Corrie - the 1960s.

Arguably the 1960s saw the best of Coronation Street, with terrific characters, snappy dialogue and plots mirroring real working-class life. In a tradition it was to continue, it was dominated by powerful female characters, most memorably Ena Sharples, caretaker of the church hall and a no-nonsense upholder of traditional values. Often to be found over a milk stout in the snug of the Rovers Return, the hair-netted Ena would hold court with her friends and confidants, the mousy Minnie Caldwell and the gossipy Martha Longhurst. The pub was run by another tyrannical female, the snobby Annie Walker who - many thought - had ideas above her station. She was married to Jack, an easy-going sort easily over-run by his domineering wife..

Then there was Elsie Tanner, the Street's good-time girl. A brassy divorcee with two grown-up children, she became a national sexpot as she careered from affair to affair and from crisis to crisis. Quick-tempered and fearsome in an argument, she nonetheless displayed vulnerability behind the make-up. Elsie and Ena were chalk and cheese: Ena considered Elsie a flashy harlot with the morals of an alley cat; Elsie thought Ena was a mean-tempered, interfering old battle-axe. Their clashes produced some of the most memorable scenes of the '60s. There were plenty of other women but these were the ringleaders, joined in 1964 by Hilda Ogden, a nosy cleaning-woman whose gauche ways brought a new strain of humour to the series.

The men were less memorable, though the Street's academic - and later teacher - Ken Barlow had his moments, clashing with his father over class and social changes in the sort of arguments subsequently explored in Dennis Potter's early works. Builder Len Fairclough was often at the centre of events and always seemed on the verge of committing to a relationship with Elsie. Ancient Albert Tatlock was a sour-faced pensioner who liked nothing better than to reminisce about the war, and Leonard Swindley was a pompous, by-the-book sort who ran the local branch of clothes shop chain Gamma Garments. (The character proved popular enough to spin-off into his own series, Pardon the Expression, 1965-66.)

All human life was on offer in that first decade; marriages (Elsie Tanner to old flame Steve Tanner), births (the Barlow twins) and deaths (Martha Longhurst for one) made for milestone episodes but it was the everyday consistency of the writing and performances that made it the nation's favourite programme.

Dr Who & The Talking Daleks (1965)

This Infra red Talking Dalek originates from the 1965 movie which starred Peter Cushing as the good Doctor.

Look-in No 40 (1972)

These pages originate from the classic magazine Look-in dated 30th September 1972.

Radio Times - Z Cars (1971)

Yes guys, those Radio Times covers keep on coming! This particular cover dates back to 1971 and gracing the cover are two of the stars from the classic cops series, Z Cars.

Radio Times - The Man from U.N.C.L.E (1966)

Another front cover of the Radio Times from days long since gone! This particular cover dates back to 1966 and features, Robert Vaughn, David McCallum and Leo G Carroll from the classic sixties spy series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

John Barry: Midnight Cowboy was the classic 1969 UK 12-track stereo vinyl LP soundtrack to the motion picture starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, including 'Everybody's Talkin' sung by Nilsson.

1. Everybody's Talkin' - Sung by Nilsson
2. Joe Buck Rides Again
3. Famous Myth
4. Fun City
5. He Quit Me Man
6. Jungle Gym At The Zoo
7. Midnight Cowboy
8. Old Man Willow
9. Florida Fantasy
10. Tears And Joys
11. Science Fiction
12. Everybody's Talkin' - Sung by Nilsson

Remembering, Six - Five Special!

It was the BBC's first attempt at a rock and roll programme, an innovation and much imitated, even today. It was called Six-Five Special because of the time it was broadcast - it went out live at five past six on Saturday evening. It began immediately after the abolition of the Toddler's Truce, which had seen television close between 6 and 7pm so children could be put to bed.

Jack Good was the original producer. Josephine Douglas and (initially) disc jockey Pete Murray were its presenters, with Murray using the catchphrase "Time to jive on the old six five". Its resident band was Don Lang & his Frantic Five. The show opened with film of a steam train accompanied by the programme's theme song, played and sung by the Frantic Five, which began with the words "The Six-Five Special's comin' down the line, The Six-Five Special's right on time..."

BBC executives originally wanted a magazine format; however, Good wanted a show with music and lots of movement. The original sets were dispensed with and the empty studio space filled with the milling audience and performers. Television at that time was completely live as recording technology was limited, so once the programme started everything ran in an impromptu way. The running order was sketched out on Friday morning, and then only one complete run-through happened immediately before transmission on Saturday evening.

The show was originally scheduled to last just six weeks but, as a result of its popularity, the series became open-ended. The BBC interfered with Good's vision of the show by including educational and information elements, which Good wanted to drop, as they diluted the music. The relationship between Good and the BBC became strained, and he resigned in early 1958.

Good joined the ITV company ABC to create Oh Boy!, the show he'd wanted to make. It featured non-stop music and lost the public-service-inspired elements as part of its more frenzied pace, trouncing Six-Five Special in the ratings. The BBC, never keen on the show, took this as vindication and pulled it from the schedules. It was to be half a decade before Top of the Pops restored BBC coverage of contemporary popular music in general and "pop" in particular.

Among the artists on the show were Bobby & Rudy, Petula Clerk, Jim Dale, Johnny Dankworth, Terry Dene, Lonnie Donegan, Russ Hamilton, Cleo Laine, Joan Regan, Winnipeg native Paddy Stone, Leigh Madison, Finlay Currie, Freddie Mills, Jimmy Lloyd, Laurie Gold and his pieces of Eight, Eden street skittle group, Marty Wilde and Tommy Steele.

Comedy performers included Trevor Peacock, who was also a script writer for the show, Spike Milligan and Bernie Winters.

Oooh, saucy! Christmas Tv-Times (1973)

Sidney James & The Lovely Barbara Windsor appeared on the christmas cover of TV Times from Saturday December 22nd 1973 until Friday January 4th 1974.

Great ITV Programmes of this time were, Professional Wrestling, Coronation Street, This is Your Life, Crossroads, World of Sport, Bowler, Emmerdale Farm, Helen Woman of Today, Spyder's Web, Callan, Budgie, Bless This House, Jokers Wild, The Saint & Jokers Wild. Takes you back doesn't it!

It's Crackerjack!

This cover of the Radio Times dates back to sometime in the 1960s and featuring as its cover is the classic kids show, Crackerjack and its hosts, Leslie Crowther & Peter Glaze.

Electric Light & Power Company (1947)

This Original vintage advertisement for Electric Light & Power Company dates back to 1947. Tommy's Dad works for the Electric company. His job is to know what time you and your neighbours start turning on the lights, ranges, shavers, percolators and toasters in the morning. He is the man who tells the power plants when to send more current through the wires.

Luv'ly Jubbly - The Jolly Boys Outing (1989)

"The Jolly Boys' Outing" is the eighth and in my own personal opinion finest Christmas special episode of the BBC Sitcom, Only Fools & Horses, first screened on 25 December, 1989. However, since the story is set on an August Bank Holiday, it is often repeated as a "summer special".

Rodney is now working for Alan Parry, Cassandra's father, at his printing firm Parry Print Ltd, while Uncle Albert has been promoted to "Executive Lookout" for Trotters Independent Traders, i.e: watching out for the police. The so-called traditional Jolly Boys' Outing, whereby all the regulars at the Nag's Head pub go on a once-a-year day-trip ("beano") to the seaside resort of Margate in Kent is also approaching.

The following evening, at Rodney and Cassandra's flat, the Trotters enjoy a nice dinner with Cassandra's parents, as well as her boss, Stephen (a yuppie who is much hated by Rodney, Alan, and to a lesser extent, Albert), and his wife, Joanne. The night ends with a game of Trivial Pursuit in which Del Boy suggests that a female swan is called a bic.

The day-trip to Margate proves eventful; the coach driver apparently gets drunk half-way through the journey (but it is later established that he was overcome by fumes from the radio burning out), Rodney gets arrested for accidentally throwing a football at a policeman (which he was passing to Del), and Alan gets sick after eating too many jellied eels. Just as the Jolly Boys are preparing to leave Margate and head off home, their coach, equipped with one of the Albanian low-quality radios being sold by Del recently, ignites and explodes. A train strike however, coupled with a restricted bus service on Bank Holidays (this being one), the Jolly Boys are forced to spend the night in Margate. Knowing of the limited number of vacant hotel rooms, the Jolly Boys split up and go in different directions.

Del, Rodney, and Albert split up into their own group. After fruitless searching for somewhere to stay, they are forced to choose the Villa Bella, a darkened, run-down hotel managed by the creepy Mrs Cresswell (and which Rodney refers to as "the Munsters' weekend place"). Rather than spend the night there, however, Del and Rodney decide to visit a nightclub called the Mardi Gras (Del was given complimentary tickets from Mike's old rival Eddie Chambers at a halfway house earlier that morning), where Del's old girlfriend Raquel (last seen in "Dates") is working as one half of the Great Raymondo's magic act. Del and Raquel reminisce about the past, and it is obvious that they still love each other. Raquel states her intention to leave the act after it ends, as Raymondo, with his foul temper, sometimes scares her, and Del invites her to live with him in Peckham.

Del and Rodney return to the Villa Bella late, and discover that they have been locked out. After failing to wake up Albert (breaking a window in the process), the Trotter Brothers head over to Raquel's flat to sleep for the night, only to find out that she shares it with the Great Raymondo. Suspecting Raymondo of blackmailing Raquel sexually in return for a job and roof, Del Boy flies into a rage, punches Raymondo and throws his suitcase out of the window, but later discovers from an enraged Raquel that Raymondo is actually gay, they have separate rooms, and only stay in the same flat as it is cheaper than having one each. Despite this, Raquel and Raymondo forgive an embarrassed Del for the misunderstanding.

Upon returning home, Rodney finds Cassandra and her boss Stephen, seemingly alone together. Rodney suspects Stephen of having an affair of Cassandra, punches him and breaks his nose only to find that Stephen's wife Joanne is also there (Joanne had previously planned to spend the weekend with her parents, confirming Rodney's suspicion, but she ultimately couldn't due to the train strike), and is promptly thrown out by Cassandra. Back at Nelson Mandela House, as Del speaks with Raquel over the telephone, he learns the unintended consequences of his actions the previous night; Albert was hit on the head by the stone Del threw through the hotel window, and Mike and Boycie were injured by the suitcase he threw out of Raquel's window. The episode ends as Rodney enters the flat with all his things while Del proceeds to eat Albert's breakfast (and berate Albert for trying to eat it himself).

As the credits roll, a recap of the Jolly Boys' Outing in Margate is shown along to the song "Down to Margate" by Chas & Dave from 1982.

The events of this episode are mentioned in "Sleepless in Peckham", implying that the Jolly Boys' Outing was a regular event from the 1960s before Del blew the coach up. The very first Jolly Boys' Outing was seen in the first episode of the prequel series Rock & Chips.

The Happiest Days of your Life (1950)

Thanks to a slip-up at the Ministry of Education, the girls of St. Swithin's School are billeted with the boys of Nutbourne College, and their warring head teachers have to join forces to conceal this from parents and inspectors.

Although Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat already had a strong track record in light comedy, the hugely successful The Happiest Days of Your Life (d. Launder, 1950) saw them move decisively in the direction of broad farce.

Based on a play by John Dighton (co-writer of Ealing comedies Kind Hearts and Coronets, d. Robert Hamer, 1949, and The Man in the White Suit, d. Alexander Mackendrick, 1951), it exploits the chaos caused by the Blitz during World War II, where entire schools were shipped to different locations, often at a moment's notice.

Here, a mix-up at the Ministry of Education causes St Swithin's School for Girls to be sent to the boys-only Nutbourne College, with predictably disastrous results - especially when a simultaneous inspection from two different groups leads to an elaborate cover-up, with classrooms and sports fields switching from male to female at the blow of a whistle.

Alastair Sim was always at his best playing put-upon authority figures, and his headmaster Wetherby Pond is one of his greatest creations. Though essentially a kindly man, the one thing that truly matters to him is order and discipline achieved by mutual respect and, ideally, a complete absence of the opposite sex above the level of domestic staff.

By contrast, his opposite number Miss Muriel Whitchurch (Margaret Rutherford) has no respect for anyone, least of all mere men. A feminist before her time, she has no truck with convention or protocol and is quite comfortable taking over Pond's office, living quarters and indeed his entire school. If it seems like perfect casting, that's because the part was specifically written for her - she first played it on stage at London's Apollo Theatre in 1948.

But both Sim and Rutherford are decisively upstaged by Joyce Grenfell - no mean feat considering both the competition and a character so incidental to the main plot that she isn't even mentioned in the attached synopsis. As the gawky, love-lorn Miss Gossage ("call me Sausage"), little more than an overgrown schoolgirl herself, she effortlessly steals every scene she's in, whether over-enthusiastically banging gongs, idly writing her name in the dust or staging impromptu lacrosse matches at a second's notice.

Sim, Grenfell and several supporting actors would return in similar roles in Launder and Gilliat's unofficial sequel The Belles of St Trinian's (d. Launder, 1954), an even more anarchic - and considerably sillier - school farce.

THE

MONTHLY FILM BULLETIN

Published by

THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE

Volume 17, No.195, April 1950, page 49

HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, THE (1950)

Uninhibited and energetically handled farce about a girls' school billeted by mistake on a boys' school. Alastair Sim and Margaret Rutherford in excellent form as the respective principals. Occasionally slapdash, but frequently amusing.

---

The Monthly Film Bulletin was published by the British Film Institute between 1934 and 1991. Initially aimed at distributors and exhibitors as well as filmgoers, it carried reviews and details of all UK film releases. In 1991, the Bulletin was absorbed by Sight and Sound magazine.

Remembering Richard Beckinsale (1947-1979)

Richard Arthur Beckinsale (6 July 1947 – 19 March 1979) was best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the classic BBC Sitcom Porridge and Alan Moore in the classic ITV sitcom Rising Damp.

Richard Beckinsale was born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, to a quarter-Burmese father, Arthur John Beckinsale, and an English mother, Maggie Barlow. He left Alderman White Secondary Modern School at 15 with ambitions to become an actor, so while working in numerous manual jobs he enrolled at a Nottingham adult drama class. As a consequence, he won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, turning professional in 1968. He then moved to Crewe to begin in repertory theatre, like most newly-graduated actors at the time, and then made his television debut in 1969 as a police officer in Coronation Street, in which he had to arrest classic character Ena Sharples.

Richard Beckinsale acquired his first starring role in 1970 as Geoffrey in the sitcom The Lovers, opposite fellow newcomer Paula Wilcox. The show was a success without being a runaway triumph, and did enough to put both lead performers in the public eye. It also, like many sitcoms of the time, spawned a film version.

There followed a purple patch when he was appearing in two of British TV's most successful sitcoms at the same time. On ITV, he was playing naive medical student Alan Moore in Rising Damp (voted ITV's best-ever sitcom in the Britain's Best Sitcom survey of 2004) while also starring in Porridge. Shortly after his 30th birthday, Beckinsale was surprised by Eamonn Andrews with the famed 'big red book' for an appearance on This Is Your Life.

Beckinsale quit Rising Damp in 1977, the same year that Porridge was brought to a natural end after his character of Godber was released from his prison sentence in the final episode. He subsequently starred alongside Barker in Going Straight, a spin-off of Porridge in which the two criminal characters are seen on the outside rebuilding their lives.

At the beginning of 1979, Beckinsale made a film version of Porridge. It was to be his last and only completed work of the year.

With filming completed on the film version of Porridge, Richard Beckinsale started work on a sitcom for the BBC called Bloomers, and also prepared to start work on the film Bloody Kids. According to his Bloomers co-star Anna Calder-Marshall, during the recording of the first episode, Becksinsale told her he had suffered some kind of black-out, and had also had some dizzy spells. This concerned him enough to make an appointment to see a doctor, but the doctor could not find anything wrong apart from an overactive stomach lining, and slightly high cholesterol. As filming on the show progressed, Beckinsale appeared increasingly tired, and "greyer and greyer", according to co-star David Swift, and towards the end of filming he was complaining of pains in his arms. On what was to be his last day of filming on the show, he gave Anna Calder-Marshall a lift home after filming. To her surprise, he began to talk about his fear of dying, and of being alone in the house. A week before he died, Beckinsale complained to his wife Judy Loe of feeling unwell and said he was unable to take her to hospital. At the time, they both put it down to nerves; she was due to have an operation to increase the couple's chances of having another child. The day before he died, he and his five-year-old daughter Kate visited Loe in hospital. Upon leaving the hospital, Beckinsale dropped his daughter off with relatives to spend the night. He then attended a farewell party for The Two Ronnies, who were about to leave for Australia. Afterward, he returned to his house in Sunningdale, Berkshire. At some point that day, he had also called his eldest daughter Samantha, and made plans to spend some time with her the following weekend. After arriving home late on the evening of Sunday 18 March, he telephoned friends. During the conversation he repeated that he had been feeling unwell, and also said that he had some pain in his chest and arms. He seemed in good humour though, and made a joke out of it.

When he did not show up for rehearsal for the sixth and final episode of Bloomers the next morning, a member of the production team called his house, and the phone was answered by family friend Rosana Bradley, who had been staying at the house to help take care of Kate, but who had not been there the previous night. She said Beckinsale was still sleeping, and she left the phone to go and wake him up. When she returned, she said that she was unable to wake him, and was advised to call a doctor. Shortly after, it was confirmed that he had died during the night, of what appeared to be a massive heart attack. This was confirmed during a post-mortem, which also revealed that he had a congenital heart defect

Beckinsale had expressed worries about his cholesterol to friend Stephen Frears over dinner just days earlier, but he seemed healthy and fit and had no cardiac problems in his medical records. According to Frears, Beckinsale's high cholesterol may have been a factor in his early death.

Porridge co-star Ronnie Barker commented on Beckinsale's premature death, saying: "He was so loved. He hadn't done much but he was so loved that there was a universal sort of grief that went on." When asked to comment on his death years later, Kate Beckinsale said, "It was so sudden. He just went to sleep one night, and didn't wake up again.

At the time of his death, Richard Beckinsale had almost completed Bloomers — writer James Saunders's original script reveals that Beckinsale was due to attend the sixth and last rehearsal for the final episode of the series on the day he died, with the show to be recorded the following day. The five completed Bloomers episodes were aired later in the year.

He was also filming a movie, Bloody Kids, which then had to be re-cast. This role marked a change in direction for Beckinsale, being a more hard-nosed character than those he had played before. Three days after his death, Going Straight won a BAFTA award. A clearly distressed Barker delivered a brief but emotional acceptance speech in tribute to his co-star.

Plans had been drawn up to make a movie of Rising Damp — Beckinsale's other big sitcom success — and ultimately the movie was made in 1980. Christopher Strauli was recruited to replace Beckinsale, playing a different character.

In 2000, 21 years after his death, a documentary was broadcast on ITV in tribute, called The Unforgettable Richard Beckinsale. It featured interviews with his widow, the actress Judy Loe, as well as his father, sister, closest schoolfriend and two daughters. Also contributing were his co-stars, Ronnie Barker and Rising Damp's Don Warrington.