bob monkhouse archive

[Ant Harvison - WIPED NEWS]

The recent thread on Golden Shot has jogged my memory on a question now a few years old but still, disgracefully, unresolved.

Exactly what was discovered in the Bob Monkhouse archive?

The material was handed over to the BFI and then everything went quiet.

Or have I missed something?

I really would like to know what gems turned up.

[Greg H]

I may not have been looking in the right places, but I never really heard a proper resolution to this story either. Wasnt there some difficulties?

[Reg Long3]

its in the thread somewhere you only have to look.

Basically Bob Monkhouse was a collector of old films (pre 1930s in many cases) . This was the bulk of his collection and were put to good use in his Tv series Mad Movies.

In other words not much of interest to people here.

His TV collection was a scattering of his own performances on whatever VT domestic format was in vogue at the time. such as
London Palladium circa 1967 Sony CVH
Quick on the Draw circa 1974 Philips N1500
Golden Shot circa 1973 B/W telerecording
The Flipside 1966 B/W telerecording (he bought off a collector)


What he didnt have
was any of his missing Rediffusion performances
Such as his portrayal of a mafia boss in The Informer (1966) with Ronald Leigh Hunt and Justine Lord.

or his appareance in 'Blackmail' 1965

or the Half Hour Story 'Bugs'

(although some might know better if these are still around )

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Your best conformation though is to contact BFI guru Dick Fiddy who is also a resident here.








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[Greg H]

Cheers for the info Regulo. His mafia performance sounds mighty interesting. Would be good to see him kicking back with his darkside............

[Adrian Gregg]

its in the thread somewhere you only have to look.
Quote
"Basically Bob Monkhouse was a collector of old films (pre 1930s in many cases) . This was the bulk of his collection and were put to good use in his Tv series Mad Movies.

In other words not much of interest to people here."

Aww I like pre 30's film!! and from what I've read he prettymuch saved 100's of comedy shorts he was a true collector that wanted to share the material he found and bring it to a wider audence (IE mad movies)
In fact he was is all probabillity one of the first Hunters of lost film/Tv in the UK.
I'd like to know whats the state of his film collection.. did the BFI get it? is is preserved anywhere?.
I know its not lost TV so to speak. but important anyhow

[Peter Elliott]

Jul 31, 2008 6:41:13 GMT Adrian Gregg said:

Aww I like pre 30's film!! and from what I've read he prettymuch saved 100's of comedy shorts he was a true collector that wanted to share the material he found and bring it to a wider audence (IE mad movies)
In fact he was is all probabillity one of the first Hunters of lost film/Tv in the UK.
I'd like to know whats the state of his film collection.. did the BFI get it? is is preserved anywhere?.
I know its not lost TV so to speak. but important anyhow

Agreed. Though he probably wasn't the first such collector, he was certainly the first high profile name who actively collected such material. It is an important archive for various reasons and I'm sure Monkhouse himself would had liked it to have been preserved and kept intact for future generations to hopefully enjoy and learn from.

[Reg Long3]

Jul 31, 2008 6:41:13 GMT Adrian Gregg said:

its in the thread somewhere you only have to look.
Quote
"Basically Bob Monkhouse was a collector of old films (pre 1930s in many cases) . This was the bulk of his collection and were put to good use in his Tv series Mad Movies.

In other words not much of interest to people here."

Aww I like pre 30's film!! and from what I've read he prettymuch saved 100's of comedy shorts he was a true collector that wanted to share the material he found and bring it to a wider audence (IE mad movies)
In fact he was is all probabillity one of the first Hunters of lost film/Tv in the UK.
I'd like to know whats the state of his film collection.. did the BFI get it? is is preserved anywhere?.
I know its not lost TV so to speak. but important anyhow

RTF Text

Who said he had ' lost film ' ?

BM collected what he wanted to enjoy in his own abode .

You know what to do if your biting your bleeding nails over it.

contact Dick Fiddy at the BFI or leave him a PM here.

Dick Fiddy handled the collection.






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