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Freeview 81 Film Club Sky 328 newsletter Freesat 306 MARCH/APRIL 2021 Virgin 445 You can always call us V 0808 178 8212 Or 01923 290555 Dear Supporters of Film and TV History, Well, ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’ are back, and it seems so many of you have been enjoying the revival of these memories. It’s been fascinating reading your snippets of what ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’ has meant to you. We are working hard behind the scenes as always and I am pleased to say that Champion The Wonder Horse is on its way, plus more Children’s Film Foundation films, with a very young Melvyn Hayes and an even younger Frazer Hines. Who spotted a young Michael Crawford in shorts? This month we bring you a brilliant new box set – following on from the success of Music Hall & Variety Act Memories Volume One, here’s Volume Two, which includes my fascinating insight into life behind the doors of The Windmill Theatre, along with Top of the Bill with Davy Kaye and Sally Barnes – a real treat for Music Hall fans. Also included is the long-awaited release of the rare filmMurder at the Windmill, once thought lost, which features Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, Jack Livesey and Jimmy Edwards. Other performers featured in the collection include Max Bygraves, The Beverley Sisters, Dora Bryan, Frank Randle, Robert Morley, Roy Hudd, Roy Castle, Norman Wisdom and Max Wall, plus much more, all with optional subtitles, see pages 2-3. There’s also some very special limited £10 offers this month and if you haven’t yet got hold of Music Hall Volume 1, a special deal is on page 4. We’ve also got some brilliant offers for you all, two exclusive t-shirt designs, handmade by us; a fascinating book about the early history of Shepperton Studios; Eric Sykes’ The Plank on DVD, music from Louis Prima & Keely Smith and Deanna Durbin; a combined offer for Please Sir! the film on DVD plus a book by David Barry who played Frankie Abbott in all three series as well as the feature film;Softly Softly on DVD and a brilliant compilation of Public Information films – remember the Green Cross Code? If you enjoy naval history,A Sailor’s View, a collection of films with rare footage of the Royal Navy will be essential viewing. Coming up on the channel we have a host of new gems from the archives, including new series: Interpol Calling. Also coming: Call Northside 777 with James Stewart, Don’t Bother to Knock with Marilyn Monroe, Lifeboat – a masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock, and a horror double bill, Doomwatch plus Dr Terror’s House of Horrors with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Gregory Peck stars in The Keys of the Kingdom and Ginger Rogers stars in Dreamboat. We are more hopeful that our event at the Stockport Plaza will take place on Sunday October 10th; we await the government’s plans on theatre opening, hopefully more details next month. Sadly, we have lost a few great names recently, including Ronald Pickup, Christopher Plummer CC, Pauline Chamberlain, Trisha Noble, and of course, star of No Hiding Place, Johnny Briggs MBE. Finally, a fond farewell to our dear pal Tony Hutchinson, an avid film collector and a dear friend. Film conventions won’t be the same without him. Stay Safe and stay tuned to Talking Pictures TV and please keep chatting about TPTV to all who will listen! Thank you for your support, best wishes, Sarah, Noel and Neill You can always call us V 0808 178 8212 Or 01923 290555 1 RENOWN PICTURES NEW DVD RELEASE MUSIC HALL & VARIETY ACT MUSIC HALL & VARIETY ACT MEMORIES VOLUME TWO Disc 2: TOP OF THE BILL (1971) Once ‘lost’ MEMORIES VOLUME TWO documentary about the great days of variety, introduced by Ben Warriss, President of the society of entertainers 3-DVD Set with ‘The Water Rats’. He is joined by Charlie Chester and EXCLUSIVE PRICE JUST £20 OPTIONAL Wee Georgie Wood, who set the scene for artistes from WITH FREE UK POSTAGE comedians to singers to acrobats, including Davy Kaye, SUBTITLES Sally Barnes and others brought to life by gifted imitators Peter Cavanagh and Ken Goodwin. Renown Pictures present SPRINGTIME (1946) Director: Montgomery Tully. Stars: Peter Graves, Carol Raye & Lawrence O’Madden. over ten hours of 13 films THE GREAT GABBO (1929) Director: James Cruze. and shorts in this superb Early musical with big production numbers. 3-DVD Box Set with Stars: Erich von Stroheim, Betty Compson, previously considered Donald Douglas, Marjorie Kane, George Grandee, ‘lost’ films on DVD for John F. Hamilton and Harry Ross. the first time. HIGHLIGHTS OF VARIETY (1938) comedy musical short from the Bell & Howell Music Hall featuring Disc One: A NIGHT IN A MUSIC Ernest Shannon and Sam Browne. HALL (1939) A musical short directed by Arthur Dreifuss, starring: Disc 3: STARS FROM THE SCREEN Clips from Pinky Tomlin, Betty Atkinson, four British musical films of 1934.The Camels are Nell Kelly, Estelle Preston, Ben Coming with Jack Hulbert; Aunt Sally with Cicely Black & His Hollywood Orchestra. Courtneidge; Evergreen with Jessie Matthews OBE THE WINDMILL GIRLS (AND and Road House with Music Hall star Violet Loraine. BOYS!) Exclusive documentary on the HARMONY LANE (1954) Directed by Lewis Gilbert, a artistes of the Windmill Theatre. musical comedy starring Max Bygraves, The Beverley MURDER AT THE WINDMILL Sisters, Dora Bryan and Jack Billings. (1949) British crime film directed by WHEN YOU COME HOME (1947) British comedy Val Guest, stars: Garry Marsh, film directed by John Baxter starringFrank Randle. Jack Livesey, Peter Butterworth, As Grandad Randle he recounts his life as a music hall Jon Pertwee & Jimmy Edwards. odd job man, with flashbacks to his younger days. THE KENTUCKY MINSTRELS YOU WILL REMEMBER (1941) Robert Morley (1934) British music hall film directed by stars in this musical biography of Leslie Stuart, in the John Baxter, starring Harry Scott & Eddie Whaley. British music halls. Cast: Emlyn Williams, Dorothy MUSIC HALL GREATS – TELL ME ANOTHER Hyson, Nicholas Phipps, Tom E. Finglass, (1976) Dick Hills interviews variety greats Arthur Gertrude Musgrove, with an early Askey, Roy Hudd, Roy Castle, Dickie Henderson, appearance by Tommy Trinder, Charlie Drake, Norman Wisdom, Roddy McDowall. Billy Dainty, Max Wall and Reg Varney with anecdotes and insights into working the ‘halls’. Call Now On Freephone 0808 178 8212 “YOU WILL REMEMBER THESE!” 2 Or 01923 290555 3 MUSIC HALL Memories of a life in films: & VARIETY ACT Frustration with Freeview SPECIAL MEMORIES Offer ends and TV Magazines. April 15th OFFER! VOLUME ONE Part 19, by Noel Cronin £10 ONLY (normal price £20) Going back around four years ago now, TPTV with free UK postage & packing was doing quite well on HD Freeview, but because the HD reach was not available to all of This first volume in our Music Hall series the UK and you needed a set top box to receive is the perfect companion to the new the channel. We found there was a lot of frustration from households Musical Hall & Variety Act Memories that couldn’t view TPTV. We also found that our increased audience Volume II. For this month only it is available numbers were flattening out and a lot of our time was spent trying at the special price of £10 (half the normal price) to explain the technical requirements that were needed. Freeview HD IF PURCHASED WITH VOLUME II ON THE PREVIOUS PAGES. was just about washing its face financially, but given the restriction of 14 Music Hall Films & Shorts in a 3 DVD Box Set the HD reach and the need of the set box, TPTV were again forced to stay as we were or go for the full Freeview service which would solve Over 10 Hours of 14 films and shorts including previously ‘lost,’ films. the box and reach problem but was hugely more expensive. So in THEATRE ROYAL (1943) Stars: Flanagan & Allen, Peggy Dexter and Finlay Currie. barely a year we were faced with the same conundrum: stay as you are A LITTLE OF WHAT YOU FANCY (1968) a tribute to Music Hall with Gus Elen, Lily Morris & more. with the inherent problems or get the purse out again. We were also MUSIC HALL (1934) Stars George Carney, Ben Field and Helena Pickard. Many original music halls stars appear including Debroy Somers Band, G H Elliott and Olive Sloane. experiencing huge difficulty in getting the channel schedules shown SARAH REMEMBERS (1952) a film by Wilf Watters which features the recollections of an elderly in the TV magazines and newspapers. Next month: Is there enough in resident of Hoxton, with personal memories of The Hoxton Music Hall. the purse? Dealing with the press. VARIETY JUBILEE (1943) stars Reginald Purdell, Ellis Irving and Lesley Brook. Set in the 1900s, this film features the great music hall act Wilson, Keppel and Betty. Producer Noel Cronin founded Talking Pictures TV and Renown Pictures and is HIGHLIGHTS OF VARIETY (1938) Highlights from the acts of Bell & Howell Music Hall features contributing his memories to the newsletter. Ever since his entrance into the world of singing trio The Radio Three, Xylophonist Teddy Brown and a sketch from Harry Tate Jr. film as a young man, Noel has been interested in preserving the heritage of lost and THE FINAL FINALE (1968) Filmed by Wilf Watters, the demolition of one of London’s greatest forgotten films, shorts and programmes, and for many years has gathered, restored Music Halls, The Bedford Theatre, with unprecedented access to the site. and preserved this wonderful heritage which would otherwise be lost.