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SPLODGE! NOTES: THIS Monday MARCH (03/03/08) <<< THE ONCE AND FUTURE   Message List  
Reply | Forward Message #130 of 150 |
SPLODGE! NOTES: THIS Monday MARCH (03/03/08) <<< THE ONCE AND FUTURE SPLODGE!!! • LORNA DOONE (1951), • T.V. OF TOMORROW (1953), • THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT: (1957) - SIR CRUST ABREAD (Ep 19) & THE THIEVES (Ep. 29), • WILLOUGHBY'S MAGIC HAT (1943), • OLD MOTHER HUBBARD (1935), • LORNA DOONE (1951)

THE ONCE AND FUTURE SPLODGE!!! • LORNA DOONE (1951), • T.V. OF TOMORROW (1953), • THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT: (1957) - SIR CRUST ABREAD (Ep 19) & THE THIEVES (Ep. 29), • WILLOUGHBY'S MAGIC HAT (1943), • OLD MOTHER HUBBARD (1935), • LORNA DOONE (1951)

PLEASE NOTE, SCREEN TIME IS NOW 7.30pm, FOR THE DURATION!

TONIGHT: STRICTLY MEMBERS-ONLY
 
* MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT, 'THO *

DETAILS BELOW

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SPLODGE! NOTES:
1st. Mon. in MARCH (03/03/08)

 
     ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH
                            (except JANUARYs!)
 

                    a community FilmEdSoc project,
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                      Unusual films of discernment,
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1st.  Quartile
 
MARCH
AD 2007
 
MONDAY 03rd

Registration:    7.00    -      7.30 pm
Screening: >>>>> 7.30  (*SEVEN THIRTY*!!!! )  pm <<<<<
 
TONIGHT: STRICTLY MEMBERS-ONLY
MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT
DETAILS  BELOW
 
TONIGHT! -
 
THE ONCE AND FUTURE SPLODGE!!!
 
THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT,
     (1957)


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzpkp&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

 
Another in the series of ITC's cheaply made - but highly crafted - 'Adventures Of...' historical drama TV series, which also included THE ADVENTURES OF  IVANHOE, (starring Roger Moore), THE ADVENTURES OF  ROBIN HOOD (starring RICHARD GREENE), THE ADVENTURES OF  SIR FRANCIS DRAKE (TERENCE MORGAN, JEAN KENT, ROGER DELGADO, and Michael Crawford (FRANK  SOME MOTHERS DO ‘AVE ‘EM  SPENCER),  THE ADVENTURES OF  WILLIAM TELL, RICHARD THE LIONHEART and THE BUCCANEER (starring ROBERT SHAW).

I think it was Winston Churchill who once said that the most important historical fact of the 20th century is that Great Britain and the USA were two countries divided by the same language.

In the ‘fifties, the British went back to their past and crafted these and other nice series of adventure programmes for kids and the occasional passing grownup. American had Westerns - over in Blighty, I guess they might have called them "medievalers."

Although THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD was the most popular - probably due to the presence of RICHARD GREENE, who had a good list of film credits and was already popular - similar shows got exposure throughout the Commonwealth, and beyond, even in the United States at the time.


Sir Lancelot was played by WILLIAM RUSSELL, who would later star in the very first black and white series of DOCTOR WHO as travelling companion school-teacher Ian Chesterton.

Being a children’s programme, the Sir Lancelot of television respectfully admired his Queen, Guinivere, from a distance – none of this treasonous hanky panky  that colours every other version of  the Arthurian legend from Chrétien de Troyes and Mallory through to JOHN BOORMAN”s EXCALIBUR (1981) ( - excepting, perhaps, the bizarre Artransa cartoon series ARTHUR! AND THE SQUARE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE (1966), voiced by the great JOHN MELLION, JOHN EWART, KEVIN GOLDSBY and others, and improbably written by ALEX BUZO and ROD HULL (THE SUPER FLYING FUN SHOW), amongst others!)

The series - first screened: September 15, 1956 and last aired: April 13, 1957 - was lavishly filmed and - using background information researched at Oxford University - featured accurate 14th Century settings, ( even though the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table hailed from the 6th Century! ). An Anglo-Saxon village with huts, sheep, goats and costumes transporting us into a world of pre-Norman Conquest days was constructed at Nettlefold Studios, and used in most of the ITC series', beginning with THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. Outside location work was shot in Kent, where the company requisitioned Allington Castle, a fitting site for such activity, since its long history included settlement by Ancient Britons, Romans and Saxons.

Writers for these series included refugee Americans blacklisted by (tail-gunner) Joe McCarthy's HUAC subcommittee for the investigation of allegations of communism in ( - amongst other areas of American life - ) the US film and entertainment industries. PATRICK McGOOHAN (DANGER MAN / SCANNERS (1981) / THE PRISONER) had a minor role in one of the episodes, and it was here that he first met writer / director RALPH SMART, who would later create DANGER MAN - the role that would propel MCGOOHAN to stardom.


SIR CRUST ABREAD (Ep. 19. First aired: 2/2/1957) King Arthur gives Sir Lancelot a new name and sends him off to champion a lady who is being forced into marrying an unscrupulous man. Dir: Bernard Knowles. Wr: Leslie Poynton. Guest Stars: Alan Edwardes (Sir Grinamore), Hector Ross (Baron). Virginia Vernon (Lady Lynette).
 
THE THIEVES   (Ep. 29, First aired: 4/13/1957)
King Arthur and Sir Lancelot disguise themselves as thieves in order to test the validity of a statement by Lancelot. The knight believes that the thieves of the kingdom are thieves only because they are starving. Wr: H.H. Burns. Dir: Bernard Knowles. Guest Stars: Colin Tapley (Lord Vanton), Jack Melford (Norrin).

Prod. Co: Sapphire Films / ITC. Prod: Bernard Knowles. Mus: Albert Elms. Cast: Peter Bennett (Leonides), Cyril Smith (Merlin, the Magician), Robert Scroggins (Squire Brian), Martin Benson (Hassie), Ronald Leigh-Hunt (King Arthur), Jane Hylton (Queen Guinevere), William Russell (Sir Lancelot). 30 mins. RM
 
T.V. OF TOMORROW,
     (1953)

One of several slightly dystopian subjects made in the 1950s by, arguably, Hollywood's most inventive comic animator Tex Avery, T.V. OF TOMORROW has the usual Avery traits of cramming as many gags as possible into it's brief running time, though there is a somewhat mordant quality to much of the material on show,  a rather statelier pace than is normal for Avery,and no proper narrative is clearly evident, just a series of briefly stated jokes, most of which are amusing but lacking the ferocious subtlety evident in other Avery cartoons such as RED HOT RIDING HOOD and WHO KILLED WHO?


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzotn&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1


The best aspects are considerable technical adroitness ( mixing animation and live action very smoothly ) and a very funny running gag involving a Western allied with the "William Tell" theme, easily this subject's highlight.


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzotj&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1



A variety of fanciful innovations in T.V. sets of the future, including non-standard screen ratio versions, and a number of highly interactive models, such as the Bridge-playing model.


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzotl&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

 
And of course, even with dozens of channels, there's nothing on... or, more accurately, there's nothing but that same old Western!
 
Prod. Co: MGM. Prod: Fred Quimby. Dir: FED "TEX" AVERY. Wr: Heck Allen. Cast: PAUL FREES (Narrator/voice) (uncredited), DAVE O'BRIEN (Man on TV) (uncredited). Mus: Scott Bradley. Anim: Robert Bentley, Walt Clinton, Michael Lah. 7 mins. RM. 

WILLOUGHBY'S MAGIC HAT,
     (1943)



http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ytyapr&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ytyajk&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1
http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ytyaw0&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1


The premise of this rarely-seen Columbia cartoon, such as it is, involves a cap knitted from the hair ( - yecch!) of Samson by Delilah and which she then passes on to her other boyfriend, Hercules. Subsequently the cap journeys through history bestowing strength and courage on new owners.

When meek and mild Willoughby Wren ,
a timid little character - whom, I believe, starred in several Columbia cartoons - buys it and puts it on, it gives him super powers. He ends up fighting crime and evil on the street's of his city, battling a evil robot to save a damsel in distress, climaxing with her rescue from the path of oncoming trains. Eventually he destroys the robot and turns it into a Victory (WWII) iron scrap-pile.

A major running-gag is that the hat keeps falling off at inopportune moments, causing Willoughby much discomfort.

An intriguing cartoon from one of the most forgotten of cartoon studios from Hollywood's golden age. The animation is highly reminiscent of UPA's early style; the backgrounds are very flat and expressionistic. Too bad it wasn't shot in colour! Prod Co. Columbia Pictures Corporation. Prod. DAVE FLEISCHER. Dir. UB IWERKS, Bob Wickersham. Anim. Phil Duncan, Howard Swift. Mus: Paul Worth. 6 mins. RM

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD,
     (1943)


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y411i2&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1


I love bad celebrity caricatures, and if you want a bad celebrity caricature, Celebrity Pictures was the studio that could DELIVER! Yes, here's one of my favourite UB IWERKS cartoons, the inspiringly uplifting ("Cheer up - be a regularrrrr guyyyyyy!") OLD MOTHER HUBBARD. Natch, it's a take on the old poem about OMH and her dog, but turns it on its proverbial ear, making it strangely musical (or musically strange, if you prefer). Prod. Co. Celebrity Pictures. Dir/Anim: UB IWERKS. 6 mins. RM

followed by:
 
LORNA DOONE,
   (1951)


   http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzq6p&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1
http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzra9&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1  http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yrzraa&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1



In this film version of R. D. Blackmore's  classic 'old school' "the peasants are revolting" adventure novel, the Doone clan lives in a big stone castle overlooking "their" village, and - although stripped of the title over the land - they continue to act as feudal barons, riding out with their pointy-helmeted soldiers to gather taxes from the peasants with impunity.

The action takes place in the 17th Century , after the death of Cromwell and the restoration of the monarchy to the reign of Britain's Charles II, in the remote region of Scotland, yet the people are still being subjected to these unjust taxes.

The story also, of course, concerns the good-hearted young Lorna (BARBARA HALE), a member of the family of these much-hated Doones.

Lorna falls in love with
humble villager, John Ridd (RICHARD GREENE), who, like the rest of community, has suffered under the rule of these despotic Doones. Years before, his father, a respectable farmer, was murdered in cold blood by one of the Doones. The young John swears to avenge his father's death and climbs an impressive waterfall to enter the Doones' castle, seeking justice for the crime, but on discovering that the lovely young "blue blooded" Lorna is a Doone, gives her a good slapping around!

Years pass, and on return from time in the army, Ridd assembles a band of men in the forest (!) and they vow to fight the tax-gatherers, hiding in the trees and jumping down on them and.... wait a minute, which story is this?


http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ytyevy&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1


Yes, GREENE IS - and probably always will be - remembered as the ITC 1950s cult TV ROBIN HOOD.
He makes for an amusing and amiable stand-in for, say, Errol Flynn, ( - who must have been otherwise engaged at the time), 'tho HALE (  - who may be marginally more remembered today as PERRY MASON's secretary Della Street in that '50s/'60s TV legal series - ),  as the feisty Lorna, is more than sassy enough to take on the likes of the VIRGINIA MAYO league. (HALE was actually pregnant throughout the filming of LORNA DOONE; thus, it could be asserted that the film "co-starred" her son, future actor William Katt (GREATEST AMERICAN HERO) ! )

Given the prevailing themes of medieval despotism and Calvinistic Scots with which this film deals, the "elephant in the room" - ie. it cannot go un-noted - is the heavy tinge ( possibly reflecting a European influence ) of sado-masochism in major scenes, involving shirtless male bondage, flogging, punishment, whipping. Goes nicely with the tax-collecting, I guess. Indeed, there is no shortage of 
sword-fights, general fisticuffs, and even lady-slapping ( - well, Lorna's family did murder Ridd's father!)

It's a good looking film, with the lush, 1950s-Hollywood treatment, and the backdrops, ( - ie. the Doone's castle, perched on the edge of the cliff, and the thundering waterfall which is the only other access to the castle beyond the one road and the drawbridge - ) look good as well.
The waterfall here, seriously, looks like it's Niagara, and the scene of young John Ridd as-a-boy, climbing up to the Doone castle, ( - in other versions, he tumbles down into their valley - ) is quite exciting.

There is the usual collection of Hollywood support actors on hand to look aggrieved. angry or resentful on cue as well, so you'll always "feel at home" when they are on screen, knowing this is from the established stable of 1940s/50s Hollywood swash-bucklers.

Worth watching to remind you of what Hollywood was once capable, as well as of FLYNN as Robin Hood, RONALD COLEMAN as the Prisoner of Zenda or even GENE KELLY as D'Artagnan! But it's a REAL treat for fans of RICHARD GREENE!


Prod. Co: Edward Small Productions. Prod: Edward Small, Grant Whytock. Dir: Phil Karlson. Scr: George Bruce, Jesse Lasky Jr. Richard Schayer. Mus: George Duning. Phot: Charles Van Enger. Cast: BARBARA HALE, RICHARED GREENE, Carl Benton Reid, William Bishop, RON RANDELL, Sean McClory, Onslow Stevens, Lester Matthews. 86 mins. RM

Minor programme changes may occur due to unforseen circumstances.
Feature runs last; shorts order may vary from listing.
 
* Acknowledging  ACMI Inc. & ScreenSound Australia ;) *
 
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Sat Mar 1, 2008 7:00 pm

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THE ONCE AND FUTURE SPLODGE!!! • LORNA DOONE (1951), • T.V. OF TOMORROW (1953), • THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT: (1957) - SIR CRUST ABREAD (Ep 19) & THE...
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Mar 1, 2008
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THE ONCE AND FUTURE SPLODGE!!! • LORNA DOONE (1951), • T.V. OF TOMORROW (1953), • THE ADVENTURES OF SIR LANCELOT: (1957) - SIR CRUST ABREAD (Ep 19) & THE...
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