Armchair Theatre Volume 3

[dpgmel]

Good to see that Network are continuing to release these volumes . Scant details for this one at the moment other than it features amongst others Patrick McGoohan, Stanley Baker, Billie Whitelaw etc and is due on the 20th August.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[Windyridge]

Great news...how do we find out which plays are on it I wonder?

[Moor Larkin]

Scant details for this one at the moment other than it features amongst others Patrick McGoohan....

An official outing for The Man Out There I would guess. That one has been widely available on the Spanish Main for quite some time.

The list of directors is no clue since Charles Jarrott directed The Man Out There whilst Ted Kotcheff directed The Greatest man in the World.

The Greatest Man in the World however would be a coup to make me go Coo!
and make the moths fly........

[CaptainWaggett]

Fingers crossed that the Alun Owen / Charles Jarrott combo could be The Rose Affair in which Naunton Wayne adds bowls to his portfolio of sporting accomplishments . It was shown at the NFT a few years back so there must be a decent print available.

[Moor Larkin]

Fingers crossed that the Alun Owen / Charles Jarrott combo could be [URL="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055387/"]The Rose Affair

If that is the case then my moths shall cry, F-r-e-e-d-o-m and I shall be the happiest man in the world.......

[CaptainWaggett]

If that is the case then my moths shall cry, F-r-e-e-d-o-m and I shall be the happiest man in the world.......

Finally something we can agree on I think it's quite likely actually - it's got its own Screenonline page and everything

[Moor Larkin]

It seems to be 3 discs and 10 hours ....

[cornershop15]

Going by the filmographies of the actors and directors credited, I think three of the plays must be:

The Criminals (the only one Stanley Baker was in, not to be confused with his film The Criminal)

Afternoon of a Nymph (Janet Munro's only surviving play, with soon-to-be husband Ian Hendry)

The Paraffin Season, by Donald Churchill (Joss Ackland's other appearance in the series is lost)

I have a feeling that Ted Kotcheff is represented by the long-awaited Lena O My Lena (shown on Channel 4 many years ago), as Billie Whitelaw is among the star names. Charles Jarrott's contribution might be The Man Out There. I hope so because cult favourites Clifford Evans and Katharine Blake are in it as well as Patrick McGoohan. Or perhaps it's The Trouble with Our Ivy, with Dandy Nichols? I'd like to see that again too.

The Criminals is one of the plays as that's all that's left of director James Ferman's Armchair Theatre output. Susannah York? No hope for her first four appearances, unfortunately, while The Creditors - her last - was in the previous collection. Therefore, it's either I Took My Little World Away, co-starring Gary Watson and John Ronane, or The Importance of Being Earnest, which has an even greater cast. The former is actually in my Top 10 DVD wish list and was broadcast a week before I was born (as I keep reminding myself ).

Particularly pleased about the inclusion of The Paraffin Season, assuming I'm right. Possibly Tessa Wyatt's TV debut. Donald Churchill's doing well in this series, isn't he?!

The Name's the Same

His wife Pauline Yates was in that play - as Helen Penfold! ITC fans will be familiar with that name from dozens of end credits (as
Hairdresser/stylist), notably The Saint. In fact her only joint credit with Donald is the very first episode, The Talented Husband.

[CaptainWaggett]

If HMV are correct one of them is A Night Out

[Windyridge]

Which is Judy Cornwell's play I am asking myself? Fantastic if it was Poor Cherry or Wind in A Tall Paper Chimney. as I already have Call Me Daddy thanks to a kind forum member.

[didi-5]

I bet its Call Me Daddy, which I already have - still, how nice to see official releases for these at last!

[Moor Larkin]

The Man Out There after all......
I should be happy..... I'm just a spoiled brat........

[didi-5]

What a great cover

[dpgmel]

Yes fab cover, where did you find it Moor ?

[cornershop15]

I'm convinced the actor in the top picture is Rodney Bewes in The Night Before the Morning After, by Jack Rosenthal. His only other appearance was in the lost play The Irish Boys, as a Barman. The title refers to the eve of his character's wedding to Julia Foster, who he also appeared with in one of the Love Story productions selected for the long-awaited DVD. He's obviously wearing a groom's hat, as well as pyjamas, in the still.

Just as certain that's Norman Rossington, bottom left. Miraculously, all five of Norman's Armchair Theatre appearances exist in the archives, the last of which was on Volume 1 (Will Amelia Quint ...). I've already suggested The Paraffin Season and this seems the most likely, in view of Joss Ackland's inclusion in the set, and two other Donald Churchill plays are on each of the previous collections. But as Norman is on the cover this must be a leading role. Maybe it's A Tune on the Old Tax Fiddle? That was directed by Charles Jarrott as well.

The stars in the other photos appear to be Stanley Baker (The Criminals), Janet Munro and Ian Hendry (Afternoon of a Nymph), and Patrick McGoohan (The Man Out There).

[cornershop15]

Breaking News

I've received an e-mail with a link to Network's Forthcoming Releases. Here at last is the list of plays included on Armchair Theatre - Volume 3:

Now Let Him Go
Starring Hugh Griffith, June Thorburn, Ursula Howells, Frances Rowe and William Mervyn
Written by J.B. Priestley
Directed by Dennis Vance

The Criminals
Starring Stanley Baker, Raymond Huntley and Allan Cuthbertson
Written by Eric Paice and Malcolm Hulke
Directed by James Ferman

A Night Out
Starring Tom Bell, Madge Ryan, Arthur Lowe and Vivien Merchant
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Philip Saville

Lena, O My Lena
Starring Billie Whitelaw, Colin Blakely, Peter McEnery and Scott Forbes
Written by Alun Owen
Directed by William T. Kotcheff

The Man Out There
Starring Patrick McGoohan, Clifford Evans, Katharine Blake, Jack Watson and Marne Maitland
Written by Donal Giltinan
Directed by Charles Jarrott

The Omega Mystery
Starring John Gregson, Donald Churchill, Stanley Meadows, David Spenser, Frank Gatliff, Miranda Connell and Patrick McAlinney
Written by James Mitchell
Directed by Guy Verney

Tune On The Old Tax Fiddle
Starring Raymond Huntley, Norman Rossington, John Le Mesurier, Vivienne Martin and Henry McGee
Written by Ronald Hardy
Directed by Charles Jarrott

Afternoon of a Nymph
Starring Janet Munro, Ian Hendry, Peter Butterworth,
William Gaunt, Patrick Holt and Aubrey Morris
Written by Robert Muller
Directed by Philip Saville

The Snag
Starring Derek Francis, Barrie Ingham, Gwen Nelson, Patsy Rowlands and Arthur Lowe
Written by Donal Giltinan
Directed by Jonathan Alwyn

Living Image
Starring Alec Clunes, Alexis Kanner, Kynaston Reeves, James Villiers and Elizabeth MacLennan
Written by James Broom Lynne
Directed by Philip Saville

Poor Cherry
Starring Dilys Laye, Jane Birkin, Judy Cornwell, Gwen Nelson and Peter Arne
Written by Fay Weldon
Directed by Piers Haggard

Special Feature:
Old Man’s Fancy
Starring Clifford Evans, Robert Hardy, Peter Jeffrey and Meg Wynn Owen
Written by Evan Jones
Directed by Toby Robertson

I was right with some of them but am a bit gutted to be mistaken about The Night Before the Morning After. Maybe next time, along with Barrett Keller? Thank you once again to the brilliant Network

Full details:

Armchair Theatre: Volume 3

[Ray]

I'm convinced the actor in the top picture is Rodney Bewes in The Night Before the Morning After, by Jack Rosenthal. His only other appearance was in the lost play The Irish Boys, as a Barman. The title refers to the eve of his character's wedding to Julia Foster, who he also appeared with in one of the Love Story productions selected for the long-awaited DVD. He's obviously wearing a groom's hat, as well as pyjamas, in the still.

Just as certain that's Norman Rossington, bottom left. Miraculously, all five of Norman's Armchair Theatre appearances exist in the archives, the last of which was on Volume 1 (Will Amelia Quint ...). I've already suggested The Paraffin Season and this seems the most likely, in view of Joss Ackland's inclusion in the set, and two other Donald Churchill plays are on each of the previous collections. But as Norman is on the cover this must be a leading role. Maybe it's A Tune on the Old Tax Fiddle? That was directed by Charles Jarrott as well.

The stars in the other photos appear to be Stanley Baker (The Criminals), Janet Munro and Ian Hendry (Afternoon of a Nymph), and Patrick McGoohan (The Man Out There).

The actor in the top picture is Peter McEnery who is in Lena Oh My Lena, which I remember seeing at the Saville Theatre in 1961 starring Billie Whitelaw, who is also in the the play in this collection.

[Arfur Teacake]

The Paraffin Season and Barrett Keller his Mark are thought to be missing from the archives arn't they?


The Omega Mystery was thought to be a second pilot attempt (first being Flight from Treason) to team up John Gregson with somebody like Ian Hendry for an adventure series.

[cornershop15]

The actor in the top picture is Peter McEnery who is in Lena Oh My Lena

Well the cover's changed then, though I can't find the original to prove it and regret not saving it for posterity. For some unknown reason, Peter McEnery has replaced Rodney Bewes and John Gregson is where Norman Rossington was (all too briefly).

[dpgmel]

All the speculation can now cease full details on the link :

http://www.networkdvd.net/product_in...oducts_id=1605