryl Reid) is his landlady and they enjoy a cosy friendship, which is now spoiled by the appearance of Gobey's old school acquaintance
Gland (Alfred Burke), a seedy driving instructor. He's one of those strong characters who has Gobey under his thumb.
So which of the three is the play, a crime drama, a comedy, or a love triangle?
I thought it was a comedy, for that was Beryl Reid's forte. To support this view, there's also a snippet of Edward Gobey at his work of conducting a door-to-door
questionnaire, and the questions are of an intimate nature. It's supposed to make you laugh.
But no, perhaps it's a love affair, because Gland is now moving in to the lodgings and is quickly making advances to Mrs Blaxill in the kitchen, then in the bedroom.
However you always feel this play might be a crime story, with Edward putting his confessions to good, if rather corny use, by eliminating his rival. But he ponders the deed too long, and only stiffens his resolve
after hearing sounds of their lovemaking. Back to comedy, as although he toys with gun and axe, his protest appears limited to cooking his own breakfast. However he does announce he
is going away for the night...
Finally the deed is prepared, and in the dark that evening he creeps back, and the axe falls.
Time now of course for another confession. As usual he explains how he did it. "I shot him!" He's not believed.
To absolve himself from any accusation of being too obvious, the author now embarks on a series of surprise, occasionally clever, revelations.
"Indestructible old" Gland is still at the lodgings! Gobey had got the wrong victim! Gland goads his rival but the play now turns into an overlong study of the
tragic figure Gobey, as the pair talk for what seemed like eternity to get behind the rationale of it all. Yes this play fell
between three, no four stools.
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ITV Plays
My reviews of some other plays
(apart from Armchair Theatre) shown on ITV
The Anatomist (ATV 1956)
Women In Love (A-R 1958)
The Big Pride (ATV 1961)
The Lover (A-R 1963)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (A-R 1964)
Blithe Spirit (Granada 1964)
The Death of Bessie Smith (Granada 1965)
The Human Voice (Rediffusion 1966)
Your Name's Not God, it's Edgar (Granada 1968)
see also Quay South (ATV, 1955)
The 'Play of The Week' and 'Television Playhouse' were regular highspots of ITV's serious output.
But by the mid sixties, it was clear that the one-off play was a dying creature, often replaced by a group of plays
based around a unifying theme. Certainly by now it was being proposed 'the single television play must die.'
America, for commercial reasons the arbiter of taste, had seen the virtual death of such plays except for big budget productions.
Wrote Anthony Davis in 1968, "must Britain go the American way? The odds seem stacked against the single play." Why? More expensive to produce.
Certainly the days when The Play was the centrepiece of a night's entertainment had gone by this date, and not that many viewers mourned its passing.
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The Anatomist
(February 6th 1956)
Script by James Bridie, adapted for tv by Denis Webb.
Made at National Studios, Elstree.
Produced and directed by Dennis Vance for Towers of London.
It was reported that Adrienne Corri fell spraining her wrists during filming, but her long sleeved costume enabled her to carry on.
The year is 1829, groundbreaking scientist Dr Robert Knox is lecturing on human anatomy in Edinburgh. "The barnstorming fellow" is played with a grim but bearable humour as only Alastair Sim can, the play happily reuniting him with his protege
George Cole as his "enthusiastic" assistant Walter Anderson. Less enamoured of Knox's experiments, indeed "horribly worried" is the perceptive Mary Belle (Jill Bennett), Walter's intended.
Conscience is not something that impacts on Knox, though he stands aloof from the activities of janitor Davy Paterson who pays seven or eight pounds to the body snatchers, Sack Em Up Men,
Burke and Hare (Diarmuid Kelly and Michael Ripper).
But Walter cannot but be concerned with the morality of it. He has a conscience, a heavy one it is, and after disputing with his fiancee about Knox's experiments, he goes to get drunk at The Three Tuns. There he is consoled by "bonny" Mary Paterson (Adrienne Corri), but as the gravediggers are short of a "good fresh juicy young corpse," they resort to disposing of bonny Mary.
She is deposited at the mortuary in the dim half light of dawn, when "dead men stirred." Her limp body has a striking effect on Walter, "she was so beautiful," and he dares to shout at his master, Dr Knox, "I believe she has had foul play." This is the best confrontation in the play, as Knox shows himself a man who is able to suppress his conscience.
The final act, six months on, sees public rioting after Burke has been hanged on Hare's testimony, men baying for Knox's blood. Defiantly, Knox vows to continue his lectures, "exhilarating," he describes it. But in a frank admission, it is clear that in his heart of hearts he recognises what has been going on is evil. Bravely he vows to lecture his students, even on the steps of St Giles.
Don't ask how, but somehow the play ends on a happy note, with Sim's mood reminiscent of his famous jovial portrait at the end of the film Scrooge, as Walter is reunited with his Mary Belle.
The play nearly falls into too much philosophising about whether the study of anatomy is a proper Christian act, an important issue at the time. But not quite, though the claim seems just a little too fanciful that "Knox will be remembered when Bonaparte and Wellington are forgotten." Above all, this is a forceful study of a pioneer, "the comparative anatomist has curiosity... he institutes a divine search for facts." Yes facts. Divine facts. You know, maybe some of our current men of science would do well to recheck their evolutionary theories, and base them more on the actual facts
ITV Play menu
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Women In Love
A two hour collection of six international playlets to mark Associated Rediffusion's third anniversary, shown on Wednesday 24th September 1958.
Here's one viewer's barbed comment (TV Times no 155), "such tepid, milk-and-water women wouldn't have raised the eyebrows
of our strictest Sunday School teachers."
The stories were linked by George Saunders, who describes himself rather charmingly as the "masculine dreamer."
Here are reviews of the stories I have seen-
Story 1, After So Long. This is about Henry's longwinded encounter with "a jewel of a girl" called Topazzia (Scilla Gabel).
It starts as a happy reunion, but "there's something you didn't tell me-" she now has children. Not that as Henry, Terence Morgan's
character's reaction rings at all true. (Script: Bridget Boland. Director: Julian Amyes)
Story 4, Song Without Words, includes location shooting in Stockholm. On a boat tour, tourist Robert (John Fraser) attempts to beat the language barrier
and pick up a Swedish blonde called Karin (Ann-Marie Gyllenspetz). It's all done in the style of a latter day silent film, a gallant but failed attempt to show
a love story with little verbal communication. (Script: Michael Meyer. Director: Peter Graham Scott who was also in charge of overall production)
The final Story, 6 The Stowaway, is set on a boat off the south of France where eligible bachelor David (Daniel Massey)
is sleeping in the Honeymooners' Cabin: "such a pity" but there's no woman on board to share it. But as it happens,
there is a stowaway hiding in his cabin, Felice (Yvonne Monlaur), and a romance that teeters on farce develops, and then dies,
in a nicely constructed finish. Also appearing were Henry Kendall as Ashley, Andre Maranne as the steward
and Guy Deghy as Mr Morand. (Script: Charles Terrot. Director: Ronald Marriott)
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The Big Pride
(ATV Drama 61, #6, May 28th 1961)
A calypso singer introduces "Sutlej and Dowling, a man burning with a big pride."
Three black convicts "decked out in misery."
Their leader, Sutlej (William Marshall) is an intellectual with a chip, brought on by years of humiliation at his unjust lot: "when you are a slave, you can only breed slaves."
Smallboy Dowling (Johnny Sekka) is still the apple of his mother's eye, even though "I've finished with prayin'."
The third of the trio is Van Kruze, a less well drawn character, only useful to further the plot.
This day, they are to break out. They tie up their guard. Van Kruze, unknown to the other two, throttles him. It seems to be a simple task escaping.
Van Kruze wants to go it alone and is soon caught. Dowling needs to keep with the experienced Sutlej, who has a scheme. The pair enter the head office
of boss man on the island, Randall. For his half brother has provided Sutlej with the lowdown on "first black tycoon" Randall's illegal activities.
"How much?" asks Randall. "I'm after much more than money," replies Sutlej, for it's freedom and a leg up in society that he craves.
"Impossible," Randall tells him, but he has to concede. The convicts are thus put up in a posh hotel, the very building where Dowling's mother slaves in the kitchen.
"All this is like a dream," smiles Smallboy, but their smugness is wiped away when they hear the guard has been killed. "Sit tight, wait till de shooting die down."
This good advice however turns out to be impossible when Sutlej learns his girlfriend Dolly is to marry a white: "I don't want my child growing up as any white man's boy."
He has to meet Dolly, but this is one complication of the plot too many. The racial issues are relevant to the 1960's, but they cannot be explored fully in this 55 minute play.
The best character is Dowling's mother (Nadia Cattouse) who can see the futility of her son's actions. "Oh Absalom," she screams rather absurdly, but this futility isn't conveyed to the viewer.
As Sutlej and Dowling trudge through a swamp to elude the police dogs, it seems hopeless.
Sutlej takes his bottle of poison, though Dowling tries to dissuade his hero from doing so. Too late. Sutlej grovels in the mud, and with his dying breath attempts to nerve Dowling to face his grim future
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The Lover (A-R, March 1963)
introduced as "Harold Pinter's latest play."
TV Times blurb:
"This is not a story about the eternal triangle, but one might call it an eternal quadrangle." My own benighted comments:
Pretentious silhouetted hand movements drum irritatingly to start off this drama.
Scene 1 proper- a husband inquires of his wife if her lover is calling today.
Scene 2- slightly gratuitous. She prepares for his arrival. The camera lingers on her legs.
Scene 3- Return of husband. Matter-of-fact conversation about her lover. He's a cold fish. They discuss her lover and he describes his own whore.
Next day, same again. Today the milkman calls, fresh just like the stereotyped purveyor of milk. Then her lover arrives, Max, no surprise it's actually her husband.
The couple play around, he's under the table now, caressing her legs. She rolls under to join him. Whatever turns you on, that's the expression.
He departs, rather unfulfilled today. Apparently she's not his ideal woman.
The last act- his return as man of the house. He suggests quietly she does not entertain her lover in the house any more. "I'll knock his teeth out," he threatens. And he has finished with his whore too. She is baffled at his change. Perhaps the viewer who is still watching is too.
That drum returns, with some questions as to its function. Goaded, she reveals she has other lovers, that's what she says. He attempts to be another, tantalising her. Back to under the table. I was there ahead of them. Whatever Pinter intended by this, I can only assume he was paid well by furniture manufacturers, probably MFI, for the story was about as robust as anything that firm ever made
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A Midsummer Night's Dream - June 24th 1964, 9.10-11.10pm.
"Beauteous" Hermia (Maureen Beck) and her love for Lysander (John Fraser) never grabbed me, but Jill Bennett
as the "transparent" Helena was much more idiosyncratic, wistful and indeed appealing.
Patrick Allen was Patrick Allen, ditto Peter Wyngarde who came across as almost a panto demon.
At Quince's Cottage were assembled the more popular commercial attractions, lead by Benny Hill as Bottom, who gave the role his own occasional
cheeky little laugh. I liked his scene when he manipulated poor Arthur Hewlett as Snug's face. But old stager Miles Malleson
as Quince seemed the most seeped in his part, uttering his line "he's a very paramour," as only Malleson can.
Alfie Bass as Flute and specially Bernard Bresslaw as Snout must have disappointed the popular audience, as they never uttered even one of their catchphrases.
Directed by Joan Kemp-Welch with some fine close-ups, and one striking visual moment when a match was lit, superimposed on the scene as Snug and Snout
are scared off by Puck. That of course, could never have been done on stage, and this was only one example which showed some care had been taken to make the play into a televisual one.
Perhaps the best done comedy moment was when Bottom as a "monster" is wooed by the spirited Titania (Anna Massey). You just longed to see Benny Hill's face, but that of course was impossible, hid behind
the mask of an ass.
So there was much to admire, my favourite scene was the stunning effect, despite the cramped studio, of the fairies' ballet, to the accompaniment, naturally, of Mendelssohn's
enchanting music.
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Blithe Spirit
Granada, TV Playhouse 9:52, 1964
Now available on Network dvd
starring Griffith Jones, Helen Cherry and Hattie Jacques
A pompous introduction from the author himself nearly lost this viewer before we ever get going,
as I am by no means a Noel Coward fan.
However I did start to warm to this condensed 72 minute version which moves at a cracking pace
under the direction of Joan Kemp-Welch.
Hattie Jacques is of course eccentric as Madame Arcati,
but also amazingly balletic whilst Griffith Jones is simply marvellous darlings
in the master's role. I had to keep reminding myself that I was watching Griffith Jones,
who does the role so much better than Rex Harrison.
Only Joanna Dunham as Elvira is a trifle disappointing, acting rather woodenly,
even if she does make a sensuous ghost.
For those brought up on the film version, this is a pleasant surprise. Quite stagey,
but so well edited from the original play that it really is an improvement! I wonder what NC made of it all?
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The Death of Bessie Smith
(Granada, TV Playhouse 10:43,
June 28th 1965)
It's 1937 in Memphis. "Goddam nigger records" give father (Robert Ayres) a headache. Playing them is his daughter, a frothy nurse (Patricia English) who works in a "secondrate" white hospital with the fewest patients you ever did see, a model for NHS practice surely. Forgotten legend Bessie Smith ("is she still singing?") is admitted after a car smash. This is two thirds of the way through the play, the first act of which is used to define the deadbeat staff who are to 'treat' her. The final act has yet more inconsequential talk whilst the "nigger" has to wait. Personally, I can't take this static type of play, an actor's play perhaps, but shouldn't the author Edward Albee be sued under the Trades Descriptions Act for saying he's putting an incidental historical context to a play which is really examining Southern racist attitudes? A true historical analysis would rather have started with the excellent final scene when black driver (Earl Cameron) confronts our white nurse. "I never heard of such a thing."
Donald Sutherland as the distracted intern gives it all a veneer of credibility, but only a veneer.
Note: Pat English's part was originally to have been played by Gene Anderson who said of the role:
"it's a horrible part- I play the nurse who refuses coloured Bessie entry to a white hospital- and a great challenge."
Sadly Gene died suddenly before the programme was recorded.
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The Human Voice
(Rediffusion, November 1966)
Script: Jean Cocteau, adapted by Clive Exton
Director: Ted Kotcheff.
Set designed by Michael Yates
TV Times summary: "A virtuoso part... the voice of her caller is never heard... but a good actress can make the audience imagine every word he is saying to her."
Flaxman 4924. This is Hampstead 1507.
That sums up this Jean Cocteau play with the one character, a lady in turmoil, played by Ingrid Bergman. Torn photos lie on the floor when we first encounter her, lying on her bed uttering inexpressible groans. Her only companion an alsatian with a terrifying growl, no comfort.
One solution only to her woes... light a cigarette. Jilted, she is about to leave the flat when the phone rings. Hope renewed, she embarks on the first of several lengthy telephone chats in which we ever only hear her side. Someone must be well off to afford such long calls.
For her there is now still hope, "you're not to blame," as the conversation centres on such profundities as searching for his driving gloves, I am sure they must be symbolic of something profound, can't tell you what.
The problems of phone calls in those days are realistically portrayed with party line interruptions, being cut off, so frustrating for her, and for incomprehending viewers. Finally the line goes dead. She has an interminable wait for him to dial again. To pass the time, another fag, despite her statement to him she hardly touches the things (though that's not quite how the author expresses it). She bathes in tears of nostalgia until she grasps the nettle and phones him. Engaged.
Another attempt gets through, but it's only someone called Henry who answers. Tears, increasingly hysterical.
But after a while, a long long while, he rings again. She is more frosty at first, but gradually sinks into her deepest woe. "I couldn't feel my heart beating any more." Perking up a mite, she recalls the good times. Back to the depths and she chucks the phone down. Talk of suicide, mood swings, dreams, "I would only love you all the more..." He rings off. Can't really blame him. She is back on her bed of woe where it had begun. She is praying he will somehow ring again. Good Lord, he does!
"We shall sit here for ever," she fantasises to him, the phone lead threateningly twisted round her neck. "I love you," is her last contribution, repeated and repeated.
I am sure this can be described as a brilliant solo performance, there are impressive camera shots directed by Ted Kotcheff proving this must be tv at its most mature, yet I must say I found it exceptionally hard going. Patrick McGoohan could have done the sequel, Human Voice 2, if the author cared to write the story from the other end of the line. This is a play for intellectuals to argue over, for benighted students to have to study for their university degrees, for ITV to claim it was a patron of the Arts, oh but is it enjoyable?
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Your Name's Not God, It's Edgar
Screened December 9th 1968
Script: Jack Rosenthal.
Director: Michael Apted
What an awful start to this northern play, as scenes of t'north are accompanied by an irritatingly jokey rendition of Jerusalem. Followed by Lily's reflection of what this song means, if anything.
Edgar (Alfred Lynch) is under t'thumb o' his dad (Jimmy Jewel). Flashbacks to his youth reveal his deep seated awareness of original sin, especially (this was the sixties) is relation to the female form.
When his mam had got "a bug in her belly," it's connected in the lad's mind with his original sin. Now she's died, but was it because he'd watched a rude film?
Left alone, "great white Buddha," his malingering bedridden dad is the bane of Edgar's life, spoiling his romance with the plain Phoebe (Yootha Joyce), or is it an excuse? His friend's nickname Blessed Art Thou, from t'Bible, might give us a clue as to the attraction to the opposite sex that Edgar longs after, maybe lusts after, though his veneer is a respectable religiosity.
Perhaps this nonsense is summed up best by one long scene in which Edgar converses with a beast of the field. The latter talked more sense to me. Matters with Phoebe reach crisis point, and Edgar adopts his dad's "childish" ploy of feigning illness. But after eight long years, Phoebe is remarkably persistent, "I'll wait for yer," she promises. Why, she must be desperate.
A weekend away from dad in London's fleshpots may "drown his conscience." However it seems uneventful, though back oop North, Phoebe seems to be hitting it off with dad, "would you like a sherbert fountain?"
But Edgar has discovered Phoebe's more attractive double in the big city. "There's other things in life besides sex," and though it's mostly talk, she does seduce him.
Returning home, Edgar finds dad up and about, "nothing wrong with yer." Truth downs on t'lad, it had dawned on us before we fell asleep a long while ago, truth regards his dad and his own guilty inner feelings. "Round the twist he always was," and you'd be too after suffering this pseudo comic sixties twaddle. But I canna give yer a fair review, as I never liked this play one bit
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BBC Plays
The drama department at the BBC earned a top class reputation for producing quality tv plays. The genre culminated in the gritty realism of the Wednesday Play, this was sixties television at its most dour. I have to confess that this is not what I enjoy on my television screen, and ironically it was only because the BBC recruited top ABC man Sydney Newman, that their dramas really descended from stagey theatrical plays to the kitchen sink abyss. Critics of course will love anything they don't understand, and a lot of the Wednesday Play output was just that, down to earth language with down to earth situations, that dragged the nation down into its pit. Television reflects life, was the excuse, but television also moulds life, and mould be the word.
Having ranted against it, let's conclude on a positive note, and recommend the excellence of some modern day classics, from which I single out John Hopkins' Fable, hard going, depressing even, but almost prophetic.
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It is Midnight Dr Schweitzer (1953) -
This is primitive tv drama, based on one set, the story in real time, with dialogue and little action, nevertheless an interesting historical document. Indeed unlike modern historical reconstructions, this is acceptably close enough to reality. However there is never any very probing analysis of Schweitzer's motives, as the various sub-plots, even though they are all drawn together by the end, detract from a proper focus on the main man.
Midnight on a fateful night in 1914 in an African hospital. Dr Schweitzer (Andre Morell) plays Bach, as his nurse, Sister Marie (Greta Gynt) stands by, looking discontented. "It seems to me some people just give the money, whereas others give themselves." She's restless over her vocation and the doctor, maybe for the viewer's benefit too, goes over the reasons why he himself has given up a great career, even leaving behind his family.
But the philosophising is interrupted by a sick child who has been rescued by the priest Father Charles (Douglas Wilmer) from having her throat cut by superstitious natives. So the doctor attends the girl whilst Marie and the priest discuss the meaning of life, until I rather echoed Schweitzer's own comment "I grew impatient of talk."
Marie's lack of happiness may be related to the Commandant who now enters with the governor to spout politics. The latter is clearly antagonistic towards the doctor, possibly as he's German, and war seems imminent. "I hate war," is Schweitzer's stance, especially of course, if it means an interruption of his medical supplies from Europe.
There's more work, even at this late hour, when seven "monsters covered in enormous tumours" are brought in for treatment. This brings on a religious argument about suffering and God's existence, before Father Charles makes his farewell, possibly for the last time with war so near: "God be with you."
After 50 minutes we have an Interval, with a record of Schweitzer himself at the organ.
The next evening, the governor declares his love for the nurse "with the great heart." But she still isn't happy. The governor is here to give the pacifist doctor protection, but
the offer is rejected, unwisely as it turns out, for natives break in and steal the medicines. There's unrest on account of war being declared: "the white men of Europe have started a great palaver. The tribe of the commandant is fighting the tribe of the great doctor." It drives the doctor to despair, and suddenly it's Marie who needs to bolster Him. Some Bach soothes them.
The commandant shares his love for Marie, who happily responds: "one single moment of happiness,".... but then "happiness is not thinking of others." They both have a higher duty. This becomes evident as Father Charles staggers in, a native sword in his back. All reflect on his death.
It's sufficent to make the commandant see that he must return to Europe, and for Marie to realise that her life is with the doctor: "I shall put my joy aside."
However there will be no joy at all, for the governor will be closing the hospital, for he has orders to intern Schweitzer at midnight. The doctor bemoans, not his own fate, but the fact that leprosy and all he has striven to fight, will now return to the peoples. There's a last tour of his hospital, and a soliloquy. He prays.
But Marie pledges herself to running the hospital alone. Schweitzer plays Bach until he is taken away at midnight.
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This Day in Fear (July 1958) -
starring Patrick McGoohan (James Coogan) with Billie Whitelaw (Mrs Coogan), Donal Donnelly, Hugh Moxey, Harold Berens.
Police believe "law abiding" citizen James Coogan needs protection as The Movement is after him. But Jim hasn't told his family or colleagues at work about his IRA past, which he has now put well behind him. But when it seems he is really going to be "live bait," he accepts the police offer.
Spasmodically the tension is notched up, but in between there's too much flagging. At last the climax, as Jimmy calmly accepts his fate. He explains his previous philosophy to his uncomprehending wife, before the priest, present to hear Jim's last confession, coaxes the truth out of him.
A neat conclusion leaves his political assassins baffled and the way of the gun is exposed for what it is.
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Brand (August 1959)
Author: Ibsen, Producer: Rudolph Cartier, transmitted 11th August 1959.
Patrick McGoohan won plaudits for his powerful portrayal
in this pseudo religious drama, but for me, even The Prisoner
is more comprehensible than this drama which lacks a storyline.
Be a martyr if you want to sit through it all.
St John Roberts under the headline 'Magnificent McGoohan' gave this glowing account- "'If you do not give all, you give nothing,' says Brand. This is the rule by which he lives and which he mistakenly serves God. The Doctor, tending his dying son replies, 'Your love account is as white as a virgin sheet.' These two lines provide the background of a play that is powerful, passionate and moving. Beautifully produced by Michael Elliott, it starred Patrick McGoohan in the greatest role he has yet appeared in on tv. He gave a truly magnificent, monumental performance as Brand, a performance of granite, strong and solid- until he discovers humanity glimmering within him- a discovery which is made too late. McGoohan was more than ably supported by Patrick Wymark as the scheming mayor, Dilys Hamlett as his pitiful wife and Peter Sallis in two clever cameos. Neither must one forget striking Olive McFarland as Gerd."
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Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968, Omnibus)- Michael Hordern plays a Cambridge professor staying in an isolated hotel. Finding an ancient whistle, he blows it and lo, a treatise on survival of death, before some slightly spooky occurrences in his bedroom. Lovely scenery with a fine solo from Hordern (who else could utter "Rumpled" like him?) but forty minutes is way too long for this MR James short story and, despite Jonathan Miller's pompous introduction which purports to be a serious analysis, I think I believe I experienced no "terror"
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The Interview
(1968, Thirty Minute Theatre) by Barry Bermange. Directed by Donald McWhinnie-
More specifically this should be titled The Interview Waiting Room.
Inconsequentially and intermittently, candidates chat until one gets down to the subject at hand: "were they all as boring as this one, all those other interviews you've had?" Thankfully, half way through the boring wait, we learn that one interviewee, Dennis Gray, had a wife who died "in a boating accident."
After this is established the others decide to teach him to speak German. Why?- you might well ask, that is if you are still interested. For the author is determined to inflict his own mundane experience on us, but as each interview lasts but a few minutes, it's not very true to life.
At last, it's Dennis' turn! His fellow candidates greet him in the most improbable conclusion to any interview.
Nothing is made explicit which is a cheat, even though we know what we know, I hope. It is quite a clever end, but not worth 29 minutes wait
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Without Love -
Script: Colin Morris, Producer: Gilchrist Calder.
Scene 1 plunges straight into the original sixties generation clash. Working class dad Jim (Alfred Burke) of 14 Paradise Street argues with an "out of control" 17 year-old who lives "in a different world" to her father and stepmother.
The upshot is that Jacky (Clare Austin) leaves home to join friend Betty (a fuller Billie Whitelaw), hostess at a club. According to the barmaid there, Jacky's "just a baby, the first man that shows her affection, she falls for it." A Yank- and she's pregnant, and he's gone.
Now she's in the dock, charged with being drunk. Mrs Hammond, her probation officer (Barbara Couper), hears her sorry tale of how lonely she is now she has had her child fostered. But she can only offer advice and it's Betty who's more likely to help Jacky solve her financial crisis.
Thus it is that she's picked up by the smooth talking Tony (Paul Stassino) whom she naively falls for. He persuades her to earn cash by being a prostitute. To the courtroom again, in her finery, and a second interview with Mrs Hammond. More heart to heart with the probation officer echoing the writer's purpose: "a girl will give anything to get a man to stay with her. Oh, the clients have nothing, just pound notes." Observes her counsellor: "you obviously don't know anything," for the youngster cannot see through Tony's facade. Mrs Hammond's prediction of the future is not what Jacky wants to hear: "he's a parasite who won't stand on his own."
There's no happy ending to a play that doesn't offer much, except a touching performance from the rarely cheerful Jacky. But the ending is quite effective as she fades from the courtroom, leaving others to reflect on her fate, and the rounded probation officer to offer a gleam of light with her own settled existence
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12 Fable (1965) -
A kind of 1984 state where apartheid in reverse is in operation.
White man Len (Ronald Lacey) is a government employed driver, in the service of
his black boss Mark Fellowes (Thomas Baptiste), a famous writer, "the authentic voice of protest."
But Fellowes is under house arrest and Len, now unemployed, is
forcibly transferred from his family in London to a work reservation in remote Scotland.
His wife Joan appeals to Len's former boss to take up his case, but Mark's campaigning work is rendered ineffective by his wife
Francesca, who, to ensure her husband does not incur further official wrath, secretly burns his current writings which are pressing for
social justice.
In Scotland, Len finds his new master harsher, and his master's wife enigmatic, pumping him about Fellowes.
Len is accused of raping her, but he succeeds in escaping and flees back to the despairing Joan who has been forcibly rehoused.
Rather improbably, Len is able to shoot the head of state, as the story becomes too extreme, losing its main and most absorbing emphasis on the
morality of the new order. There's civil unrest. The media are manipulated. News of the president's death is kept quiet, until the proper moment.
Greater segregation of black and white.
A key scene is when Joan, now a necessary prostitute, gets to see Mark Fellowes and almost opens his eyes.
Television pictures expose the late Joan's "sordid" life, slanted for political ends.
It leaves a bleak and depressing ending, the only ray of hope
being in campaigners like the sadly toothless Mark. "What battle are you fighting?" Francesca demands of him. He's the frail reed for the future.
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64 Way off Beat (1966) - This is really Sydney Tafler's play. He dominates the action as "The Mr Bradshaw," upper crust hairdresser in a regional kingdom of thee own. But Gordon Reid as "innocent, impecunious yet talented" Norman has the most sympathetic part, of a working class lad who's groomed by Bradshaw to partner his innocent daughter Linda (Helen Fraser) in Come Dancing style events. But Norman's only being used by the ruthless Bradshaw to enable his daughter to leap out of the Novice Ballroom class. "Where would you be without me, Norman?" But when the pair actually kiss, the tale becomes what it has always threatened to be, the usual Sixties Clash of Culture and Class Differences. On the night of the Big Competition, a touch of bribery to the adjudicator (Jimmy Hanley- "it's in the bag") fails to help the overbearing Bradshaw achieve his goal.
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In Two Minds
Script: David Mercer. Director: Ken Loach.
Anna Cropper was made for this role with her sad melancholic looks, as the Schizophrenic Kate.
"She's sick isn't she?" is how her dad Joe explains it in a nutshell. But of course he can only see his side, for this is yet another generation gap study.
"She's brought shame on this house," cries her mum Dolly.
The characters are seen through the eyes of a psychiatrist, in the manner of those invisible tv interviewers a la Esther Rantzen.
The trouble with this sort of drama is that it can be so predictable, like this. The characters must have their moments of self truth during chats
with the shrink, who never does more than probe with more and more questions.
"Sometimes I want to go, but I feel that I can't," is how Kate feels guilty, trapped at home. She can't make that break.
And that is only the first third of this play! Katie's sister Mary is added to the recipe, she is one who has made that break, so no wonder her answer is,
"get her out the way from these lot." Thus there are plenty more heartaches for the family, revelations of abortion, "nuclear war," even, allegedly.
Off to hospital for Kate. There mum's drone never cheered me up, I think it was supposed to have that effect on Kate. I think I am going round the twist too.
Dolly tried to kill her. "I don't exist." And other such dreary angst.
The next section of the play is seen through Kate's clouded eyes. She pals up in the madhouse with Paul (George Innes) who advises her to play the game if she wants to be free.
She doesn't and her treatment is like that of a child. Another parental visit ends in even more crying and tantrums as Kate can't fast forward (unlike myself)
their grumblings and mutterings. Mum and dad keep repeating their viewpoint, and this play could, heaven help us, go on for ever and ever and ever. You just write the same words,
maybe in a different order, dad saying his line, mum hers, no understanding.
Result- for Kate that is (me, I was beyond saving), she withdraws yet more into herself as Chief Shrink (Patrick Barr) ends the torture with a lecture to students whom the author portrays as maybe as wise
as their master, or indeed as unwise as their master. She is "childish," explains Mr Expert. Plus a lot more technical jargon. It's the recycled plot all over again!
What's the treatment? The students proffer their ideas. The doc demonstrates his own brutal method- "it does work." Well he thinks so.
"The outlook is not very good," declares a more perceptive student." Who needs electric shock treatment? Just show this.
This is a play that deserved to be junked, instead of which my favourite programmes have been wantonly destroyed, now isn't that real madness?
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117 The Golden Vision (1968)
A unique footballing docu-drama directed by John Boorman.
Jeff is a single-minded Everton supporter, his mates ditto.
I'm a footer fan too, but this is a turn-off unless you like airy-fairy realism. Even the fanaticism is somehow muted, perhaps as Everton aren't doing that well, and dead characters lead to dead drama. Gratuitous night club scenes to spice it up, it's only for nostalgia, for the back to back terraces I mean, that you could view this.
I'm only sorry Ken Jones whom I think a fine comedy actor, got roped into this glimpse of 'reality.' "Golden?"- no, the old days weren't always so
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122 The Gorge (1968) - with Constance Chapman
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146 Last Train Through Hardcastle Tunnel (1969) - A study of that spotty phenomenon, the train spotter, young man Benjamin (Richard O'Callaghan), whose conversation only comes alive when discussing railways, otherwise he's a square. Rather like those dull Great Railway Journeys programmes, this is a montage showing his encounters with disparate humans, of whom Joe Gladwin as an ancient railwayman of the old school is the most appealing. Signalling expert John le Mesurier, what Benjamin is likely to grow into, is the saddest, inhabiting his own world, which appears to be the message this play attempts to convey as it gradually runs out of puff, shunted into an exceptionally rusty siding
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148 The Mark II Wife (1969)
directed by Philip Saville and written by William Trevor
"A piece of cheap rubbish," that's one line from this play that sums it up for me.
What is Hell? Perhaps being isolated at a party of "damned half wits" as neurotic Anna MacKintosh discovers. This is a tough part for Faith Brook who conveys well her "escape into madness," driven by her knowledge that Edward her husband is having it off with a 19 year old.
She has this half felt intuition that has brought her to this party where she knows she will find him come in with her, while other guests puzzle over who this stranger is, for she is "completely out of it." Someone will go mad here tonight she darkly explains, though it is her that's going round the twist, "I shall escape into madness," she mutters to herself. She certainly drove me there.
The other guests don't help. Flirtatious Bodanski (Philip Madoc at his best) might help her forget her jinxed marriage. It's the General and Daphne Ritchie in whom Anna eventually confides. She gets it out: Edward is leaving her for his Mark II wife, the telling makes her crack up, hedgehogs on her wedding day, that sort of thing. A wild dance half naked with Bodanski, she is escorted upstairs. Now alone in a bedroom, she phones her shrink Dr Abbot that rather modern phenomenon, an on-line counsellor.
Downstairs stunned silence reigns, "most embarrassing, some kind of Scott Fitzgerald."
According to Mrs Ritchie, their host's daughter Elsie Engelfield is the one Edward is running off with. Gossip abounds.
But then Anna, after her reassuring phone call, makes herself up watched by the peephole eyes of Bodanski, and announces to all and sundry that it had all been in her mind.
She makes her prolonged goodbye to the other guests, apologising for her behaviour, "the mark II wife is something entirely in my imagination," all that intuition stuff had been "phoney."
Angry guests watch her departure, "let's forget it all." Yes, let's. But no, here comes Elsie, daughter of the host, subject of all that gossip (Joanna Lumley), and she tells mummy and daddy she has brought "her gorgeous Edward MacKintosh" with her.
So Anna wasn't imagining it all, she was wrong, it wasn't all in her mind, it was real all that madness, This play has driven me round the bend, that's real enough, and anyway I have changed my mind also, for this one thing I do know, and it's not a phoney intuition, Hell was surely The Wednesday Play.
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Treasure Island (1959, made in New York) -
Without the perennial Robert Newton, this production full of British stars is no parody but a faithful if dark account of Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of smugglers' treachery. Hugh Griffith is a rather run-of-the-mill LJ, Richard O'Sullivan's Jim Hawkins simply merges into the scenery, whilst only George Rose as a camp Ben Gunn seems to think that he's in panto.
Also starring Michael Gough, Max Adrian and Boris Karloff
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Taxi (1963)-
Lasting 45 minutes, these stories starred Sid James in a rare dramatic role. The tales of a London taxi driver, Sid Stone, his cab is RYK 424: "Right mate, 'op in!"
The Villain - Sid pulls his mate Fred's legs before Sid starts to work. £2 for a fare to London Airport!
Then at Paddington Station, Sid shops rogue driver Jack Melia (Alan Curtis), who's touting illegally for fares by pushing to the front of the rank. However calling in the police gets Sid rather unpopular in some quarters as The Villain, although admittedly a villain, is set to lose his licence. When Sid's mate is talked round by Jack's wife (Jennifer Jayne) with a sob story about her children suffering because of her husband's stupidity, a smitten Fred persuades Sid to let Jack off. "All I want is a bit of peace," agrees Sid. But is there something fishy going on as Fred phones to tell her the good news in Brixton, yet Sid knows Jack lives in Forest Gate? "Something a bit dodgy going on 'ere mate." So it's round to Brixton and the exposure of a bigamist. "'E deserves all 'e gets."
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For Sid in Citizen James
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DR FINLAY'S CASEBOOK (BBC)
In 1967 a Radio Times reporter visited the location where Dr Finlay's Casebook was being filmed. In the best BBC tradition he starts his article with the disappointing news "Tannochbrae doesn't exist," and then continuing "until recently
the location of the Finlay filming was an official - but widely known - secret." The town of Callander, 36 miles from Glasgow, was the setting. Apparently until the railway station suffered the indignity of the Beeching axe in 1965,
porters would allegedly shout "Tannochbrae... Tannochbrae," as trains pulled in. "If you follow the directions to Dr Finlay's house you'll find yourself outside a rather austere guest house which overlooks the town. Inside you'll be welcomed by a kindly efficient Scotswoman Mrs MacIntyre... during the last few years she has noticed that stones keep disappearing from her drive- taken by eager souvenir hunters."
13 A Time for Laughing (1963) - On a wild night, Mrs McBain (June Tobin) gives birth, but her husband is impotent. Is tinker Tim O'Shea (John Cairney)- "service with a smile"- the father?
The doctors take a long long time sorting out the problem, solving it by rather unhippocratic methods
49 The Red Herring (1964) - Instead of "scurrying," Dr Snoddie seems to be dithering after ordering a well to be closed, causing inconvenience to elderly folk. A consultant (David Langton), an expert in salmonella, comes to help, dining at Arden House, but to Janet's dismay falling victim to food poisoning, and as we all know doctors make the worst patients: "Cameron, this is the last straw!"- when a biopsy is ordered. But comedy nearly turns to tragedy: "you didn't think I'd snuff it, Cameron?"
59 Charity Dr Finlay (1965) - In the grocers, a shoplifter faints. Dr Finlay attends Jeannie and gets a kiss for his efforts. Snoddie has palmed off St Bride's, an old people's home, on Dr Cameron, so of course it's Finlay who has to do the visits. "You'll bankrupt them," is Cameron's comment after Finlay finds a lot of improvements need making.
Finlay gets a job for Jeannie in the kitchen, but she is sacked for stealing. However Cameron turns the tables on the dour matron, Mrs Micklejohn, who has been syphoning off funds herself
69 Another Opinion - Two patients for Dr Finlay and two doctors to dispute his diagnoses. One is Dr Cameron who believes he himself's caught measles, but it's surely only a cold! The other is Corporal Grant whose gone AWOL because his leg needs amputating, though Dr Finlay believes the leg can be saved. The comedy of the one is nicely contrasted with the potential tragedy of the latter as Finlay and his consultant Sir William (John Harvey) contest with Colonel North (Moray Watson) Grant's uncertain future. Is Dr Finlay fallible? As Dr Cameron brusquely concludes: "it's only when a man's sick, he knows his true friends"
79 Dr Finlay and the Phantom Piper of Tannochbrae
- Lord Morcroft wants to erect a statue in memory of his son who fell in the War. The Piper (Andrew Keir) persuades him of a more noble cause. The final line from our doctors sums up this
mystifying story - "Blessed are the peacemakers - They shall inherit the war." Perhaps The Wednesday Play wasn't so obscure after all.
105 Gifts of the Magi (1966) - Is Dr Snoddie "a good hand at a comic song?" And how about Dr Cameron as a budding Shakespearean actor? And what can Dr Finlay do? The three are enrolled to perform at a Christmas party in the children's hospital ward, though it's Janet who steals the show and is "called to higher things." In other words, she's invited to continue her storytelling act on the BBC, yes the BBC! It all invokes just a little jealousy on Dr Cameron's part, though Dr Finlay persuades her to ride the storm. Will Janet find fame and fortune, or stick to her last?
178 Comin' Thro' the Rye (1970 colour) - Dr Cameron was first to get it- haluccinations. Then it spreads, with the source traced to infected flour from Bruce's Mill used at the bakery of Robsart (James Hayter)
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SAKI (Granada) -
Programme 1 (July 1962)
Stampeding of Lady Bastable- the one occasion when titled lady (Martita Hunt) who "loves owing" was persuaded to pay up, believing the end of the world was nigh.
A Holiday Task - The Lady with No Name(Fenella Fielding) asks for help in a Brighton hotel. Major Caterham 'lends' her £10 to discover who she really is. Foolish man!
The Way to the Dairy - There's a gleam in the eyes of Nora Nicholson as she plays Aunt Amy, who's come into a fortune. Veronique and Christine have been promised they will inherit a quarter each, but "rotter" Roger will get the other half. They take her to Dieppe to demonstrate to her what a wastrel he is, and there she succumbs to the fever of the Tables so now "she's worse than Roger ever was."
Sredni Vashtar - This is the name of a large ferret polecat, worshipped by ten year old Konradin. He prays it will "do one thing for him," a punishment on his suffocating cousin (Sonia Dresdel).
A Defensive Diamond - Sir Hector (William Mervyn) gives a crass bore (Peter Bathurst) short shrift
Drama menu
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GUY de MAUPASSANT (Granada) -
Programme 5 (July 1963)
A Sale -
The trial of a drunken husband who's offered his wife for sale (with Barbara Hicks, Bryan Pringle)
A Family Business -
Is grandma "soft in the head"? The quack doctor advises her son "Mother Nature must call the tune." She does and gran "goes to her reward" sparking very differing reactions from son and daughter-in-law. But the quack has got it wrong and gran revives to reveal she has heard those family rows her 'death' has caused. Remarks a relative: "I've never been to a funeral like this one before!"
The Devil -
When a miserly peasant (Jack Smethurst) engages a sitter at a fixed price for his dying mother it's hardly in the sitter's best interest to keep mum alive. Indeed she is finally scared to death with tales of the devil. However this black tale lacks any real payoff.
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OUT OF THIS WORLD (ABC)
ABC's innovative 1962 Saturday night series with Boris Karloff as host.
Sadly only this one story seems to have survived...
Little Lost Robot -
The year 2039: a robot is told to "get lost" and promptly obeys. It might prove a Killer Robot, so a robot psychologist(!) (Maxine Audley) has to devise a method of detecting it from among its 20 identical brothers.
Imaginative, if slightly overlong, with a poetic conclusion.
Also starring are Gerald Flood and Clifford Evans
Drama menu
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UNDERMIND (ABC)
Imagine John Wyndham writing a hybrid of The Human Jungle and The Avengers. Mastermind behind the series was actually Robert Banks Stewart, who wrote some of the scripts, Michael Chapman was the producer.
The scenario- unknown subversives are trying to destroy our society by undermining public confidence in the top people, and the institutions they run.
ABC were having difficulty negotiating networking time in 1965, so the series was not fully networked. It was screened in the ABC region and a few others starting in May that year, but only shown on other ITV channels later that summer.
The 11 episodes were:
1 Onset of Fear (May 8th 1965, 10.10pm ABC Midlands/North). Directed by Bill Bain.
2 Flowers of Havoc (May 15th 1965). Directed by Peter Potter.
3 The New Dimension (May 22nd 1965, now at 9.10pm). Directed by Bill Bain. Script: David Whitaker.
4 Death in England (May 29th 1965). Directed by Peter Potter. Script: Hugh Leonard.
5 Too Many Enemies (June 5th 1965). Directed by Peter Dews.
6 Intent to Destroy (June 12th 1965). Directed by Bill Bain. Script: John Kruse. Guest celebrity: Eamonn Andrews.
7 Songs of Death (June 19th 1965)
8 Puppets of Evil (June 26th 1965). Directed by Patrick Dromgoole. Script: Max Sterling.
9 Test for the Future (July 3rd 1965)
10 Waves of Sound (July 10th 1965)
11 End Signal (July 17th 1965)
Detailed reviews of surviving stories:
1 Instance One
2 Flowers of Havoc
5 Too Many Enemies
Drama menu
Main TV Menu
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Instance One
"Damn stupid" policeman Frank Heriot (Jeremy Kemp) arrests cabinet minister Hugh Bishop after a pub brawl, and refuses to drop the charges.
Maybe Frank's problems explain his action, for he's split with his wife Anne (Rosemary Nichols). "He's changed," she tells Frank's brother Andrew, known as Drew (Jeremy Wilkin). For "absolutely cold," is he nowadays. Even when Bishop is convicted and fined £3, and he resigns his post and commits suicide, still Frank shows no emotion. "He doesn't have any feeling," Anne notes sorrowfully.
Drew attempts a reconciliation between the couple, but it's no happy reunion. Frank storms off and goes straight to burgle Anne's home. All he steals is a paper hat. It was made of newspaper, what was written on it that was so important?
Drew finally traces the story, it concerned a police dog that suddenly went hysterical.
Ben Paulson (Paul Maxwell) is a psychologist whom Drew arranges to check Frank out, with his unique "bag of tricks," a machine that measures brain activity. The patterns on his brain are surprising, for there are no reactions exhibited by Frank, though he shows awareness of very high pitched sounds.
"Some kind of mental freak" must he be, and he proves this by suffocating Ben and sadistically connecting him up to his own machine.
Investigating Ben's death, is Frank! Do you know, he's sure it will prove a matter of misadventure.
Drew undercovers another case of a person hearing high pitched sounds that caused a plane to crash.
It's time to try and reason with Frank. Drew fails miserably, "the wall's up solid."
In the park, Anne is playing with her children when up comes Frank and attacks her. Someone shoots him. "I'm not Frank," are his sad dying words, followed by the sinister, "there are more of us"
To Undermind
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2 Flowers of Havoc (May 15th 1965)
Anne of her late husband: "There must be other people in Britain like him, brainwashed, taken over in some frightening way." So who are they all?
A postcard of a brass rubbing ("from one of them perhaps") leads Drew and Anne to Welling-on-Sea where Rev Austin G Anderson of St Winifrede's Church (Michael Gough), an ex-Olympic athlete, is one of those trendy modern vicars, a biker.
His verger has just gone "ga-ga" in a loonybin
Anderson is trying to placate the teenage hooligans in their leather jackets. It's clear that "the whole town is on the edge" in this story evocative of the disgraceful 1960's mods and rockers seaside brawls.
The Easter Flower Festival is ruined by these vandals as the town is invaded by lots more ton-up boys.
Councillor Charles Ogilvie (Glynn Edwards) runs a firm that is repairing the church tower. The "ruthless zombie," also runs the local beat joint and Anne gets a job there as a singer, though her song is hardly the most with-it.
Prof Val Randolph has been helping Drew and Anne, and suggests that the teenagers might be being influenced by some extra terrestrial force. Something gets into them certainly, for the church bells start a-ringing, the signal for rioting, masterminded by one of Ogilvie's sacked workers, Dave, but he is found drowned.
The walking wounded are treated in a makeshift hospital, the church, "ta, vic." Just who is behind this reign of terror, Drew asks the vicar. Is it the mad verger? Anne tries talking with him, but without success.
Val has a brainwave, he remembers the postcard of the rubbing must have been made in the bell tower, on one of the bells.
Drew goes there and is trapped in the belfry with the mastermind, "we each have a job to do." The bells start ringing for matins, and somehow he topples from the top, one dead villain.
To Undermind
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5 Too Many Enemies (June 5th 1965)
After a road accident William Gill winds up in hospital.
He undergoes a successful operation, but his brain scan shows a blank,
"the same unemotional mind" as the others, so
is he another Undermind agent?
Anne alerts Prof Val Randolph, they seems quite pally, "is that a proposal?" It seems that the telescopic site where Val works had suffered a breakin on the same night as this accident, and top secret equipment stolen.
The consultant Mr Hepworth, plays over a recording Gill has with his wife to Drew. Later, under hypnosis Hepworth questions Gill, "there's a stronger force..." Hepworth excitedly phones Drew, "you were right about this space thing."
Meanwhile Anne is posing as an almoner to interview Mrs Gill. She admits they aren't well off, but that he is expecing a legacy.
Hepworth is murdered, scalpel between his shoulder blades. Surely Gill couldn't have done it, even though he has discharged himself and vanished.
Drew and Anne search for him at his farm cottage
but are amazed to find it is empty, no furniture. They never did live here. In the dust a name is traced, Virginia Silbeam, it proves to be the title of a play being staged by the local rep. There Draw finds 'Mrs Gill' though she confesses she is only an actress who was asked to pose as Gill's wife. She knows nothing about the people who paid her.
Hepworth's colleague Dr Burath has found some gloves that belonged to the man who had transported Gill to the hospital the night of his accident. He's the man who works at the telescope site, the mute Chalmers. But he proves of no help, as he is involved in another hit and run accident.
Deeper exploring by Drew at the cottage shows up the stolen boxes, but he is trapped under some farm machinery. Luckily he is rescued in time.
Our Man from the Ministry, Henry Bracewell, is the man whom Val says can be trusted with Drew and Anne's evidence of Undermind. But when they meet him, it is actually Gill.
"This time I'm afraid you came a wee bit too near home." A gun is drawn, and Drew and Anne face being brainwashed themselves
To Undermind
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HARPERS WEST ONE (1961, ATV)
The staff included widowed personnel officer Harriet Carr (Jan Holden),
with her secretary Julie Wheeler (Vivian Pickles), also public relations officer Mike Gilmore (Tristram Jellinek), and male staff controller Edward Cruickshank (Graham Crowden). The chairman of the store was Aubrey Harper (Arthur Hewlett).
The Second series in Autumn 1962 saw new regulars alongside Jan Holden- Philip Latham as the male staff controller Oliver Blackhouse,
Bernard Horsfall as PRO Philip Nash, with old timer Wally Patch as the security man.
After a few weeks, a new receptionist was introduced named Susan Sullivan- and the actress who played her? She was Wendy Richard.
The series was devised by John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman, though the on-screen titles note that Diana Noel and Derrick de Marney provided the initial idea.
For cast details of some of this series.
My review of Story 1.5, shown on July 24th 1961 and featuring John Leyton.
Preparations are well in hand for the opening of the new Self Service Record Department. Johnny St Cyr and the Saints are coming at 11am to open it! He's a big idol in the pop world- "just a few twitches in the right place, fifteen thousand girls fall at your feet. What a way to go!" Or, if one is more jealous of his good looks- "a truly regal figure in the age of the indifferent."
The morning of the event sees Geoff Turner (John Kelland) getting a lucky break with the sale of a 600 guinea piano, to be "delivered today." But he's still in financial difficulties despite this windfall and he fiddles a colleague's commission. His expectant wife comes into the store telling him she's got to go into hospital "for a check-up."
Now Johnny arrives with the screaming fans- "isn't 'e lovely?" He signs autographs. However there are some snags- problem one is the group's pianist gets drunk. Geoff agrees to act as a "fill-in." Problem two- Johnny's wife Maureen (Gwendolyn Watts) appears, wanting to talk desperately with her husband. She shares her sob story with Geoff's wife.
Finally we get to the pop songs. Geoff does well accompanying. But afterwards he's on the carpet in front of his boss, Cruickshank. He's lucky not to get sacked.
The day ends with Geoff having a heart-to-heart with Johnny. He learns life at the top can be lonely- "it's not all milk and honey." But Geoff is offered the job of pianist with the group- but it will mean separation from his wife....
Although a straightforward story written by Richard Harris, there are some insights into the rather pathetic existence of top pop stars, with a contrast well delineated with the ordinary shop worker's struggle to meet ends meet.
To Drama menu
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Episode details of some of the 32 Harpers West One stories:
1.1 June 26th 1961
starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden, Tristram Jellinek, Arthur Hewlett.
With Pauline Stroud (Jackie Webb), Fred Griffiths (George Barrard),
Vivian Pickles (Julie Wheeler, Miss Carr's secretary), Jean Gregory (Miss Springer), Jean Harvey (Miss Lindrum),
Susan Lyall Grant (Valerie Pritchett), Sylvia Melville (Mrs Sayers), Blanche Moore (Mrs Templar),
Frederick Peisley (Albert Fisher, floorwalker), Katherine Parr (Mrs Pritchett), Maureen Davis (Maureen),
Hazel Bainbridge (Connie Fleming), Pamela Greer (Sheila Selby), June Murphy (Eileen Mitchell),
Brian Hankins (Metcalfe), David Broomfield (Adler), Michael da Costa (Clegg), and John Dunbar (Ernie Wedge).
1.2 July 3rd 1961
starring Graham Crowden, Tristram Jellinek, Arthur Hewlett.
With
James Villiers as Lucien Harper, and Eynon Evans as Len Garrett.
Other regulars: Vivan Pickles, John Dunbar.
Also in the cast:
Jeremy Bisley (Wesley Pickering), Joyce Hemson (Lily Oakes),
Christina Gregg (Hilda Garrett), Felicity Young (Jane Carpenter), Natalie Kent (Customer),
Edward Burnham (Emlyn Lewis), Dixon Adams (John Crawford), Leslie Weston (Charlie Sweet),
Jill Melford (Sylvia Stephens), Dorothy Batley (Lady Burnette), Jean Marlowe (Miss Wilson),
Malcolm Webster (Morton Edwards), Trevor Baxter (Compere), Sheila Raynor (Mary Garrett).
1.3
July 10th 1961 - written by Owen Holder.
Starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden, Tristram Jellinek, Arthur Hewlett.
With Maxine Holden as Araminta Green.
Regulars: Vivian Pickles, Pauline Stroud.
Also in the cast: Pauline Winter (Mrs Goddard), Hilary Crane (Lucy), Bridget McConnel (Joyce),
Joyce Cummings (Miss Berry), Violetta Farjeon (Freda), Gillian Cobbold (Diana),
Una Venning (Mrs Walby), Carole Allen (Jessie), Thelma Holt (Maisie), Norman Bowler (Roger Pike),
William Young (Bob Trevor), John Clarke (Bill N'Gya), Jeanne Mockford (Mrs Marks),
Winifred Hill (Mrs Rush), Gerald Anderson (Douglas Hurst), and Roger Avon (Charlie Wilson,
in several future stories).
1.4
July 17th 1961 - script: Jeremy Paul. Director: Peter Sasdy.
Starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden.
With Richard Briers as Patrick Wainwright.
Other regulars: Pauline Stroud, Vivan Pickles, Roger Avon (Lift man).
Also in this cast: Norman Bowler (Roger Pike, who became a semi-regular), Judy Child (Dolly Freeman), Anna Cropper (Yvonne Seymour),
Louise Dunn (Anne Bailey), Douglas Muir (Mr Seymour), Emrys James (Donald), Jean Challis (Elspeth Seymour),
Bessie Love (Customer), and Patrick Boxill (Supervisor).
1.5 July 24th 1961 (my review above)
Script- Richard Harris. Director: Wilfrid Eades.
Starring Graham Crowden, Tristram Jellinek, Arthur Hewlett,
with John Leyton as Johnny St Cyr.
Other regular: Vivan Pickles.
Also in this cast: John Kelland (Geoff Turner), Clovissa Newcombe (First salesgirl also in 1.8),
June Speight (Second salesgirl), Eric Thompson (Peter Green), John Woodnutt (Mr Macalister),
Norman Pitt (Mr Newbold), Fred Hugh (Commissionaire also in 1.8, 12), Patricia Rogers (Mary Turner),
Monty Landis (Monty Davison), Gordon Rollings (Sammy Rivers), Mary Barclay (Mrs Brander),
Gwendolyn Watts (Maureen). Though not credited in TV Times, the on-screen credits also add these cast members:
Vicki Wolf, Delia Wicks, Janette Rowsell, June Ritchie and Andrew Lawrence.
1.6 July 31st 1961
Script- John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman. Director: Philip Dale.
Only star in this story was Graham Crowden.
Other regular: Vivan Pickles.
With Arnold Bell as Pascoe (also in 1.12).
Also in this cast: Peter Layton (Ronnie Cobb), David Coote (Ginger Hunkin),
Joyce Hemson (Lili Oakes also in 1.9), Carole Lorimer (Beryl), Pamela Conway (Thelma),
Angela Douglas (Shirley Arnatt), Robin Wentworth (Ted Arnatt), Irene Arnold (Rose Arnatt),
Ian Percy (Gary Arnatt), Anthony Woodruff (Mr Fox), Philip Ray (Joe Stock), Michael Segal (Frank Mercer),
Roy Denton (Lift man),Raymond Hodge (Police sergeant).
1.7 August 7th 1961 -
Script: Diana Noel. Director: Peter Sasdy.
Starring Jan Holden, Tristram Jellinek,
Norman Bowler and Jean Harvey as Miss Lindrum (first seen in the first story, but now in a starring role),
with Noel Hood as Miss Duke, and Brian McDermott as Peter Charlesworth.
Other regulars: Vivan Pickles, Judy Child (previously in 1.4), Roger Avon.
Also in this cast: Norman Chappell (Tom Fowler), Trevor Maskell (Bill Annerley),
Francesca Annis (Jenny Bates), James McLoughlin (Paddy O'Hara), David Brierley (George Barton),
Annette Kerr (Miss Smith), Grace Newcombe (Mrs Cranleigh), Katy Wild (Penny Angel),
Betty Henderson (Customer), Daphne Freman (Maggie O'Hara),
also appearing: Jacqueline Lacey, Barbara Archer, Lissa Gray, Katherine Newman,
Lilian Grassom, Patricia Clapton.
1.8 (August 14th 1961) -
Script: Dail Ambler. Director: John Knight.
Starring Jan Holden, with
Norman Bowler and Donald Morley as 'Man.' Other regulars:
Vivian Pickles, Pauline Stroud, Joyce Hemson, Fred Griffiths, Fred Hugh, Clovissa Newcombe.
Also in this cast: Bridget Armstrong (Gillian Hulls), Adrienne Poster (Cathy Hulls),
Shirley Thieman (Joan Balred), Liane Winters (First Italian girl),
Mia Karam (Second Italian Girl), Elizabeth Reber (Elizabeth Hamble),
Muriel Zillah (Waitress), Bill Cartwright (Packer), Vincent Charles (Maintenance man), Joe Ritchie (Fireman),
Fred McNaughton (Policeman).
This was Adrienne Poster's TV debut, playing a child who hides herself in the store's lift.
1.9 (August 21st 1961)
1.10 (August 28th 1961)
- Script: Max Marquis. Director: Philip Dale.
Starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden and Norman Bowler.
Plus: Vivian Pickles, Joyce Hemson,
Also in the cast: Norman Scace (Henry Bastable),
Mary McMillen (Laura), Barbara Joss (Jennifer), Patricia Garwood (Joan Moore),
David Rose (Ken Ford), Jeremy Longhurst (Walter Stone),
Dennis Edwards (Simon Wood), G Ruthven Mitchell (Customer),
Robert Desmond (Flash boy), Juno Stevas (Wanda Savage),
Sidney Vivian (Ted Moore), Marion Wilson (Dolly Moore).
1.11 (September 4th 1961)
- Script: Richard Harris. Director: Dennis Vance.
Starring Jan Holden, with
Gerald Andersen as Douglas Hurst (also in 1.12, 2.14), Tenniel Evans as Charles Underwood and
Richard Longman as Wilfred Ashton.
Plus: Vivian Pickles and Norman Bowler.
Also in the cast: William Gaunt (Robert Stacey), Veronica Strong (Betty Elliott),
John Rutland (Assistant), Dorothy White (Elisabeth Ashton), Edward Phillips (Waiter),
June Monkhouse (First customer), Sydney Bromley (Second Customer), Harriet Petworth (Third Customer).
1.12 (September 11th 1961)
- Script: Bill Craig. Director: Philip Dale.
Starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden and Arthur Hewlett,
with Gerald Andersen and Arnold Bell.
Plus: Vivian Pickles and Fred Hugh.
Also in the cast: David Gregory (Bob Prior), Jill Booty (Liz Barton),
David Graham (Anderson), Fred McNaughton (Johnson), Billy Milton (Middleton),
Grace Newcombe (First customer), Frances Cohen (Miss Egret), Tim Pearce (Joe Stobbart),
Pat O'Reilly (Second customer).
1.13 (September 18th 1961) -
Script: G Bellman and J Whitney. Director: Peter Sasdy,
and starring Jan Holden, Graham Crowden, Tristram Jellinek and Arthur Hewlett.
With Derek Francis as Hinchcliffe.
Plus: Vivian Pickles, Norman Bowler, and Pauline Stroud.
Also in the cast: Cameron Hall (Rumbold), Michael Da Costa (Clegg),
Janet Bruce (Mrs Brice), Jeanne Mockford (Woman), Keith Marsh (Snaithe),
John Brooking (Bamber), Charles Morgan (Gurney), Henry McGee (Roberts),
Lilian Grassom (Miss Huxtable).
End of series 1
Second series:
starring Jan Holden, and new characters:
Bernard Horsfall as Philip Nash PRO.
Philip Latham as Oliver Backhouse, male staff controller.
Other semi-regulars: Gordon Ruttan as Jeff Tyson, assistant to Nash,
Jayne Muir as Frances (Fanny) Peters, secretary to the PRO,
Rona Leigh as Tracey Wiggin, receptionist.
Veteran Wally Patch played the security man, though he is not in any of the stories of which I have details.
2.1 (Monday September 17th 1962 8pm)
- Script: G Bellman and J Whitney. Director: Dinah Thetford. Producer: Rex Firkin,
starring Jan Holden,
Bernard Horsfall, and
Philip Latham.
Other semi-regulars: Gordon Ruttan,
Jayne Muir,
Rona Leigh.
Also in the cast:
John Kelly (Painter), John Garvin (Chadwick), David Calderisi (Nicolas Ortega),
Elizabeth Ashley (Mrs St Clair), Gay Cameron (Ruth Byng), Derek Benfield (Cedric Gilbert),
Andre Charise (waiter), Gerald Case (Gerald St Clair), Paul Bacon (Tilling), Beaufoy Milton (Harry).
Synopsis-
Nicholas Ortega, the Spanish salesman in the Antique Department at Harpers,
is given a present by a wealthy customer, Mrs St Clair. This leads to unexpected trouble
for Ortega, both from his girlfriend Ruth, and also Mrs St Clair's husband.
Seeking publicity on a new French cheese, Philip Nash takes a journalist to lunch at a restaurant
where he has arranged that Harpers' cheese will be on the menu. This gets the publicity,
but catches the Food Department unawares.
2.2 (September 24th 1962)
2.3 (October 1st 1962)
2.4 (October 8th 1962)-
Script: Jeremy Paul. Director: Geoffrey Nethercott.
Starring Jan Holden,
with other regulars Gordon Ruttan,
Jayne Muir,
Rona Leigh.
Philip Grout as Len Carson.
Also in the cast:
Iris Russell (Shirley Medhurst), Rex Graham (George Medhurst), Peter Fraser (Keith Lacey),
Ann Davies (Angela Clarke), Sheila Bernette (Pat Williams), Keith Anderson (Martin Cobb),
Jennifer White (Gillian), Nigel Green (Marinus Van Leut), Michael Beint (First reporter),
Dixon Adams (Second reporter).
Keith Lacey, a young assistant in the photographic department, and his girl friend Angela,
break a valuable camera.
2.5 (October 15th 1962) Script: Raymond Bowers. Starring Philip Latham and Arthur Hewlett,
with one other regular
Jayne Muir.
Also in the cast: Patrick Troughton (Notril), Nita Moyce (Miss Springer), Colin Douglas (Mr Sweet), Pauline Devaney (Laura Harrison), Dorothy Smith (Miss Bigley), Barbara Archer (Sara Turner), Elizabeth Hart (Mrs Hunt), Godfrey James (PC Hunt), Carole Ann Ford (Marilyn), Anthony Gardner (Winston), Michael Haughey (Ted), Antony Sadler (Charlie).
2.6 (October 22nd 1962)-
Script: Richard Harris. Director: Royston Morley.
Starring Jan Holden, Philip Latham, Bernard Horsfall and Arthur Hewlett.
With other regulars Gordon Ruttan,
Wendy Richards as Susan Sullivan,
Philip Grout.
Also in the cast:
Geoffrey Palmer (Harry Adams), Bruce Beeby (Pat Woodthorpe), Mark Burns (Dennis Scott),
Maitland Moss (Landlord), Anne Blake (Berenice Sheridan), Nan Braunton (Miss Osborne),
Joe Ritchie (Ernie), Royston Tickner (George).
Harriet has entered an art competition set up by the London Guild of Shopkeepers.
The artistic, and not so artistic, employees submit their entries- with surprising results.
2.7 (October 29th 1962)
Script: Jeremy Paul. Director: Hugh Rennie.
Starring Jan Holden and Philip Latham.
With other regulars
Jayne Muir,
Gordon Ruttan,
Wendy Richards.
Also in the cast:
Rosemary Miller (Christine Willett), Ray Barrett (Joe Willett),
Marina Martin (Sonia Hemming), John Barcroft (Frank Busby), Sheila Raynor (Mrs Braithwaite).
When Harpers decide to feature the marriage problems of a young bride in the
house magazine, they choose Christine WIllett. But her marriage is no ordinary one.
2.8 (November 5th 1962)
2.9 (November 12th 1962)
Script: G Bellman and J Whitney. Director: Royston Morley.
Starring Jan Holden and Philip Latham.
With Jayne Muir.
Also in this cast:
Frances White (Daphne Sinden), Anna Turner (Mrs Riddler),
Judy Child (Mrs Sinden), Sheila Beckett (Miss Underwood), Charles Lamb (Jennings).
Oliver Backhouse, off duty, meets a girl who badly needs a job.
He tries to help her, and she is taken on by Harpers. But people start talking.
2.10 (November 19th 1962)
Script: Richard Harris. Director: Philip Barker. Producer: Royston Morley.
Starring Philip Latham.
With Jayne Muir.
Also in this cast:
Richard Vernon (Arthur Purvis), William Gaunt (Ralph Malden),
Brian Steele (Roy Turner), David Webb (Gordon Moffatt),
Gerald Harper (Rex Staple), Fred Ferris (Charlie Warren),
Brenda Dunrich (Mrs Dangerfield), Ann Way (Miss Melhuish),
Ian Wilson (Mr Watkins), Raymond Adamson (Ronnie).
Purvis realises that life is passing him by, so he takes
a surprising step to get himself out of the rut.
2.11 (November 26th 1962)
2.12 (December 3rd 1962)
2.13 (December 17th 1962)
2.14 (December 24th 1962)
Script: Robert Holmes. Director: Gerald Blake. Producer: Royston Morley.
This story starring Jan Holden, Philip Latham, Bernard Horsfall, Arthur Hewlett.
With Jayne Muir, Wendy Richard, Gerald Andersen as Douglas Hurst.
Also in this cast:
Pauline Winter (Jane Harper), Helen Christie (Lois Hurst),
Frederick Piper (John Ramsey), Nora Gordon (Edith Cramb),
William Douglas (Robert Edwards), Arthur Mullard (Alf Enwright),
Michael Graham Cox (Edgar Cartwright), Margot Lister (Miss Benson Brooke),
Hana Pravda (Mrs Schrader), Katherine Page (Miss Adamson), Malcolm Russell (Hardcastle).
Harpers holds its annual party for former members of staff.
For one of them, John Ramsey, it is an evening that changes his future.
2.15 (December 31st 1962)
2.16 (January 7th 1963)
2.17 (January 14th 1963)
2.18 (January 21st 1963)
2.19 (January 28th 1963- final ever story)
To Harpers West One main section . . . Drama menu
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City '68 (Granada)
Stories of urban life, set in a fictional Lancashire city.
Here's a Question:
Name the well known producer of this series.
Answer
My review to follow of
1.9 Love Thy Neighbour (Friday February 2nd 1968, 9-10pm)
Script: Anthony Skene. Director: Cyril Coke.
with Barry Linehan (Bernard Gilpin), AJ Brown (Magistrate), June Ritchie (Trixie), Jerome Willis (Martin), Charlotte Mitchell (Dorothy), Bernard Hepton (Walter), Reginald Marsh (Harry Oake), Yootha Joyce (Hilda Oake), Wanda Ventham (Alison), Valerie Lush (Miss Glendower).
'Who can tell- who dare prophesy where this rash and un-English neighbourliness and goodwill may end?' It's actually the story of a car sharing scheme.
on a film print
To Drama menu
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MRS THURSDAY
The first series surprisingly hit the top spot in the TAM ratings.
Accomplished film actress Kathleen Harrison was a natural in this role of a charlady who comes into a fortune, a series created by Ted Willis for ATV.
Mrs, T's 'guardian' was the slightly irritating Mr Hunter played by Hugh Manning.
Question- What was the appropriate title of the final story?
Answer
The episode below has been released on dvd and is worth buying. 37 others from the three series remain unseen for 40 years.
1.8 You Don't Have To Book for Buckingham Palace (May 3rd 1966)-
Mrs T's trying to avoid another of those "rather boring" business meetings "hiding" in Mr Hunter's office. On the agenda is a discussion about holidays, but Mrs T doesn't need any rest. "I've got nothing to worry about even," she says rather plaintively. The truth is she has no friends now, so Mr Hunter arranges an evening with the directors and their wives, but it's a "frost." So she contacts old cleaner friend Ethel (Dandy Nichols) and their long bouts of silence are hardly encouraging. "I'm neither one thing or the other," observes Mrs T.
However Mr Hunter wants Mrs T to have a holiday, if only, to be frank, because he wants to have it off with someone, anyone. He attempts to bring Ethel and Mrs T together at bingo, but Ethel fails to turn up as she has just had a flaming row with her boorish husband Arthur (Colin Douglas). Mrs T looks her old pal up and she's in her element looking after Ethel and tidying up her home. Her example almost reforms Arthur who promises to take Ethel away on holiday. So Mrs T is once again all alone, and as Mr Hunter has failed to impress any secretary going, he and Mrs T enjoy a happy 'holiday,' seeing the sights of London Town
Drama menu
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Virgin Of The Secret Service (1968)
was perhaps one of ATV's most maligned studio bound series.
The stars were:
in the title role Clinton Greyn,
Veronica Strong as Virginia Cortez his fiance,
John Cater as Doublett, Virgin's boss,
Alexander Dore as von Brauner, and
Noel Coleman as Colonel Shaw-Camberley
The series was a kind of Boys Own drama of
Captain Robert Virgin who has to stop the enemy in the shape of Karl von Brauner
from bringing down, gasp, the Empire. Gad!
My review of 1 Dark Deeds on the Northwest Frontier
"Damn it all, that's not good enough," yells Col Richards of the 7th Punjab Cavalry, maybe echoing the verdict on this series, though in fact he is complaining about the murder of cavalrymen, and gad sir, even worse, the loss of Major Hamilton's three fingers. If the restless natives are not behind the killings, then who is?
Croquet on the lawn- Cpt Virgin is commissioned to find out.
In Afghanistan, a celebrated butterfly expert Theodor Green (Cyril Luckham) is captured by Princess Katerina. She hates all English, as they killed her husband. She's backed by, gasp, the Russians. With their help she plans to invade India, but the plans are hidden in beads which Theodor's 18 year old daughter Polly inadvertently finds.
In by balloon descends Virgin, discerning Polly is being molested. The attackers scatter before him, "oh captain, how can I ever thank you enough?" cries Polly clutching her breast.
She is whisked by ballooon to safety, away to the 7th Punjab, and "the joy of 800 rough tough lusty fighting men." When Col Richards realises Virgin is "one of them," he agrees to arrange for him to meet the local emir. But before that happens, another murderous attack on Polly, her screams saving her as Cpt Virgin dangles from the lightshades to chase off the intruders, "Miss Green, are you all right?" "Oh yes, captain," (swooning), though the captain isn't bright enough to see that the intruders are after something, her beads in fact. With the arrival of the enigmatic Mrs Cortez, there's now a chaperone for Polly.
The emir's emissary, the wasir (Denis Shaw) has his confab with Virgin, but it is interrupted by another attack. This time Mrs Cortez is on hand to sensuously bathe Cpt Virgin's wound.
"You bumbling cretins," screams Katerina, "this Captain Virgin is a fly in the soup." So she leaves it all to her ally, von Brauner. "I shall recover ze beads and send Captain Virgin to his final resting place," (evil cackle).
But Virgin has found Green in Katerina's dungeon, but maybe it's a trap by the evil von Brauner, for Virgin finds himself locked inside the jail with the butterfly expert. Absurdly he had brought Polly with him too!
Von Brauner snatches her beads, and the attack on India is now imminent.
"There may be one slender chance," offers the gallant captain, it's a carrier pigeon. There's another ray of hope as Mrs Cortez has followed them all and learned that the veiled princess is not the legendary beauty of her reputation. She is locked in her boudoir.
"If you have one stroke of decency in you..." appeals Virgin to von Brauner, but of course he has none, and "the entertainment commences," that is the execution of the prisoners.
Mrs Cortez however impersonates the queen rather well and the deaths are called off by her. There is an unseemly scuffle and many scores are settled. "The British Empire will be a safer place without her."
There are several ways of playing this Boys' Own stuff. The straight laced, which is largely how the lead Clinton Greyn plays it.
Or you can act childlishly, a la Cyril Luckham. Or the usual method is to overact, the approach adopted by
Alexander Dore as the evil German, and by Bernard Hepton as the colonel, and most splendidly by Patience Collier as the ranting princess. But on any count, the mixture here never gels at all
Brief Details of all 13 stories . . Drama menu
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The thirteen stories in Virgin of the Secret Service
were: 1 Dark Deeds on the Northwest Frontier (Thursday 28th March 1968 9pm) - my review is above
The other stories were: 2 Entente Cordiale (4th April 1968).
With Frederick Peisley, and Robert Crewdson.
3 The Great Ring Of Akba (11th April 1968).
Written by Ted Willis, with
John Collin, John Horsley, Mark Colleano.
Cpt Virgin crosses the burning sands of Arabia alone, to meet a cruel usurper face to face.
4 Russian Roundabout (18th April 1968).
guest stars Michael Coles and Gabrielle Drake.
With Desmond Llewellyn, Peter Diamond and Terence Rigby.
Cpt Virgin travels to St Petersberg and finds in the centre of a web of villainy and intrigue a Prince
who dreams of being crowned Emperor of India.
5 The Amazons (25th April 1968).
guest stars: John Welsh and Sean Lynch.
Cpt Robert Virgin fights his way through the jungles of Brazil,
and finds himself caught up in plot to drive out the British
and seize the Inca gold.
6 The Rajah And The Suffragette (2nd May 1968).
With guest artists Rodney Bewes, Jennie Linden, Clive Morton and Roger Delgaldo.
Cpt Virgin locates a missing suffragette in a Rajah's school of love,
and learns of a plot to entomb an entire British regiment in the Valley of Sindra-Lal.
7 Persuasion Of A Million Drops (9th May 1968).
With guest artists: Norman Scace, and Michael Lees.
Cpt Virgin goes in search of a new and terrifying invention
and finds himself face to face with a man who dreams of making the whole world a province of China.
8 Pride Of Assassins (16th May 1968 - the series was shunted off in some regions to the post News at Ten slot).
With Eugene Deckers, and Tommy Godfrey.
Cpt Virgin hunts down the brilliant French marksman Bobo le Mec,
who is suspected of planning to assassinate King Carol of Croatia.
9 Across The Silver Pass Of Gusri Song (23rd May 1968).
With Georgina Hale, and Ewen Solon.
10 The Pyramid Plot (30th May 1968).
With Lisa Daniely, William Kendall and Paul Darrow.
11 A Fate Worse Than Death (6th June 1968).
With Oscar Quitak, Sean Lynch and Michael Wynne.
12 The Professor Goes West (13th June 1968)
With David Bauer, Al Mancini, Carlton Hobbs and Jerry Stovin.
13 Wings Over Glencraig (20th June 1968- final adventure)
With Peter Sinclair, Freddie Earlle, John Grieve and Milton Reid.
Cpt Virgin travels to Scotland in a desperate bid to save a new and terrifying
invention for the Empire.
Viewer reaction was probably worse than for even The Prisoner,
with even TV Times finding
few viewers to praise it. Here are some typical comments from numerous disgruntled viewers:
"load of rubbish"... "childish and over-acted"....
"a load of tripe. The adverts are far more entertaining"...
"unadulterated drivel, and badly acted drivel at that"...
"please spare us the agony of such rubbish. They must think
the viewing public have the mentality of 12 year olds"....
"I failed to find anything remotely entertaining in it"....
"please do not sell it abroad. Foreign viewers would never
believe that anyone could put together such a programme."
Ted Willis had created the series, but this must have been one of his off days.
Drama menu
Virgin of the Secret Service
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Here is a review of one play that I have not seen-
Blackmail
(Rediffusion)