A 13 part series dramatising Charles Dickens 1838 novel. According to LUTSSE - Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine.com - the complete run exists in TV station archives.
As to how Grainer's music for this program sounded it is difficult to imagine. The only known recording is a version of the series theme as played by guitar group The Eagles and it is assumed 1950s surf music was not Grainers original choice for evoking scenes of grimy 19th Century streets and impoverished child labour crime networks. [1]
Bruce Prochnik the TV series "Oliver" later played the same role on Broadway in the highly successful 1963 Lionel Bart musical. [2]
The second last episode broadcast on 25.3.62 caused public outrage and the call for a government probe into violence on TV because of its too graphic depiction of the killing of the Nancy character by villain Bill Sikes a scene not glossed over in modern stagings of Bart's version. [2b]
THE TITANS [BBC 9th & 14th JAN 1962]
Two part Malcolm Muggeridge documentary on the rapid rise to World Power of the Soviet Union and the USA "with music specially arranged by Ron Grainer" [it is not known if this involved any original compositions]. [3]
The first part dealt with Russia, a description of life under the Czar, historic films of the Russian people, the Czars rise to power, the sinister monk Rasputin, the rise of Lenin, the Russian part in the first World War, the USSR revolution, the rise of Stalin, the Red Army destroying the German armies in 1944 and 1945, the start of the Cold War, the power struggle following Stalin's death, the Hungarian revolution, early Russian space triumphs, the U2 affair, the first man into space, development of the megaton bombs and the Russian position in the world.
The second part dealt with the effect of European immigrants pouring into America, America's initial aloofness during the first World War, the stock market crash and depression of the early 1930s, Roosevelt being elected President, Americas reluctant involvement in World War Two and the countries post war rise to World influence drawing the program to a close with the election of President Kennedy. [4]
The Titans" caused such a public controversy Muggeridge wrote a five page essay answering critics of the two episodes. [5]
THE SIX PROUD WALKERS [BBC 10.03. 62]
A "comedy thriller" play, written by later Dr Who series contributor Donald Wilson, about the complicated situations that arise when an actress mistakenly picks up a necklace of nine stolen diamonds assuming it was the paste imitation she ordered for a tv appearence. [6] At episode five some stolen rare earth mineral Germanium enters the plot [7]
The first series of Six Proud Walkers was written by Donald Wilson and ran from 14.7.54 to 18.8.54. The music was composed by Ray Martin and played and sung by Tommy Pears plus the The Seven Stars Trio. [8]
The six episodes were The Nine Bright Shiners / The Rivals / One Is One ... And One Alone / The Lilly White Boys / The Seven Stars & The Twelve Apostles.
"The Mulberry Accelerator" a sequel to "Walkers" featuring the same lead characters plus a "Mr Mulberry" [9] was broadcast the flowing year and ran from 16.4.55 to 21.5.55.
There is no credited music for this sequel but presumedly the episodes were the later named The Four Anxious Men / Now You See Him... Now You Don't / Two Into One / All In The Family & The Mulberry Accelerator
In 1962 a combination of both plays with a bridging episode, presumedly "The Eight Comandment", was broadcast. This new production carried the name of the original play [10] and ran from 10.3.62 - 2.6.62.
According to Lost UK TV Shows search engine no archive copies of either series of the program has been found which is disappointing as the intriguing episode titles suggest a deliberate connection to the mysterious English Christmas Carol "Green Grow The Rushes O" with its curious blend of Christian and Pagan lyric imagery.
In fact the Radio Times intro for series one episode one confirms this idea "The title of this new serial is taken from the traditional song 'Green Grow the Rushes' and each episode will also draw its title from a different line of the song". [11]
The lyrics for the culminating verse of Green Grow The Rushes O
I'll sing you twelve O
Green grow the rushes, O
What are your twelve O?
Green Grow The Rushes O
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine bright shiners
Eight for the eight bold rangers
Seven for the seven stars in the sky
Six for the six proud walkers
Five for the symbols at your door
Four for the Gospel makers
Three three the rivals
Two two lily-white boys
Clothed all in green
One is one and all alone
And evermore shall be so [12]
Grainer wrote the signature tune for this combined series and the melody of the "Green Grows The Rushes O" does have interesting similarites to his later Dr Who theme.
Live performance of "Green Grow The Rushes O"
All 13 episodes of the second "Six Proud Walkers" series were produced by Douglas Allen who also produced another missing 1962 Grainer scored BBC TV series "The Old Curiosity Shop" [13]
A KIND OF LOVING [Film 12.4.62]
Relationship centered drama anout a young British working class couple Vic [Alan Bates] and Ingrid [June Richie] forced by a pregnancy into marriage and the domestic tensions that come from sharing a house with the wife's ever complaining widowed mother [Thora Hind].
For the bulk of the film circumstantial music comes and goes as part of the general plot environment - children attracted by a loud rift broadcast by an ice cream truck, an office dance, a drunken karaoke rendition of "Down By the River Side", a rhythmic train whistle as Vic walks over a rail bridge.
There is no opening credits theme only the pealing of church bells relevant to a wedding scene that introduces the main characters. Grainer's slightly wistful and idealistic soundtrack theme is placed subtly in the story line and only draws attention to itself at key moments of emotional involvement; the promise and memory of the first date, walking in a park together after an angry second date, discussing taking the relationship "all the way", sitting in a bus on the honeymoon trip, Vic musing on his drunken behaviour and walk out, the closing scene which suggests the couple are going to try and make a workable future together.
Director John Schlesinger previously worked with Grainer on the 1961 documentary "Terminus"
Relationship centered drama anout a young British working class couple Vic [Alan Bates] and Ingrid [June Richie] forced by a pregnancy into marriage and the domestic tensions that come from sharing a house with the wife's ever complaining widowed mother [Thora Hind].
For the bulk of the film circumstantial music comes and goes as part of the general plot environment - children attracted by a loud rift broadcast by an ice cream truck, an office dance, a drunken karaoke rendition of "Down By the River Side", a rhythmic train whistle as Vic walks over a rail bridge.
There is no opening credits theme only the pealing of church bells relevant to a wedding scene that introduces the main characters. Grainer's slightly wistful and idealistic soundtrack theme is placed subtly in the story line and only draws attention to itself at key moments of emotional involvement; the promise and memory of the first date, walking in a park together after an angry second date, discussing taking the relationship "all the way", sitting in a bus on the honeymoon trip, Vic musing on his drunken behaviour and walk out, the closing scene which suggests the couple are going to try and make a workable future together.
Director John Schlesinger previously worked with Grainer on the 1961 documentary "Terminus"
.
LATE SUMMER AFFAIR [BBC 1.6.62]
Nigel Stock stars as a man whose wife and family are away on holiday creating the circumstances for the plays title situation. The one off drama was probably never re-broadcast after its initial showing although according to Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine an archive copy exists. [14]
STEPTOE AND SON [BBC 14. 6.62]
Ron Grainer won his second Ivor Novello award for the signature tune of this series which started life as "The Offer" an episode of 'Comedy Playhouse" screened on 5 Jan 1962.
Grainers theme with its audio visual suggestion of the weight of the junk cart the bouncing up and down of the cart driver in his seat and the resigned clip clops of Hercules the horse sets the scene superbly while the short lived enthusiasm of the middle eight echoes the sons dreams of bursting out of his day to day drudgery only to return him via a repeat of the main theme to the realisation that it's probably not going to happen.
LATE SUMMER AFFAIR [BBC 1.6.62]
Nigel Stock stars as a man whose wife and family are away on holiday creating the circumstances for the plays title situation. The one off drama was probably never re-broadcast after its initial showing although according to Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine an archive copy exists. [14]
STEPTOE AND SON [BBC 14. 6.62]
Ron Grainer won his second Ivor Novello award for the signature tune of this series which started life as "The Offer" an episode of 'Comedy Playhouse" screened on 5 Jan 1962.
Grainers theme with its audio visual suggestion of the weight of the junk cart the bouncing up and down of the cart driver in his seat and the resigned clip clops of Hercules the horse sets the scene superbly while the short lived enthusiasm of the middle eight echoes the sons dreams of bursting out of his day to day drudgery only to return him via a repeat of the main theme to the realisation that it's probably not going to happen.
Grainers slightly sleazy muted trumpet and bony drums instrument combination creates a fitting backdrop for what probably seemed on paper a not very promising scenario. As concept a largely two actor comedy series about an approaching middle age male born into the junk yard trade wanting to improve his life situation despite constant domestic fights with his crafty and "dirty old man" father doesn't promise enough comedic situations to warrant a full length series much less one that eventually ran for 57 episodes spread over 12 years and spawned two feature length movies and two TV Christmas specials [15]
SOME PEOPLE [17.7.62]
Basically a one and a half hour product placement advert for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme - a youth activity alternative to uniformed organisations like the Boy Scouts - this movie is a quite enjoyable if slow paced bored teenagers tale.
One and a quarter hours into the film there is a parting of the ways scene between former timber yard friends the self taught musician Johnnie and his rebellious work mate Bill resulting in three minutes of vandalism but that's the scripts "Wild One" quota used up for the rest of its playing time.
Basically a one and a half hour product placement advert for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme - a youth activity alternative to uniformed organisations like the Boy Scouts - this movie is a quite enjoyable if slow paced bored teenagers tale.
One and a quarter hours into the film there is a parting of the ways scene between former timber yard friends the self taught musician Johnnie and his rebellious work mate Bill resulting in three minutes of vandalism but that's the scripts "Wild One" quota used up for the rest of its playing time.
Most unnerving is the presence of a 20 year old young and innocent looking David Hemmings who went on to make more "adult" films shortly afterwards and the young'un of 'Steptoe and Son" [Harry H Corbett] playing father to first timer male lead Ray Brooks.
Four years later Brooks had a key support role in the 1966 Dr Who spin off movie "Daleks Invasion Earth 2150".
A music highlight is the Ron Grainer mini-calliope [steam driven pipe organ] arrangement of Johnny Worth's title song which turns a minimalist "toot" "toot" rift into an expansive pan pipe mimicking instrumental break.
This idea may have been influenced by the Greek family background of the songs prolific composer Johnnie Worth - birth name Yani Panakos Paraskeva Skoradalides.
The occasional "West Side Story" flavoured incidental music is a bit distracting - one keeps waiting for the dancing Puerto Ricans to appear - and Margot Grainer's guitar band clients "The Eagles" make their first soundtrack appearance playing two Grainer instrumentals "Johnnies Tune"and "Bristol Express" the latter having a typically attractive Grainer bridge melody but the lack of an individual band sound lessens its emotional impact.
Some People's director was Clive Donner whose next two movies The Caretaker" [1963] and "Nothing But The Best" [1964] were both to feature Grainer scores.
In early 1964 "Some People' was listed as one of the top six British box office films [16]
In early 1964 "Some People' was listed as one of the top six British box office films [16]
THE NET [BBC 31.8.62]
First of six dramatised documentaries about the round the clock vigil at Britain's ports and airfields by the men of the Immigration service. [17] According to Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine all seven episodes * are missing.
* Pilot / Tender Job / A Date With Janie / Not For Peanuts / Dover Relief / The Weekend Fliers / Not Wanted On Voyage
LIVE NOW PAY LATER [September 1962] Film
A perky opening credits song * "all the best things in life aren't free / let's go on a spending spree" leads into a surprisingly subversive tale of a door to door salesman who cons bored women into buying "goods they don't need and can't afford".
For three quarters of the movie the viewing audience is encouraged to revel in the salesman's glib ways then when a client is accidentally killed and he uses the incident merely as a way of getting out of an awkward personal situation it is obvious the tally man and his lack of conscience are not to be admired.
Grainers incidental music consists largely of brief introverted jazz links between scenes until the plot twist then it reves up, for one notable after hours shop sequence, into extrovert MGM musical mode that is quite unsettling considering the earlier street death incident.
*Written by Ruth Batchelor and Clive Westlake arranged by Harry Robertson
THE DOCK BRIEF [Film 25.9.62]
Well acted character driven comedy drama about an educated but frustrated barrister [Peter Sellers] - 40 years a court room wallflower - chosen at random by a quiet unassuming man [Richard Attenborough] accused of killing his noisy prattling and far too easily amused wife [Joan Sims].
Most of the films running time is taken with enacting fantasies by both men as to how the court case will run. The eventual successful for the guilty party outcome suggests the husbands choice of legal representative may not have been his previously declared "I just closed my eyes and pointed".
For his opening credits tune Grainer uses a muted trumpet to signify the husband hiding his real motives for employing a known loser as his legal representative and a morose clarinet for the lawyer who seems destined to never achieve his career ambitions.
For the closing theme Grainer repeats the opening music with a happier arrangement suggesting the husbands freedom from the murder charge and the lawyers acceptance of his place in life as the husbands friend and perhaps his legal council at a future hearing.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS [BBC 24.11.62]
The first of three Ned Sherrin produced last night TV satire revue series for which Grainer wrote theme songs and jazz flavoured incidental music. According to Grainers second wife Jenny, Sherrin and his longtime writing partner Carly Brahms were personal friends and would often visit on a social basis.
As noted in part one of "The European Years" Brahm's friendship went back as far as Ron Grainers earliest days in England.
Being associated from the start with such a controversial show was a rather brave decision for an up and coming composer. Grainer had scored well with "Maigret" and "Steptoe" but if this new series offended too many people too many times too soon it could have meant a slide back to the TV muso slush pile.
Luckily the show was very successful and Grainers theme song made much use of the impressive scat singing talents of Milicent Martin. He also managed to think of a middle eight section that would allow for a complete change of lyric every week without sounding forced.
Only a coupel of episodes are currently available to watch online. Fifty years on most of the topical and political material is obviously dated but sketches like The Consumer Guide To Religion and a vicious parody of the patronising Black and White Minstrel Show still have socially important shock value. Who knows what scathing but much needed public humiliations were made on community blind spots in other episodes.
THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP [BBC 25.11.62]
Another Charles Dickens novel made into a television mini - series unfortunately, like its predecessor 'Oliver Twist", this series and its original arrangement Grainer theme don't appear to have been seen or heard since it was first broadcast.
Grainer was to return to a Dickens novel for the book of his ill fated 1975 musical "Nickleby And Me". The show, written in conjunction with Ned Sherrin and Caryl Brahms, passed into obscurity so quickly even the titles of the songs in its score aren't listed in online theatre databases.
STATION SIX SAHARA [Film December 1962]
Atmospheric drama about five men working on an isolated oil pipe line station in the Saraha Desert where their ongoing boredom, class tensions, petty power games and financial con tricks are interrupted by a motor vehicle accident outside their quarters. While the male driver recovers from his injuries his glamorous ex wife [Carol Baker] plays with the emotions of everyone at the base with unfortunate results.
Once named by director Martin Scorsese as one of his guilty pleasures for its sense of confinement [18] the films feeling of claustrophobia is greatly helped by Grainer's reoccurring theme tune which uses North African instruments and music modes to echo the omnipresent sound of the diesel pump room and the men's constant bickering.
Filmed with many scenes of work huts starkly outlined against the glaring desert landscape the movie was nominated for a 1964 Bafta award for best black and white cinematography. [19]
WE JOINED THE NAVY [Film December 1962]
A lightweight comedy with a cast that included many well known British actors including "Some People"s Kenneth Moore and "It's A Square World's Michael Bentine [in a minor role]. [20]
A seldom seen movie described in The Age [31.7.63] as "a regulation naval farce in which Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Moore tries to keep three blundering British midshipmen out of the hair of US Admiral Lloyd Nolan. Their misadventures are slightly spoiled by a remarkably unfunny climax set in a Mediterranean port in the throes of revolution".
In 1963 Grainer would team up with the films director Wendy Toye for a far more interesting project.
1962 References
[01] Track 7 "ABC of British Television Themes:Ron Grainer" Play It Again Label 008 1994
[02] IMDb "Oliver Twist" 1962
[2b]"Cabinet Calls For Inquiry" Daily Mirror 28 March 62 p1
[03] Evening Times Glasgow 13 Jan 1962 p18
[04] The Age Melbourne 7.3.1963 p15
[05] "After The Titans" Encounter April 1962 p81- 85
[06] Radio Times #1600 / 14.7.54 p30[07] Radio Times #2004 / 7.4.62
[08] RT # 1600 / 14.7.54 p30
[09] RT #2007 / 28.4.62
[10] RT #2000 10.3.62
[11] RT#1600 / 14.7.54 p30
[12]Wikipedia "Green_Grow The Rushes, O"
[13] IMDb "Douglas Allen"
[14] Evening Times Glasgow 1 June 1962 p6
[15] IMDb "Steptoe and Son"
[16] The Age Melbourne 8 Jan 1964 p6
[17] Evening News Glasgow 31 August 1962 p6
[18] http://www.douban.com/group/topic/9733463/
[19] http://awards.bafta.org/award/1964/film
[20] IMDb "We Joined The Navy"
First of six dramatised documentaries about the round the clock vigil at Britain's ports and airfields by the men of the Immigration service. [17] According to Lost UK TV Shows Search Engine all seven episodes * are missing.
* Pilot / Tender Job / A Date With Janie / Not For Peanuts / Dover Relief / The Weekend Fliers / Not Wanted On Voyage
LIVE NOW PAY LATER [September 1962] Film
A perky opening credits song * "all the best things in life aren't free / let's go on a spending spree" leads into a surprisingly subversive tale of a door to door salesman who cons bored women into buying "goods they don't need and can't afford".
For three quarters of the movie the viewing audience is encouraged to revel in the salesman's glib ways then when a client is accidentally killed and he uses the incident merely as a way of getting out of an awkward personal situation it is obvious the tally man and his lack of conscience are not to be admired.
Grainers incidental music consists largely of brief introverted jazz links between scenes until the plot twist then it reves up, for one notable after hours shop sequence, into extrovert MGM musical mode that is quite unsettling considering the earlier street death incident.
*Written by Ruth Batchelor and Clive Westlake arranged by Harry Robertson
THE DOCK BRIEF [Film 25.9.62]
Well acted character driven comedy drama about an educated but frustrated barrister [Peter Sellers] - 40 years a court room wallflower - chosen at random by a quiet unassuming man [Richard Attenborough] accused of killing his noisy prattling and far too easily amused wife [Joan Sims].
Most of the films running time is taken with enacting fantasies by both men as to how the court case will run. The eventual successful for the guilty party outcome suggests the husbands choice of legal representative may not have been his previously declared "I just closed my eyes and pointed".
For his opening credits tune Grainer uses a muted trumpet to signify the husband hiding his real motives for employing a known loser as his legal representative and a morose clarinet for the lawyer who seems destined to never achieve his career ambitions.
For the closing theme Grainer repeats the opening music with a happier arrangement suggesting the husbands freedom from the murder charge and the lawyers acceptance of his place in life as the husbands friend and perhaps his legal council at a future hearing.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS [BBC 24.11.62]
The first of three Ned Sherrin produced last night TV satire revue series for which Grainer wrote theme songs and jazz flavoured incidental music. According to Grainers second wife Jenny, Sherrin and his longtime writing partner Carly Brahms were personal friends and would often visit on a social basis.
As noted in part one of "The European Years" Brahm's friendship went back as far as Ron Grainers earliest days in England.
Being associated from the start with such a controversial show was a rather brave decision for an up and coming composer. Grainer had scored well with "Maigret" and "Steptoe" but if this new series offended too many people too many times too soon it could have meant a slide back to the TV muso slush pile.
Luckily the show was very successful and Grainers theme song made much use of the impressive scat singing talents of Milicent Martin. He also managed to think of a middle eight section that would allow for a complete change of lyric every week without sounding forced.
Only a coupel of episodes are currently available to watch online. Fifty years on most of the topical and political material is obviously dated but sketches like The Consumer Guide To Religion and a vicious parody of the patronising Black and White Minstrel Show still have socially important shock value. Who knows what scathing but much needed public humiliations were made on community blind spots in other episodes.
THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP [BBC 25.11.62]
Another Charles Dickens novel made into a television mini - series unfortunately, like its predecessor 'Oliver Twist", this series and its original arrangement Grainer theme don't appear to have been seen or heard since it was first broadcast.
Grainer was to return to a Dickens novel for the book of his ill fated 1975 musical "Nickleby And Me". The show, written in conjunction with Ned Sherrin and Caryl Brahms, passed into obscurity so quickly even the titles of the songs in its score aren't listed in online theatre databases.
STATION SIX SAHARA [Film December 1962]
Atmospheric drama about five men working on an isolated oil pipe line station in the Saraha Desert where their ongoing boredom, class tensions, petty power games and financial con tricks are interrupted by a motor vehicle accident outside their quarters. While the male driver recovers from his injuries his glamorous ex wife [Carol Baker] plays with the emotions of everyone at the base with unfortunate results.
Once named by director Martin Scorsese as one of his guilty pleasures for its sense of confinement [18] the films feeling of claustrophobia is greatly helped by Grainer's reoccurring theme tune which uses North African instruments and music modes to echo the omnipresent sound of the diesel pump room and the men's constant bickering.
Filmed with many scenes of work huts starkly outlined against the glaring desert landscape the movie was nominated for a 1964 Bafta award for best black and white cinematography. [19]
WE JOINED THE NAVY [Film December 1962]
A lightweight comedy with a cast that included many well known British actors including "Some People"s Kenneth Moore and "It's A Square World's Michael Bentine [in a minor role]. [20]
A seldom seen movie described in The Age [31.7.63] as "a regulation naval farce in which Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Moore tries to keep three blundering British midshipmen out of the hair of US Admiral Lloyd Nolan. Their misadventures are slightly spoiled by a remarkably unfunny climax set in a Mediterranean port in the throes of revolution".
In 1963 Grainer would team up with the films director Wendy Toye for a far more interesting project.
1962 References
[01] Track 7 "ABC of British Television Themes:Ron Grainer" Play It Again Label 008 1994
[02] IMDb "Oliver Twist" 1962
[2b]"Cabinet Calls For Inquiry" Daily Mirror 28 March 62 p1
[03] Evening Times Glasgow 13 Jan 1962 p18
[04] The Age Melbourne 7.3.1963 p15
[05] "After The Titans" Encounter April 1962 p81- 85
[06] Radio Times #1600 / 14.7.54 p30[07] Radio Times #2004 / 7.4.62
[08] RT # 1600 / 14.7.54 p30
[09] RT #2007 / 28.4.62
[10] RT #2000 10.3.62
[11] RT#1600 / 14.7.54 p30
[12]Wikipedia "Green_Grow The Rushes, O"
[13] IMDb "Douglas Allen"
[14] Evening Times Glasgow 1 June 1962 p6
[15] IMDb "Steptoe and Son"
[16] The Age Melbourne 8 Jan 1964 p6
[17] Evening News Glasgow 31 August 1962 p6
[18] http://www.douban.com/group/topic/9733463/
[19] http://awards.bafta.org/award/1964/film
[20] IMDb "We Joined The Navy"
