What's going on? Films mr.
Spencer Classics in my time I've sides and four years, bits of
them. We use the random like this in
the old days, but not four years.
We haven't done now. It seems like old times once
more. Hello and welcome to goon pod.
If you are listening last week you have heard Chris diamond.
And I talking about the 1957 comedy film the smallest Show on
Earth, the film starring, Peter Sellers Margaret Rutherford,
build Travers, Virginia, McKenna, Bernhard, miles, and
Francis de Wolfe and Leslie. Phillips of course mustn't.
Forget Leslie. So this is the second part of
that conversation where we knuckled out and we stop talking
about heavens above and Cinemas in general.
Our memories of Cinema and when we were children and we start
talking in more detail about the actual film the smaller Show on
Earth and it's a very enjoyable conversation.
I hope you enjoy it and let's drop into where we're talking
about the conceit of a film within a film.
The films that are showing at the Bijou, you know, the grand.
It certainly implied, that they are showing the latest Hollywood
films. Yeah.
And that's why everybody's cure not.
Yeah. The bees you are.
They just have to show. What they've got is things that
quell as as kick or is getting sent through that cheap?
Yeah yeah. And the With killer look killer
Idols of Wyoming. The best way of Hell Valley, a
devil. Raiders of parched Point.
Yeah, big killer. Raiders of Wyoming.
I think I'm right. What is it?
Mr. Of Hill Valley. Well, what are the to the second
desert film the first days of folks already with the, we are
all top tons of heating up, its effective with your see two
characters clawing, their way through the desert.
And it's courses be short specifically for to be used as a
film within a film. Yeah, it's not a real film.
Yeah. Because you would have to pay
for that, and the two actors that are the what is K?
The courtly? Peter, Peter called pleats, are
called police on. Yeah, who you, you would
recognize from a million different things?
But the other one is coat model for beat.
See ya. And you only see a glimpse of a
bit is the mustache. Yes.
As soon as I saw them a stash somewhere, other state model but
completes it. Yes, I text book sellers.
I got all the was dyed fact, it was a Hancock.
Hang on Israel, mmm-hmm, but but I think just all part of that
code but I'll used to love it. When my little four beats it
turned up in films. What guy right here, that's the
thing because I'm watching the first film.
Say that? They that they show at The
Bijou. Yes.
What's it called? Killer Riders already come on.
Reg does away. And when I'm when I'm watching
this film I'm thinking is that an actual film?
Is it or not? And I wasn't sure.
And then the second film is the mystery of Hill Valley and again
right at the beginning. I'm thinking is that it's a
natural feeling. They're not all about a fabric.
Chair said. No, it's not.
Then no and Peter courtly I was I was like it's that I can't be
pure Corporal but the peer help loot.
He look to see me just entire life.
You know, you look, there's sort of bold struggle here and all
that. So I was a bit put off by that
but there's no doubt, there's no mistaking though, for pizza, can
I just mention Peter, Copley, or Cokely, Cokely Cokely opieop,
I'm re-watching, get back. Oh yeah, this is which is
unexpected. Viewing is even better.
I've thought over here God, okay, that's a bit.
The Beatles. There's not much.
Yes. And there somewhere and there's
a bit, but it is it two weeks in the life of the beetle,
something like that. Not really a fly on the wall
documentary because they've got the cameras more or less stuck
up there Hooters. But yeah, it's of, this is a
it's why you're in the yeah, everything was knows.
Yeah. But at one point, Because it
shows you, you know, they come in every morning for rehearsals
and yeah, it's also, it's all very yeah.
Morning morning, morning morning on that sort of thing.
What I like. Yeah.
And at one point you see George Harrison, he's talking to a
think, it's the director, Michael Lindsay, hog and Ringo
and George is talking about this television program that he'd
seen the night before, right? And it was an episode was the
first episode of the new series of TV.
He's called out of the unknown. All right.
Yeah, and he was very taken by this George and he's quite
animated telling the other two about, this is correct.
And then he talks about the program, that came after it was
a bit. Crap was a bit crowded, but it
did actually inspire him because they'd had some Waltz music in
and it inspired him on that on that front.
But now he was very, very, very much.
He was sort of describing what happened in So far show.
Right now, the reason I mention that is because Peter copeley
starred in that episode that he's no beetles can, and yes,
but he already wants of David, some great stuff about it, but
he really was Beatles Canon because if you scroll back a few
years and I did 65 or and in the film help.
Well, okay, do you know that scene when John Lennon says
Julia not getting anywhere? That was Peter copeley.
When whoa. He was trying to get a ring
offering goes finger and he couldn't do it.
And he was driving for withering coming from then on, you know
what, I scan Pizza copley's Copley covered.
Hmm, his credits which are innumerable to see where he
might have coincided more closely with say.
Taylor's, hmm, and it's almost It's always the thing in itself
that he didn't. I don't know how we Market.
I don't know how he could have been active and very active in
film and television. From the war right up until
1980. I know we always makes me wonder
if he had some sort of grudge against.
I could you possibly know of better anyways and I but Mario
for beat see of course that people don't know this name.
You have certainly seen them. Yes there, I think Mario four
pieces, finest ever. On film and television.
It said, I think it said the Hancock episode we are is the
big night when they're going out.
They go to the laundry. And set, it said that Tony but
Hancock go to the laundry to wash the Sharks, which, mrs.
Cravat hasn't done for them now and they had cork is delighted
by the Islamic geologic before and he seems so excited that
seen this watching going around and I character comes into the
white suit and says, because I can I put my shot into your
machine and this module four beats in and he says, it's a
joke. It was other words.
What do you mean? Takes his jacket open things to
shut off the pizza, and the Machine and sits in his vest,
reading the paper. And this are these.
So stretchy and friend that he had caught Johnson Dodgers said
Judas is Jayne Mansfield's old man.
There we was that inspiration for Nick Cayman. 20, 30 years
later it was Mary for Britt. See by the way and I'll try to
remember I'm think I've got this right?
You know, because Allah has used to film Everything yeah-hoo,
yeah-hoo movies coming out and the, where Zoo I'm sure that
there's because Mary for Bootsie was a close friend and would
often be ready to sell his house.
As would, you know? Yeah, agent Stark and Milligan I
suppose. But I'm sure that there were a
series of sketches or short films that cell as filmed, which
ostensibly starred marrow for breed.
See if you know what I mean. That's right.
It's a, that's right. Yeah.
But I mean he was technically,
he's described. Often as you described as a
photographer I don't know what I mean.
I've no idea what capacity is he was a, you know, a professional
photographer. It must have done something.
He had 11 rather than just hang around Sailors, ankle, lovely
babineaux but but he's described the sort of faster than
necessarily as a photographer. And so maybe that's how he came
into, the pits always is. Anyway, the point is, it's just
always nice, would people like that to not with this?
Is he in heavens above the next? I didn't notice him.
Oh, I don't know. I'm sure he must have been know
and I'm sure he has actually. I got you stuck.
It actually has lots of about. You see everybody's inhabitable,
join hexen isn't heavens above the character, she's playing in
heavens above, I like to think that the lady.
So I like to think that the, the elderly lady that she played in
clockwise it's 20 years later was the same character.
Better show officially glasses, join the hexan often point.
That was the cat. After that, she played.
Yeah, yeah, that's sort of I, you know, sort of Dottie old
woman or or at least are sort of Scotty, can wait another,
another exceptional, performance of Falls and said they carry on
girls now it's because she's wonderful.
She's one of these says that, you know, the family, they want
another one, being the brilliant held the body.
You're just funny, just sitting in Repose with pointy glasses
for but it'll be the small, the sure there's actually different
in that respect because it doesn't have the sort of
constellation of are of character actors in it now.
Doesn't, it has the inevitable Stringer Davis, of course.
Because that was a contractual requirement of my brothers.
Nope. Because for the uninitiated
Stringer. Davis was my girlfriend's
husband. He pleased, unless he plays one
of the other, the only other really talking a partner of
Francis, the wolf, and the in the cinema and he was
extraordinary. But still at the verses that he
had actually been an actor. For a long time when you can
make Margaret Rutherford because he's not a good actor.
S Eve is he's okay, but he managed to have survived four
years. Presumably and yeah, break, I
don't think things like that. I don't think I've ever seen him
on screen for more than two or three minutes at a time.
So I can't really judge if he's a good actor or not.
If you know what I mean, the longest he ever appears in any
figures and the Marple Miss Marple films.
At the MGM is Marble Falls, because he sort of partner golf
with You know, he's mr. Stringer who helps and he's
done, that probably the most of innocent, but in other respects,
he's always just a big part because my granola for just
wanted a husband to be the other were very close.
Yeah, which is fine, you know, and it doesn't do any harm.
The only other The other couple in that regard, I think which
was not so successful. Was Arthur wardens wife, mmm,
because Arthur law as wife apparently was a terrible hard
enough for women. Who made his life a Misery by
many accounts and insisted that she be in everything that he was
in. The probably didn't know that
she was so bad that nobody wanted to cast on.
And therefore, often will burst out in quite a lot of work.
You're the only time you really notice of she please say, she
appears every now and again, in Dad's Army as Godfrey, sister
Dory. All right.
You know, Godfrey's always ready?
Always a fairly to my sister Dolly.
Yes, and very occasionally she appears That's off the lawyer's
wife. Be not going to tell me she
appears in. Oh, lucky man, or if it's he
said that she's there somewhere, but with the most, the most
egregious thing about it was Late and later years, and has
Layton and his later years on the mostly two years.
There was a lot of interest and I'm going to Hollywood because
they like people, like, Leo, mckern James, Mason people like
that, hey, for these. So, you know, for bad character
parts and Arthur Lowe and his wife.
But he didn't want his wife. So he missed out on most of
them. So, his career would have been
Much more International. international law, if it hadn't
been for his awful wife and the worst example of I understand as
Good water bait. You went to remake having could
wait. Yeah, which I don't know if
you've seen it snow, it's just good fun, it's good film.
You know, he plays water BTW PLS the part of you know he's dead
and he's you know whether he comes back as somebody else and
has to convince Jack Warden. But you guys actually who he is,
and make things, right? And so forth.
Hmm, I then the original version, I think we should
Claude Rains, We depart. Right.
But in the remake of the 70s remake, which by the way, was
nominated for best picture. So, I believe, yeah, Warren
Beatty wanted ask the Lord to tell you the part of the, you
know, the sort of spectral guidance part and he wanted to
play it but they wouldn't cast his wife.
So she told him to turn it down and James base and pleaded jeez.
That's a donor. Yeah.
Imagine we are for watching the Oscars.
I can. Yes, thanks.
Love the cork was ready do in any way back to the smaller
showing up. Hmm.
Margaret Rutherford. Who said another amazing
performance is fantastic. She was an exceptional.
Character. Yeah. here's a trivia question
for you and for the listeners, right and mmm, or is the like
Between Margaret Rutherford. Western Illinois.
I'll tell you after the show and people can write anything.
Just give me a moment to try and think if I know the answer or
could guess that that is. It's pretty obscure, but it's
there. Okay.
All right. You tell me after tell me after
blisters are you? So you have to write and I love
the fact that there's this tension between not sexual
tension. I hated web at tension between
her and quill and Both of them in.
Yeah, over them independently, go to Bill.
McKenna and say, can you do something about the other one?
And he says sacking. The person is a better pulled
apart, just say something to say, to be rude to them.
Yeah, just do. It's really interesting because
it's sort of a riff. I think it's a sort of reference
to her age in a way, and they are background, which is See
something good to the because, obviously, I can't ya because
that's not the sort of thing I would do.
You could do it. You look Carmen.
Oh, just before you go, I think I ought to tell you mr.
Specter, that I need something is done about mr.
Quill. I am not prepared to continue in
my present position. Oh, I can no longer tolerate is
insulting and unseemly Behavior. Well, what are you?
Suggesting mrs. Physically that I should give
him the Sach Sach. This stack will sick, mr.
Quill. I'm afraid that would be quite
out of the question on account of the projection equipment you
know nobody else could possibly understand it.
In fact in 1937 when mr. Quill had to go and have his
appendix out and the late mr. Spencer called in another
projection is to take over. He was only three days before he
had to have his appendix out. Oh no, no, no.
I merely wondered whether you would say something.
Rude. Or rather, unpleasant Miss
price. What do you suggest I do Sakura.
Take, make it rich. A Cali boy.
Don't think you probably appreciate the position.
Mr. Spencer, which is exactly have been here since the silent
days. She used to play the piano,
she's the only one that knows how this place runs.
Certain make, if it's a totally she'll be willing to stay cold
tone next. See.
What you really mean is you just want me to say something rude
and unpleasant to her. Yeah.
And of course the lovely thing is when they come cleaning, the
tell them, you know, they tell me what the plan is but they're
good. You look at the cinema.
The independently volunteer mistress, mrs.
Exactly. Well, it's a sort of a quote
says you gave up drinking for the duration.
Yes. And then mrs.
For Zachary is it's just a later brother and then everybody's
Pals, yeah, because somebody's sort of given way and know
they're all a team and it is sort of it's the if I can make
the single most tenuous. The partisan in the history of
broadcast, it's a bit late. This the US and Annapolis scene
in Jaws. We have buses for exactly in
quill and everybody, they all become a team from that point.
Jesus. You see I'm telling you.
This is physically a sequel. It's exactly the same as Quint
and Hooper steel-belted. Just fucking kill.
The shadow is a few. No, no clearly not.
But anyway, the Friendship, the friendship or the laying aside
of tensions is best exemplified by the the scene where they're
all watching a silent film. When the cinema is closed.
Yes, it's a beautiful scene. I mean, it's a genuinely
beautiful scene and it's very interesting as well, that it was
included for a couple of reasons.
One is it must have cost them money because it's the entrance.
We have the they do use of your film.
They're Comin through the Rye. Hey which the bus departure
license? You know, so they've clearly
decided that it's important But it's storytelling terms.
It's not. It's really you could do with
that you know you could see how you could do without it because
we've already established that they're dedicated to the cinema
and that they are wedded to it and they wanted to succeed and
they're upset that it's been closed and no they're all part
of a team of the going to move on, you know.
Yeah. You could see why you could do
without it and the fact that they've decided to include her
and spend money on it, which they are formed, you would say
you would feel, they would be seen to the editing process were
not. Lose that I think is just an
interesting. Just an interesting little
factoid about it and they watch it.
And as you see, this is for Zach.
Oh, he's playing the piano to accompany it which for the the
jr. Audience used to happen.
So much for working with the bleed and up, somebody would be
alive being this with a company. Yeah, that says she's that girl.
She's the pit pianist, doesn't she as well as being cashier?
And bookkeeper. Yeah, mmm.
A job that was a child that was done by many.
Actually a bunch of his father, but that played movie Idol for
silent server. Yeah.
Okay. And all Thomas setting and the
capture our wonderful show. I wonder how much footage they
went through to get it because all table is set in the Stalls.
Holding the cat and the cat is stealing up.
But Tom It's a Swedish looking directly out of another sort of
head back. Sort of comfortable.
You know it's almost as if the cat is related to that.
Everything is back to normal and then of course you copped to the
most important part over which is Bell and makeda coming to the
projection booth and quail, was watching it with tears in his
eyes. And says you know it's just like
which feels like all times and I suppose the the point over is it
gives an emotional heart. To the relationship for Bill
Travers of Virginia McKenna. The totality of the Kingdom has
the building, but also the history and the people in it.
So that, you know, it's not know something that can be easily
shoved off for some money that has to be a positive outcome.
No, yes, because this is no, you get no.
You at least, as demonstrated. It's not just because they've
got nowhere else to go. It really matters and it's a
lovely scene. This is beautiful played and
there's a lovely choice of film as well because of course, it's
a man saying goodbye to a woman and then he disappears and you
know you know some about parting and logging it's are It's very,
it's very suitable and the cost of the actress in that film.
Albert Ayler, yeah. She turns up in the audience and
creditors, she's she's uncredited.
The audience, which is a lovely little touch touch.
I love as well. Okay, I love as well.
Never mind that a nice little to the character touchant, that
lovely little sort of sweet little moment is when the, the,
the Just showing where wheels off the booze, any makes one
mistake and he goes down and he's delighted by the fact that
he leaves. He got his coat and hat and coat
on and he leaves us in a man, you see him just do a little
skip. It was a little Skip and he
flaps his arms against this a yeah.
It's a beautiful moment. Good night, mr.
Spencer Good night.
Are you wondering these circumstances when you hear
directors, even people that Kubrick could talk about?
Again, how cell is written? How about apart?
You wonder, how much that being Sailors as decided to do that?
You know? Are I mean, I don't know whether
there's obviously I do the weather, descriptor daughter was
Buzz, aldrin's idea but when you I'm Eagle Creek is a good
example. For example, when he was making
a Lolita, He eludes a seller's to improvise, hmm, and he
explained later that, you know, he would do what we didn't find
Isis improvising to rehearsals to try and get an idea for the
character, but not during performance because they weren't
very good at mm-hmm. But he felt itself was just
inhabited. The parts of Philly actually
points. Inhabited be you know what?
It was so invested and loved it so much.
Yes, that whatever he said. Ed just felt like it was the
character seeing it and then you just been nice to know.
I'll just believe it anyway. There was sellers to disable
equal should do that because he was just being quill.
At that particular moment, just told me walking up this year.
Yeah, I'd like to think so, I don't think so.
Do you want to take a moment to talk about Francis de Wolfe?
Yeah, well, yeah. I want very, he's, he's such a
such a strange character friends that they will, and I do mean
that strange character, you know what himself?
But It's quick to Tamika think of a Time.
When? somes, or You know, tally of
whatever had such room. So many different types of
characters. You know, and people like
Francis world could be completely healthy, 11, you
know, clearing and lots of different things.
And I suppose I'm comparing it. You know, I did a foolish way as
well. I'm a bully You know, big of a
bit, a lots of actors know, the very I think they're very much
of a stamp, you know, the weirdly athletic.
Yeah. And the take to be take to be
young or younger and younger. No everybody obviously been a
big stars who are old and all that stuff and we're not talking
about styles. And there just seems to be an
endless procession of these sort of cut young.
Guys are beautiful young women who have here in everything.
I'm sure, you know, I'm not the kind what they can do, some are
good and some are bad, just the same of every each.
Hmm. But that just seemed at the time
in the 50s, the 60s and the 70s. But just seemed to be so much
room for so many weird. The different desperate looking
characters, you know, Hey will you could have science useful
for which this enormous enormous Francis?
Yeah, with a huge bushy be of that.
I broke looking at early but Brian blessed.
Yeah. No absolutely just sort of cross
between Brian blessed and they James Robertson just yes, yes.
You know that's sort of big Bluff.
Hmm kind of character and he appears and seems in things like
sitcoms right up until the seventies.
Well, I know I noticed that it looked at his filmography
because I'm aware of him mainly from The Hound of the
Baskervilles film carry on Cleo. Yeah triple cross which is a
film I very much enjoy. And but I didn't know him from
much else, to be honest, you but it was one of those faces that
you didn't you recognize, but he appeared as the tutor to Archie
in an ITV hour-long, special of educating Archie.
Oh wow. Is that is that that is that
that that one I've never seen it with the That's really creepy
footage, oh, come on, I don't know of a live action of a
live-action Archie. This is from, you know, I've
never seen it, you know. So like an improv, you're not
thinking of magic with Antony Hopkins.
No, no, I honestly, it is as creepy, right?
So, like you did your well. You know what?
You know what you can do, ya? See, I brought my brother.
A broth was really a, no technical sense of
ventriloquism. Yeah, he holds the offered, he
actually looked like Sandy Powell.
Doing this ventriloquist it. Hey, And obviously massively
successful on radio and you know we've got him to thank for
everybody from you know how gx-24 the helicopter back by
Cliff my favorite. Sorry to leave my favorite Sandy
Powell, ventriloquist date, I'm not here to four years, but he's
got the puppet. He's got the dummy head, he and
it is said he pounces to the derby is, where do you come from
the puppet goes? How harsh I feel inside your
cells. Is I was trying to say,
Czechoslovakia, I should have said leads.
It's such a great escapes that way.
Stephen the way three sets of those as well by little my and
when they Margaret Powell comes on, hmm.
And he says, he says something, he says something like I
captured a struggle. And what is it?
She says that all. Yes, I'm a vegetarian too.
And he says what she said? Well, that's my bleep.
Was he says, but then when he argues, he puts his hand right
through the W is point and hold in the head in the don't
realize, it's such a great sketch.
Yeah, well, my little man. Are you going to sing for the
ladies and gentlemen? Anything Vibe, Eclipse.
Oh, see anything by request as long as I know with you
thinking? What are you thinking something?
For me for you certainly to marry puppy.
Yes, you deserve supercalifragilistic a leader.
Using he finds out anyway. Get no, no.
So educate Archer, the like one. So I've only ever seen this in
clip form, which is sort of a used to illustrate like a bad.
It was can't even remember what Clutch it was said.
But it's basically It looks like a person or look at the dummy,
sitting at a chair. There's got our cheese head, but
like, real, somebody's put that arms through and it's getting
real arms and the hands are moving and it is so freakish.
Dear wonder, I wonder if that's where that came from right.
And folks we were talking about that anyway.
We talked about the Telly goons the other day.
Yeah, which I'm sure you're familiar with.
Yep. Yeah.
I'm a weight of the rod with it whenever they were never there.
Seen a close-up. See needed.
Have someone shuffling cards? It's actually proper human
errors. Obviously, we which really takes
you out of the drama, you have to drop off because up to that
point, the verisimilitude had been a staggering.
Yeah. But yeah.
So desperate as much as even in the 70s, don't make a you two
credits. He was in off the top of my head
where I did. I sewed of the totally forgotten
but excellent series, the rivals of Sherlock Holmes.
Yes, I've seen that yet but I will it's the episode about the
anonymous letters with you. Please.
The head of the fry cook theater.
And on the other hand, he pleased our Supermarket with her
in an episode of the recent terrorist Jesus.
Oh I don't know. I would hear the water gets near
a satirist. I'm sure glad.
When in his den xiao8 such a great scenes.
I love that show. Yeah, the convention I do Glad
with especially is fantastic and it is delivery as extraordinary.
There's a brilliant. That's a brilliant.
But we have you as one of these things where there are very
seventies Trope. If we're the fake.
Is what the pills? Hmm.
So somebody they fight somebody thinks of these wonderful tools
that actually. Yeah.
So that they stood up, you know. Yeah happens a lot.
Nearly a DUI or certainly the people that could go look at
that. Supposedly some of these one,
you know some of these 12 pills. I'll 150,000 pounds of live
Round Here. So I wonder who that could be or
that's damaged having all that money and the daughter goes
killed and you're glad would stand walks and and he's smoking
a cigar. And he says, I need to use your
phone. I need to use your phone later.
It's a very private call for Choice.
It's a very important call. And he said, well, how long have
you been smoking cigars? He said, I smoked my first cigar
in 18:18. This is my second.
This is my say, anyway, prices go, t part.
Is the trying silver. Tacos & Francis group is still
there and it's hilarious help. Hold, the vehicle goes at.
The she goes, the toilet says, hobbies and failings and she
goes at the wrong way, and she comes running out God.
Whoa! Whoa!
Big fella and I comes from system.
Okay, all you could grow, do you light One day, one day, I'm
gonna start a Hilda, Baker podcast.
I think, oh, well, I'll be there for that many women anyway.
But, I mean, to be honest, as we see the we're seeing earlier
about some, for a film of this type, the smaller shorter ice
that has a very limited cast, you know what, in principle
rules and useful rules. Yeah, because the really only is
that they Grant those standard Davison and They tried to Wolf
those bilboquet know. Yep, Rutherford my was a
sailor's. There's a few people wrote this.
This problem, Carter. The solicitor played by Leslie
Phillips. Of course, I'd like the Philips.
Yeah. But for a film of this type at
that time, a severely limited current is it is normally, there
would be dozens of people. Hmm.
You know what can we ride, as we see said James appears for like
it gets very high bail and he does Like very good agent for
what is good. What is given to do?
Yeah, it's agent as imagine probably late Lou, you know?
Yeah, I've got a lovely boy for you but you're the one dark
moment of fast. Yeah, that's the meanest.
It's because Hardcastle desperate and he's told that it
was desperate to shut down the Bijou Ascend.
Yeah. And and he's told that that
quill is signed the pledge. Yep.
So he comes up with this idea to sabotage the next film showing.
He sends a bottle of whiskey to quill inside.
A was a bunch of film reels. A box of usual.
Yeah. And then this is the thing.
I wrote this down here, so obviously they have cranked up
the heating again. Yeah, and quills.
He's sweating cops. Yeah and he keeps staring
longingly at this bottle of whiskey in the first aid box.
Yeah. But whiskey wouldn't quench your
first. Would it be weird if your would
have maybe an apology or slightly below as well as no
rubbish? I'm not aware.
Is that, is that proper good stuff?
Is it? Well it's I mean, this is, you
know, they'd stop Rock. God.
Okay, I just sold, sold should not.
Meet up, which is weird. Do you think it would just be
like, Mike laverty's whiskey or something?
Yeah. But, no, no, the use of actual
proper, a proper brand. And what are the facts just for
about a brand that we have this for the audience to go?
Look and it's good, you know, he's nobody turn down a drink a
lot. No.
But to be fair, that is one of of this dastardly deed when all
told bonds down the gravel and Fork.
You know what? The possible loss of Lucky
couldn't receive the discrete Veil over her, but I can't get
it because because because we're right at the end of the film
where near the end of the film and jeans up discovered, she's
pregnant. Very discreetly on screen is
told that she's pregnant. Isn't as is Marlene said James's
daughter. Yeah, as is the cat has.
Yeah. And there's that, there's a
suggestion. So, James is dropping, heavy
hints that he thinks that build the eggs billionaires.
I thought. Yeah, never, they never gets
resolved, but, but they've decided that they're going to
cut the losses because she's pregnant.
They're going to take the 750 quid that that hard cognac
offered for The Bijou and and Matt sort of laughingly says
that there's been times that he's wanted to burn the ground
down. An old table.
He takes this literally, he's sitting in the basement.
Next to all the fuel oil is a very British thing, fuel oil and
thanks and is going to GCC the struggle in his face.
Like, well at me, well, I don't know, fuck it.
So Preparatory this right? Yeah, so, well, yes, I will.
I did the weaker of the Judah, the day.
He thinks the alarms going off, Bill McKay know, and he puts all
somehow he hasn't been walking by the enormous Cinema about 100
yards of wicked. It's a bandhan down overnight
and he gets up in the morning to the Grand a party. and then
which of course means that Hardcastle, they do only do you
have all that the only cinnamon tone And they had cash on me to
keep his pictures corn, or whatever he needs to do.
So they come in by the, by Drew for 10 grand, two and a half
days money. Yeah, huge amount of money and
then the nomic it up be clear off, but they give they give a
cut to the the three, the they get a bomb, but they also insist
that they must be kept on the jobs.
Hmm, everybody's happy. Hmm.
I know the last second as the waved off all Tom says to do
McKenna. I like you mr.
Spencer and I like your missus it was only way working.
Yes I did. They have a moment of crisis
with the fact that we were just something better than they don't
do anywhere else. Yeah, they send them about the
cinema burning down. Is what you would affect your
college screenwriting tails. It's time to finish that
section, right? Well, I couldn't reconcile this
end all because because and I didn't mind the ending.
Don't get me wrong. It's got a neat, little endosome
at. I'll give them their proper
names. Matthew.
This is Matt, he wasn't at Matthew in gene on the train.
So they met Matt works out that Tom's words Mentor suggested
that he was the are yes and they and they both sort of
experience. Cam spine of guilt guilt and the
pangs of conscience. And yeah, they debate whether
they should act on it and should the first of all, they say,
should we go back and confront him?
Yep. No no.
And then they say, well, no, okay, when we get to the station
or next station will phone him. Yep.
And then he goes. Well, okay, no.
Will write him a very Stern letter.
And we did we did write to him. We send him a postcard from a
summer camp. Oh, one other thing I noticed
which slightly annoyed me. Don't know why irrational.
Annoyance, three quarters of the way through the film and
suddenly we have narration and it's Jean.
Yes, no. That's the funny thing is that I
noticed. I never noticed that before.
Hmm. And I sort of Blade Runner
waking you like as I'm like other Cuts and the Ridley, Scott
as your good eatin, though, the quill was a replicant all along
but the the ya know the reason suddenly appears halfway through
it's clearly something that's been you know, they are and not
used and then suddenly used. Yeah it's just an outcome of how
the editor I think it is a it's a funny thing because you don't
need to but any more than you need it, Blade Runner.
Apparently you don't. What what puzzled me do.
I get him? Back to the the arson.
Yeah. What puzzles me about this
ending? Was that as you?
Well know. Yeah, during this period films
were not allowed to have endings, where a wrongdoer
profited or got away with it. Yeah, and I know it's a
sympathetic character doing something that makes our heroes
profit I suppose, but at the end of the day, he still burned down
a cinema but I wonder I wonder if it's because You can was
actually see him do it. It's amazing to be dubiety other
whether he did or not. I mean there is something to be
mmm, but at the same time it's one deed paying off another You
know, they get they sabotage their business.
So he sabotages their business. Maybe that's the trade-off.
I think it is a bit, it's a bit contrived.
Hmm. And because I feel that I've
certainly think that what's happened as the Gated they get
to a certain point in the action and it's like, how did we finish
this? Because the bees use doing fine.
You know. Yeah the dragons doing fine,
everyone's all everybody's fine. Yeah.
The only delivered the the staff are happy, people are coming to
the pictures or it. She's gonna have a baby but
what's so bad about having the baby?
And loving and Abhishek enema? Because apparently it's already
to have it in Samarkand. That's true.
It was situated. Where is that?
Whose Becca stano somewhere? Well it's don't it's not some
weird, you know, General Hospital.
You know, so maybe that's why they got away with it.
So the ending I'd say it's a bit contrived, but it's good fun.
Yeah, and what I think is, is also interesting, but the, the
floor of the ocean is once well as got drunk, but he's been made
drunk or whatever. He's very little of them in the
film. After that, He disappears or
were told he's in his room, they won't come out.
And there you don't see him again until the very end where
he sort of lets his way back into the cinema, the kinema.
And then there's the sort of the universe the Daniel.
Yes. So he's, you know, I don't know
why that is. I know there was scheduling
issues are in the film because apparently Margaret Rutherford
shouldn't be insured. So I believe.
Mmm. So they had the road before like
a week to minimize the but suppose the possibility of a
dropping dead or being killed. So there must have been problems
with, you know, get people together at different times and
as you see it's a phenomenal event C at this time so maybe he
had to nip off to do, you know, to record a couple of good shows
and you know appear at the Alden a higher or something.
Yeah yeah yeah. Can I just read?
I'll just wanted to read something that Roger Lewis
writes about this film could be okay because he's Roger Lewis is
a big fan of small Show on Earth indeed and he talks about the
three staff. Yeah, so he writes some quill
fazakerley and old Tom don't walk in and out of their scenes
in cubby holes, they seem to Shimmer disembodied from the
other side of mottled mirrors there at one with the dust and
flecks of paint and shadowy alcoves.
Well, yeah, that's very, it's very opposite because you could
almost you could see a variation of this film, you know?
See it was nothing to do with the grand of whatever.
See, they had just inherited the building.
Hmm, you could, you could absolutely see a version of this
film. We're all Tom quillin physically
or ghosts? Hmm.
Yeah. Hey, because they barely exists
outside of it. You seek will walking up the
road. And you see, Tom going to a half
a? Yeah, we're because you do
because to push the reaction along.
Yep. Keahi he overhears that it's
there all the pretending to As he tells the commission here at
the Grand, you know, when she'll judge grass by the way, his name
is that actor? Rick?
What it's called, Victoria? But yeah, you could, you could
absolutely believe that. The scene with the silent film
should be a silent film, be projected and they'll be three
ghosts there. Hey, you know what?
Don't have that passion of? Yeah, there's more was sure
enough. Let me just get credit the exist
with, then the kanima they be able to exist Beyond it.
Yeah. Roger goes on to say we can only
guess at the reverberations the smaller Show on Earth set off in
Cellars. Personally the end of the Roadie
building with its chill and damp and the feeling that emanated of
come and gone entertainment and tat is ilfracombe and all the
Other reconstituted, decaying Vaudeville venues of his youth,
come back as it were to haunt him, but although quill is
tetchy Snappy there is no bitterness only nostalgia.
The truth in that as the as the silent scene.
Mmm. Because what quill Woods has
just for it to go on the way, it had always gone on.
And for it to exist forever. He, you know, he Tory he
complains about the rats And the Machinery that, you know, the
comedy projections, keep that lovely touches.
Would you cools down up a gauge, and it gives them a terrible
shot. But it also does it to build up,
which means it's been doing it for decades.
But it's just the way it is. You know, you don't repair
anything, it complain. If it didn't do it.
Yeah, you don't appear things, you just walk around them.
You don't replace as a co-equal with job.
You just incorporate them and work around them because they
are just part of The existence of the place.
And it's what elevates the film is the three of them playing
those characters because if they've been played by three
other actors who may have been perfectly good to know, hmm with
it. I don't do with the resonated
the same way. I don't like waking Lewis says,
the set that the bolt, you can imagine it taken, you know, just
raising separately browser me if this looks very like, you know,
Seattle, you know, the theater Royal acting too.
Yep, I'd have it to have, put your shoes up in case the rats
got across them and all that sort of thing being dragged
around the and and they bail set at playing the piano with the
pit. Yeah.
And you know, all that sort of stuff ter.
But yeah, it's a singular film in the, the sort of sale was
Cannon. Because as we've expressed as
we've discussed, it doesn't have that hard edge of the sort of
bolting messages doesn't. And it doesn't have the sort of
Schmaltz. of other things or the frankly, the stupidity of things
like the most, that reward, such a deeply stupid phone but
somehow, it would be better to Cheating the world's most
destructive Bob and let it be looked after by the little
Nations, so we'll give it enough career then.
Well, we actually smokes it so yeah.
It's a, it's a grateful it's again, I think it's I think it
resonates with me particular ways.
I'm sure it goes with a lot of people.
Because of that sense of what send them I used to be, but
that's not Cinema actually, because that's a very much
cousins thing. Is it?
It's a very my cousins or Mark kermode or Mark has no, no Mark,
no Mark Customs, no, no, custom critic, because Mark cousins was
on the show last week, but a different matter.
Do that, do that. What I can do, I'd talking about
the film critic, a talks cheerfully, and his friends with
coldest. Winton, it talks about the
lumps. No, no, no, I'm talking about
the resonance that the pit. Pictures have and the it's a
particular thing is the pictures hmm.
Going to the films are good at the pictures and it's a fib to
within the short neglect, the smaller show now as the pictures
and the experience of going to the pictures in that way, even
at the Grand Let alone The Bijou is gone.
I mean, it lingered on for a long time and then covid killed
her because now going to the cinema, I choose Cinema, but I
start is wildly expensive. Yes, it is crippling.
It's cripplingly expensive. Did it to the extent that I
don't really understand. Certainly how families can
afford to go now. So that it's become something
more of an event because films are also the films are shown
that also paraded as a veins because it is Marvel films and
things like that. Mmm, not just feld's that
episodes of staggers. Instead of never doubted the
pictures for the night for him, you know.
Yep. Even born film some more
episodes of a Saiga. Well aware until we got a
measurable but will you wait and see if you are kill?
It's just when you see a punt gun from.
Well, kind of fun. Well, it's funny to start
touching me, you know, that until they start machine-gunning
people that's against about much.
However, the experience of going to the pictures which was a,
which was a sort of collective memory or a collective
experience, in the sense that It was the same for everybody.
The win at the time. You know the wood as I say there
was the order of the ABC. There was a local flea pets.
But it didn't matter who you where if you wanted to go with
the pictures, that's where you win.
Mom, who will off you better where you were from?
And you would go to the pictures.
You would sit in the store when you can be sitting next to
somebody from a completely different.
Social grouping complete, you just went to the pictures.
Yes. But that doesn't exist anymore.
because no, that are Swanky said of us, were you sit on couches
and have your dinner self? Do you find?
As you see, even vibrating Sates.
And also, I believe it exists all sorts of things but they're
expensive and it's an event and it's awful and it's just not the
collective. Experience that I say Collective
not the sense of the people in the hole but a shared common
experience. I should see the common
experience for everybody. Just doesn't really exist
anymore. Okay.
You know if you go to other wedding or whatever opposite
numbers are available in a regular wheel hitch trouble, you
know, you go to you set down whatever but it's just it's just
not the same. Nah, I'd what you see on this on
the smaller show in the Earth. Ironically 66 years ago. is a
memory of what this going to the pictures used to be like We
watch would we watch the smallest show in there?
Is a memory of what the pictures used to be like since then as
well. Hmm.
Because it existed for a long time and it kinda doesn't exist
anymore. you know, when the last ticket will Matic punched out
And the last young Lassie, and that's not sexist, that's what
they were stood with a tree of Cancun's during an intermission.
Mmm. You know, it just it's just
that's kind of that's kind of all going.
Thankfully? You get to see it in films like
the smallest show in the Earth. and it's probably why the short
that's used from it, so much, Crops up so often, which is when
quill tons on the projector and then looks down the legs.
Yeah, at the audience, everybody knows what's going on.
Thanks again to Chris. I hope you enjoyed it.
Hope you enjoy this week and last week's conversation if you
like the sort of long form chaps that we have about films like
this split over a couple of episodes.
Please let me know or if you would prefer just a really Mega
length single episode, you know, two hours.
Plus I'd also considered Doing that from time to time.
I will be back next week. I think next week we are going
to be talking about all being well the recent Sky Arts
documentary from last year about Spike Milligan which which went
down very well and it's myself and Veteran podcaster actually
Simon weddings from the waffle on podcast.
So hopefully that will be next week if not, we'll be something
else but that's what's in the schedule.
So it only Reminds me to say, thank you for listening.
Take care of yourselves. See you soon.
Bye. Reminds me to say, thank you for
listening. Take care of yourselves.
See you soon. Bye.