The John Laurie Discussion Thread

[Alan Hayes]

That's an excellent point, Dave. I imagine to the viewing audience it could have been seen as being a bit fitful, particularly if scenery changes were not quick, but then it was always billed as a 'revue'.

It wasn't advertised as a play, so the criticism of it being disjointed does seem to suggest the reviewer was expecting one thing (a play or musical play) and it delivered what it was actually billed as (a revue).

Stupid boy!

[JM2461]

Aug 13, 2019 20:38:44 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

One of the early reviews I read said the show was far too disjointed with too many songs, little sketches and changes of scene all the time. I nearly yelled at the reviewer through time to THINK about it,

I often wonder what purpose reviews (or critics) actually serve, then or now, especially now, when everyone has an opinion and can express it via the net. I sometimes think critiques are just for "entertainment purposes only". Someone else's opinion on something is of very little use (to me).

[JM2461]

And NO, that's no reflection on anyone here. I forgot to add.

[Col]

I don't know how I missed it, but that's one scary video of John reciting 'Green grow the rashes.' Looks as if he's slowly transforming into a werewolf or Chewbacca character. 

I'm not a lover of Burns night as such, though I do appreciate a lot of his work despite not understanding some of the ancient Scots lingo - and that's coming from a Scotsman. I think it stems from my days as an apprentice butcher having to mix all the haggis ingredients by hand before shouting the boss through where he ushered me away so he could add the secret formula. Personally, I don't think he added anything, just gave the impression he did as there was a constant turnover of staff due to him being a more miserable penny-pinching sod than our beloved Frazer, and he was worried someone would offer his recipe to a rival. I do recall at eighteen shouting 'could he not have eaten a fish supper' without giving much thought to the fact that fish and chips were not an option back in the days of the bard.

[Andy Howells]

Aug 14, 2019 23:52:25 GMT 12 JM2461 said:

Aug 13, 2019 20:38:44 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

One of the early reviews I read said the show was far too disjointed with too many songs, little sketches and changes of scene all the time. I nearly yelled at the reviewer through time to THINK about it,

I often wonder what purpose reviews (or critics) actually serve, then or now, especially now, when everyone has an opinion and can express it via the net. I sometimes think critiques are just for "entertainment purposes only". Someone else's opinion on something is of very little use (to me).

I'll get my coat...

[Dave Homewood]

In 1973, John Laurie played Ebenezer Scrooge in a Christmas episode of Stars On Sunday, along with an all star cast that had lots of other Croft & Perry actors too, like Melvyn Hayes, Gordon Kaye, Arthur English, James Hayter, Diana Coupland and Fred Trueman, and lots of other stars. One of those featured was Bob Monkhouse, so I wonder does this episode exist? And if not with the BBC, is it in Monkhouse's famous collection?

www.imdb.com/title/tt1441211/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[Alan Hayes]

Hi Dave,

Checking up, the episode definitely exists. However, I've never seen a copy out in the wild.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Alan. I wonder how we can get a copy.

[Alan Hayes]

With difficulty...

[Col]

Don't know much about the 'Tales Of Mystery' series with John as a narrator. Quite a few episodes were made according to IMBD. There's good article about the series on this website which includes a copy of a magazine interview with John - well worth a look. 

Article > Tales Of Mystery

[Col]

Slightly bright image, but some details of John's career from the The Dumfries and Galloway hall of fame.

[Alan Hayes]

Apr 23, 2021 11:24:18 GMT 12 Col said:

Don't know much about the 'Tales Of Mystery' series with John as a narrator. Quite a few episodes were made according to IMBD. There's good article about the series on this website which includes a copy of a magazine interview with John - well worth a look. 

Article > Tales Of Mystery

Very interesting. Not a series I'd ever heard of. Seeing that it was made by Associated-Rediffusion it's no great surprise that it's disappeared from view as a great many of their series have done just that. It obviously doesn't help that none of the 29 episodes made survive today.

The point that the article makes about John Laurie's Dad's Army role as a teller of creepy stories is an interesting thought and it does seem very likely that this element was brought in because of John's then-recent role as Algernon Blackwood. The series ran for three years from 1961 to 1963 and so was no doubt in the public consciousness at the time that Dad's Army was being created.

Of course, John's role in one of the series mentioned in the article, Mystery and Imagination (the article erroneously calls it Mysteries and Imagination), in the episode The Open Door does fortunately still survive when many other episodes of that series are lost.

[Dave Homewood]

I have long wished I could see some episodes of Tales of Mystery. I am sure John would have been at his creepy best as the narrator, Algernon Blackwood.

This photo of the real Algernon Blackwood, who'd died the previous decade, shows that John was probably well cast to play him.

As for Mystery And Imagination, yes I think that was a very similar concept. I have, somewhere on an old VHS, a really poor copy of The Open Door. John was great as the creepy narrator who introduced the strange tale. It featured Jack Hawkins. The whole thing had a strange vibe, which of course it was meant to.

[Alan Hayes]

I think your memory's playing tricks with you, Dave, as David Buck was the narrator/introducer for the early Mystery and Imaginations, including The Open Door. But it was still a good turn in that episode from John.

[Dave Homewood]

You're probably right Alan. it's over a decade since I watched it.

[Alan Hayes]

I'm definitely right as I watched it just a couple of weeks ago.

[mariska]

What a creepy guy that man on Dave's photo is..he doesn't need any extras, he IS creepy..

One of my most favorite groups ever is The Alan Parsons Project (I hope I don't have to ring a bell here related to them LOL) I have all their work, we went to concerts in Holland a few years ago and one of their earliest work is the gem "Tales Of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe".(1976) Some parts are very dark and mysterious, which was a bit scary when I listened to it as a child, I must admit.
Would this be related to the above?

[Alan Hayes]

May 1, 2021 23:07:05 GMT 12 mariska said:

...one of their earliest work is the gem "Tales Of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe".(1976) Some parts are very dark and mysterious, which was a bit scary when I listened to it as a child, I must admit.
Would this be related to the above?

No, the anthology series is not directly linked to Poe.

[Col]

Aw, poor Algernon. No anti-ageing cream, photoshop software or digital enhancement for his photographs to remove a wrinkle or ten in his day! Maybe the effort in writing so many creepy tales started to take its toll.  We've probably seen the last of photos like that without some form of airbrushing.

[Col]

John again, appearing in the play 'Arms And The Man.' The article was celebrating 225 years of the Theatre Royal in Dumfries and I presume the snap was taken from a performance of the aforementioned play. He looks quite young in the photo.