"Informer" query

[Peter Stirling]

Laurence I wonder if you can help me with a couple of old Rediffusion memories ?obviously there is not much around these days to go on.
I have just discovered these audios on youtube .

I am pretty sure this is the theme to Ian Hendry's The Informer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX0HEeuajzQ&feature=related

it was used on The Bishop python sketch but a different part.

I also think this was the theme to Orlando

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIc-jmj3JY&feature=related


what do you think?

[Ian Fryer]

Not Laurence, but I can confirm that Superformance was definitely the theme to The Informer. This: pp.meldrum.co.uk/show.asp?id=16271 takes you to a cover version of the theme I posted on the Meldrum Home page, taken from a themes album on which it was billed simply as The Informer.

[Deleted]

As Ian says, this was indeed the theme to The Informer (used also in The Bishop sketch). It wasn't (to my knowledge) used on Orlando though. The theme to Orlando - at least during the period I was watching it - was called The Hell Raisers by Syd Dale. It's available on CD. I'm fairly sure this was used for the whole of the series' life though.

[Peter Stirling]

Thanks very much chaps.

re Orlando, yes thats it then Lawrence !

on the second link I posted

here have a listen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIc-jmj3JY&feature=related



the memories will come flooding back LOL

-----------

RE The Informer Ian I am looking for the kitchen sink in that theme LOL.
wow knock out! is perhaps a tame discription?

The Informer was certainly the wild son of No Hiding Place and the daddy of The Sweeney

[Deleted]

Jun 22, 2010 20:44:15 GMT Peter Stirling said:

Thanks very much chaps.

re Orlando, yes thats it then Lawrence !

on the second link I posted

here have a listen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIc-jmj3JY&feature=related



the memories will come flooding back LOL

-----------

RE The Informer Ian I am looking for the kitchen sink in that theme LOL.
wow knock out! is perhaps a tame discription?

The Informer was certainly the wild son of No Hiding Place and the daddy of The Sweeney

Here is an update to this excellent thread by Peter, this theme tune to The Informer, Superformance has now been placed on the following link with
Stills from the Series...the link says The Zodiac, but the music is definitely Superformance..

ianhendry.com/the-informer-1966-1967-theme-tune-the-zodiac-by-david-lindup-an-original-episode-script-by-michael-j-bird/

for those of us not so familiar with The Informer, here is a brief outline..
A former barrister Alex Lambert (played by Ian Hendry) who has been disgraced and debarred has to rebuild his life. He uses his former contacts on both
sides of the law to become a paid informer for the Police. Living well from the rewards paid by insurance companies, Lambert still has to hide his activities
from both his wife and others behind a new persona in the guise as a business consultant.

[Peter Stirling]

Jun 16, 2015 18:27:27 GMT @simonmoreby said:

Here is an update to this excellent thread by Peter, this theme tune to The Informer, Superformance has now been placed on the following link with
Stills from the Series...the link says The Zodiac, but the music is definitely Superformance..

ianhendry.com/the-informer-1966-1967-theme-tune-the-zodiac-by-david-lindup-an-original-episode-script-by-michael-j-bird/

for those of us not so familiar with The Informer, here is a brief outline..
A former barrister Alex Lambert (played by Ian Hendry) who has been disgraced and debarred has to rebuild his life. He uses his former contacts on both
sides of the law to become a paid informer for the Police. Living well from the rewards paid by insurance companies, Lambert still has to hide his activities
from both his wife and others behind a new persona in the guise as a business consultant.

Thanks Simon what a great Informer tribute page on the Ian Hendry site eh? with the best done with what little is left of this series.
Jean Marsh in her prime in the colour photos looks gorgeous.

I am still surprised how little is left of this series considering the kudos it had and the fact that network showings were often staggered in that some regions were running several minutes behind others, indicating various copies were rolling at once.
The BFI have sat on what they have for nearly 50 years now.

[Deleted]

thanks Peter, yes the Ian Hendry website are doing a good job. thanks for saying about the ITV channels running at different minutes, indicating there were
multiple copies in circulation. The Informer is a fine Series and you are right that it is surprising that not more is left than is currently known to survive, hopefully
this thread will draw attention to this and some-one may be able to come up with something more..

Peter will you look at the post, on the following thread, dated Dec 26 2007 9.36 pm and give us your opinion about these being Colour and not black and white
of The Informer, please

www.missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/1761/

[Neil Hendry]

Hi Peter

Thanks for the information you've shared on The Informer - and thanks to Simon for helping me find the theme tune and this thread!

As a brief introduction, apart from building the website, I am very interested in trying to find some of Ian's missing work - including The Informer. I've been through the BFI archive and they have a lot of his work which is currently locked away, including two episodes of The Informer. They can be viewed by appointment but I am keen to see how it could be more easily accessible - no doubt this is a common wish of fans but not sure what the logistics of this area at present. It's nice to know these shows exist, but they need to be seen.

I've read that much of the Rediffusion archive went missing after the merger with ABC TV and little has resurfaced over the years. It's encouraging to hear though Peter, that there seems to have been more copies of episodes distributed. I hope to find time to dig deeper into this mystery.

I am currently in touch with a few former ABC TV and Rediffusion staff that were involved in the productions and am trying to uncover some more information on the practices and thoughts of what happened to the archives before the merger. I will share more on this in due course.

Since setting up the site I have been contacted by people who have recordings of some of Ian's old TV plays and films. Copies that even BFI don't have, so there must be a lot of work out there that hasn't emerged yet. We live in hope!

Lastly, everyone is welcome to visit the website dedicated to the life and work of Ian Hendry

>>> ianhendry.com

Best regards

Neil Hendry

[Peter Stirling]

Hi Simon and Neil.

Regarding the series being made in colour I would like to think so ..but in the end I think it was a traditional B/W videotape. programme?

However there are a couple of possibilities that might have made it to colour.

AR were experimenting with an Arriflex camera that could electronically record to b/w videotape and record on a 16mm film magazine in colour as well, it was last used on the Rolling Stones circus programme in late 68.
AR used them to film a play called 'The small rebellion of Jess Calvert' where studio scenes were shot in colour and mixed with colour film location scenes in Bavaria..... I think 'The Informer was being recorded around the same time as this play?
Plus the fact that what I believe the remains the BFI have is film negatives of the programme rather than videotape... so there is a possibility of colour..but probably only Chris Perry will be able to enlighten us?

PS Neil keep up the good work, for those of us who remember Ian's work respected him greatly and we know he fought the demons but it never showed in his work such was his professionalism.

[Deleted]

thanks Peter for saying above..

you were saying that you are surprised that not more episodes of The Informer are still around, well please would you take a look at the Mark Boulton post of
1.29 pm dated April 28 2005 on the following thread and say if you think that at that underground tunnel he talks about, there could possibly be Rediffusion
material there which may include The Informer and possibly Ian Hendry's 2 ME of Blackmail..The Case Of The Phantom Lover and the other being The Man Who
Could See..

www.missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/798

Mark Boulton's post is correct..the following says 'Goodge Street tunnels now being used to store films and videotape'

www.underground-history.co.uk/shelters.php

[Peter Stirling]

Jun 18, 2015 6:37:18 GMT @simonmoreby said:

thanks Peter for saying above..

you were saying that you are surprised that not more episodes of The Informer are still around, well please would you take a look at the Mark Boulton post of
1.29 pm dated April 28 2005 on the following thread and say if you think that at that underground tunnel he talks about, there could possibly be Rediffusion
material there which may include The Informer and possibly Ian Hendry's 2 ME of Blackmail..The Case Of The Phantom Lover and the other being The Man Who
Could See..

www.missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/798

Ah yes the old disused underground station in the location Mark stated in his post.

This was used extensively by Thames TV until they closed their Euston Road operation in the 90s.They then cleared out and junked duplicated material such as telerecordings of master VTRs that they had already got. The tunnel was not rented exclusively by Thames, other local companies used/use? it as well. So there is a possibility that AR (based up the road in Kingsway) kept/keep? material there.
I suppose it all depends on the money?
The owners are obviously somebody like British Rail ..if they only charge a peppercorn rent to keep stuff there
and are not really that bothered what goes on there....then it follows there could be a goldmine of forgotten stuff left there by long dead companies and people...
on the other hand of course Thames might have cleared their stuff out to cut down on the rent they were paying?

.....something like that anyway

[Neil Hendry]

Thanks Peter for your earlier comment and encouragement.

This tunnel storage possibilty is fascinating stuff!

Only just beginning to learn about it but I came across this link which goes into the history a bit more - including Goodge Street...."now being used to store films and video tape."

www.underground-history.co.uk/shelters.php

[williammcgregor]

Some details on the Informer from the TV Times...

06/11/67



also 06/11/67



and the 22/11/67

[Neil Hendry]

Great find William! Thanks for sharing.

Neil

[williammcgregor]

You're welcome Neil