The Flip Side - Anthony Newley Evening

[adriane17]

I went along to The Flip Side's Anthony Newley evening at The NFT on Thursday.

Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe And Find True Happiness? was as late 1960s as the title suggests - "interesting" to say the least - and the various guest shots whilst suffering from showcasing the same material more than once showed what a talent Newley was. Apart from being the "inspiration" for David Bowie's early act Newley looked a dead ringer for Gordon Brown in an appearance on The Bob Downe Special in 1996 towards the end of his life. The less said about She's Leaving Home/Within You Without You from The Beatles Forever however the better!

There was obviously a large contingent in from the Anthony Newley Appreciation Society judging by the applause after every single item - haven't heard as much at a screening since the DWAS screened The Tomb Of The Cybermen at BAFTA in 1992.

The absolute gem was, of course, the fourth episode of The Strange World Of Gurney Slade from 1960 where Gurney Slade is put on trial for failing too be funny. Almost like The Prisoner in places. Anyone know why - so far as I am aware - nothing from this series has ever appeared on DVD. I assume it all exists so it must be a rights issue?

[Deleted]

I'd like to know what the situation is with Gurney Slade myself too as i'd really like to see beyond the first episode! Looks like an imaginative series. I've heard various stories such as that the series' prints are in private hands / that there are rights problems etc. etc. I don't know what the actual truth is though. A Network DVD release would be most welcome! Can anyone enlighten us more?

[adriane17]

Newley's daughter introduced the screening of the Merkin film so may be there's a lead there via The BFI on securing a release. I assume the whole Gurney Slade series exists although I remember seeing an extract from the first episode quite a few years ago at The NFT and that was probably at a Missing Believed Wiped event (as with all respect to Newley I wouldn't have gone to an exclusively Newley event before and only went to this as it promised a complete episode of Gurney Slade) so may be it is incomplete.

[Alan Turrell]

I personally don't know anything about this series but i found this on you tube and wondered if it was any interest to gueney slade fans.Here's the link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_eItvS6JFk

[Deleted]

May 3, 2009 7:35:57 GMT Alan Turrell said:

I personally don't know anything about this series but i found this on you tube and wondered if it was any interest to gueney slade fans.Here's the link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_eItvS6JFk

Yep, that's the C4 screening of episode 1.

[Deleted]

May 3, 2009 6:10:26 GMT @adriane17 said:

Newley's daughter introduced the screening of the Merkin film so may be there's a lead there via The BFI on securing a release. I assume the whole Gurney Slade series exists although I remember seeing an extract from the first episode quite a few years ago at The NFT and that was probably at a Missing Believed Wiped event (as with all respect to Newley I wouldn't have gone to an exclusively Newley event before and only went to this as it promised a complete episode of Gurney Slade) so may be it is incomplete.

The series exists complete, yes. Only the first episode has generally been seen since the '60s though (on C4's TV Heaven series in 1993). Perhaps as Newley's daughter introduced the episode, maybe his family physically own the prints? I'd certainly like to see it on DVD but I wouldn't hold out for the BFI releasing it themselves though as they seem increasingly only interested in cinema releases. They may prove a go-between for someone like Network though, if they showed an interest in bringing the series out.

[adriane17]

Dick Fiddy was at the evening. Anyone on email terms with him willing to try to facilitate this please as the series really deserves a release?

The people who run The Flip Side strand evenings ironically are just bringing out some DVDs with material screened at some of the evenings but these seem to be films rather than TV material. The BFI is publishing those but as you say Network would seem the natural people to release Gurney Slade. The BFI seems to given up on TV material which is a shame.