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Post by Gene Hunt on Dec 25, 2016 12:25:27 GMT
....For a reason that will become obvious as you watch, it's unlikely that this play will be shown on tv ever again, depriving the nation of another towering performance from the World's greatest actor I agree. Rossiter was brilliant. Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Dec 25, 2016 18:52:20 GMT
....For a reason that will become obvious as you watch, it's unlikely that this play will be shown on tv ever again, depriving the nation of another towering performance from the World's greatest actor I agree. Rossiter was brilliant. Gene. Never heard of 'im
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Post by Arthur Pringle on May 25, 2017 19:07:07 GMT
Roll On Four O'Clock ( 19 December 1970 )
Another play written by ( and starring ) Colin Welland, this time for ITV Sunday Night Theatre. I watched it for the first time last night as I'd come across it on youtube whilst looking at something else. The opening credits were missing ( it was a tv recording from a BBC repeat in the 90s ), so never having heard of it or seen it before I had no idea who wrote it or who starred in it, so it was a great surprise to discover this truly great play with an excellent cast of familiar actors, Welland included. Set in a secondary school, it is very reminiscent of 'Kes'. I won't describe the story in any detail as it's better to watch it unfold for yourself, suffice to say that for 1970 this was a brave & compassionate play by Welland.
In 1981 Welland directed the play himself for theatre, amoungst the cast were Glyn Owen ( Money Money Money ) & Windsor Davies. It opened in Wythenshawe, Manchester then later moved to London. As I mentioned the youtube version is missing the first few minutes though there is a complete copy on dailymotion, I don't think this play is available on dvd. Imdb ratings are not necessarily an accurate indicator of a film or show's quality, but this play has a rating of 9.3.
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Post by Gene Hunt on May 26, 2017 5:24:43 GMT
I started to watch this last night Arthur and it is very good. I will finish watching it tonight. Some immediately recognisable faces in it and some great old Manchester locations. Remarkably natural acting from the main cast but I've come to expect this, especially from Colin Welland.
I've had a quick look around but can't find the other Welland SNT offering - "Bangelstein's Boys" from the previous year...
Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on May 26, 2017 15:17:50 GMT
Yes, you don't see these kind of naturalistic performances any more, despite being closer to how people actually behave & speak in real life. The scene where Welland's character asks the boy about the studs on his jacket, this is just how I remember teachers talking to pupils & how they acted if you ever found yourself in the staff room. Bangelstein's Boys, concerning a rugby team, was apparently the first play Welland wrote & intended for theatre but there were concerns from producers about the language being 'too vulgar' so it didn't happen. There are several publicity stills on Rex Features but it looks like there are no copies of it about. Now that I remember, I recently watched a Z Cars reunion ITV show on youtube & Welland mentioned that he, as well as Del Henney & Donald Webster were cast in 'Straw Dogs' as Sam Peckinpah had seen them in Bangelstein's Boys. I wonder what happened to Donald Webster? His role as Thomas Rhys Llewelyn in The Sweeney is his final imdb credit.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Jun 1, 2017 18:13:08 GMT
Finally got around to finishing "Roll On Four O'Clock" and it didn't disappoint one bit. Great performances all round. Clive Swift was superb but then most of the cast were to be fair. A real gem of a show.
Just looking at IMDB and it looks as though George A Cooper is still alive at 92!
Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 1, 2017 18:52:01 GMT
You wouldn't think it but he was only 45 when he appeared in Roll On Four O'Clock, I can't see any pictures of him on google looking young!
There's a recent interview with him here produced by a company who do Doctor Who stuff where he talks about his career.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Jun 1, 2017 18:59:28 GMT
Great bloke. Amazing though, that he appears to have aged about 10 years in the last 50 years! Thanks for posting that clip Arthur Gene.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Sept 23, 2019 17:45:58 GMT
Stumbled across this on Youtube - starring the late great Leonard Rossiter. Random episodes of Play For Today only seem to have been released on DVD.
Shame these aren't all repeated on BBC4 or Talking Pictures TV.
Anyone have any favourites?
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Post by Gene Hunt on Sept 23, 2019 18:02:20 GMT
That's a great play that I've seen a few times Sparky. One of my favourites though is Kisses at Fifty starring Bill Maynard.
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