Matt Monro and Morecambe and Wise

[RichardM]

Hi there,

I'm trying to assist Michele Monro (Daughter of singer Matt) to find out about any existing footage of her father.

I Thought if anybody on the web might be able to help it would be you guys!

She has spoken to Thames and the BBC and so far found 7 programes out of hundreds (a complete listing is available at www.mattmonro.com/tv.htm)

If anyone can help point me in the direction of who to ask at many of the other ITV regions (Current and defunct!) can you please let me know so i can pass there details on.

Also, Who for holds the rights for companies like Associated Redifussion, ABC, Westward or Southern.

The BBC seem very hard to get info out of. They have told her that they only have one of her dad's 5 Morcambe and wise appearances. I was under the impression that all of the BBC's Morecambe & Wise shows from series 2 (1969) onwards still exist - does anybody know for sure?

One last thing - anybody have any contacts for overseas TV Companies (Particularly USA & Australia)

Many Thanks in anticipation

Richard Moore

[B Thomas]

RichardM said:

The BBC seem very hard to get info out of. They have told her that they only have one of her dad's 5 Morcambe and wise appearances. I was under the impression that all of the BBC's Morecambe & Wise shows from series 2 (1969) onwards still exist - does anybody know for sure?

Sounds a bit funny... Are you sure it wasn't a BBC underling who, in all likelyhood, wasn't even born when Matt Monro died...? That could explain their apparent ignorance of both the man and his many TV appearances. Besides, I thought it was policy to also make recordings available to surviving family of deceased participants/actors?

[Nosmo King]

You probably know about these, but there are a couple of shows listed on the ITN archive (which markets all the Granada library).

FROST (SHOW 6)
08 Feb 1970
9L00356

Featuring DAVID FROST - presenter RONNIE BARKER & RONNIE CORBETT - comic actors/ double act JO TEWSON RICHARD MURDOCH & SAM COSTA MATT MONRO singing "Hava Nagila" and "Just a Heartache Ago "THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS singing "Let Me Go in Peace to My Father's House"JUDITH DURHAM singing "The Light Is Darker Now"

and


08 Dec 1984
9L91078
TARBUCK (SHOW 3)

Michael Barrymore, Matt Monro, David Copperfield, Shirley Bassey, Shakin Stevens.

Series Title
TARBY AND FRIENDS SERIES 1

[Nosmo King]

Just to say both those programmes are London Weekend shows...

The BBC offer "Contributors Access" for copies of material (on VHS).. I suspect you have to know details of the programmes themselves to enquire about them though.

[Richard M]

Thanks for the info - will pass it on.

Does anybody have any concrete info about M&W shos still in existance?

(Any other contacts of course greatly appreciated!)

Richard

[Nosmo King]

[quote author=Richard M board=general Does anybody have any concrete info about M&W shos still in existance?
[/quote]

The 21st Oct 1968 M&W show is lost. The 17th Jun 1971 edition exists on colour tape (and was possibly repeated on UK Gold in the mid 1990s).

The Nana Mouskouri show screened 22nd Jan 1973 also exists on colour tape.

Also on the ITN archive site there are some details under the misnamed Matt Monroe .. including the "Wheeltappers and Shunters" appearance .. and about four other shows

www.itnarchive.co.uk/search

[helpful hartley]

The appearance on
'Mr & Mrs Music' 1968
(The Tony Hatch/Jackie Trent Show)
does still exist

available fromy Granada

[H Hartley]

the Joe Brown show(1969) is actually called

'set em up joe'

about two editions still exist but not sure which

[Nosmo King]

RichardM said:

Also, Who for holds the rights for companies like Associated Redifussion, ABC, Westward or Southern.

Redifusion - contact the BFI who store most (of what little) survives, rights held by Archbuild-Pallan

ABC - Canal+ (UK operation at Pinewood studios)

Westward - not sure, possibly material held by South West Archive, a public body. The BFI can probably tell.

Southern - Southern Star-Primetime, London office in Mortimer Street ... they have a web presence, search for Southern Star.

Granada own most of the current/previous ITV libraries, Thames programmes are held/owned by Fremantle Media (in Stephen Street London).

[andrew martin]

Richard said:

Thanks for the info - will pass it on.

Does anybody have any concrete info about M&W shos still in existance?

(Any other contacts of course greatly appreciated!)

Richard

All the colour BBC Morecambe and Wise Shows exist apart from the first series (1968), of which only one incomplete episode and one other clip exists. The BBC's cataloguing probably doesn't yet list all contributors to things like M&W - there is an on-going project to complete this cataloguing.

The following appearances by MM are catalogued:

The Rolf Harris Show 26/12/70
The Morecambe and Wise Show 17/6/71
Cilla 6/1/73
Nana Mouskouri 22/1/73
The Generation Game 25/12/74
Matt Sings Monro 19/2/75
Miss England 1975 21/3/75
Saturday Night at the Mill 29/4/78
The Generation Game 25/12/79
The Big Ben Band Show 31/12/82
Strike Up the Band 10/11/83
Harty 1/10/84
Pebble Mill at One 12/11/84 (a copy of this *may* exist on VHS but there is no broadcast standard PasB - this may have been Matt's last TV appearance as he died in February 1985)

[Michele Monro]

Thanks Andrew for all that information. Unfortumately those are the shows I actually have. If you pop to my website www.mattmonro.com you will see my father did hundreds and I am continually searching.

I am also looking for the CAMAY TV advert dad did " you look a little lovlier each day, with Pink Camay"

Very grateful for any input.
Michele Monro

[Nosmo King]

Sadly most of the 60s (and earlier) programmes are no longer in existance.

For example all the "Thank Your Lucky Stars" shows listed are lost (as is just about every edition of this long running ABC show).

Two particular big BBC losses are:

(1) Show of the Week: Matt Monro Meets Nelson Riddle
BBC2 5th Aug 1967

(2) The Talk of the Town: Matt Monro BBC2 10th May 1969

The latter was probably in colour too.

(Associated) Redifussion material is very scarce, if any of those shows survive it would be remarkable. The BFI should have details as they store what little survives from the company.

[H hartley]

Michele it would be helpful if you could list the appearances you do have

[Kev]

Hi!

I am be able to be of assistance.

Drop me an email at [e-mail]

[Nollyfan]

The Lunchbox programme listed on the Matt Monro website credits AR, it was of course ATV, and only one edition has been kept, its on the DVD "Crossroads - Volume Two" as an extra feature. Matt isn't on it.