British Comedy Guide

Glimpses - TPTV Page 3

Quote: Rood Eye @ 28th August 2019, 11:34 AM

RONNIE BARKER enters a hardware store. The shopkeeper, RONNIE CORBETT, stands behind the counter.

RONNIE B: Six candles?

(RC reaches under the counter and produces a copy of "The News of the World" and a copy of the "National Enquirer")

RONNIE C: There you are.

RONNIE B: No, six candles.

(RC indicates the reading matter with his hand)

RONNIE C: Well, there you are - sick scandals!

(Tumultuous laughter, cheering and applause from audience)

>_

Watching The Human Jungle, a TV series from 1963.

Lots of famous faces Doc Morrissey, Inspector Dreyfus, Jimmy Anderson among many and the man from Shhh - you know who doing the twist.

"How to Refuel Your Two Stroke Motorcycle Engine in the 1940s"

Slightly weird one this, which has Charles Hawtrey as a petrol pump attendant trying to show how to get the petrol/oil mix right while being berated by his boss. The boss and the customer I half recognise but could not put a name to the faces.

Half film and half sort of cartoony it tries very hard to be comical, but of course fails as the humour is lost in time and just too basic.
Apparently, it was quite a nightmare to get the mixture right in those days, what with each motorcycle maker having different petrol/oil ratios; BUT THEN BINGO! They brought out the mobile petrol pump that pre-mixed it on the forecourt.

(I must get out more...................) :(

My first bike was a Bantam .Don't remember being over fussy about the mix though.It never failed to proceed.Although it could get a bit smokey at times and not so good for those behind

Mine was a James 200cc and I do remember having to get the mix right - "get a bit smokey at times" and there m'lud I rest my case.

Here is me bird on it around 1962 (now my wife)

Image

Sadly my bikes never attracted the girls.Yes,it was the bikes!!!

Monte Carlo Rally 1965

Wow! All those fab cars of the day - only about 10 minute long film, but an absolute joy.

"How a bicycle is made"

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I find this sort of short film (approx. 15 mins) fascinating and being made in 1945 was amazed at the total lack of health and safety, with men dipping the parts in all manner of chemicals with not even a pair of gloves on.

Why it was made is a puzzle, but it involved a sprog and his father being shown how a bike is made (all too briefly of course) by what appears to be a works foreman, who doesn't question why the two of them are wandering around the Raleigh factory in Nottingham, but gives them a filmic tour of the factory.

Amusing though as I kept of thinking of Mr Cholmondley-Warner and Mr Grayson when they show a pedal was made and a hand comes into the picture to point close up at the pedal and where each hole is drilled in it, and to then show where the pedal is on the bicycle. :D

Go to Blazes (1942)

Odd little info film this (9 mins) about how to deal with incendiary bombs from the M of I via the IWM, and starring only three people :-

Will Hay as the usual buffoon know it all husband
Muriel George as his sensible wife
AND a 31-year-old Thora Hird as their schoolgirl daughter!!

Quite funny actually and made at the same time as the brilliant "Went The Day Well", which starred Muriel and Thora.

I've been enjoying the iwm films that talking pictures are showing never realised Thora hird was 31 at the time

Quote: Billygoatscruff @ 18th November 2019, 12:56 PM

I've been enjoying the iwm films that talking pictures are showing never realised Thora hird was 31 at the time

Yes, clearly in the film not an age to be a schoolgirl, so did look it up - she was born in 1911 (same year as my late father as it happens)

Noel Cronin (owner of TPTV) said Sunday, on his "Footage Detectives" he'd acquired some new "Look At Life", and one of them was "Funny Business Is No Joke", which featured M&W on the set of a film, G&S in their office tearing their hair out trying to think of new ideas etc. etc. - very interesting!

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