Petula Clark

[julian_craster]

Coming to BBC4 television in the UK ...a documentary on Petula's long career



Friday 17 Nov, 21:00-22:00

60mins Stereo Widescreen

Plus several repeat broadcasts



Legends: Petula Clark - Blue Lady

A revealing look at the long and remarkable career of Petula Clark, best

known for her classic 1960s hit Downtown. This documentary traces her many

reinventions - from child star to 1950s film star, through to her later

starring roles in the West End and Broadway. The film reveals a restlessly

creative artist with a tenacious capacity for reinvention, including lost

masterpieces such as her unpublished country album Blue Lady.

[Phil Turner]

Despite a short(ish) career in films, I've always liked her as an actress and feel that she was slightly underrated. Despite mixed critical reviews, I personally enjoyed her two big roles of the 1960s in Finian's Rainbow and Goodbye, Mr Chips and liked her performances as a child star/young actress in a series of charming British films. I fear her successful recording career may have deprived movie fans of seeing more of her.



Regards

Phil Turner

[Steve Crook]

Despite a short(ish) career in films, I've always liked her as an actress and feel that she was slightly underrated. Despite mixed critical reviews, I personally enjoyed her two big roles of the 1960s in Finian's Rainbow and Goodbye, Mr Chips and liked her performances as a child star/young actress in a series of charming British films. I fear her successful recording career may have deprived movie fans of seeing more of her.



Regards

Phil Turner

The documentary pointed out that she had the choice of which way to go. Although it was very hard to progress from child star to adult star in films. They cited Judy Garland & Shirley Temple as examples. And in some of her films, like the Huggetts series, Petula was made to look a lot younger than she actually was. In Here Come the Huggetts and Vote for Huggett, Diana Dors is playing a street smart older teenager while Petula is still the baby of the family. Really Dors was only about a year older than Pet.



And Petula was already a singing star as well as a child star in films. What's more remarkable is that she has managed to stay at the top of her game as a singing star for son long in so many different countries.



Steve

[Brief Encounter]

A good documentary I thought.



She does the 'sweet little girl' thing very well in those old Brit movies; and turns in a great but small adult performance in The Card.

[Moor Larkin]

The documentary pointed out that she had the choice of which way to go. Although it was very hard to progress from child star to adult star in films. They cited Judy Garland & Shirley Temple as examples.

She has certainly pursued her acting career though don't you think? Just found a way to combine it with her singing talent and moved into Musical Theatre. I was amused about how the commentary started blathering on about her 'song-writing' being stifled and the "Blue Lady' album being a lost masterpiece. All of which Arty drivel inevitably negates all the stuff she is actually known and appreciated for. I can sometimes understand why 'stars' give up on trying to satisfy their fans and critics. If you're successful and popular it is only through 'lost masterpieces' you can gain critical acclaim. It's all very elitist.



Without meaning to be patronising (but inevitably am so being) it was glorious to see a Septuagenarian so happily active. My wife, who is in her Fifties, insisted that Petula Clark was only around her own age..... I decided not to argue.......



How they could compare her with Sandie Shaw was beyond me. It would be like comparing Frank Sinatra with The Monkees........

[penfold]

How they could compare her with Sandie Shaw was beyond me. It would be like comparing Frank Sinatra with The Monkees........

In fairness to the doc. they didn't...they said that the general perception of her was of being one of the set of girl singers from the sixties...Sandie, Lulu, Dusty and Cilla....which they then sent out to debunk...

[Brief Encounter]

Could you all please take a moment to look at this petition to award Petula Clark. She's been in the business since 1942, and still touring - surely that deserves some recognition to say the least.



We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark - which is long overdue.

[Steve Crook]

Could you all please take a moment to look at this petition to award Petula Clark. She's been in the business since 1942, and still touring - surely that deserves some recognition to say the least.



We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark - which is long overdue.

Great idea. I've signed

Then someone should do similar for a knighthood for Jack Cardiff



Steve

[Marky B]

I've signed it - she's a national treasure. I think John Barry long over due for a knighthood.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Joenoir]

I'm not sure if I fully support the honours system, but if we're going to have one then Pet should be created a Dame! Therefore I have signed the petition.

[vaggmk1938]

I've signed. Have long been an admirer .

[hankoler]

good idea ,ive signed

[JohnB_Toronto]

Glad to see ex-pat citizens are allowed to sign. I'm down.

[jack case]

Could you all please take a moment to look at this petition to award Petula Clark. She's been in the business since 1942, and still touring - surely that deserves some recognition to say the least.



We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark - which is long overdue.

Hi, great work. I've signed up. I can't believe how often they neglect great performers who've been in the business for years and yet give them out, willy nilly, to the latest sporting hero. Must start somthing similar for June Whitfield - one of the great's of British comedy for over 50 years.



Hope you're well.



All best



Jack



.

[stevie boy]

Could you all please take a moment to look at this petition to award Petula Clark. She's been in the business since 1942, and still touring - surely that deserves some recognition to say the least.



We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark - which is long overdue.

I have signed it, thought she was a dame already??

been watching Pet in the Huggetts, hard to believe

she is 75, good on you Pet

[Davie]

Great idea. 928 sigs & 2 months to go!

[Mark O]

Yup, I've just signed also, being a lifelong fan!



I was fortunate enough to see her in Concert last Summer, absolutely brilliant!.........she sang 'La vie en rose', 'Tell me it's not true (Blood brothers), 'With one look' (Sunset Boulevard), and many, many more!



I absolutely adored Petula in 'Sunset Boulevard', saw it twice and loved every minute!.......I worship the song 'As if we never said Goodbye'!

[Moor Larkin]

been watching Pet in the Huggetts, hard to believe

she is 75,

How can anyone not be a fan of Petula Clark I wonder. Maybe she's spent too much time in France since the Sixties and the changing of the guard. I came across this today in a Radio Times of January 1956:



Petula Clark will be starring this week in The Song's the Thing in the Light Programme and also, of course, in her own show in television on Tuesday. Petula - she doesn't respond very favourably to being called Pet - is a remarkable young lady. At 23, she is already a veteran of show business, having first appeared on the stage at the age of 7 and sung at the Albert Hall at the age of 10. Since then she has appeared in 24 films, broadcast in innumerable radio and television shows, made a great many records, and is still nevertheless something of an ingenue. "I hate being called that," she said, "but I suppose it's true." Any doubts we may have had were dispelled when we asked her about the colour of her hair. "You could call it titian," she said, "but really it's just toffee-coloured."

[Joenoir]

I assume Pet is up for this honour, after all Vanessa Redgrave, among others, has turned it down. Otherwise, it is indeed strange that PC has not yet joined the other Dames in the entertainment field:



JUDITH ANDERSON, JULIE ADREWS, PEGGY ASHCROFT, EILEEN ATKINS, SHIRLEY BASSEY, LILLIAN BRAITHWAITE, CLARA BUTT, GLADYS COOPER, CICELY COURTNEIDGE, JUDI DENCH, EDITH EVANS, MARGOT FONTEYN, GWEN FFRANGCON-DAVIES, GRACIE FIELDS, BERYL GREY, WENDY HILLER, THORA HIRD, CELIA JOHNSON, CLEO LAINE, VERA LYNN, ALICIA MARKOVA, NELLIE MELBA, HELEN MIRREN, ANNA NEAGLE, MERLE PARK, JOAN PLOWRIGHT, DIANA RIGG, FLORA ROBSON, MARGARET RUTHERFORD, MARGARET SCOTT, MAGGIE SMITH, JOAN SUTHERLAND, ELIZABETH TAYLOR, KIRI TE KANAWA, MARIE TEMPEST, ELLEN TERRY, SYBIL THORNDIKE, DOROTHY TUTIN, IRENE VANBRUGH, MAY WHITTY and of course our very own DAME STARRY!

[Davie]

Could you all please take a moment to look at this petition to award Petula Clark. She's been in the business since 1942, and still touring - surely that deserves some recognition to say the least.



We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark - which is long overdue.

Got a reply from Govt. Petition website saying they recognise her outstanding achievements, and also note the 1000+ signatories to the petition.



I expect the Queen's B/day Honours list is already full, but she could be in the next NY Honours list.