1973
THE
MUTATIONS…Director…Jack
Cardiff…
This was a strange film
to work on. We used
artists from around the
world that were genuine
freaks. A man that could
make his eyes pop out of
his head, A lady that had
skin like a crocodile and
many more.
Tom Baker (Later to
become the best Dr Who
ever) was playing a
Mutant.
I stood-in and doubled
for Tom and was used a
few times in crowd
scenes.
I was also the Barker at
the fair ground scene.
Jack Cardiff is better
known for his
cinematography and
started in films at the
age of thirteen. I wish
you well Jack.
THE
MACKINTOSH MAN
Director:
John Huston
Writers:
Walter Hill
(screenplay)
Desmond Bagley (novel)
Cast
Paul Newman ...
Rearden
Dominique Sanda ... Mrs.
Smith
James Mason ... Sir
George Wheeler
Harry Andrews ...
Mackintosh
Ian Bannen ... Slade
Michael Hordern ... Brown
Nigel Patrick ...
Soames-Trevelyan
Peter Vaughan ...
Brunskill
Roland Culver ... Judge
Percy Herbert ... Taafe
Robert Lang ... Jack
Summers
Jenny Runacre ... Gerda
John Bindon ... Buster
Hugh Manning ...
Prosecutor
Wolfe Morris ... Malta
Police Commissioner
We
were at Pinewood for a
couple of weeks filming
the prison escape scenes.
There must have been a
couple of hundred
Supporting Artists on the
set everyday. Central
Casting were at their
best for this casting.
Broken noses, scars,
cauliflower ears, pug
ugly (And that was just
the women).
Some of the best known
‘’faces’’
from north and south of
the river (Thames) were
teamed up in a mock up of
a prison yard.
Let me mention some that
I can remember.
The Cardews, the Tippets,
Bobby Ramsey, Jack Kid
Berg and many many more.
I wish my memory was
better. (I’d better
remember Gypsy Tom) Hello
Tom.
I’m sure we’ll
get a full list of the
people in these scenes
when we read Scott
Palmers book.
Some of the quieter faces
Eric Kent, Trevor
Wedlock, Gordon Hann and
myself would find a quiet
corner and play cards in
between set ups.
Trevor and his dog Yogi
went to Ireland to hunt
for Mr Newman.
Yogi was a BIG
Rottweiler. (And I mean
BIG)
PETER WYNGUARD AS
JASON KING
I worked on a few
episodes of Jason King
the same as I did on
Department S. but nothing
much to talk about.
I’ve now got an idea
for another script.
It’s based on a very
funny friend of mine.
He’s a window
cleaner and his name is
Peter Harvey. (A right
Jack the lad)
ALAS SOMEONE ELSE
MADE A SHOW CALLED SHINE
ON HARVEY MOON
SOME TIME LATER. THAT WAS
MADE BY ATV.
( Funny old game this
writing game when two
people come up with the
same name for a show, six
months apart)
DIAMONDS
ON WHEELS
Director:
Jerome Courtland
Writers:
Pierre Castex (book)
William R. Yates
(screenplay)
Cast
Patrick Allen ... Insp.
Cook
George Sewell ... Henry
Stewart
Derek Newark ... Mercer
Dudley Sutton ... Finch
Barry Jackson ... Wheeler
Christopher Malcolm ...
Jock
Richard Wattis ... Sir
Hilary Stanton
Allan Cuthbertson ... Gus
Ashley
Ambrosine Phillpotts ...
Lady Truesdale
Maggie Hanley ... Mrs.
Maggie Stewart
George Innes ... Insp.
Timothy
George Woodbridge ... PC
Andrew
Edwin Richfield
Patrick Holt ... Steward
Andrew McCulloch ...
Billy
I’m
standing/in for Dudley on
a kids film which will
take us through the long
hot summer…
The film has a big cast
including Barry Jackson,
Christopher Malcolm,
Derek Newark, a young
Peter Firth and a top
stunt team with Alan
Stewart and Chris Webb.
We filmed a lot of it in
Surrey but we had a few
weekends near Smithfield
Market. (A five minute
walk from my house)
It was really a fun film
to work on. Plenty of
Supporting Artists,
plenty of days and plenty
of sun.
I wont tell you Dudley
was playing a crook again
but if you had to guess I
think you’d guess
right.
Chris Malcolm is a
Canadian and he kept
asking me how to talk
Cockney. (A touch of the
Mary Poppins)
SOFT BEDS HARD
BATTLES…Director…Roy
Boulting…Shepperton
Studios…
Cast Inc…Peter
Sellers…Jenny
Hanley…
Not one of Peter’s
best films…
THE ZOO GANG…
Cast includes, Brian
Kieth, Sir John Mills,
Lilli Palmer and Barry
Morse.
I worked a few odd days.
(A monkey smoking a pipe)
LORD
PETER WHIMSEY...
CHURCHILL’S
PEOPLE...BBCTV A
History of the British
Nation…
Season
1, Episode 1: Pritan
Director:
Michael Hayes
Writers:
Winston Churchill (books)
Brian Rawlinson (deviser)
Cast
Jeremy Kemp ... Lucius
Bernard Archard ... Felix
Frederick Jaeger ...
Caradoc
William Marlowe ...
Adhmin
Paul Darrow ... Marcellus
Claire Davenport ...
Boudicca
Joan Rhodes ...
Cartimandua
Victor Lucas ...
Epatticus
Michael Brennan ...
Brigantian chieftan
John Atkinson ... Chief
druid
Michelle Scott ...
Refugee woman
Ryan Davies ... Chief
bard
This
was a huge production by
the BBC consisting of
twenty six episodes of
British history.The BBC
must have employed a
thousand Actors,
Walk/On’s and extras
for the year or so of
filming at the BBC Centre
at Wood Lane W7.
I probably worked on half
(or more) of the twenty
six episodes.
One week I’d be a
hangman in the sixteenth
century, another episode
I’d be coming off
the mountain carrying the
Tablets and speaking
Gaelic, another time
I’d be in Canada
(and we never left the
studio)
But the best episode was
when I was made up as a
Viking!!!
I was called early in the
morning to the Centre and
was told they were
running late from the day
before and could I relax
in the dressing room and
‘’pop’’
back about lunchtime.
I had a game of cards for
a couple of hours then
some of the boys decided
on a couple of swift
halves in the studio bar.
After a nice couple of
hours in the bar I went
to the make/up room to
see if they were ready
for me. ‘’Can
you come back at
five’’ they
said.
I remembered where
I’d left my mates
and joined them for
another swift half.
After a bite to eat and a
sleep in the dressing
room I’m back at the
make/up room at five o
clock.
‘’We’ll be
ready for you at eight
after supper’’
So it’s back to the
club bar and another
swift half and I meet up
with Patsy and Jimmy.
Patsy (glug, glug’s
) a fine drinker but
Jimmy (head down) must be
allergic to Mahogany. (he
wont go near the bar when
it’s his round)
It’s now ten to
eight and with
peppermints in the gob
it’s back to
make/up.
I’m stripped down to
my pants and there’s
make up going on my legs,
feet, chest, in fact
anywhere that looks
white. Plus one large
beard.
Now it’s costume
time. I’m going to
be a very fierce Viking.
Lace up sandals up to my
knees, large pieces of
fur fitted and tied about
me, a horned helmet, a
dagger, a sword, a shield
and of course a giant
axe.
(I forgot to tell you
about the longest wig
you’ve ever seen. It
would have done Lady
Godiva a great service as
an overcoat)
I’m ready now and I
weigh a ton. (Even
without the kitchen sink)
It’s up the stairs
to the studio now for my
big performance.
Let’s rock and roll.
The big performance
consists of a big light
behind me so that my body
casts a huge shadow on
the wall. That’s it,
I’m a shadow on the
wall.
After thirteen hours at
the BBC Centre the old
smoke, pipe monkey come
to mind.
SPECIAL
BRANCH
Director:
Don Leaver
Writer:
Lewis Greifer (writer)
Cast
Margaret Anderson ...
Mrs. Robert Miles
Paul Antrim ... Det. Sgt.
Maguire
Richard Beale ... Cmdr.
Glover
Bruce Boa ... Evans
Kenneth Colley ... Oliver
Paul Eddington ... Strand
Michael Forest ...
Charles
Susan Jameson ... Det.
Sgt. Mary Holmes
Richard Leech ... Chief
Supt. Knight
Patrick Mower ... Det.
Chief Insp. Tom Haggerty
Mia Nardi ... Odette
Gutman / Bridget Farwater
Suzanne Roquette ...
Heidi Schneider
George Sewell ... Det.
Chief Insp. Alan Craven
Simon Sharrock ... Simon
Alan Stuart ... Conners
Margery Withers ... Mrs.
Miles
Katya Wyeth ... Susanne
Brodl
Me in
'73...That's my hand
print...
SPACE 1999…Pinewood
Studios…
Cast…Martin
Landau…Barbara
Bain…Barry
Morse…Catherine
Schell…
I’m back at Pinewood
to do about ten episodes
of this series.
It takes two weeks to
film a fifty minute
episode so as it’s a
busy time in films and TV
at the moment I can get
other work on shows when
I get days off of 1999.
I would love to see the
show again and look back
on some of the faces I
met thirty years ago.
(Come on TV
company’s, show it
again)
ME (standing) IN
AN EPISODE OF SPACE
1999…
STEPTOE AND SON…
Episode Porn
Yesterday…
Writers:
Ray Galton (written by)
and
Alan Simpson (written by)
Cast
Wilfrid Brambell ...
Albert Steptoe
Harry H. Corbett ...
Harold Steptoe
Anthony Sharp ... Vicar
Dorothy Frere ... Mrs
Cakebread
Joyce Windsor ... Gladys
Harry Fielder ... Man in
queue
I’d
already worked on a
couple of Steptoe films
but only as a Supporting
Artist.
Now I’m in the cast
as a disgruntled man who
has some words to say
near the end of the
episode.
We rehearsed for five
days at the North Acton
Hilton, (BBC rehearsal
studios) then do the live
(Audience) show on the
Saturday night.
Harry H (good name)
Corbett and Wilfred
Brambell were charming
throughout the week as
were the rest of the
small cast.
When it was shown on the
BBC it had an audience of
23 million viewers and my
name was on the
credits.(Not bad for a
boy that used to swim in
the canal)
I’d like to thank
Douglas Argent for using
me on that show and many
shows after.
ERIC SYKES
DIRECTING IN
73…PHOTO BY
AITCH…
As you can see now
I’ve been ducking
and diving about on
different films and TV
shows. Some I can
remember some not.
It’s like if you
work in an office or a
warehouse or a shop you
can’t remember
something that happened
ten, twenty or thirty
years ago.
Unless something happens
to click your memory.
If I see an old film or
TV show on the box I see
people I knew all those
years ago and wonder what
became of them. Actors
(Bit) who were too grand
to talk to you.
Extra’s that were
trying to make the big
time. (not many do)
Me? I was a Supporting
Artist that could say
lines. Take each job as
it comes, say the words
and don’t fall over
the furniture. (I did
fall a couple of times)
My main job in the
business was to REACT to
actors. (or scenes)
On Department S. one day
the 1st A.D. told me to
have a look out of the
door in one scene. I was
dressed as a French
Policemen. I looked up
and down the road and
there wasn’t a soul
in sight. The camera was
just on me.
When it came to being
paid he told me it was a
crowd scene. No extra
money.
We used to get extra
money for individual
work. (I was a small
crowd)
I get to do my first
Guinness commercial.
(I’ve been
rehearsing for this for
fifteen years)
It’s a hard job
sipping pints of the
black stuff take after
take, licking your lips
and smiling at the camera
but someone’s got to
do it.
THE
TWO RONNIES... The
Regiment.. Episode 3
Series 3....
Now
picture these brave boys
on the North West
Frontier standing to
attention in the soaring
heat with no contact from
their loved ones and
girlfriends for over a
year...
So Ronnie Barker decides
to give us a treat....
Is this a mirage
I see before My
eyes?..... |
I'm
going a bit dizzy, must
be something in my water. |
It
must be passing out
time...... |
Time
to join the lads in some
ground work.... |
I'd like
to thank The Two Ronnies
(and Dilys Watling) for
this funny sketch...See
it on tv...
THE
NORMAN WISDOM SHOW…
In about 1953 my Mother
took me and my brothers
and sisters to see Norman
in a film called Trouble
In Store at the local Bug
Hutch in New North Rd.
(That road still holds
many memories).
It was a film about a
little man being put down
but in the end coming up
trumps. Anyway, I’m
about to work with the
man.
An agent sends me to
Watford main line station
at 11am to play a crook.
I have to meet up with
another actor and wait
for the crew to arrive.
Now I’m dressed as a
smart crook and I’m
in the waiting room at
Watford Station and the
locals are giving me the
beady eye…
After about five minutes
another smartly dressed
crook arrives and the
locals must think the
heavy mob are about to
take over. (We soon have
the waiting room to
ourselves)...
Don Henderson introduces
himself and it seems we
have many friends in
common.
Mike Pratt, Dudley
Sutton, Tom Baker etc.
After about half an hour
of chatting we get a
message that the crew are
running late at the other
location and will not be
here till about three
thirty.
‘’Fancy a swift
half’’ I
enquire to Don. "I
could fancy a swift pint
more" He replies.
After three hours in the
pub next door to the
station we wend our way
back to the waiting room
just as the crew are
turning up...
‘’Sorry to have
kept you waiting so long,
hope you haven’t
been too
bored’’ said a
crew member.
I’m trying to get
the gob and the brain to
work as one…
"We’re fine,
we’ve been looking
at a few sights"
(from the bottom of a
glass).
The Director tells us
that we are going to
chase Norman, catch him
and beat him up…(No
problem).
Now no one told us that
Norman is the fittest man
for his age that I had
ever seen. We could not
catch him and I was
coming second.
Norman was told to slow
down his running so that
the big bad bullies could
beat him up.
(There’s got to be
another story here
somewhere).
We worked quite late but
managed to finish the
shoot…
Don Henderson went on to
greater parts. Thank you
Sir Norman Wisdom…
DON, SIR NORMAN
AND AITCH AT WATFORD
NEXT
- 1974
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