paul7737

Some years ago the BBC in their Play of the Month series showed "When We Are Married" by J B Priestley, which was wonderful!

As it is a favouite of mine and got very good reviews, I was surprised to find it was not to be released, even on VHS!

I recently went on the net and BBC Shop website, asking if it was to be released on DVD as 2008 would be the 70th year since it's publication. But, they said they were not the people who made those decisions, and gave me the contact details of who was.

So, I wrote to the BBC Commisioning Editor (several times) and eventually got a reply saying that they have no immediate plans to clear and release the 1987 Play of the Month version of "When We Are Married" on DVD. This a pity as it had a cast to die for: Patricia Routledge. Peter Vaughan, Prunella Scales, Rosemary Leach et al. After all the production costs etc, you would have thought the BBC would like to get some of it's money back?

This is not the first time that the BBC are very slow to strike when the iron is hot as it were regarding it's TV plays. However they do get it right sometimes. The exellent mini-series Sorrel & Son is shortly to be released (March), but in the US or Canada I believe. Why not here in the UK?

As for all those hours of Test Match cricket they destroyed - words fail me!

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that BBC TV have lost the plot on occasion?

suzepulcheria

We saw this (When we are Married) on TV at the start of our honeymoon in December 1987! I could have sworn Eric Porter was in it but his name doesn't come up on imdb. ("You're digging your graaave with your teeth"). My husband had played that part in an amateur production. I recall that the TV version was taken from the stage production which I saw twice- at the National?

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."

Windthrop

Except Bill Fraser played the photographer on stage and was replaced by Joss Ackland on TV to diminishing results.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

suzepulcheria

I've been thinking about this. I am SURE that the play we saw on TV at Christmas 1987 had Eric Porter and Harold Innocent.

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."

Windthrop

There was a 70s production with Ronnie Barker as the photographer and EP but no HI. Patricia Routledge was in both productions

See "Play of the Month" When We Are Married (1975)

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

Joenoir

Great casts in both productions. Sydney Howard played the photographer in the 1943 film, this also appears to have disappeared without trace.

Start every day with a smile and get it over with.

suzepulcheria

I know, I have googled it and you must be right. But the odd thing is, I asked my husband last night who was in the version we saw on honeymoon and he too said EP and also HI. As I don't believe we have discussed it since we must be suffering from some sort of folie a deux! When I told him there is no record on the net of such a recording (with HI as well as EP) he said he was sure, as indeed I am. I am often wrong but his memory is brilliant. Oh dear.

"I've come a long way you know!" "Equally long way to go back..."

Windthrop

It does exist - there was a BBC documentary in the late 70s/early 80s about Howard (not listed on IMDB and was part of a series on comedians of that era like Sandy Powell) with Stanley Holloway and others talking about him. There was a lengthy clip of Howard as the photographer in what looked like a good print so it does still exist, or did then. I was in an Amdram production when the documentary series was repeated and have looked out for it since then because most of the cast were in the original stage production. It has never turned up on TV, Video or DVD. It is one of those films which just never get shown now, See How They Run is the same. WWAM does have some historical importance because of the aforementioned cast so it should be made available.

The documentary series was superb, pity that never gets reshown.

Wikipedia states (sic) that WWAM is Howard's most repeated film ! Not in this country

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

paul7737

In an email from The BFI National Film & TV Archive that I received today they say:

"We do hold a copy of this film. But cannot make a copy of it beacuse we do not hold the rights, though it may be possible to view this material for research purposes by appointment at the BFI via our Research Viewing Service".

Have replied to them asking, who do hold the rights?

Also, in my email to them I said that I assumed that the original acetate of this film has already been transferred to either video tape or maybe even DVD format for safety purposes.

It will be interesting to hear their reply.

There is a copy of the 1987 TV Play of the Month of WWAM that has been transferred from VHS to DVD format, that was posted on Britmovie last year, or maybe 2006?

If that member is still with us, maybe he/she could let me know, by private message, as to how I could get a copy?

More on this I'm sure.

Windthrop

I have contacted Tom Priestley (a relative) about the matter via the Priestley website. He said it was a matter of who holds the rights and wasn't particularly interested.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !