THE BEATLES The Second Book Of 50 Hit Songs (1967)

THE BEATLES: The Second Book Of 50 Hit Songs was printed way back in 1967 and was a 144 page sheet music book containing songs drawn predominantly from Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver & Sgt. Pepper, with a few single releases thrown in for good measure, great picture cover.

Cloppa Castle - Episode Four: A Champion for Tizzibel.

The King is furious at how much Princess Tizzibel is costing him. He decides that she should be married off. A tournament of Knightly competitions is thus planned. Unbeknown to the Byegones, Beosweyne and his right hand man Hench, are planning to enter the tournament.

A mysterious black knight appears and defeats all who go up against him. He eventually wins the tournament and then to the horror of all watching, he reveals himself to be Beosweyne. He demands to be moved into the castle with his servant in order to go ahead with the wedding.

ceremony the next morning.

Later that night, Cue-ee-dee and Orbright try to frighten him out of the castle but they are foiled when the bed collapses. The next morning, the wedding is almost complete when Cue-ee-dee and albrite save the day by showing up with Beosweyne's wife. She beats him about the head and escorts him out of the castle.

Record Mirror - Donny Osmond (1973)

Record Mirror was a 28 page Newspaper style music magazine. This particular edition was issued on 1st September 1973 and features a great cover of Donny Osmond.

Tony Curtis on Picturegoer.

Tony Curtis gracing the cover of Picturegoer dates back to 1953.

It's 1958 and Tony Curtis again graces the cover!

Tony Hancock is "The Rebel!" (1960)

A downtrodden office worker and amateur painter and sculptor rebels against his complacent bourgeois existence and moves to Paris, where he attempts to be taken seriously as an artist.

This was the first big screen work for Hancock's Half-Hour (BBC, 1956-60) writers Galton & Simpson, with Tony Hancock as usual playing a character called Hancock. The trio's shared TV and radio work allows his established persona to inform the film, so there are some classic comic scenes and lines, developing anti-intellectual themes Hancock had worked with before. Many of the jokes about 'modern' (or abstract) art seem less funny now, and there is an air of comic stereotype cliché about them, but they remind us that one way of dealing with the unfamiliar or intellectual is to mock.

The opening gag, where Hancock gets his train seat by sneaking aboard from the wrong side via a train on the other platform, sets him up as a rebel, and his subsequent run-ins with representatives of authority (the boss, his landlady) continue this theme. Like many rebels, though, when confronted with more serious issues - such as the loss of his ticket to Paris, the moral question of unwittingly passing off painting as his own, or coping with unwanted advances from the shipping magnate's wife - he wants to do the right thing, and in attempting to extricate himself gives depth to the comedy.

Hancock's outfits signal what is happening: as frustrated artist he wears smock and beret; as city worker brolly, bowler and suit; as rich (con-)artist: cigarette-holder, homburg, cape and cravat are the emperor's new clothes. Finally he's in casual mode, the true rebel who has rejected it all for his 'art'.

In this film, comic rebellion places artists as the antithesis of workers and there is a kind of lazy shorthand at work that conflates artists with Paris, existentialism, angry young men, beatniks and beat poets. Cod philosophical discussions of what art is about permeate the film, but this reflects the times accurately and allows Hancock to get in his "You're all raving mad" catchphrase as he quits the exhibition and its phony artists, artworks and monied hangers-on. The coda has him remaining true to himself, re-creating the Aphrodite statue once more, now with Irene Handl as his model. In an absurdist echo down the years, Aphrodite and the other works seen in the film were re-created by the London Institute of Pataphysics in 2002. Hancock would have loved the irony.

THE

MONTHLY FILM BULLETIN

Published by

THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE

Volume 28,No.326,March 1961,pages 33-4

REBEL, THE (1960)

Feeling that England has nothing to offer him, that his landlady misunderstands him and office routine is crushing his spirit, Hancock moves to Paris to pursue his career as a painter. His work is childishly terrible, but a bogus intellectual set takes him up and confirms his confidence in his genius. He becomes so patronising to Paul, the unsuccessful painter with whom he shares a studio, that the latter goes dejectedly back to England, leaving his paintings behind. Sir Charles Brouard, art critic and dealer, sees Paul's paintings, takes them for Hancock's, and promotes a highly successful exhibition. Suspicion only creeps in when Hancock, commissioned to sculpt a bust of a rich patron's wife, produces a work as hideous as it is deplorable. Sir Charles has organised a London show for Hancock, who calls on Paul in the hope that he can produce the necessary paintings. Paul, who is now painting in the Hancock manner, is acclaimed as a brilliant artist after a confession scene at the gallery; and Hancock returns to his landlady, his favourite statue, and his conviction that one day his talent will be recognised.

Tony Hancock, the funniest of the television comedians, has made the dangerous transition to the larger screen rather more happily than most. The script, by his TV writers, keeps the element of brave fantasy, the conviction of unrecognised grandeur; and Hancock at work, chipping away at his appalling statue, squirting paint with bland optimism over his action painting, is a fine figure. One misses, though, his anchor-man, the astringent Sidney James, and the whole background of down-at-heel respectability. The more prosaic the setting, the funnier Hancock seems; transplanted into a conventionally silly screen art world, he is submerged among the other grotesques. The Rebel gives its hero some agreeably deflationary dialogue; but the director, Robert Day, lacks the confidence to allow humour to take its time in developing and continually tries to force it by over-emphasis. The scene of office routine and the beatnik party in Paris are cases of thin material made to look thinner by the handling. All the same, enough of Hancock's gloomy truculence and shabby splendour come through; he makes his paint-crazed insurance clerk very likeable.

---

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.

Corrie on the TV-Times (1961)

This classic TV Times cover dates back to 1961 and features the classic characters, Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner & Martha Longhurst.

Sons and Daughters - Episode Nine

A police car pulls up outside the Rembrandt Hotel. John is not inside, though; he is actually watching proceedings from nearby. Four policemen get out of the car and one of them notices John. He shouts, "Hey, you!" John immediately panics and starts to run. As the policeman chases him, John climbs over a fence, darts into a shop and out again and eventually manages to lose his pursuer.

David shows Susan another newspaper article about John. Susan tells her father that Beryl saw her son at the market. David says John is acting as if he's guilty. Susan points out a car outside the house on the opposite side of the road and says she's sure it's the police keeping watch.

John 'phones Fiona and tells her about the police. Fiona gives John the address of some friends of hers in Beach Street, East Bentley, where he can go and stay in safety until she arrives in Melbourne on the first flight from Sydney the next morning. Fiona says somehow or other, she'll get John out.

Fiona duly arrives the next morning and tells John that she's hired a car to get them back to Sydney. John can't work out who dobbed him in, saying that Bill was the only person who knew where he was. He can't believe Bill would call the police, though, and decides it must have been the hotel owner. Fiona says Bill must have done it; John says Bill had no reason to.

Nora Todd points out the newspaper article to her son. She says "John was here, wasn't he?" She tells Bill she heard John's voice, but Bill denies it was his best mate, saying it was another mate, Andrew Blaxland, whose voice she heard. Nora tells Bill that she doesn't like his secretiveness and wants to know why she had to tell people Bill was with her when Selmar was killed. Bill won't talk, though, and says there's nothing to worry about.

Wayne shows Patricia a picture of her in the newspaper from a social party she attended. Angela is in a bad mood - Gordon asks if it's because of "Scott". As Wayne stands in the doorway of Gordon's office, Angela tells her father she's never been so unhappy. Gordon instructs Wayne to leave him and Angela alone; Wayne immediately goes and tells his mother that Gordon gave him the evil eye when he was only trying to be sociable. Gordon tells Angela he still liked "Scott". Angela says "Scott" humiliated her because he knew Jill was pregnant when they were having fun on the beach the other day. Angela asks her father not to tell Patricia or Wayne what she'd just said. When Angela leaves the office, Wayne enters and asks his father for $50 for dinner at the yacht club. Gordon wants to know where all Wayne's money has gone. He also tells his son that his timing was lousy over Angela.

Fiona and John get back to the boarding house. They look in the Sydney newspaper, but there is only a very small article about a man evading capture in Melbourne; there is no name or picture.

Wayne tells Patricia he asked Gordon for money, and says he feels like a schoolkid who has to ask for pocket money. Wayne says Gordon should give him his grandad's trust fund money. Patricia tells Wayne he'll get the money when he's 25, but Wayne says that's another two years off yet. Wayne asks Patricia for $100 and she gives it to him. Patricia goes and asks Gordon about the trust fund. Gordon tells his wife that Wayne is immature and the money will be frittered away. He says Wayne has no concept of the value of money.

John tells Fiona that things don't make sense, and says he needs a good night's sleep.

Patricia is freezing out Gordon. He apologises for earlier and says he credits Patricia for a lot of his business success. Gordon tells his wife that he wonders how things would have turned out if they'd never left Woombai. Patricia tells Gordon he's a country boy at heart. Gordon says he remembers the first time he saw Patricia at Manly Terrace, holding Angela and trying to stop her crying. Patricia says "You always have to spoil it!"

John pores over a set of newspaper clippings Fiona has kept. He tells Fiona that Bill told him Sam was on the 'phone when he was attacked. The only way he could have known this was if he was the attacker. John then realises that Bill could have been told by the police or by Mrs. Selmar. Fiona asks if Bill was mad at Selmar too. John says Bill had a very bad temper, to which Fiona replies that Bill is as guilty as hell. John says he thought Bill was his mate. He suddenly realises Susan can't marry Bill, and immediately 'phones home. The line is engaged, however.

David is on the 'phone, talking to his father who's trying to find out if the wedding is still on. After the call, David tells Susan he shouldn't have told his father the wedding was on. The 'phone rings again and Susan answers. This time, John has got through, and tells Susan to call off the wedding. Susan tells John he's gone round the bend, but John says he knows Bill is trying to cover things up and Susan mustn't marry him. Susan tells John to go away and leave them alone.

Susan goes round to Bill's. As he comforts her, he tells his fiancée, "We know the rumours are not true." Bill tells Susan not to repeat to anyone, what John said. Nora is standing in the doorway and overhears the conversation. Bill cuddles Susan, with a very guilty look on his face.

Cockleshell Bay: Episode Five - Happy Birthday Gran Routy

The Cockles and Gran Routy are finishing off their coffee and tea. Mrs. Cockle then asks Gran if she would do the bedrooms as she wants to use the kitchen. Gran is a little puzzled as bedroom day is normally tomorrow but she goes and gets on with her work. It turns out that it is Gran's birthday and the Cockles plan a surprise. Mrs. Cockle is making a special birthday tea. The children go outside.

Rosie has a small bag with some ingredients in it. They head to Mr. Ship's yard. Mr. ship helps them but soon leaves as he has some shopping to do. Gran arrives at the party and brings a cake she had made just as Mrs. Cockle brings out the cake she made, just as Mr. Ship brings out the cake he went shopping for, just as the twins bring out the cake they had made.

Terry Jacks - Seasons in the Sun (1974)

Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the song Le Moribond by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel with lyrics by American singer-poet Rod Mcuen. It became a worldwide hit in 1974 for Terry Jacks and became a Christmas Number 1 Hit in 1999 for Westlife. The Jacks version is one of the fewer than thirty all-time singles to have sold 10 Million (or more) copies worldwide.

The song is a dying protagonist's farewell to relatives and friends.

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one,

You gave me love and helped me find the sun,

And every time that I was down

You would always come around

And get my feet back on the ground;

Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky,

Now that the spring is in the air,

With the flowers everywhere,

I wish that we could both be there!

The song was recorded in Vancouver, B.C. in 1973. Susan and Terry Jacks, of Poppy Family fame, made the decision to record the song when the Beach Boys, who were considering recording a version with Terry Jacks producing, decided to abandon their recording. The Jacks recorded it instead and Terry Jacks later released it on his own label. It immediately topped the record charts in the U.S. (where it was released on Bell Records), Canada, and the UK, selling over 14 million copies worldwide.

Jacks' version was released in the United States in December 1973, and made the Billboard Hot 100 a month later. On March 2, 1974, the song began a three-week run at No. 1 a top the Hot 100, and remained in the top 40 until almost Memorial Day weekend. Jacks' version also spent one week on the Easy Listening charts. Although he released several other singles that were moderately successful in Canada, "Seasons in the Sun" would become Jacks' only major solo hit in the United States.

Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio would later rank Jacks' version of the song at 63 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that a new T-shirt slogan should be: "He had joy, he had fun, he had seasons in the sun, and all we got was this lousy song!

Radio Times - Wimbledon 1967

With us being in Wimbledon fortnight I thought it would be a good idea to view an edition of the Radio Times from Wimbledon fortnights' past. This particular edition was published back in 1967.

Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) - Episode Six: Just for the Record.

Just for the record was the sixth episode of the classic 1969 TV series Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) which starred Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope & Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 25 October 1969 on ITV and was. Directed by Jeremy Summers.

Jeff Randall and Jeannie Hopkirk are given work as escorts for a Beauty Contest featuring beautiful women from around the world. While Jeff begins a romantic involvement with the attractive Miss Moscow, Marty quickly becomes aware that Jeannie's charge, Miss London, is an undercover spy interested in valuable documents. Severing alarm systems at the vault in order to let her employer, Mr. Harold Pargiter, steal files with an electronic arm, the facts of the case are figured out by Marty whilst Jeff is understandably too busy with Miss Moscow to take any notice.

It transpires that Henry V111 look alike Pargiter (Ronald Radd) believes that his ancestors' family titles and deeds were stolen by King John in the 13th century, and that he should have been King Harold the Fourteenth. Determined to state his place as heir to the throne - an activity that turns his henchwomen Miss London Anne Soames against him, mistakenly believing they were out to rob banks and valuable documents.

Pargiter is tracked down to his warehouse headquarters by Jeff. However, Jeff is beaten by Pargiter's henchmen, named the "Lords" of Dorking and Surrey, and Jeff and Miss London are bound and are both sentenced to be burnt for treason. Pargiter's henchmen set fire to the warehouse but Jeff eventually escapes with Marty's help in smashing the alarm bell. Miss London is rounded up by the police. Driving along the Thames Marty stands atop the car and sees Pargiter and his Lords on a boat. They track him and eventually see them transferring to a maroon classic car with a personalised Harold 14th number plate. The insane Pargiter is eventually trapped by Jeff, the police and some fortuitously bad parking by a lorry driver, and in true monarchstyle he abdicates to Jeff before he is arrested. Back at Jeff's apartment, Jeff gets another chance with Miss Moscow but is inadvertently interrupted by Jeannie, leaving her to jump to conclusions that Jeannie is Jeff's lover, walking out on him. Jeff to be left alone for his cup of tea.

Elvis - G.I. Blues

These photos were taken back in 1960 as Elvis Presley prepared himself for making the film, "G.I. Blues."

Elvis on his way to Los Angeles Union station, late on April 20th, 1960. Charlie Hodge can be seen in the reflection sat next to Elvis. Every little whistle stop where trains no longer stopped, there was mobs of people all the way across the United States of America, they would be waving when the train went by, because they knew Elvis was on there'.

Elvis Presley (And Charlie Hodge) : On the train to California : April 20, 1960

Question : Has Rock N' Roll died out?

Elvis: 'A lot people say it is has'.

'I'll tell ya, It has changed some, the music itself has changed, it's progressed quite a bit I think'.

Question : It's better?'

Elvis: 'I think it's getting better all the time, you know, because the arrangements are getting better, they're adding more intsruments, and, you know so forth, it's getting better, but in 1956 when I first started out, I was hearing the same thing, that Rock N Roll was dead, that it was dying out, I'm not saying that it won't die out, because it maybe dead tomorrow, completely, I don't know'.

April 20, 1960 : Elvis Presley : Los Angeles Airport California.

As his cab is mobbed by teenagers, returning veteran Elvis Presley (rear seat) plays it cool as he arrives in Los Angeles to start work on a movie at Paramount Studios. Despite his attempts to get from the station to his private car via the cab route, he was recognized and quickly surrounded by adoring fans.

Charlie Hodge : 'When we got to Los Angeles, they put us in about five or six different cars, and each car went in a different direction, and they didn't know which one Elvis was in, so they didn't know which one to follow,then we of course, went through the hotel there in Beverly Hills, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel'.

April 20, 1960 : Los Angeles Airport California : Elvis Presley proved he has the same old magic yesterday as screaming teenagers surrounded his taxi as it left Union Station. The faithful had waited four hours for their hero.