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Post by Arthur Pringle on Nov 7, 2020 21:08:27 GMT
Next PFT on Tuesday is 'Don't Be Silly' from 1979. This play about domestic violence was written by Rachel Billington, actually Lady Billington as she is the daughter of the late Lord Longford. She is also Boris Johnson's godmother & was sister in law to Harold Pinter. Incidentally, in the cast is Maria Aitken, daughter of another nob & sister of another Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken, also ex wife of actor Nigel Davenport.
This is one of 2 PFT writing credits she has, her only other tv/film writing credit is the film 'The Light At The Edge Of The World' which was directed by her husband Kevin Billington. I think the last time this film was shown was in 1986 or 7, I taped it when it was on ITV, a surprisingly violent Jules Verne story about a lighthouse keeper played by Kirk Douglas fighting a vicious gang of pirates led by Yul Brynner.
Like other PFT's it was followed by a discussion programme.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Nov 8, 2020 9:00:59 GMT
Thanks Arthur - digital recorder set to go
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Nov 11, 2020 0:34:23 GMT
'Don't Be Silly' was a disturbing & upsetting watch due in part to Christopher Godwin's believable performance as the bullying husband. I recognised him as prison officer Beal from the film version of 'Porridge'. It would've been very easy to portray the violent husband as a big, brutish thug but he's a slightly built & 'respectable' middle class man. Can't say I enjoyed watching this play but it was very well done, you can imagine a film being made today on the subject of domestic violence that wouldn't have half the power, something about videotape makes things seem very real.
Sad to read on imdb that Susan Fleetwood who played the abused wife so well died aged 51 in 1995. She appeared in the Minder episode 'Senior Citizen Caine' & was the sister of Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.
Next Tuesday at 10pm is 'The Black Stuff', the play that 'Boys From The Black Stuff' originated from.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Nov 11, 2020 8:24:29 GMT
Thanks for the Heads up Arthur - got a few of these to catch up on.
Am continuing the Betamax tape transfer and exploration project from Lockdown#1.
Yesterday, I came across a Granada TV film/play "Roll on 4 O'clock" - which appears to be the complete film. It is set in a City Comp School and was written by and starring Colin Welland, and features Clive Swift and Bill Dean.
I watched the first 10minutes, and have set aside time today to watch the whole thing. Proper northern gritty drama.
I gather it was made in 1970, by Granada as part of ITVs "Saturday Night Theatre" strand.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Nov 11, 2020 17:31:19 GMT
Roll on 4 o'clock is very good Sparky. I watched this a couple of years ago.
There is another Sweeney face in it too with Geoffrey Whitehead (Mills in the episode "Trap")
Colin Welland was a great writer and actor. Very natural.
Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Nov 11, 2020 18:09:43 GMT
Interesting you found that Sparky, is it a recording from BBC2 in 1992? A night of Granada programmes were shown on 28 Dec-
Excellent play from Welland who previously being a teacher knew the subject, naturalistic performances from a cast of Northern actors, page 6 of this thread mentions it in more detail.
Btw, BBC4 is available in HD on Freeview, I mention it as I hadn't realised until I scrolled through the HD channels.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Nov 11, 2020 18:37:30 GMT
Interesting you found that Sparky, is it a recording from BBC2 in 1992? A night of Granada programmes were shown on 28 Dec-
Excellent play from Welland who previously being a teacher knew the subject, naturalistic performances from a cast of Northern actors, page 6 of this thread mentions it in more detail.
Btw, BBC4 is available in HD on Freeview, I mention it as I hadn't realised until I scrolled through the HD channels.
It doesn't appear to be on the BBC.
Though, I vaguely remember the Granada evening on BBC - though didn't see any of it, or even what was shown. At the time I was working at a Theatre - so with it being Christmas/New Year and evening - I'd have missed it.
I remember the chap on the stage door had a small B&W portable TV and was watching something about Lennon & McCartney! The recording may have come from that - I'll see if there are any adverts thrown in it.
Saturday Night Theatre is one thread I never heard of.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Nov 11, 2020 18:37:57 GMT
Roll on 4 o'clock is very good Sparky. I watched this a couple of years ago. There is another Sweeney face in it too with Geoffrey Whitehead (Mills in the episode "Trap") Colin Welland was a great writer and actor. Very natural. Gene. Thanks Guv.
Not had chance to watch it today, I think that will this evenings viewing.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Nov 11, 2020 19:43:36 GMT
Looking at imdb, 'ITV Saturday Night Theatre' began in 1969, later changed its name to 'ITV Sunday Night Theatre' and ran for 200 episodes. Of the ones listed & available on dvd I recognise Jack Rosenthal's 'Another Sunday And Sweet FA', Alun Owen's 'MacNeil' with Sean Connery, 'The Death Of Adolf Hitler' with Frank Finlay as Hitler, but not many of the others.
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