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Post by mistertmg on Jun 11, 2011 0:29:08 GMT
According to Wikipedia, over 4000 episodes of this are lost: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Dale%27s_Diary#ArchivesA collector I know told me just a day ago that there weren't any of Jessie Matthews' episodes known to exist. The BBC apparently have 1500 and they're all Ellis Powell. But I have three of Jessie's episodes in full on mp3: two are slightly poor quality, the other sounds fine. All are off-air recordings I have acquired through contacts. But there must be far more in existence if I've found three with my limited contacts/resources. I wonder what the official archive status is of Jessie's episodes (when the series was renamed The Dales)? The last episode was partly filmed by TV cameras, and clips were shown in the Jessie Matthews documentary Catch a Fallen Star (1987, which can be seen on Youtube. I also thought one of Jessie's episodes may have been repeated on BBC7. |
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Post by mistertmg on Sept 6, 2011 16:54:52 GMT
Can anyone with BBC archive resources elaborate further?
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 9, 2011 9:20:59 GMT
The BBC Sound Archive hold only 5 complete episodes of Mrs Dale's Diary (with no additional excerpts) and 7 complete episodes of The Dales (with 13 further excerpts) so Wikipedia is well out!
Also, BBC records show only 5431 episodes were made although Wikipedia and subsequently other fan pages show 5531 episodes made!
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Post by mistertmg on Sept 9, 2011 12:54:25 GMT
Thanks for that, Dean. It seems it was renamed The Dales just before Jessie joined the show, in February 1962 - in fact, she didn't join until March 1963. I wonder how many of the seven episodes of The Dales are from this period.
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 9, 2011 13:06:20 GMT
5 of the 7 Dales episodes are the complete last week of broadcasting; Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd, Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th and Friday 25th April 1969. I don't know the dates of teh other two episodes at the moment.
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 9, 2011 13:18:13 GMT
The first episode (05/01/1948) and 01/11/1960 are two of the five original Mrs Dales' Diary episodes that survive. Don't have the dates to hand for the other three survivors at the moment.
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Post by Stephen Doran on Sept 10, 2011 7:59:19 GMT
Didnt know the series went back that far my gran was listening in the 60s evreyone had to be quiet when it was on. You sure know your stuff Dean are these episodes available to the public
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 10, 2011 11:20:00 GMT
It was a long run, 21 years with most of the cast being replaced be different actors, some of children and other relatives/locals were played by up to 14 different actors through the run. Even Dr Jim Dale was played by 3 or 4 actors and obviously Mrs Dale by two (with two different stand-ins during Jessie Matthews' ill periods). It was replaced 3 days after cancellation with the (supposedly) more hip Waggoners' Walk which ran from 1969 to 1980. The 1948 and 1960 shows are on YouTube. The others, no doubt, soon will be!  |
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Post by Simon B Kelly on Sept 10, 2011 11:47:58 GMT
The first episode (05/01/1948) and 01/11/1960 are two of the five original Mrs Dales' Diary episodes that survive. Don't have the dates to hand for the other three survivors at the moment. A quick search of the British Library sound archive shows that they hold the following: 1948.08.22 (Episode 162) 1954.04.02 (a complete episode [1610]) 1954.04.09 (Episode 1615, 5'38") 1954.04.27 (incomplete episode [1627], 6'24") 1954.05.03 (incomplete episode [1631], 10'46") 1954.05.04 (Episode 1632) The numbers in square brackets are my guesses at the actual episode number based on the dates given. This would mean the other three survivors are 22/08/1948, 02/04/1954 and 04/05/1954 |
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 10, 2011 13:08:34 GMT
Thanks for that confirmation, Simon! The BBC Sound Archive apparantly holds no partial excerpts from the Ellis Powell years, do you think they aware the BL have those?
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 10, 2011 14:01:03 GMT
One of the other 2 complete editions of The Dales is dated 01/02/1966 which leaves one more to be identified. The chances of it being Jessie's first episode are odds on against! But to recap the following survive; Mrs Dale's Diary 05/01/1948 Episode 1 22/08/1948 Episode 162 02/04/1954 Episode 1610 (?) 04/05/1954 Episode 1632 (?) 01/11/1960 Episode ? No surviving excerpts at BBC Sound Archive British Library Sound Archive Excerpts: 09/04/1954 Episode 1615 (?) (5 mins 38 secs) 27/04/1954 Episode 1627 (?) (6 mins 24 secs) 03/05/1954 Episode 1631 (?) (10 mins 46 secs) The Dales ??/??/19?? Episode ? 01/02/1966 Episode ? 21/04/1969 Episode 5427 22/04/1969 Episode 5428 23/04/1969 Episode 5429 24/04/1969 Episode 5430 25/04/1969 Episode 5431 13 additional excerpts |
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Post by Simon B Kelly on Sept 10, 2011 21:57:03 GMT
Thanks for that confirmation, Simon! The BBC Sound Archive apparently holds no partial excerpts from the Ellis Powell years, do you think they aware the BL have those? I would have assumed that any recordings BL hold would have been given to them by the BBC. For example, they seem to seem to hold three copies of this: Contents note: Mrs Dale's Diary episode 1615 dur. 5'38" Format: disc 2 sides 44 cm 33 rpm Product type: Nitrate Acquisition source: BBC The original appears to be a nitrate disc(?), another is a tape dub and finally a dub onto a Maxell CD-R in September 1997. The only recording of The Dales that I can find in their catalogue is 1966.02.01 (no mention of an episode number) |
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Post by Dean Williams on Sept 11, 2011 8:49:59 GMT
I wouldn't be surprised if the Beeb gave BL their actual holdings of the excerts rather than copies, or lost the originals after sending the copies! |
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Post by mistertmg on Sept 11, 2011 13:46:45 GMT
Great stuff, guys!
The off-air episode I have in broadcast quality is dated 1 April 1966. If this is not the other remaining episode, I will send a copy to the BBC Sound Archive.
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Post by Charles Norton on Sept 11, 2011 22:33:41 GMT
I think that you may need to remember that the BBC Sound Archive is highly selective when it comes to what it will give shelf-space to.
There are a lot of things held at the British Library that are not held in the BBC Sound Archive. The BBC Sound Archive knows what's there, but don't feel that there is any need to provide a home for them within the BBC itself.
'Lost' audio material turns up all the time. Copies are routinely offered to Simon Rooks at the BBC Sound Archive. However, most of the time he turns down the material. The British Library is much more open when it comes to this sort of thing and is far more likely to give lost recordings an official home.
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