THE FLYING SWAN [27.3.65]
Popular series about a widow and her air stewardess daughter who ran a London hotel situated near the river Thames. The shows cast was headed by British wartime actress Margaret Lockwood who given headline billing above the program title in Radio Times adverts. To date only two of a total of 27 episodes listed on TV Rage com have been found in station archives. [1]
Grainer's title theme music for the series appears to have been quite popular in 1965 as it was included in his one and only sheet music collection "Meet Ron Grainer at the Piano". Secondhand copies of the "Flying Swan" theme single are very hard to find these days.
THE MOOD MAN [15.4.65]
A colour documentary directed by Frank Gilbin and produced by Harold Baim Film Productions. Its subject matter is unknown but an educated guess would say the British big band conductor Joe Loss.
All three vocalists featured - Rose Brennan, Larry Gretton, Ross MacManus - were regulars with The Joe Loss Orchestra whose signature tune was "In The Mood" and the orchestra also appears in the film. Ufortunately this theory does not explain the presence of an Irish show band called The Blue Aces. [2]
As the short only ran for 27 minutes it is assumed the five credited arrangers - Ron Grainer, Alan Moorhouse, Joseph Garland, Ivor Raymond and Leslie Vinall - were responsible for one item each. The credit for the shows "original music" goes to the long established De Wolfe Llibrary music company. [3]
This film does not appear to have been made for or shown on British TV.
BBC- 3 [2.10.65]
The third and final late night discussion and satirical sketch show produced by Ned Sherrin and title themed by Grainer. In his autobiography Sherrin recalled "It was to be called "BBC- 3" to suggest a certain independence from the BBC monoliths 'BBC 1' and 'BBC 2'. [4] I had nearly called the program 'It's All Been Done Before' to pre-empt criticism" [5]
"In many ways 'BBC-3' contained the best sketch material of all three shows in the series". [6] People complained of 'lack of bite'. This was often because 'attacking' sketches had become the norm rather then the six day wonder they had seemed on the breakthrough of 'TW3'. [7]
'BBC- 3' broadcast 24 one hour long episodes before its run finished on April 16 1966 . [8] One surprising regular on the program was future "Goodie" Bill Oddie. [8]. 16 episodes still exist in archive.[9]
"The last moments on 'BBC- 3' were emotional. The four seasons of the late night shows had been special. I knew I was ending my loose arrangement with the BBC and going off to do other things. Music quickly evokes nostalgia and the potency was strong on that occasion''. [10]
"Peter Greenwell arranged Ron Grainers three themes in counterpoint. They were sung by Lynda Baron the resident singer on 'BBC-3' by Cleo Laine representing 'Not So Much A Program More A Way of Life "and finally the link back to the first pilot the musical corncake sound with which it all began - Millicent Martin hitting in with That was the week that was / It's over let it go". [10]
THE AUSTRALIAN LONDONERS [28.11.65]
Controversial program investigating the reasons for the large number of professional and non professional Australians living and working in London in 1965. "Estimates go up to 30,000 or higher". The documentary was directed by Stefan Sargent with interviews by his wife Virginia Sargent. Rolf Harris, himself a 1952 Australian expat, provided the enthusiastic narration.
From the safety of another hemisphere Earls Court ghetto dwellers, paid for by daddy high society wanna be debutant's, royalty mocking satirists, pirate radio station staff, playwrights, singers, painters, racing car manufacturers, dole recipients, dentists sober and drunk, novelists, theatrical designers, journalists, ballet stars, classical music composers, film makers and Barry Humphries style "ugly Australians" were all asked to explain why they left Oz and no one was shy about giving details. The opinions aired caused such a public reaction in Australia two repeat broadcasts were made the following week.
Ron Grainer's brief segment was forthright "From the Australian point of view you're better off here. At least I'm well known and well known as an Australian. If I went back to Australia I couldn't do the work that I do here. I would cease to exist as a composer".
1965 References
[01] "The Flying Swan" episode list TV Rage com
[02] IMDb The Mood Man Full Cast "The Mood Man" full cast IMDb
[03] Wikipedia De Wolfe article
[05] Ned Sherrin "The Autobiography" Sphere Books pbk 2006 p166
[06] Ned Sherrin "The Autobiography" Sphere pbk 2006 p169
[07] Ned Sherrin "The Autobiography" Sphere Books pbk 2006 p170
[08] [Bill Oddie IMDb]
[09] Lost UK tv shows search engine com]
[10] Ned Sherrin "The Autobiography" Sphere Books pbk 2006 p171
