1983
BEAU
GESTE…Director
Douglas Camfield…
Producer Barry Letts
BBCTV…
We recorded this in 1982
but this was the year it
hit the TV screens.
THIS IS DUGGIES
DIRTY HALF DOZEN…FROM
L-R BACK ROW
RED, JOHN, AITCH,
BARRY…FRONT
ROW…PATSY AND LES.
So the
dirty half dozen think
they’re off to the
sands of the Sahara for
six weeks to play
Legionnaires. (Wrong,
this is the BBC)
How about Spain? (Wrong
again) (One more guess).
Dorset. (CO-RRECT)
The BBC find a huge sand
quarry down in Dorset in
the West Country and we
all trek down there for a
few weeks of filming..
A huge fort is built and
everything goes to plan
except one thing. It
never stops raining.
Even a blue sky would
have been nice now and
again.
Undeterred Douglas shoots
all the interior shots
while it’s raining
and as soon as we get a
break in the clouds
we’re all outside
marching up and down the
desert. (We finished the
shoot on schedule much to
our surprise)
I meet up again with
Christopher Malcolm and
John Challis and we spend
a few nights having a
swift half in the hotel
bar.
On set Douglas was so in
control of both cast and
crew it was a great
pleasure to be working
for him again.
It rained so hard one day
that our dining marquee
got flooded out, so the
dirty half dozen decided
to dig some trenches to
take the water out.
(Douglas was filming
interiors)
It worked and by the time
the crew came in for
their lunch it was still
damp but the water was
gone.
The whole shoot was a
great laugh and I’m
glad I was a part of it.
Douglas let me off a day
early because CBTV had
been on the phone saying
they wanted me back the
next day to do a CBTV
special and could I be
spared.
I had already been killed
in the fort and was just
laying on the look out
tower.
Douglas said he’d
put someone in my place.
(The pipe and monkey
trick)
I finished work that day
about six and when I got
back to the hotel there
was a taxi waiting to
take me to a hotel in
Teddington and pick me up
in the morning and convey
me to the studio. (Is
this star treatment or
what)
On CBTV that day the star
guest was Kenny Williams
and I think he half knew
me from the Carry On
days..
A few years later I
bought a house a stones
throw from where Kenny
was born.
Every week on CBTV would
get guest stars some pop,
some like Kenny.
One week we had Madness
on and they helped Jim
and Steve trick me into
letting them into the
boiler room.. As they
came in I saw one of them
holding their latest L.P.
and as they were on
camera I said
‘’Can you sign
that for my boy Stewart,
he’s a big fan of
yours’’ They
couldn’t refuse and
over a period of time I
got a lot of L.P.s (And
they called me dopey
Harry) (Not so dopey)
Bob Todd (Who worked
mainly for Benny Hill)
and I became mates as did
Jim Davidson. The three
of us would pop into the
pub next to the studio
and have a swift half or
three..
All the cast on CBTV
would wind down after a
show and have a couple of
pints next door then
we’d head for home
and see one another the
next week.
Jim Davidson employed me
a couple of times when he
did his own shows.
Thanks Jim.
I’ve got a video
tape somewhere of about
fifty extracts from CBTV
and other shows and I
sometimes watch them and
the memories come
flooding back.
Moving photos my grandson
calls them and asks
‘’Did you used
to dye your hair
Grandad?’’
(I’m very grey now)
Bob Todd told me once
that Benny Hill said I
was the best ad libber in
the business.
I never worked with
Benny.
THE
FALKLANDS FACTOR…Director
Colin
Bucksey…BBCTV…
Here I am cast as a
ruffian in this story set
in the South Atlantic in
1770.
Not really a lot to do
but sing a few sea
shanties and get drunk.
(I knew all that
rehearsing with the swift
halves would pay off in
the end)
A huge cast and a job
well done..
THE
YOUNG ONES…Director
Geoff
Posner…Producer Paul
Jackson…BBCTV…
Cast Inc…Rik
Mayall…Nigel
Planer…Adrian
Edmondson…Christopher
Ryan…
I’d known Paul
Jackson for many years
from the Two
Ronnie’s days when
he was an Assistant Stage
Manager and he was such a
hard worker I knew he
would get on in the
business. (He proved me
right)
I was booked for one
episode to play a
uniformed cop and to
enter the Young
One’s flat and bust
up a drink and drugs
(pretend) party.
It was an easy job and
I’d like to wish
Paul well because the
last thing I read about
him he was off to run a
TV station down under.
We do work again together
before he goes.
CBTV…Director
Stuart Hall…Thames
TV…Teddington…
I’m into my second
year on the show and am
having great fun.
Bob Todd keeps popping in
and we’re having a
great laugh ad libbing
the sketches..
Sometimes I’m
promoted to sitting
behind the interview desk
and that’s very
nerve racking because as
you speak it’s going
out to a couple of
million kids.
SOMEONE SAID
"TAKE THAT UGLY
SLIMEY THING OUT OF THE
STUDIO AND TAKE THE SNAKE
AS WELL."
(People can hurt your
feelings)
My
character (Harry the
Gateman) was getting
dafter every week but the
kids loved it. I was now
getting fan mail asking
me ‘’Why are
you so thick’’.
‘’Let me be on
the gate with you and
I’ll help you stop
them getting into the
studio every
week’’ (Bless).
Another presenter joined
us for a while.
Gigi Garner (Daughter of
James) and she was great
fun to work with but
after a while she went
back to the USA. (I wish
you well)
Les Dennis came for an
audition as a presenter
and I was surprised he
never got the job but he
went on to other things
and became a millionaire.
We used to get all the
top bands of the day on
the show but I was still
living in the past as far
as music goes.
We had a teenager on one
week doing an
impersonation of Elvis
singing ‘’Blue
Suede
Shoes’’…
He was good and I wonder
what he did with his
life.
We used to have a part of
the show as a
‘’ HOT
SEAT’’ and the
guests of the day would
sit and have about twenty
kids firing questions at
them.
We had ‘’Roland
Rat’’ on one
week trying to take over
the show but I soon put a
stop to that. (I’ve
still got it on video)
We filmed on episode down
at Brighton with Harry
trying to spoil all the
fun.
That was a hot week
weather wise and I ended
up fully clothed in the
English Channel.
ERIC KENT, AITCH
AND DON HANN PROTECTING
OUR PLACE
IN THE TEA QUEUE…(Job
Unknown)
THE
GATHERING SEED…Director
Tom
Clegg…BBCTV…
Cast Inc…James
Ellis…Paul
Copely…
A few days on this 1940s
saga with not a lot to do
but I’m back working
for my old mate Tom Clegg
again.
COWBOYS…THAMES
TV…
Cast Inc…Roy
Kinnear…Colin
Welland…Dermot
Kelly…
'ere missus, I've
come to look at yer
pipes....
Saying a
few lines on this comedy
show as a cowboy builder.
(Audience show)
Roy gave me some good
advice and said get
everything under your
belt and do every job
that comes along.. It
could be your pension
money in years to come.
MINDER…Director
Tom
Clegg…Thames/Euston
Films…
Cast Inc…George
Cole…Dennis
Waterman…
I worked
on a few Minders over the
years but it was always
nice to work on the ones
that Tom directed because
he would always find me
something special to do
or say.
My old mate Barry
Summerford was
standing-in for Dennis
(and still is to this
day) and ’’The
Door Mouse’’
Alan Gibbs stood/in for
George..
There was always plenty
of work for Supporting
Artists on this series.
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|
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| Click on
the two pictures above
for video clips from
'Minder' |
THE
DAWSON WATCH…Director
Peter
Whitmore…BBCTV…
I’m back to do some
very funny sketches with
Les Dawson.
In one of them we’re
back in the Roman times
on a Galley and Les and
the rest of the cast are
dressed as Galley slaves
rowing the boat using
huge oars. I’m
dressed as a Centurion
and have lines to say
like ‘’Put your
back into it, come on
slaves row
harder’’
I crack my big black whip
a few times very near to
them then Les starts to
camp it up with Roy
Barraclough who’s
sitting next to him.
Les (talking about me)
‘’ What’s
he think he looks like
with that big thing in
his hand’’
‘’And look how
short that skirt (Toga)
is, he hasn’t got
the legs for
that’’.
‘’ When we get
back to Rome we must have
a whip round for the
driver’’
Now I don’t know if
all of that was kept in
the edited scenes but the
audience were in uproars
and I found it hard to
keep a straight face
throughout.
My wife and daughter
Connie were in the
audience that night and
Les invited us up to the
club bar after the show
finished and made a fuss
of us.
LES DAWSON AN ENGLISH
COMIC HERO…
HART
TO HART Episode:
Two Harts Are Better Than
One
Robert
Wagner ... Jonathan Hart
Stefanie Powers ...
Jennifer Hart
Lionel Stander ... Max
Peter Arne ... Brooks
Kera
John Evitts ... Gerald
Simon Jones ... Calvin
Derek Martin ...
Inspector Drootin
Ron Moody ... Charles
Thompson
David Warner ... Mr.
Bowlly
Harry Fielder ... PC with
Drootin (uncredited)
Had a fun day filming
around Tower Bridge...
STRONGBOW
COMMERCIAL…TWICKENHAM
STUDIOS…
Now I never write too
much about Commercials
but this one really
stands out from the
others in the fact that
by now you will have
gathered that I do love
to drink the odd swift
half of the black stuff.
This advert is for cider.
The night before I do
this job I’m
compering and singing in
a pub in Islington. (I
can still hack it) and as
I haven’t got a car
at the moment a good
friend of mine who is on
the job with me the next
day said he’ll give
me a lift to the studio
in the morning. (Good old
Jerry Judge, a non
drinker.)
After a good night (and
early morning) in the pub
I grab a few hours sleep
before Jerry’s
banging on my door and
we’re off on the
twenty mile trip to the
studios.
Now I don’t feel to
clever so when I get on
the set I’ll just
hide my face at the back
of the other thirty or
more Supporting Artists
knowing I’ll feel
better as the day goes
along. (It’s called
a hangover)
However this is not to be
and as the director
searches through all the
faces of the crowd, he
comes across mine and
decides that I will be
the star for the day.
I’m sat directly in
front of camera and a
large pint of cider is
placed in front of me.
Another couple of the
boys are also placed at
the bar.
Now the director tells us
the plot.
Simon Williams will come
into the bar with a
pretty ex page three girl
and order a couple of
funny drinks.. (Pink Gin
or Dakari or some silly
name).
That’s my cue to
give him a look, turn
back to my cider and take
a good swig.
After about ten takes the
cider tastes a lot better
and I’m beginning to
feel better.
Now I’m only
drinking a mouthful of
cider on every take so
it’s not that much.
As the crew move the
camera to a new position
for different angles I
have a chat with Jerry
Judge who is standing
just along the bar from
me.
I lean onto the bar to
take the weight off my
body and a prop man tells
me to be careful because
that’s where the
arrows will be hitting
the counter.. (Arrows?,
what f***ing arrows!).
Of course this is the
commercial where the
arrows thud into the
counter at the end.
The crew have set the
camera for a different
angle and it’s
‘’ First
positions, we’ll go
from the top
again’’
Now this time I’ve
got my eye on Simon
Williams, ex page three
girl, my cider and any
signs of
‘’Injuns’’…
We do another ten takes
on that set up and
it’s time for lunch
(I popped over the pub
for lunch as I’ve
now got the taste).
About six o clock
we’re onto the last
shots and the arrows are
about to fly and by now
I’m in the land of
the don’t care..
All goes well and we
finish about seven o
clock and I’m asked
to sign a form as a
featured artist and would
get repeat fees. (I made
nearly £2000)
(Good game this acting
game)
NEXT
- 1984
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