Not Only But Also 1974 special

[Reg Pither]

Sorry to be repetitivie, but earlier on in this thread someone mentioned "the 2 compilations of filmed material that the BBC has". Later another person asked just exactly these were, which i would have done had they not. However nobody replied re: this query, and the topic has now veered off on a tangent, so I echo the sentiment of "what are the 2 compilations of filmed material at the BBC?"

[andrew martin]

Haven't replied before because it takes time to research things...

One of these compilations is 35mm and consists of:
1) Emma Bargo
2) The Glidd of Glood
3) Joe Cocker introduction (Dud as 'God' as per Glidd of Glood sketch)
4) Halle-loo-jah (my title - pixellated animation of three toilets singing Hallelujah Chorus)

The other is 16mm and consists of:
1) Tower Bridge opening sequence
2) Tower Bridge closing sequence
3) Good & Evil Cricket Match (possibly longer than in "Best of" film, with no supimposed captions)
4) Ark Royal opening sequence
5) 'The Making of a Film'
6) Ludwig van Beethoven Show (part 1)
7) Ludwig van Beethoven Show (part 2)
8) Ark Royal closing sequence (inc piano fired off deck)

I've just noticed too that there is another can of film items from NOBA, which contains mute sequences as follows "cricket title", "psycho title", "double beethoven", "music note" and "Gandhi".

Why these sequences exist in this form is another matter/mystery...

[Reg Pither]

Thanks for that info, Andrew. So i guess it's all there what could be.

[andrew martin]

There's also the "Old Man River" film sketch somewhere - it's in colour, but it's not on any of these comps... I may have seen where that's sourced from, somewhere, but can't remember where... It certainly is still held on the "Best of What's Left of..." tapes.

There may be others I can't remember...

[Charles Roberts]

Apparently, the colour Old Man River was from the BBC "Behind The Fridge" special (not the Aussie ones). The original Old Man River from NOBA in b&w was wiped according to this site, but Harry Thompson's book says it exists as silent film footage, same as Canvassing Dracula, Smoking and the other ones that also exist as silent film footage.

[andrew martin]

I thought the "Behind the Fridge" special was all studio, but I could be wrong...

The b/w version does exist, with no sound, as part of the film sequences for 6/3/65: the other items are 'Catching the Bus' (titles), 'Cigarette Ads' parts 1, 2, 3 & 4, and 'Dracula'.

[Charles Roberts]

I wonder if anyone has a copy of the BBC Behind The Fridge special, since I seem to recall there being a few pre-filmed sequences.

[Charles Roberts]

The BBC page says only that has "extracts from peter Ccok and Dudley Moore's London stage revue Behind The Fridge", but fails to specify where exactly the episode was shot.

[andrew martin]

Have just checked the "Behind the Fridge" show and it *does* have the 'Old Man River' item in it, on film - it may be that it was re-used from the 1970 series... (usual dirt and scratches, and it looks pretty washed out - no pun itended...)

There is another filmed sketch in this programme, another Dudley alone item, 'Speech Impediment' (for want of a better title) - this one has abysmal sound, though the audience seem to understand it, ironically as it is a Ronnie Barker-esque sketch of a man doing an appeal for people who can't pronounce words properly, the joke being that he can't either, though he thinks he can...

[John Stewart Miller]

John said:

andrew said:

This is what happens when I post during my lunch break - I forget about the 2 compilations of NOBA film sequences held by the BBC. Whoops. Must get round to checking them out at some point and working out what actually exists...

AS regards this Andrew, I'd be very interested if the 'Not only, but also... PSYCHO' spoof, as I recalled it still exists. This was made as a film title / opening sequence for the 1970 series. I recall it being a cross between being awful / offbeat / quite funny, if you can imagine that!

Cooks portrayal of Anthony Perkins seemed hilariously inaccurate, with a stutter (asking Moore in the Martin Balsam role if he 'wants a s-s-s-sandwich or some-thing?..')

The 'stairs' scene ended with the screen cracking like glass and the announcer saying 'we would like to apologise, the cameraman has just had a nervous breakdown..'

As regards the quality of the 1970 series, I tend to agree with Dudley Moores own comments on 'Wogan' where he said, given the luck of the draw he'd rather the earlier ones survived than the later. I had only seen clips of the '65 - '66 shows; (at the time on shows like 'Junior points'); prior to the 1990 screenings. The shows seemed much stronger than I recall the 1970 series to be.

Those points of note from my memory seem to all be the film stock sketches (i.e. Bargo, Psycho, Shakespere, launching of the piano). I seem to recall the studio sections of the 1970 series dragged, particularly the 'Mozart / Beethoven' as Tom Jones sketch which covered most of its edition. the rest seemed filled out with the Dudley Moore trio.

With hindsight, it would be nice to have the lost studio material for Spike Milligan & other interesting acts, but I'd argue from my memory that the best bits, for some reason ('Bargo' is quite a classic) were the most interesting & funny bits.

This should have read ‘I’d argue from memory that the FILM bits, for some reason were the most interesting bits’!

[John Stuart Miller]

Just to say that the above posting is not by me. There appears to be another John Miller on here.

[Charles Roberts]

Re: to the "double Beethoven" etc bit, I suppose those were ones which it would have been impossible to film in one shot, and required editing/overdubbing etc. Unless Dudley had a doppelganger......

[John Stuart Miller]

Hang on, so the "Psycho" opening footage that survives is silent?

[andrew martin]

That seems to be the case - the can it is in seems to be a collection of odds and sods, possibly it is what was left over when the film editor was assembling "Best of".

[John Millar]

As a query exactly how many lost pre-filmed segments from series 3 are there? I know Flowers and Lavatory Humour opening? Were all the openings prefilmed? Is it more likely that they were destroyed or stolen?