What do you reckon idiot? I'm the famous cycles and I got
a message for you. Let me see.
This paper is blank. I know, I got to write a message
on it. How dare, what's your name?
See, golden eagle. The man who is writing this note
has a message for you. Fine Eccles, there read that.
Is it for me? Let me see.
Don't him seagull? Yes.
Yep. It for you.
Yeah. Who's it from?
Who's it from now? Let me see.
Signed and Shante Shante ankle. Hello and welcome to go pod
before we get on to the topic of today's episode is just a little
bit of housekeeping. I suggested on Twitter earlier
this week that I'm Thinking of doing a special show possibly at
the end of the year, our rundown of listeners top, 20 favorite
gun shows. So I did ask people, if they
could DM me on Twitter, it's add goon show pod.
If you want to follow me, you're not doing already or message me
on Facebook, there is a Facebook group, goon pod group.
Please seek that out. Search for that.
If you haven't already or email me on Tyler, Adams 1974 at
gmail.com. So yeah, if you haven't already,
please send me your top three gun shows between now and the
end of the, are we putting together a list of the top 20
gun shows as chosen by you. So if you could, please do that,
that would be fantastic. Just a little quick word on some
forthcoming episodes which are scheduled.
We're going to be doing an episode on the inspector.
Clouseau films of the 60s so that would be the Pink Panther
obviously shot in the dark. And even the non Peter Sellers
Clouseau film, starring Alan, Arkin probably be doing Clouseau
with the 70s at a later date. We're also going to be looking
at the great live alpi that Spike recorded at Cambridge with
Jeremy, Taylor in the 70s. And also I'm going to Joined for
special episode by Dirk maggs himself.
So, look out for that. We'll also be covering goon
shows such as Wings Over dagenham tells of Montmartre and
the string robberies. Well, one of the things I have
had several people say to me, you haven't mentioned the
Melting Pot recently, so I'm just mentioning it now to keep
those people happy. Okay, now onto Today's Show, I'm
joined by Anthony Mudge, who came along.
To talk to me about the Classic Series, 5 goon show episode The
Case of the missing Heir and just for a little bit of a
change, I thought this week that we would actually go through the
show with in quite sort of forensic detail and compare the
actual show as it went out with the the script that they used on
the day of recording. So hopefully this will be of
interest to lister's and if not then tough cheese.
He's as they say in polite Society.
So yes. So Anthony came along and I
started off by asking the time-honored question.
How did he come to discover the gun show?
Well, I guess with many people, our age it was through my father
but not initially through any of the shows because the first time
I would have come across the goons would have been when he
got a cassette called with the world of the goons, which I
think we've still got kicking about somewhere had a goose.
I think looking down into a gramophone, people would horn.
That's the one. Yes, the man phone call and I'm
not going. First heard all the, the classic
songs in there and certainly they probably started with the
yin Tong song but then had to sum of the two seem to be a bit
more difficult to get hold of these those own Grands Prix song
Rhymes bluebottle Blues which I absolutely adored from the
first. Yes, but then I'd I hadn't
really come across the the goons much before that because I,
well, I was born and grew up in France and so didn't have the
exposure to so much British culture.
I think the first one I'd have come across a really of any of
the Goon cast was despite making himself.
Throughout its nonsense. Poetry should Peterson Peter
Sellers? Well, I remember staying up to
being allowed to stay up for slightly later than usual to
watch the opening credits of some of the Pink Panther films
books. They're not having any interest
in the main body of the plane itself.
So and as for heresy come was the last one I actually got to
appreciate it but he's also the only one I ever got to saw live
playing the title role in Pickwick.
All right? When was that?
That I think early 90s. So I definitely had heard a few
goons shows by then and so really enjoyed them.
And I recall there was one brief scene in it where it's only
Pickwick and river. Whose his servant was and they
briefly went off script because her you see come suddenly came
out with a very see goon at the sounding series of random sounds
over. It wasn't quite yakubu, but you
have something along those lines, they can't.
The best thing was that the servant responded.
Kind of just a lovely little breaking, the fourth wall that
worked so wonderfully for that one scene.
They let my mother go to Better Business than they probably
rehearsed to the Instagram. So probably, yes, just me
mention about the Pink Panther opening.
The animated opening credits. I was watching re-watching, the
other day and I've actually kind of ties into the show.
We're going to talk about today, I was re watching Pink Panther
Strikes. Again that's probably I think
he's got the the The the best opening titles sequence of the
whole. I haven't seen any of them in
year, so I have to admit. So I do I have to get back into
them clearly. Yeah.
Well it's basically it's the Pink Panther character as
different stars of Hollywood essentially.
Oh but yeah, Pink Panther Strikes.
Again, at features a sort of climactic third act.
Where there's a castle and there's a moat and there's a
drawbridge and that died. Yes, and they'll give us
beautiful, I guess. Yeah, there was a sequence in
the show. We're going to talk about today,
that just made me think of that. So in terms of the Goon show you
said obviously you've got into it through the music now believe
that you're something of a musician yourself.
Yes, I know. It's mostly choral singing but
there's also a further Dimension to the attraction.
For this particular episode, I studied German at University and
spent about a year in Austria, which Shone had attractions are
out of because of the music. Heritage.
And so it was. I've also for that for this
particular episode, it's the way that they managed to evoke the
Austrian setting which is pretty unusual for the Goon show in
ways to surprisingly subtle. And these days you do it with a
sledgehammer. You'd immediately have the Blue
Danube on their oars or some reference The Sound of Music.
Yes. Yeah let's cut to the chase the
word. Today we're going to be talking
about the case of the missing are which is from the fifth
series, its shows 16. And it was broadcast on the 11th
of January 1955, written by Spike, Milligan, Eric Sykes, and
produced by Peter eating. Now, very good friend of mine
and former guests for the show, G Lindsay foot.
He supplied me with a copy of an original script for this
particular show and it's actually Peter producer, Peter
Eaton's script with a lot of sort of like a doctor's
prescription, lot of illegible handwriting.
Ting throughout it and it's crossed out and B penciled in
and but I thought it would be. It was quite interesting in
terms of how closely the original script which would have
been the script they used on the day of recording, how closely it
aligned with what was actually recorded and what went out?
So not necessary to not too much info violation, or bits added to
it then, well, we'll come to that.
Is it? Sorry.
Heading into spoiler territory. After we're done.
There's a, there's a couple is there's one significant addition
that you hear in the show or the show as it was broadcast.
That isn't in the script at all. And I'm just wondering where
what will come to that when we when we get to it.
So this particular episode Anthony, you said you only heard
it relatively recently via BBC sounds is that right?
Yes. And to be honest it was at the
point where I thought I'd heard pretty much every single goon
show or nice. Every one of note, I can't, I
was taken aback by the quality of this one because I know that
there's some of the early ones and later ones where the the
lack of plot to does make them a bit difficult to get into, but
this one has a pretty coherent plot to it as well.
And a lot of sequences that may not be absolutely top tier,
which I think may be why it's overlooked in the, in the
grander scheme of things. Sure.
Yeah. Well, I don't have taken aback
about so to come across such a good episode.
It was like never come that I'd never heard previously.
Yeah I remember being very fond of this.
My first heard it whenever that would have been back in the late
80s. It was never going to be one of
my favorites but it was certainly one that I appreciated
listening to again and again particularly for the minion
Henry sequence. Which oh yes yes which is
wonderful. Just wonderful now very often
during the fifth Series in the radio times listing they would
be a plot synopsis Which often bore little or no relation to
the actual show itself that went out but there would be a
synopsis and now for this particular episode, I did check
the original radio times listing.
There's no synopsis of what I've done.
Is I've actually just put together a little little summary
of the plot the show just so that we can use it as a sort of
a jumping off point. Hi treachery and Grand,
deceptions in the Sleepy Hamlet of bacon bonce as young lady
Siegen. From the house of dim Burger
embarked upon a walking tour of the Austrian istrian in 1909, he
attends a grand ball in honor of the heir to the idol Burger,
Throne Crown, Prince Arnold and is immediately embroiled in a
treasonous assassination plot devised by those two and
scrupulous reactionaries Colonel grid pipe and count.
Moriarty, Neddy, ever the Fall Guy is duped into believing.
He is the rightful heir to the throne and so begins an attempt
to plant a bomb in the bed of the so-called imposter Crown,
Prince are Arnold with revolting Villages, a secret parcel and
mini Bannister left holding the breakfast will see green
succeed, him as perilous errand of Les majus day, but that was
fabulous. Thank you for all the tension in
that. The one of the, what I'd
wondered might have been a continuity error in.
It's because the, it's the Imperial family of the idol
burgers and yet Seagram's birthmark is identified as for
from the dim Burger. It's an interesting that that's
that, okay? So So has this, I have Peter
eaten script here. It's got a title page.
The Goon show number 115, and it's got with Peter Sellers,
Harry seeking Spike Milligan in number 16, the case of the
missing Heir and then it's got cast in order of speaking.
Okay, and the cast is more or less just an invention.
So we've got Ned Siegen, Harry seekin Crown, Crown Prince, Fred
Peter Sellers. Now, I don't think we hear from
Crown Prince Fred, do we hear the Imposter who suffer?
What we find out that it's not actually the Crown Prince, but
and it seems obviously Peter Sellers, making all those
noises. He's sort of stretching in bed,
but it's not exactly a part once Crown Prince Arnold of course.
Yes, as well. And then we have a carrot.
Called Princess vest played by spiking - these are these are
just I think these are just spiked included these just as
you know just to make the the other guys laugh essentially
Archduke we got Archduke food pipe d'banj groin played by
Harry seeking. Also they?
Yeah the Duchess of scathe plunger paper.
Peter Sellers back to normality Miss Minnie Bannister Spike
Milligan watchmaker, crun, Peter cells watchmaker crumb.
It was not a watch I don't know but it's a that's us that's
exactly the sort of thing you'd imagine Henry doing but yes you
know in an Austrian Village. Yes, yes, yes, definitely Fred
bog, Harry say, goodnight, Fred bog.
The camera doesn't turn up. I don't think in this major
bludd. Not Peter Sellers, as equals
Spike and bluebottle Peter Sellers.
Okay, so yeah, again, as I say, I think Spike just adds these
these additional characters to the title page just as a just a
flesh. It out a bit, maybe it does.
Don't feel as if the cast sad as we hear it in the shows,
particularly thin. Anyway, but I'm not shorti the
extra characters who never appeared would have added much
and know that that unless of course it could have been guest
parts for row Valentine dialogue, but people of that
sort of. Yeah, mmm.
So the show begins with, I think this is a particularly good show
for one of screens late 2000. Yes.
Flex, his acting chops. If it, I do like those that,
the, the random insights you get.
His supposed private life in very show so it all culminates
in the Green State story of course.
But so just to the ones where it is just completely thrown in for
no apparent reason, a delightful greenslade begins with the
greenslade Impressions and is doing an impression of a train.
It's going to be a long hard winter.
And then he thinks lister's for sending in lovely gifts of tie
socks and shirts. Yes and it would appear that.
He's set up a new business. He's obviously the tobacco
Business from The Phantom head, shaver favor.
Yes sell through. So he set up a Natty gents
Outfitters in London, which is a lovely name for business as
well. And then we have the Wedding
March and Harry. Harry basically says nothing to
do with the show but isn't it lovely?
And also it's a rare instance. Hearing Harry's Welsh accents as
well. Yes, but she doesn't get to do
very often yes and he really leans on that, doesn't he?
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it's good.
I'm trying to get some of the might of the, the mighty
Wurlitzer. Yeah.
It which says so the introduction of all in Wales.
Yes. With everyone finishing all
their senses with a bar back, but that's I think is it is what
would see other. Major instance, I can think of
Welsh accents coming into play. Well, there's a few months, a
few others but I can't bring to mind at the moment, then green.
And Slade sort of sets the scene and he says, ladies and
gentleman from the story by Franz Lee ha.
We tell a tale of the austro-hungarian Empire when
Vienna was young and Vic Oliver was still bumming as way in the
working Men's Clubs and they do you have to look up Vic all of
her as well. Now I was aware of the coliver.
Right? What what do you know of the
Culliver? Well I just I'm not and I
thought I should look him up is this was plainly going to be a
contemporary reference. Yeah.
And I know the thing that impressed me here was it's the
fact that they could have that Spike and Eric Sykes could have
thrown in a reference to more or less any comic that they can
think much of, but Vic Oliver I discovered was austrian-born.
Oh, I didn't know that and he was initially, he did initially
studied to become a musician. Oh okay.
And so I'm not sure what point he moved over to Britain or in
fact, so you know, I dive, I can record because he was from a
Jewish Family. Okay.
So yes, it would have been shortly before the war, but that
seemed like own. It seemed like a very suitable
reference to throw in. Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, I maybe that was, I'm sure that was pretty common
knowledge around comedians in comics at the time, Perhaps,
Perhaps, that was what? Inspired Spike or Eric to put
that in. But I'm certainly at the time he
would have been in his 50s so I can see how they might Circe him
as a, as a bit past it. Okay.
And that makes sense because of where they're talking about
Vienna was young and vikulova was still bumming his way
around, right? Okay, that makes sense.
It does actually make sense, it's not just a random.
Well, thank you for that but I didn't realize what I didn't
even check because I just knew him as a comedian as a comic
house is lovely. The bit of music.
Here which brought to mind to me and you'll be able to correct me
here, but it brought to mind. I know it isn't.
But as cavatina by John Williams, from the Dare, how is
it the Baton on the zipper? Yes, could be a guitar note that
it's actually a Strauss Waltz. Okay.
So, again, fits it fits, well for the setting, but I'm the
fact that the, it's an orchestral, Waltz that has a
solo part in it, for the, the zipper which is a very much.
An Austrian stringed instrument. That sounds a bit like a guitar
and fascinating to watch someone playing it.
But there's also I think there's a further clever reference in
that even if you didn't recognize it as a Strauss Waltz,
the sound of the Enter immediately refers back to the
third man. It's going to say the whole I
would dream. Exactly.
Yes. Mmm, it's the same instrument.
Okay, I'm glad I've got you one talking about.
This is great, okay? Because when it comes to music,
I mean, you know, I like music as much as the next guy but I'm
certainly no student of it like her then, but it's I found it
particularly interesting there because a couple of references
in other goon chose to. I'm Blue Bottle mentioning He's
a man of mystery, he would have been fixing the Harry line theme
and trying to pass himself off as inevitably as something more
than he is. Yes, here's an interesting thing
where the script is changed from, what's in the script and
what actually is recorded. So we have Peter doing a
tremendously ropey, your strut Australian Austrian accent?
Yeah, an original script. It was, it was its It says
Austria between the years 1913 and 1915 ought to be exact 1914.
Now in this, in the in the broadcast version, it is between
the years 1908, 819 10:9-10 or to be exact a 1909.
So the changed that in between it being written and it being
rehearsed and I'm guessing the reason for that.
And it makes sense is if you setting it in 1914, it's, you
know, Europe is on the verge. War.
Yes. But it would be too much of a
reference to actual events with the assassination of the yes of
the Archduke. So true.
True. So so they're quite wisely
change that knocked it back. A few years, we have Harry.
Let's see who's on a walking tour of the Austrian istrian as
he says, and somehow or other, he tries to get an invitation to
To a grand ball held at the Schloss Brandenburg in honor of
The Emperor's son Crown, Prince Arnold.
We have the appearance of grip like thin and and Moriarty or
Colonel grip pipe and count. Moriarty.
Moriarty playing Mariachi is ostensibly a French character
playing a Austrian character. Now, the two of them are
planning a conspiracy, they're planning an assassination, but
there's a lot of leeway in which state they go in.
Of the entire discussion about the conspiracies of the hanging
off the chandelier and the the way that sellers actually does
the lead into the Walls by implying the 123 123 said.
Yes. Yeah.
There's always been a spike. I think started this when he
wrote character synopses for the Goon show scripts and whatnot,
there's always been any even in the gun shows in the 50s.
As they went out, there were occasional Alou Allusions to
grip, pipe thin perhaps being gay.
Perhaps, I think it'll goon show scripts that we can provide very
heavily. Wow.
Yeah. Okay.
But in the Goon show the as it went out in the 50s, there were
certain, oh yes. Yes.
In the show itself, girl. Yeah, there was a few, there's a
few little. So I think from the lost a, for
example, there's a scene where equals is holding grip pipes in
up at gunpoint, quite right? It was either get the right
feeling, it was close your eyes. If I close my eyes, I won't be
able to see you. Will you miss me?
There's peppered throughout the series, run those, there's
little Illusions here and there to grip pipe, perhaps being gay.
And, you know, obviously, this is just for the sake of the
story and it's a nice little little gag that he and Moriarty
are doing a waltz. And then, of course is we say.
There's then seigen cutscene because that's an excuse me.
Excuse me dance. Now there's a there's a line
there. Isn't in the script.
And I'm just like to think that Harry improvised it there and
then or perhaps as they were rehearsing, they came up with
it. But the line would you mind
taking your knees out of my eyes that wasn't in the script and I
think that's it's a wonderful line.
So it's a reference list of height.
They're all over the place but this is a particular individual
one. Yes.
Probably my favorite well apart from the minion Henry sequence.
Probably my favorite. My other favorite sequence in
the whole show is the bit that comes up now which is when the
announcement we've got Wallace greenslade, introducing some
guests. Imperial majesties.
The emperor and Empress Farah de Lille, won the lobuche.
Catalonia of Sardinia, the counter shekels, ambassador to
the Royal principality of the House of yogurt Berg the second
Fred Smith. I say that's a British
Ambassador. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you Eagles, collecting for
Britain. And then we have this bit where,
again, this isn't in the script at all, and I've got to imagine
that it has been improvised, what during rehearsal, and added
or possibly it is possible that They just sort of agreed between
them, prior to recording to just add this in.
So the talking about the British Ambassador, who's who's, you
know, passing around a cup, collecting for Britain.
And then sequences, and here comes the prime minister.
I say your voice has changed. Yes.
Don't you read the paper? That's interesting.
No and you have salads very briefly starts doing a church of
impression. Yes but changes immediately and
changes it to sort of like a co-worker who Ray Henry kind of
voice. Yes.
Seeking sets, Your Voice, Sounds different, or something, and he
says, don't you read the papers? But yes, now I take it that this
was the first show that was broadcast after it was announced
that well, after it was decided by the powers that be that the
sellers could no longer do a church or impression quite
possibly. I'm not quite sure if that's, I
mean, it's a bit of a labyrinth, really, and I want to give
credit to Sean Gaffney and Nick Reef Nick, Reeve who does the
wonderful Seeger Memoirs blog. And he's He's actually previous
guest the church yet. I mean sellers were getting into
trouble for doing Churchill Impressions and there was a line
in a previous show. I'm not sure if it was really
bad at a show with forest or for rogue.
I'm not sure which one it was. But where Churchill is looking
for a blasted telegram, can't find a telegram.
Oh, yes. And that refers to a story in
the papers at the time where Churchill had conveniently lost
a ton Graham, which apparently he had sent to field Marshal
Montgomery in. 1945 requesting him to keep captured German
weapons. In order to rearm German
soldiers. In case there was a Soviet
invasion. It was a minor brouhaha.
Do you know about this? Yes, I thought I'd looked into
it at some point because I'm I recall it hearing years ago that
there had been a point when when sellers had been instructed to
stop doing the church or Impressions and had got a sort
of appreciation for why that it's clearly got too close to
the Bone. The Establishment felt decidedly
uncomfortable with it, but I found it fascinating here to
here, a the whole thing being lap.
Shaded, that's that. Yes, it was.
That's who I've got to hear the show in which the change
happened for us, better term. Yeah, again, I'm not quite sure
possibly, your right? Paw Copy that that was a clear
signal that they weren't going to be any more church and
Impressions. But who knows.
I'm thinking things like the my mind's gone blank.
The Phantom head shaver episode when you do get.
So sellers doing a Churchill impression, that one is clearly
not at all fact-based. Now do the old reference to
Churchill saying to, I think it's Anthony Eden.
What have we got to lose? But that's, that's a sheer
fantasy. Was something like that a
reference Drew lost telegram. That is a bit too cutting in
terms of humor it to be a bit too close to the Bone, but to
satirical. Yeah, yeah.
So then we get a bit of plot. Come on, Mario's you, less
informs grip. Pipe that the man that they had
tasked with planting the bomb has got cold feet, Anna
Kournikova. I had a, I had a query about
this. I mean it struck me that they
missed a joke here. Here writer said they've always
been for if I mean the the line here so don't know if the bomber
got cold feet as apparently because he wears no socks but
they've already established that the bomb was to be in a hot
water bottle. I'd have thought you could have
tied in the two together. If it's not cold feet, use a hot
water bottle. Wow.
Yeah. Really overthinking it now,
aren't we? Well, that was a trouble with
having that which having selected a show I thought they
got to listen to it properly and think about it and look things
up and it suddenly struck me. That's an interesting joke.
Why didn't they go in this direction when I found myself
doing that as well? And I'm sure that it's not just
me. I'm not comparing myself.
I don't Spike Milligan. Of course, I've got the heavens.
Heaven forfend. But yes, there have been there
have been occasions when I've been listening to a show or
looking at the script and thinking?
Actually, no, I did. I just said that, or I'd have
put that instead either change that line, who the hell do I
think? I am?
Just before we get to more plots, we have well, as
greenslade as a shill for the radio times, during a little
plug remaining list as that. The next week's issue of the
radio times is on sale price thruppence unlike Like the
previous announcer, Andrew Timothy, who was a bit stuffed
shirt? Yes, they've had greenslade for
more or less than whole series by now because I think he came
and sort of mid series for and the now mid Series 5 and they're
playing around with greenslade, the character more and more and
more. And he's, you know, he's an
unflappable staunch advocate of the radio times and everything
BBC and that character know they would continue to Gallup.
The green side, character, more and more, and more.
He starts getting parts in future shows, for example,
thinking Napoleon's piano, when he plays French character.
Oh yes. And then, I don't know very
badly. Yes.
And as I say he gets his own show, which is, which is, which
is considered one of the best gun shows of all time though.
Very lucky to go, to be able to get above an announcer, who was
willing to do these things as well.
So yes, because I think they could presumably only play up
the The stuffed shirt side of Andrew, Timothy to an extent.
I'm, there's no room for that to develop now.
And obviously the thing is, we, there's very, very few
recordings of shows that feature.
Andrew Timothy that exists. We have the scripts, but you
kind of get the impression that if, you know, if they try to
rope in Andrew Timothy into a sequence or a sketch or try to
get him to do something other than, you know, perform the
tasks that he's paid for. You kind of get the impression.
He would flare his nostrils and throw his head back and say
absolutely not, you know, where there's greenslade is, oh yeah,
he's all about it. He's worse for the game to do
this as yeah. And so, we have, we have group
type of Moriarty plotting and they decide that Harry is the
ideal person to plant this bump. There's another change.
The script here. Grip part says, in the script.
Secret take off your bowler but in the actual show he says take
off your 3-ply deerstalker. Everything's much more in
keeping with some of the the rather strange items of clothing
that that referred to in on teen other shows on concrete vests
and hats of all descriptions. So that certainly I think items
of clothing made from completely logical materials.
I could imagine if Ned he's doing a walking tour of Austria.
I could imagine him in one of those those hats with the huge
feather. Sticking out or definitely.
Yes. Yes you probably have picked off
the first an exorbitant sum yes. Leaving a yes, in fact that that
would be another business for 40 grit, like theater and Moriarty
setup. Oh yeah.
Selling is selling traveling close to its Charlie's.
Yeah, I'm sure that one of my favorite films.
Is goodbye mr. Chips to Robert donat.
Goodbye, mr. Chips from 1 1939.
Nine. I think it was and there's a
sequence of that where he and his friend going to walk into
her of, I think it's Austria and I'm sure that he purchases a
hat. That's got a huge feather edit.
They you know they saw him coming.
Yeah. But to be fair you do open 20
years ago, I'm not sure if it's so much a case.
Now you did still see elderly ladies, if you had a with those
hats on, I've been looking massively old-fashioned.
But so they're probably wants to have been passed down through
the family so they can't possibly get rid of them.
Custom grip, hope system rert. Look at the birthmark on the
lining, of his hat. So again, you know, but in the
script yet she says, look at the birthmark on his right arm,
which is rather dull. So I'm glad that they exactly.
Yes. Glad they change that and
Moriarty realizes where the gasp that this.
This birthmark is the Royal birthmark of the dim Burgers.
Hmm. And he says, he says, you know,
he says that to maybe do you know No, that is the Royal
birthmark of the of the dim bogus.
And then he says, yes, I've been told that often and there's no
audience reaction at all to that.
It's not a yes, it's not a funny line necessarily, but it kind of
is it's not a joke, but it's, it is kind of a funny line, if you
know what I mean, maybe it's a sort of joke that just calls the
audience to smile rather than anything else, possibly,
possibly? Yeah, yes, you'd hope so anyway.
Yes, gray piping forms an Eddy that he is the rightful.
Heir to the throne. And by the way the show is
called The Case of the missing are.
It's never referred to by that in the show.
By that title a quiet. Yes.
At one point greenslade refers to the show as the rightful Heir
as the times true. Yes.
And then Henry finds when Harry discovers that he's supposedly.
The rightful. Heir, he goes off on one
essentially and it reminded me very much of what he's put in
charge of a bold V. It Dishonored.
Yes, it's all good. You don't then get the follow-up
line of I wonder if he stays like that for the job but it is
very much that kind of thing on its his vanity that that has
been correctly. A definitely.
Oh absolutely. Yeah, he's such a perpetually.
Happy cheerful positive character, isn't he?
Yes and and I just love this little sequence where he starts
singing. Sings be my snatch of me.
My love my love. Yes, speak to me, Thora.
Think. And then he does, it does a
snatch of in the mood as performed by The Andrews
Sisters. Yes, mr.
What you call and what you're doing tonight, which obviously
famously in the mood was hated by Peter Sellers and was
Plato's. I should know that it was played
out as funeral as a kind of an in-joke, as he hated it emperor
of Austria. Hungaria yes.
I won't be going to widen and girls, and unwinding and girls,
and girls and singing be my king.
You silly Twisted boy. So yes in Ned's totally bought
into this, this whole notion that he is the rightful Heir.
But then grip, pipe informs him that the only way that he will
be able to claim. The throne is by planting a bomb
in the bed of Crown Prince Arnold.
And we get a, which occasions one of those wonderful.
Very audible gulps. Yes, and a thud.
Yes. Yeah.
Which then hastens stretcher-bearer geldray.
Mexico, Andre hmm. Now which is a good opportunity
for me to ask you. I'm sure that you never skip the
music being sort of guy that you are actually voiced.
Actually I do from one extreme to the other.
There are times when I skip it altogether and I think it's
because of all of the things in the Goon show the music that Max
geldray. Andre Ellington songs are often
the most predictable Parts which I'm so during how, so I can't
think of a better word than zany.
Sort of how off-the-wall the humor can be within the scripts
and the the number of songs that the two of them perform that
starts off slowly and then it speeds up the final verse.
It's a bit. Yeah.
Okay. Could we do something different
for once? I mean, this is one of the
exceptions, actually, cuz I noticed when I was really
listening to this, just this morning, but Max geldray is
piece actually stays slow throughout which is quite
refreshing. Mmm, but so there are times when
I do listen to them at other times I think I can't be
bothered with their social. Go on to the next to, to the
Applause. Yeah, so we have Max and then
was introduced as part 2 of the drama and here we have the
sequence where Ned goes to the guest house of Fred Cafe, great.
Yes, proprietor hair Quran. Now, I don't speak German.
You speak. German The woman is surprisingly
good here. I mean the Grandma's pretty good
at but the best bit of it. Actually, this is the Austrian
perspective that comes into play again.
It's when Henry is specifying too many, that's that the coffee
should be with milk. He says a bit of me after which
is Bissell, is the The Jerk, the Austrian or Southern German way
of saying a little in Northern Germany, it would be this year,
okay. And I did one do that.
I've got no idea if it's like me a little hair or Eric Sykes had
spent any time in southern Germany, or Austria, but it
sounds as if it was sheer chance and that, they like it out.
Absolutely. But it sounds as though
something might have done a bit of research.
They're quite possibly, I don't Spike's far as I know, never
did. I don't know that Eric but you
know, they were friends with the likes of Denis Norden, Frank
Miller. Yes.
It might have got that ex-servicemen.
My from elsewhere. Absolutely.
Lee. Absolutely but again you know it
would be so easy for Milligan or sites or both than to just to
put in COD German phrases. Yes.
But they don't they don't quite impressive and I love the
conceit that we've got many who's in the kitchen and crunch
shouting Down the Hatch. What Harry's breakfast order,
this long protracted sequence of crumb instructing her in German
and then he has to go and tell her because she's confused Keeps
it back anyway. It's like the 30 to confirm that
she's gotta jet. She doesn't it, but she doesn't
understand it. Harry sits back to read a
picture of King. Edward, of course, who was still
on this road at that in 1909. I think it was the following
year that he died. Wasn't George the Fifth.
Not it's like the ninth nineteen eleven - increment but right.
Okay okay. I could be wrong.
See apologies for any historians listening to this.
Yes. Well you know This is not make
any claims to be totally historically, but then we have
equals equals gets thrown through a window a stone with a
man, tied to it. Basically, the only purpose of
Echols in this scene is to get see going from one place to
another. It's a lovely lovely little bit
of business with equals has a note, which he needs to write?
Yes. Chuckles informs Egan that he
has to go to the castle of the Imperial who's ours and ask the
commander for the secret parcel and we all know what's in the
secret. Parcel.
O quite yes. But so just going back to that
sequence. That this one other thing that
struck me is a little bit old here is such seagoing is
surprisingly mean-spirited, towards the Echols here and it
comes out with that line about nevermind caxton when it's quite
clear. That s handwriting is Dreadful.
Yes. And then I forget the exact line
you may have to find. The clip for it.
But and I know calls takes a compliment something which is
even cleaner does not intend as such.
So you've got the personality for it.
I think Echoes may have said that people would treat him like
an idiot. He says I don't want people to
think I'm illiterate initial that's it.
Yes and sequence is why not you have the personality to carry it
off? Oh you think this is really a
bit, it's a bit. Could be all things to all men
could be Kind, he could be malicious, he could be Petty, he
could be sarcastic, he could be gullible, he he is whatever the
script needs lots of. Yes.
Yeah. And so then so seagoing and an
Echols head off to the castle. And we have this interesting
sequence as well. So Echols runs off and see a
sequence. As I've never seen a man's boots
move so fast. A nickel says neither have I I
better run after them. Yes, which is a typical you look
wonderful. I mean, that's something you
could. If it weren't for the fact, it
has to work as a sound guy go. And you could almost see that
visually whether those so both equals and Harry leave, and the
door slams and then there's this extended period of just silence
silence. Ladies and gentlemen, we would
like to explain the reason for that extended silence.
It's quite simple when Ned see gun and the famous Echoes
Departed, the room was left empty.
Hence the lack of sound in case. Any of you have just switched on
here. Once again, is the sound of an
empty room. Thank you.
I leave you with the empty room. Which sounds are.
So it's cut in it is because there's a definite change in the
sound. So quite clearly you can.
Then here as its ending, you can hear the audience coming back in
sort of tittering. Yes, exactly.
But it's not like the bit at the end of scarlet capsule.
With the, it's left to live really quiet so that everyone
can imagine what goes on between Shrine goon and Cynthia has
indicated, remember, yes, but just before, blood not shouts.
You filthy swine. So these why Yes.
Segen has obviously departed and cron and many arrived into the
room with his breakfast and they set it out on the table, eggs,
and coffee. And grapefruit had this, its
Soulful that's mentioned there. Yeah, it sounded like it, right?
Go, I'm not over squaring that I was wanting to query the
grapefruit already, which Betty hadn't mentioned when he was
facing his order for breakfast, but sulfur.
Yeah, I guess we'll hit what I've written down here on the
script. You copy of the script, not the
original script. I've written down improvising
and extended useful, meaning, someone's and Milligan.
Just kind of riffing. Are they just but it's like the
umpteen times that heading in many get into an argument and
it's these scripts doesn't actually necessarily say.
What's that? What's that you what lines they
have to speak but it's just argue.
Exactly, exactly. Yes.
S. So they go through this, this
little routine and then they realize that seigen isn't there?
So they go out of the room and just spend a period just
shouting here. See goon coming in and out of
the room and, and it's Scooby-Doo like that.
So that sequence and it builds up into a says in the in the
script it says argue building up to a frenzy.
Yes, and and then the Milligan or sykes's notes.
The script for the sound effect, add gradually the Smashing of
shop Windows increase. Proximity of each Crash.
Mix into battle horses church and you have the Cavalry but
arriving at one point as well. Yeah, horses charging cannons.
Bugle call. Plane's.
Dive-bombing and machine-gunning.
Explosions fairly accurate to what we get.
Yeah, yes, under don't forget to follow that.
Pretty good. Very closely actually.
Yeah, and it's become a bit of a routine for Four million Henry
to have an argument with just builds and builds and builds.
Okay. Something that I think it's
fairly unusual. It's they it ends with a
declaration of Love which isn't in the script or is it right
now. So the that's later trances.
Let's Min let's not start a quarrel which uses are not
quite. I'm not quarreling I can't say
that word. I'm not quarreling game.
Crunches, do you mean that men? And in the script it just says
many just says yes that in the show.
Oh, Many says, I love you Henry buddy, which is absolutely
lovely to hear, actually it's another one of those cases.
It could have you arguing all sorts of ways to store what
exactly the relationship between the two of them is?
So what do you think is going on there?
Within this particular one, they're definitely a couple but
in others I'm not quite so sure. And I do like them the the way
that there's an occasional suggestion of Of many having had
a relationship with blood lock in the past and Henry be
impossibly jealous of this. And I'm not And not particularly
convinced that there's any that they could be siblings or just
that they possibly close friends and Henry, which isn't it with
war, but he's also appalled at modern type dancing and
so-called quite bring himself to embracing modernity.
Yeah, exactly. Yes.
I don't like to think of them as a couple.
Because that has to me that just has implications.
I prefer to think of them as a brother and sister.
And this this declaration of Love is just, you know sisterly.
Love for her brother. That's it.
My head, okay. And and the difference in
surnames is down to the fact that well anyway if they were a
couple if they were a couple you know in the 1950s that have to
be married but particularly at their age so what you know her
surname would be crumb, wouldn't it?
Yes. But I I've got a feeling that
that has as many does have passed as a saxophone player as
a dancer of, I wonder if that's what her stage name.
Possibly, there you go. All the living in you head Canon
for you. They're living in sin, but I
like to think that they're brother and sister.
She's a widow and she'd be married to.
I don't know. Let's say Roger Bannister, a mr.
Bad as the time in the past, after she even sort of, she was
spurned by My blood knock anyway, then she be mrs.
Bannister Oh yeah, she's Miss. Yes God.
Yeah. It's someone needs to write a
writer monograph on the exact relationship between Henry
chronic mini Bannister. Yes, we need to get Roger will
map out of retirement. I'd like the foot of the the
little appearance is that many those before you actually meet
her properly within the show. So you hear her at the ball
twice. Yes, the throw if we didn't
mention the throne see, Oh yeah, that's true.
If that's true. But I think it's almost a Pity
that many is the only woman here at the board.
I guess you could have had Cynthia their true.
Yeah. Or you could have had sellers
doing the, the character the, you know, in the mouse that
roared. If you seen the mouse that
roared, I haven't. No, he plays a place to reach
its Duchess. Yes, he could have been doing
which is kind of a Fide version of Crystal Jolly bottom from
Razor laughs essentially could have had sellers doing that sort
of voice. Yes, you mentioned the throne
room gag which is that it's locked.
Someone's in there and yes, possibly racy for 1955.
Possibly a bit. Yes, but they get away with it
because obviously it's only it's in the listeners heads are in.
It makes perfect sense of those of throwing a pass.
Yes. Yes, we have them, they make up
and Go out of the room of the door shuts and this is very to
meet to my are very rough cut or a clumsy edit that.
You have greenslade saying little, do they know that by
now, see grenade, reach the castle of the Imperial who's
ours, and it just sounds like it's just being spliced in there
quite clumsily. But anyway, in a way, the way
that Nettie Cuts himself off and response to, that seems to, to
divert attention away from it. Mmm, oh no.
I realize that I unintentionally probably, but, yeah, because it
was actually the way that He cuts himself off that the
caught, my attention rather more okay.
Yeah. And a green side gets another
plugin for the Rio times, of course.
And then where the next scene, we're at the castle.
And this is the bit where I was said earlier, Pink Panther
Strikes. Again, was brought to mind
because we have a Harry shouting from near the moat shouting up
to the castle and we have blood milk and blood knock is in the
castle and he is with Ray Ellington, who's playing, okay?
Character called Tallulah. Yes.
Yeah, but it's all Gladys well, no, but it does let us get
mentioned little bit later. I've got to assume that Tallulah
is a reference to Tallulah Bankhead, okay, he's pretty sure
that I know of who's, by the way, I'm not going to go into it
but his private life. Dear God, don't know if you know
about your private life, but look it up at some point, okay?
But I'm reading that Mmm. Yeah, so glad notches lower the
drawbridge. It lands on how he's on sequins
foot and then and then he somehow secant method, just to
walk under the drawbridge and then, yes.
And then it gets lowered again and hits him on the bumps and
eventually Some however, Seeger managers to enter the castle.
Let me have a bit of business with the parcel, the secret
parcel, which is Harry says it's heavy, isn't it?
Because again, it could only be done on radio?
I suppose blood Mark, says I'm still holding on to it and again
a bit of plot he says a blood knot says to see you in.
This is to be placed in the bed of that imposter Grand Prince
Arnold but first pull up a portcullis and listen to Gladys
Ellington. We have raised number and then
see goon immediately comes in and says, he's disguised himself
as a chambermaid. He took the secret parcel, into
the bedroom of Crown Prince Arnold three hours later.
He managed which doesn't get anywhere near as big a laugh as
like, wow, did I was listening to it again and you could hear
the audience kind of gradually appreciates it, right?
Or maybe not all the audience but as a good cross-section of
it, they they Date the implication you know yes it's
another case of you filthy swine, this isn't it?
And then grip pipe basically turns up and Harry informs all
see uniforms and he's put the parcel in the crown Prince's bed
finds out its time bomb. And then Harry keep saying Harry
see going gets on a horse and goes off to Rouse the villagers
and The villagers revolting. It's just another wonderful
sequence. Yeah, there's a big cut out this
in the script. Oh we're so.
Harry goes off on the horse and then we have Cronin mini turn up
again with his breakfast again. And many many cells to do with
it within the, the broadcast for only.
So the version I've got on CD mini does show up in it, but not
Henry, no, she does little bit later on but sequence that's
been cut out Minnie. Minnie says your eggs to keep
you warm in this gas oven and is an fx of a gas oven.
And Harry says, see you and says not.
Now, I'm busy and Harry. Henry says, we can't carry this.
Guess I went around Austria or after you and sequences and why
not? The Quran says yes?
Why not mind? You don't drop it mini.
Okay, that b cut out. I think it's are conceived.
Why? Actually because it's all more
effective having the the reference in the middle of the
The Weaver V tonight. Sequence the sudden throwback to
it from many alone later. Yeah, that's true.
That's very true. And we have this, this sequence
of repeated gag sequence of Harry knocking on doors and
saying we revolt tonight. Okay?
In the script, he doesn't say we revolt tonight.
He just says the revolution. So, I think it was very wise
that they built upon that and changing felt we revolt tonight.
He has a sequence with William, where they're sort of
alternating the taking turns to say we revolt tonight.
It's very complicated to try and explain but I'll probably
include the clip. Tonight.
Yes, tonight. Good luck.
What about tonight? Lonnie you back again?
We're starting the revolution. Yes, we revolt tonight with it
all tonight. Oh, I must warn the villagers
What about tonight, okay. I'm like down, keep picking on
me, try that out. We reap out tonight.
Each other house over there. That phone call for me.
Which one that one? Yes, we have breakfast the
knives. Excuse me.
Certainly yes. I'm not.
I was particularly impressed with our sequence actually helps
you characters there. When you get surmise throat
right at the very beginning, it's apart from that.
It's a lot of William. Lot of will never stop seeking
and many and many. Yeah, that's right.
That's right. I'm trying extent.
It did make me think well they're trying to get a
revolution up and going but it's by the sounds of things as a
tiny Community Hotel. So it's not real, it's probably
due to failure or in all sorts of ways.
Really good for maybe some sellers, couldn't be asked doing
any more verses and this this goes on and on, and on and then,
Sellers as grip pipe. I guess or sellers that are
leans into the mic and says we just don't care.
Yes. The next bitch, please tell me
that's a contemporary reference because I didn't get it.
This is we know we haven't won the award.
Yeah. And this is something I've tried
to find out what that's a reference to the presumably.
It's some sort of radio award I guess he's a bleep.
Yes, I haven't been able to find out and I'm sure that there are
Regular listens to this show who who have the resources and have
the knowledge and they will be able to explain that reference.
So if anyone is listening, if anyone says then please let me
know and then we reach the do-more and greenslade sets, the
Sealy says, meanwhile in the bedroom of the conference.
It is 8:58 and this lovely little sequence where the sound
of a ticking bomb door, opens yawning bed, creaks It's size
smacking of lips, snore, terrific explosion, he's
smacking of lips. It's, it sounds like a very Camp
grip pipe then doesn't it? It does have it.
Yes, I got on. It is plainly, Peter Sellers,
are there, which stuff set up the reveals to.
Yeah, what's actually happened afterwards?
But yes, as you say only, if it doesn't sound like who it turns
out to be? Now, does it?
Well, no, we just slightly disappointing.
Well, I guess. Yeah.
But it would give it away too much.
I suppose they would do, we have another little bit that's cut
out, that's in the script. That's not not, not recorded or
cut out of the recording where William comes back briefly to
talk about the revolution. But no, we have this explosion
and then Siegen cries, that's it.
He's gone. And It part turns up and says
that something's gone wrong, the Crown Prince left for
Switzerland this morning. So you can see as well, who was
in his bed There's a little bit more in the script for Blue
Bottle to say. Just the you get it be but they
I think they wise, they cut that out and they just go straight
into the, the theme tune at the end and then, yes, it's
necessary at that point. Yeah, so, yeah, we get very
little blue bottle, which is a bit of a disappointment, but you
don't always get blue bottle when every single show and
sometimes when you do get blue bottle, it's only a line.
Exactly. Yeah, that's fine.
But this what? This one works well as A final
reveal that show. He was there all along just yes.
Yeah, so so there we go and interesting little exercise and
sort of comparing the script to the actual show as it went out.
And it's a very, it's a very good show is as we say it's very
well structured as far as good shows go.
And it's, it's got some great lines, some great music, very
atmospheric places. There's a, I've had been And
when I was starting to listen to it properly and don't know,
doing all the homework for recording this that's it would
actually kill the humor but then once I realized that, no, the
the things like the good, that will the austrian-german in
there, the reference to Vic Oliver and so on.
I thought, actually, this is worth doing.
I don't know whether all the scripts would stand up to such
scrutiny admittedly, but, probably not.
But as I said, yeah, I've got Peter even script.
There are lots of scribbles and notes, jotted down, but it's
very difficult to read any of them.
So now overall, great show, great show you Jake.
But listen Natalie, thank you so much for letting me in infringe
upon your Saturday morning. It's a great way to spend a
Saturday morning. Not to say that I defended
lovely time talking to thanks again to Anthony, I'll be back
next week with special guest Laura.
Laura Grimshaw. So look out for that.
And in the meantime, if you haven't already, please rate and
review on iTunes Spotify wherever you can review and rate
pretty much. Yeah, thank you very much again
and I'll see you next time. Bye.