little red monkey [1953].

[lfbarfe]

andy said:

But, I am reasonably sure I read in some article that he was in administrative charge of BBC Engineering. This article could have been wrong. I am not so sure, though.

Well, as controller of BBC television, he would have had administrative responsibility for the television engineering department, but no more so than he would have had for wardrobe, publicity. It's just a case of where the buck stopped (on its way to the DG if necessary).

So, whether or not he knew anything about television engineering, there is no doubt that he was responsible for pushing the cause of better television recording for commercial purposes.

He was undoubtedly a very clever man. One of television's true visionaries, indeed. However, while he understood the potential importance of television recording, and was in a managerial position to direct extensive r&d effort towards it, I would guess that his actual engineering knowledge was small, possibly non-existent. When the results of the experiments came back, he wouldn't have known why they worked or didn't work. He'd have just known when they worked, from an informed viewer's perspective.

[Andrew Doherty]

Back to the topic of this thread.

The Little Red Monkey serial written by Eric Maschwitz (1953) was very popular as I recall and there was a cinema version just as with 'The Broken Horseshoe (1952) by Francis Durbridge.

I remember 'The Scarf (February 1959) and this had a memorable theme tune (the Girl from Corsica) by the late Trevor Duncan.

I do know that 'A Mask For Alexis (September 1959) by
Lindsay Hardy was recorded and repeated.

Now, most of you would say that these serialized dramas are not in existence.

Can anyone be so sure?

You will say that the BBC never recorded them (with the certain exception of A Mask For Alexis, which was probably junked).

You would go on to say that there was no home recording of television available in that era.

But you would be wrong!

The following is a short article that shows otherwise.
I enclose the following article about a telerecording kit.

In the 1950s a home telerecording kit was introduced in Britain, allowing enthusiasts to make 16mm film recordings of television programmes. The major drawback, apart from the short duration of a 16mm film magazine, was that a large opaque frame had to be placed in front of the TV set in order to block out any stray reflections - making it impossible to watch the set normally while filming. It is not known if any recordings made using this equipment still exist.

Somewhere out there must be someone with this equipment and material recorded.

So, Mr Barfe and Mr Piper, what are your opinions on this article?

Andy Henderson may have heard of the milkman in Dorset who used, what may have been just such equipment for recording his favourite shows.

Sadly, the family of this milkman saw fit to throw away the recordings made, many years later.

However, if a milkman could find the finance and time to do this, then he cannot have been the only person in Britain to have possessed this kit.

Never say never.

Somewhere out there is may be more than one individual that had the same interests in recording programmes off air, quite possibly with a kit such as the one mentioned in the article.

Get your thoughts around this.

Yours,

[GH]

Thats a fascinating angle! Do you have the precise name and technical details of this apparatus so I can do some research? Or even a link? Anything would be appreciated!

[Andrew Doherty]

The article referred to was part of a much larger feature on the recording of television and can be found from the following web site:

telerecording.brainsip.com/

The BBC engineering department, around 1954, 'rigged up' a standard 8mm recording machine to provide cheap recordings for test requirements. But the results were not considered to be good enough and they discontinued such recordings.

In 1994 two BBC programmes recorded in this film format were recovered.

'Contrasts' featuring Robert Farnon and his Orchestra from January 1955 and the very first British television pop chart music show 'Off The Record' from May 1955, A clip from the latter was shown at the 1994 Missing, Believed Wiped event. The picture and sound quality of these programmes weren't too bad. Obviously, not nearly as good as the normal 16 and 35mm recordings.

Someone on the Pop Music section of Missing Episodes had claimed to have recorded a 'London Palladium' show and an 'Off The Record' show from March 1958, in which Buddy Holly is on the bill of both shows. It was stated that these programmes were recorded on standard 8mm film. So, how common was this?

As I have stated, there would be every chance that someone may have a 16mm telerecording kit from the formative years of television.

Where and who?. Interesting!

What about those who repaired television sets or sold them? Did they know of this 'structure' for recording programmes. Because, if a milkman could find out...!

There is everything to play for in terms of possibilities.

Yours,

[Greg H]

Cheers for the reply. I couldnt get your link to work, but if I can validate your information, this does indeed present an entirely new avenue for investigation. Really interesting stuff.
Who knows, there might be hope for Quatermass and the pit yet.............................

[Andrew Doherty]

I must assume you meant 'The Quatermass Experiment'.

The other two serialized Quatermass dramas are all present and correct and available on DVD.

The answer to your post is a possible yes.

Yours,

[Greg H]

DOH! Yeah, of course thats what I meant! My fingers just typed something different to what I meant must have been because I watched Quatermass and the pit last night I guess.

[Andrew Doherty]

Doubtless you will have noted the exceptional picture (and sound) quality of Nigel Kneale's third serial superbly enhanced by the BBC restoration team. It is sad that more programmes using the stored field / 35mm system weren't kept. Though, there are a small number of plays and a few Hancock's Half Hour shows between 1957 and early 1959 that are in this format, which have been kept.

Still, there is every chance that more programmes from this era will turn up. Note Dick Fiddy's news about an ITV drama, which may well be shown at this year's very promising Missing, Believed Wiped.

Yours,

[John Stewart Miller]

GH said:

Hi all!
I havent come across this show before, a bit before my time. Would anyone care to fill me in on what this was about?

I interviewed a chap in his fifties a few years ago called Peter Edis about the experiences of TV and viewing highlights in the 1950s. Though it emerges that floodlit football and Quatermass ('which emptied the pubs'); were notable he also mentioned 'a quirky thriller serial' called 'little red monkey'. One of its noteable qualities was that 'no one could work out what it was about' (!) Apparently one setting a small - log ? - cabin. The most outstanding memory was the theme tune which he recalled and sang (jumpy quality melody with a repeat on the last word 'li - ttle red MON - key, MON - key, MON - key'..)

I suppose theres a chance the theme tune may have appeared as a record in the BBC library?

[Joe Cole]

Cross confusion here. The well known version of the theme is a comedy novelty song (see lyrics below). The actual serial itself used a more sinister version. At that time, local fairs and markets used to sell grotesque Monkey puppets and dolls, usually papier mache covered with rabbit fur. The BBC serial was about a stuffed Monkey like this which contained secret information and it is held in unknowing hands. The Monkey was deliberately creepy.

The song version debuted on 'Take it from here'.

Lyrics: Little Red Monkey

Performed by: Joy Nicholas, Jimmy Edwards, and Dick Bentley
Distributed by: EMI Music Distribution

Look at the monkey, funny monkey
Little red monkey, acting so fidgety

Look at the monkey, funny monkey
Little red monkey, cute as can be

Where is his mama, papa, sister, brother, cousin, rest-of-the-family?
Little red monkey, on his own, some very lonesome monkey is he

Listen carefully, Dick and Jimmy, 'cause here is a job for you (what is it?)
If you get him into the zoo (the zoo?)
He'd do all of his tricks for you (joy!)

Why not drop him a line or two (what for?)
Inviting him to the zoo
For if we do (then what?)

He'll be a happy, snappy monkey
Little red monkey acting so merrily
We hope you like this little red monkey
Very lonesome monkey is he

Look at the monkey, funny monkey
Little red monkey, acting so fidgety

Get out your fiddle and play him a tune, Dick
Very lonesome monkey is he

That was ghastly!
Don't think the monkey liked that medley
Seems to be jumpy, acting so fidgety

You cheer him up, Jimmy, with your euphonium
Little red monkey, cute as can be

Oh, Jim, didn't he love it too? (I got it right!)
If you listen, he'll talk to you
He will chatter the whole day through
(monkey sounds)

Now he's a snappy, happy monkey
Little red monkey acting so merrily
See how we like this little red monkey
Very troublesome monkey is he

Little red monkey
Little red monkey
Won't you stay to tea?

(monkey sounds)
He said yes!