Armchair Theatre (1956 -74)

[didi-5]

I was surprised to see just how many Armchair Theatre productions Harry H. Corbett appeared in. I grew up only really knowing him as a comedic actor, but his body of work before Steptoe and Son was quite prolific. The first of his AT plays was that of a condemned murderer in 'The Last Mile' (broadcast 03/11/1957) and this was followed by six more by 1959. He played an Italian tradesman in the comedy 'A Gust of Wind' (23/02/1958), a cockney trader in Eugene O'Neil's drama 'Emperor Jones' (30/03/1958), a confederate soldier in the American civil war drama 'The Sentry’ (04/01/1959), a theatrical producer in the drama 'The Bird, The Bear and the Actress’ (08/03/1959), a character called Charlie Panetti in 'The Jukebox' in which he co-starred with Alan Bates and Miriam Karlin (17/04/1959), and George Albert in a drama ‘The Shadow of the Ruthless’ (26/04/1959) which also starred Anthony Quayle, Charles Gray, John Barron and David McCallum. I don't know which of these still survive in the archives, but given his high profile it would be nice to see as many as possible released on a compilation DVD. Unfortunately, I think mainly only the later colour episodes have seen the light of day on 'official' release. But if the black and white episodes are anywhere near the quality of 'A Magnum for Schneider' released last year on the Callan compilation, there is a huge body of worthwhile releases out there that would also be a remarkable chronicle of developing British talent from the late 50s / early 60s.

The Last Mile - wiped.
A Gust of Wind - wiped.
Emperor Jones - survives.
The Sentry - wiped.
The Bird, The Bear and the Actress - survives.
The Jukebox - survives.
The Shadow of the Ruthless - wiped.

I'm sure if we did a similar exercise for other regulars in the series we would find a similar survival rate. It would also make for some potentially interesting DVD compilations, as you say. I've always been of the opinion that work hidden in the archives does give a different perception of some actors than what is generally available to view and DVD does give an opportunity to exploit archive material and not only showcase those actors who are remembered, but potentially bring some back into the public view who have been forgotten.

Armchair Theatre would seem to be a real treasure trove left largely untapped.

[cornershop15]

Thank you for all your research, didi. It was a long wait for Volume 2 but that's behind us now. Some dream casts in those plays!

Including cult favourites Katharine Blake and Gary Watson in Wednesday's Child (1970). A year
earlier they played the same couple, the Nourses, in the Public Eye episode My Life's My Own:

It will be great to see them Together Again, singing "Reunited - and it feels so good"

The play is actually a prequel to that classic episode (definitely one of my favourites), which featured Stephanie Beacham as Mrs. Mortimer's suicidal tenant. However, it's the recently-bumped Prunella Ransome who plays the part of Shirley this time. Wednesday's Child and My Life's My Own share the same writer and director as well - Roger Marshall and Kim Mills respectively. Looking forward to watching all the plays but especially this one.

[didi-5]

In addition, two of the ABC 1960s Armchair Theatres have been released as DVD extras:

A Magnum for Schneider can be found on the Network release Callan: The Monochrome Years.
The Hothouse can be found on the Studio Canal release The Avengers: Series Four.

I believe there have been no more official releases although several of the ABC episodes are in circulation on the grey market.

I was wrong - I forgot that Act Three only of the 1964 'Importance of Being Earnest' was released as an extra on The Avengers: Series Three. It features Ian Carmichael as John Worthing, Patrick Macnee as Algernon Moncrieff, Pamela Brown as Lady Bracknell, Irene Handl as Miss Prism, Fenella Fielding as Gwendolen, Susannah York as Cecily, Wilfred Brambell as Canon Chasuble, and Charles Lloyd Pack as Merriman. I would love to see the whole thing (which has survived); pity the DVD extra couldn't indulge us with a complete presentation. What a mouthwatering cast!

[didi-5]

Acoording to Network's website their Studio Canal deal includes a release of 24 early Armchair Theatres! Don't know which. But GOOD NEWS :)

[CaptainWaggett]

Acoording to Network's website their Studio Canal deal includes a release of 24 early Armchair Theatres! Don't know which. But GOOD NEWS :)

Excellent news Fingers crossed for The Rose Affair which I've seen at the NFT so there must be a decent print somewhere

[dpgmel]

Acoording to Network's website their Studio Canal deal includes a release of 24 early Armchair Theatres! Don't know which. But GOOD NEWS :)

This Studio Canal deal is working out darn expensive for me.

[didi-5]

I have several of these already but as there's a high proportion of survivors fingers crossed for a nice range of titles. I'm really chuffed about this news.

[cornershop15]

Amazing and wonderful news, INDEED. For a long time I feared it would just be the 1970s plays on DVD.

Thank you for telling us. I shall have my fingers crossed for the long-awaited Barrett Keller - His Mark:

Left to right - Christopher Sandford, my beloved Petra Markham, Sheena Marsh(e) and Bernard Bresslaw.

[cornershop15]

TVTimes coverage for 'The Wind in a Tall Paper Chimney', broadcast 7th February 1968

I've just posted this listing at Judy Cornwell's thread. Happy to report that all three of the Armchair Theatre productions she apppeared in exist in the archives (the others were Call Me Daddy and Poor Cherry). A miraculous hat-trick considering the fate of so many plays from this period.

From the 'Playbill' feature, written on this occasion by James Greenfield:

AFTER the recent spate of spy thrillers, espionage has become child's play. Ingenious spy kits are available at every toy counter. The spy has been robbed of his most valuable stock-in trade - secrecy.

Now, on television, in Armchair Theatre, our lonely, unloved spies are branded as possible traitors. This is the suspicion contained in The Wind in a Tall Paper Chimney.

It's about the spies who spy on spies," said script editor George Markstein. "Black comedy was one of the recent trends in drama - this is a black spy story."

Bernard Cribbins forsakes his record roles of road digging and furniture removing for the part of an electronics expert working on missiles. As Sam Honeybone, he is approached with a proposition by Mr. Killick (David Stoll), a security chief. Killick believes that one of his men, Faulk (Donald Sinden), is a double agent.

Killick proposes that Faulk be sent to investigate Honeybone's loyalty. Sam is to hint that he wuld be prepared to work for the other side. If Faulk does not report him for this - then Faulk's disloyalty is proven. But events support the theory that in spying the left hand never knows what the right is doing.

Playwright Robert Holles said: "Spies are a luxury to any country employing them. What they do and the importance of their work is of significance only to themselves and other spies."

Donald Sinden found the part of Faulk a omplete, but welcome change from the earnest, honourable cleric in Our Man at St. Marks. Peter Sasdy, the director, said: "There's plenty to laugh at, but when people have stopped laughing they might ask themselves: "Could this happen - and to me?"

I can imagine getting up from their television sets and going to the window - to see if anyone's watching them."