Good new Bewes/Bolam article

[Quisby]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article. Not to derail the thread but all the other McCann articles on that site are worth a look as well - all fascinating glimpses of the byways of comedy's past. I particularly enjoyed the stories of Communist sex pest Miles Malleson and the hilarious but sad tale of Joan Turner disrupting a Danish song for Europe live broadcast.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/

[Small Potatoes]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article. Not to derail the thread but all the other McCann articles on that site are worth a look as well - all fascinating glimpses of the byways of comedy's past. I particularly enjoyed the stories of Communist sex pest Miles Malleson and the hilarious but sad tale of Joan Turner disrupting a Danish song for Europe live broadcast.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/

Just seconding this - after reading the Bewes/Bolam one, I was impressed enough to dip into the rest. The one on Leonard Rossiter being a difficult cunt, and one on Irene Handl's novelistic talents, are particularly great.

[Billy]

I discovered the show through the Ant and Dec remake circa 2002, which got a reaction as furious as when Reeves and Mortimer recreated a Morecambe and Wise sketch with Tom Jones around the same time. Sadly the former didn't have a shot of a scowling Ronnie Barker in the audience like the latter did.

For me Bewes will mostly be associated as the main soldier in that Peter Davison Doctor Who serial, also starring Leslie Grantham and one of the Playschool presenters being violently murdered by Daleks.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I can't imagine Rodney Bewes giving a convincing performance as Dr. Harold Shipman.

That made me laugh. Sorry, Rodders. RIP.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I agree that WHTTLL is the superior series by some margin, but this sketch from the 1964 Christmas Night With The Stars is both hilarious and amazingly prescient of our relationship with our childhoods these days.

"It was Edward Trunk!"

Also, astonishingly, the original series was Clement and La Frenais's first credit - in fact, the skit that started it off was the first thing they ever wrote together. Even Galton and Simpson had some work under their collective belt before Hancock's Half Hour.

That's a great sketch. It could only be written by people in their twenties who've only recently been struck by the futility of obsessing over trivial childhood nostalgia. But these conversations never end, no matter how old you are.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

That said, 'The Beast' seems a pretty needlessly strong nickname for someone who's worst crime seems to have been being a tiresome blowhard on occassion. Seems like at heart Bewes was a harmless and basically well intentioned guy who's persona and attitude just rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way.

Exactly. He comes across as a bit of a wally who didn't mean any harm. 'The Beast' implies that he was a ghastly fusion of Finchy and Brent from The Office.

[Glebe]

[ajsmith2]

I was a bit reluctant to link to a previous WHTTLL thread as I didn't want to derail this one, but it is a good read if you haven't seen it before: https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,48833.0.html

That's a really good thread curated by Serge. I didn't appreciate it enough at the time, but I found it really interesting when I did my own rewatch last year or so.

[Norton Canes]

For me Bewes will mostly be associated as the main soldier in that Peter Davison Doctor Who serial, also starring Leslie Grantham and one of the Playschool presenters being violently murdered by Daleks

Always thought they missed a trick by not getting Bolam in as Davros

[pigamus]

Just seconding this - after reading the Bewes/Bolam one, I was impressed enough to dip into the rest. The one on Leonard Rossiter being a difficult cunt, and one on Irene Handl's novelistic talents, are particularly great.

Yeah - I was kind of astonished by the obsessive fitness thing - I mean he never looked healthy did he?

[notjosh]

Lot's of great pieces in that column, but I particularly enjoyed the ones on Cary Grant's love of pantomime, and Rex Harrison being a cunt.

[ajsmith2]

This fantastic song about Rodney Bewes by one Martin Carnaby has to be posted on this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8RB8IiGyM8

[ajsmith2]

Also had no idea till I searched for that last song that Bewes co-wrote and sang (with Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann who of course penned the WHTTLL theme) what appears to be a bizzare unofficial sequel song to The Beatles 'Lovely Rita':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A98lJdQW_-4

[dr beat]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article. Not to derail the thread but all the other McCann articles on that site are worth a look as well - all fascinating glimpses of the byways of comedy's past. I particularly enjoyed the stories of Communist sex pest Miles Malleson and the hilarious but sad tale of Joan Turner disrupting a Danish song for Europe live broadcast.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/

Cheers for this, I read quite a few of these last night.  Might be worth a topic for a separate thread?

[Norton Canes]

Thanks for the link. Interesting article. Not to derail the thread but all the other McCann articles on that site are worth a look as well - all fascinating glimpses of the byways of comedy's past. I particularly enjoyed the stories of Communist sex pest Miles Malleson and the hilarious but sad tale of Joan Turner disrupting a Danish song for Europe live broadcast.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/comedy_chronicles/

Loved the one on Schnorbitz.

[gilbertharding]

Loved the one on Schnorbitz.

...they agreed to quit - but only after their father (their biggest fan) died, which would not be until 1977.

makes it sound as if it was scheduled.

I was eight in 1978, and my first exposure to Bernie Winters was him appearing with a dog. I found it very confusing, entirely unfunny, and the audience response didn't help.

[Autopsy Turvey]

He's got a tendency towards overwritten pseudo-literary journalese in these at times, along with an apparent aversion to citations, which his editors mostly managed to keep at bay in his books, but these are indeed totally fascinating. The filming clash on Bognor beach between Steptoe & Son and The Punch & Judy Man is amazing, can't believe that's never been flagged up before, not even by the Bognor Tourist Board.

[jobotic]

The Joan Turner article made me laugh out loud and then feel guilty for doing so.

[ctaylor]

The Joan Turner article made me laugh out loud and then feel guilty for doing so.

Me too. Actually managed to find the show here and it's as chaotic as the article describes. She starts at 54:00 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iruo3EFbd1E

[dr beat]

Only just got to JT but the first 50 minutes is worthy of a Chart Music Podcast special alone.

[non capisco]

These are great. Currently enjoying the one about what an absolute cunt Rex Harrison was.

[shiftwork2]

Just echoing the sentiments on these being a bit of a find.  The Rossiter one is intriguing.  Windsor Davies was pretty broad as Battery Sergeant Major, it's true, but I just couldn't see Rossiter doing anything better with it in the confines of a fairly trad sitcom.

[Voltan (Man of Steel)]

These are great. Currently enjoying the one about what an absolute cunt Rex Harrison was.

Yep. I'd be tempted to dig him up just to punch him. I wonder how he'd have got on with Leonard Rossiter.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

The Joan Turner article made me laugh out loud and then feel guilty for doing so.

Haha it was great, especially this

The sense of relief was palpable. The audience, out of a desire to hurry her off rather than stop and show their respect, launched into another bout of applause. Her own drummer was so excited that he even burst into a mini-drum solo.

[gib]

Loved the one on Schnorbitz.

He [Richard De Vere] even, in time, managed to arrange for a bronze statue of himself and Schnorbitz to be installed on Blackpool's promenade.

Is this true? I cant find a picture of this statue.

[Autopsy Turvey]

Just echoing the sentiments on these being a bit of a find.  The Rossiter one is intriguing.  Windsor Davies was pretty broad as Battery Sergeant Major, it's true, but I just couldn't see Rossiter doing anything better with it in the confines of a fairly trad sitcom.

Yeah really, what use would It Ain't Half Hot Mum have had for a complex and subtle performance of a strutting sergeant major? Besides, old Windsy was able to get plenty of mileage out of the character's few quieter, more vulnerable moments.