John Stride

[NowVoyager]

For fans of THE WILDE ALLIANCE, there is now a full episode available for viewing on the net at The Best of ITV Drama: Wilde Alliance - Affray in Amsterdam.

It's lightweight, but fun nonetheless. Lots of retro clothes and clunky background music. At 41, John Stride is boyishly charming and very relaxed in the part, possibly because, in this episode at least, he seems to spend a lot of time wrapped only in a towel.

I like THE WILDE ALLIANCE much more than its glossy American counterpart, HART TO HART.

[Dame Starry]

In the 70s, I worked in Wardrobe Place just off of Carter Lane in the City (London). One day, they were filming a scene from The Main Chance and I just managed to push my way through everybody to go and get some lunch. On the way back, however, I was bit short of time and, as I was a civil servant, tardiness was frowned upon - so I only had one chance (no pun intended) in order to ensure I was back on time......and that was to run between the camera and John Stride - ignoring the pleas for me to wait.

I probably wouldn't have got into trouble - I think it was just sheer devilment!

(The scene that took all day to film lasted about 2 minutes!)

[NowVoyager]

A lovely story, Dame Starry. A chance encounter, so to speak.

I was lucky enough to see JS in the foyer of the Phoenix Theatre one December afternoon in 1973. Being very young and shy, I wasn't brave enough to speak to him.

[Connolly]

Hope also that John Stride will return to health very soon. We miss him in TV and theatre. Delighted to hear that 'The Main Chance Series' 3 will soon be available on DVD.

[NowVoyager]

Thanks for alerting us to this, Connolly. I know there are many Britmovie contributors who have been waiting for series 3 of 'The Main Chance'. The release date is New Year's Eve this year.

According to the promo, guest stars include Bob Hoskins, Allan Cuthbertson and Patrick Troughton, as well as the wonderful George Baker, who sadly passed away so recently.

By the way, the cover looks great.

[Dame Starry]

John Stride is on ITV3 this afternoon (Sunday, 20th November) in the Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Incredible Theft at 5:55pm - 7pm.

[Nimuae]

I had the pleasure of meeting John Stride once when he was filming in York - cannot remember whether it was Main Chance or Wilde Alliance - lovely man !

[wellendcanons]

I had the pleasure of meeting John Stride once when he was filming in York - cannot remember whether it was Main Chance or Wilde Alliance - lovely man !

That's nice to hear Nimuae. He strikes me as being a really nice man. And a great actor for sure. He's an actor I've been very fond of for many years. I wish we could find out more about what he's up to these days.

wec

[NowVoyager]

Hi Nimuae and wec

My own impression too, although I didn't have the courage to speak to him when I saw him all those years ago in the theatre (post 83).

I can't find any TV or theatre performances since the early 90s, but I may have missed something. Perhaps he's done voiceovers or narrations since then. Thankfully this thread keeps his acting legacy alive. In addition, critics still reference his ground-breaking Romeo. As I said in my article on that performance, Olivier thought it one of the best Romeos - which was high praise indeed, considering his own athletic performance in the thirties was so well received.

Perhaps Smudge might have some news.

[Flare Players]

A very fine actor who was around everywhere you looked in British TV and films in the 70s. For some reason, I always got him mixed up in my mind with Tom Chadborn...something similar in their appearances to me...but Stride could be equally adept at comedy and drama. Although people here have mentioned some of his outstanding work already, it was recently that I saw him as Ross in Polanski's MacBeth (sorry, The Scottish Movie) and as Dickie Attenborough's sidekick in Brannigan: Surely a role that was beneath his ability.

Like a lot of his generation of actors, Stride's name should be a lot better known (and certainly his fate needs to be a hell of a lot better known) to the public than it is. Another case of a forgotten talent of the 60s and 70s.

Nick

[NowVoyager]

Hi Nick. Welcome to Britmovie. And thank you for those excellent comments.

I agree about ‘Brannigan’. Although John Stride is charming in the part, it’s hardly a stretch for someone who’d played Zeffirelli’s Romeo and the National’s Rosenkrantz, as well as gritty TV roles like David Main.

As for Ross in the ‘Scottish Movie’, it's an excellent performance. I read somewhere that Polanski beefed up the part. I think it works particularly well because JS looks so cherubic playing a henchman prepared to betray anyone in pursuit of his own agenda.

NowVoyager

[cornershop15]

Daily Mirror interview for 17th September 1977

The picture isn't as clear as I hoped, sadly, but the text is still readable and may provide new information on both stars:


In fact, Wilde Alliance debuted 17 January 1978. Julia was only 33 then! Fifteen years after The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

[NowVoyager]

Thanks, Cornershop. A charming and informative article.

NowVoyager

[smudge]

No update on John personally, sorry, but Network DVD have just announced that THE MAIN CHANCE series 3 is available from Monday - for anyone who is looking for something to put on their Xmas list...

Smudge

[NowVoyager]

Thanks for alerting us to this, Smudge. Good to know it is being released pre-Christmas.

Let's hope we don't have to wait until 1975 to see the final six episodes (ie. the 40th anniversary). This is the series in which Sharon Maughan appears as Inge Lindstrom.

[didi-5]

Spotted series 3 is coming out early :) Especially of interest to me as both third and fourth series featured Gary Bond in guest roles (as seperate characters). So both are definite purchases for me. Series 3 is available from this coming Monday and will stay available for twelve months as a web exclusive.

[cornershop15]

A Happy Easter to Now Voyager, and of course John and family.

TVTimes, 6-12 November 1971

An excellent portrait of the actor by photographer Ian Vaughan:




The smaller text reads:

Ian Vaughan is a top showbusiness photographer with a special line in television personalities. The only superstar of the six in the series* who had not faced Vaughan's camera before was John Stride. So he seemed the obvious choice.

Vaughan's pictures of celebrities appear in magazines all over the world. He has been in the business for 15 years. Here Vaughan talks about Stride ...

*The others were Roger Moore (by Patrick Lichfield), Adam Faith (Terry O'Neill), Peter Wyngarde (David Bailey), Edward Woodward (Cecil Beaton!), and Kenneth Haigh, who was photographed by Gerry Cranham.

[NowVoyager]

Many thanks, Cornershop, for this fine portrait. And Happy Easter to you too.

NowVoyager

[NowVoyager]

I have always been intrigued by the National Theatre’s visit to Moscow in 1965 to perform ‘Othello’. It was their first foreign tour and a response to the Bolshoi’s visit to London. Recently I discovered a wonderful newsreel film online at British Pathe: (www.britishpathe.com/video/moscow).

Being a history buff, I’m fascinated by this newsreel cum travelogue with its insights into the Moscow of the mid sixties, the British perspective on Russia and Russians at that time (remember the Cold War was at its height) and, of course, the glimpses of the National actors as they discover Moscow.

Why is this post in the John Stride thread? As a member of the company (playing Cassio), he appears briefly in the video, sightseeing in Moscow.

The video begins in Saville Row with Billie Whitelaw, Colin Blakely and a very young Lynn Redgrave being fitted for clothes to take on the trip as ambassadors for ‘pure new British wool’. The fashions are worth a look. The actresses wear pillbox hats and nice little suits. Joan Plowright appears at a reception in a boldly checked tent coat and white boots. I recall my mother having a coat like that and I noticed one which looked very similar in the designer section of a Sydney department store just this week. Plus ça change, …

[Connolly]

Have just read on Amazon that Series 4 of 'The Main Chance' will be available from July. I know that many others, like myself, are really looking forward to this. Best of luck once again to John Stride. Hope he's feeling a bit better. He still has lots of fans.