Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) - Episode Twelve: For The Girl Who Has Everything

Just a brief resume on Episode Twelve I'm afraid.  "For The Girl Who Has Everything" was the Twelfth episode of the classic & excellent ITC Television Series, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)  The Episode was originally aired on the 6th December 1969.

   
  
Ghost hunter James McAllister asks for Jeff's help, having been hired by wealthy American Kim Wentworth to see if her home, Crake Castle, is haunted. McAllister is killed and it looks as if Kim's husband is the murderer, trying to frighten Kim away so that he can marry girlfriend Laura but it would seem that the butler did it and the butler and Kim are the killers, anxious to run off together. Jeff is their prisoner but fortunately Marty has found a local lady who can see and hear him - in order for him to effect a rescue.

The Colditz Story (1955)

The Colditz Story was a 1955 Prisoner of War film that starred John Mills and Eric Portman and directed by Guy Hamilton.

It was based on the book written by P.R.Reid, a British army officer who was imprisoned in Oflag IV-C, Colditz Castle, in Germany during the Second World War and who was the Escape Officer for British POWs within the castle.

British, French, Dutch and Polish Prisoners of War (POW's), of many other nationalities who have repeatedly made escape attempts but have been recaptured, are sent to Oflag IV-C, a supposedly secure castle or schloss, in Saxony in the heart of Nazi Germany during World War II. At first the different nationalities try to initiate their own plans until the Senior British Officer (SBO) steps in and suggests co-operation between the different contingents. At first, the coordination fails because one of the prisoners is supplying information to the German guards. After he is discovered, plans remain secret. There then follow a number of escapes; some successful, some not.



The prisoners of Colditz are high-spirited and eager to needle the Germans. The escape officer of the British contingent, Patrick Reid (Mills), assists in the escape of other prisoners and finally carries out his own escape. The culmination of his escape, his successful crossing into Switzerland, is not depicted in the film.

• John Mills as Pat Reid
• Christopher Rhodes as Mac McGill
• Lionel Jeffries as Harry Tyler
• Bryan Forbes as Jimmy Winslow
• Guido Lorraine as Polish officer
• Anton Diffring as Fischer
• Richard Wattis as Richard Gordon
• Ianm Carmichael as Robin Cartwright
• Eric Portman as Colonel Richmond
• Frederick Valk as Kommandant
• Denis Shaw as Priem
• Theodore Bikel as Vandy, 
• Keith Pyott as French colonel
• Eugene Deckers as La Tour
• Anthony Faramus as British officer
• Peter Swanwick as Lutyens

The Beatles - Yellow Submarine Action Figures

Based on the 1968 animated film, these Beatles Yellow Submarine 6 inch figures were initially released by McFarlane Toys.  In 2004, Beatles fans were still clamoring for these now hard-to-find figures, so McFarlane repackaged and re-released them.

Clad in his cartoon movie costume of jacket, striped bellbottoms and Beatle boots, John sports round specs, a Beatle cut, sideburns and Fu Manchu moustache. He stands 7 1/4" tall and has articulation at the neck, shoulders, hands, waist and feet. John is packaged with the Glove and Love base. With articulation at the "jaw" (ring and pinky fingers) and the base, the glove features "chomping" action and sits atop the Love base, rotating 360 degrees.

Standing 7 1/2" tall, Paul wears bellbottoms and a sport jacket with a colorful skinny tie and Beatle boots. He has articulation at the neck, shoulders, hands, waist and feet. Paul is accompanied by Jeremy the Nowhere Man, who stands on a "black hole" base. Jeremy is 3 5/8" tall with articulation at the neck and shoulders.

George stands 7 5/8" tall with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hands, waist and feet, and is wearing bellbottoms, Nehru jacket and Beatle boots. A Beatle cut, sideburns and full beard complete his look. George is accompanied by the Blue Meanie, who has articulation at the neck and hands and stands 5" tall (plus has 2" tall ears!).

Ringo stands 7" tall with articulation at the neck, shoulders, hands, waist and feet. He is decked out in striped bellbottoms and a colorful striped jacket. Sixties-style details include a wide psychedelic tie, Beatle boots, Beatle cut and Fu Manchu moustache. Ringo is packaged with the Yellow Submarine, which is 4" tall by 6 1/2" long. This accessory has articulation at the back rudder and four periscopes, all of which rotate 360 degrees; it also features wind-up propellers.

Totally Tiswas! - The Four Bucketeers (1980)

Today's Totally Tiswas I look back at the Four Bucketeers and the awesome, Bucket of Water Song.

The Four Bucketeers were an ad-hoc music/water-throwing group from the classic ITV children's programme Tiswas.

Officially, the Four were Chris Tarrant, Sally James, John Gorman and Bob Carolgeese; sometimes Lenny Henry contributed as well. Gorman was the musical talent in the group, having been part of The Scaffold and the Grimms. The musicians backing them up included Ollie Halsall (Guitar), John Halsey (Drums) and Clive Griffiths (Bass).

The Four Bucketeers' best-known number (and also their highest-Charting Single) was "Bucket Of Water Song", which reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980.

Originally the song was composed and performed as a sketch within the Tiswas programme. According to Sally James, "John came in one day and he said ‘I’ve sort of got this idea’. It’s a march basically, and we all sing this song. And it’s another excuse to chuck buckets of water! So obviously we didn’t do it in the studio. We had this little area outside the back of the studio where a camera would sort of poke out of the window, so we ended the show down there marching about, sploshing all this water from the buckets. And then the next week it was incredible, because the people were jamming the switchboard, ‘I’ve got to have this record!’. There was never any idea that it would be a record, but of course we did quickly make a record and it became a hit. It just all happened so left-of-field and so unplanned…but then that’s how a lot of things did happen in Tiswas. Things that you think would work, don’t, and things that you ‘Oh that’ll be good for a one-off’ end up being huge hits".

The moniker 'The Four Bucketeers' came about as a way of circumnavigating any potential copyright difficulties of using the 'Tiswas' brand when Tarrant and Co. performed the song outside of the TV show situation, and the initial record release. Ultimately though, a compromise was reached and thereafter, the phrase 'Tiswas presents The Four Bucketeers' was used.

The aquatic theme was carried through into a less successful follow-up single, the anthemic waltz-time "Water Is Wonderful", which eulogised:

'Water is wonderful, water's superb

'Water's too powerful to conquer or curb

'Water's at its best when you can chuck it

'Over yourself from out of a bucket.'

An album, entitled Tiswas Presents The Four Bucketeers, was also released. This included both singles (albeit a different version of "Water Is Wonderful") together with other skits from the television series. Contrary to the impression given by the singles, these were not all concerned with pailborne aquatic antics. All of The Four Bucketeers' records were Produced by Neil Innes.

A third single was released from the album featuring Matthew Butler (the 6 year old who dressed as a rabbit) singing, "Bright Eyes."