Information
- BFI identifier521328
- Date1957-08-31 (Television)
- Production countryUnited Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisPOP MUSIC PROGRAMME. Opening title sequence. Participant's names roll over opening sequence. Pete Murray introduces Eric Delaney and his Band. They play `Ole King Rock`n'Roll' [a rock`n'roll version of `Ole King Cole']. The studio audience jives in front of the Band. There is a brief sequence of Michael Holliday and Jo Douglas jiving. [One young man, on which the camera dwells to some extent, is a very `cool' jiver wearing a dark sweater and dark horn-rimmed glasses]. Pete Murray introduces Spike Milligan and they enact a comic dialogue sketch. Milligan is an inventor, Mr Pym, who has invented a `jelly alerter' - a device which indicates when jelly is present in a room. Michael Holliday mimes to `Old Cape Cod', then sings `Love you Darlin' accompanied by Don Lang and his Frantic Five. Holliday introduces Jo Douglas, Freddie Mills and Pete Murray who sing a comic song around the SIX-FIVE SPECIAL train theme. Mills is dressed as a Teddy Boy and Pete Murray enacts `rock'n'roll steps in the line-up. Don Lang's tenor sax player, Rex, plays a solo during the routine. Don Lang sings his new record `White Silver Sands' [captioned as `White and Silver Sands']. Don Lang says the programme has received many letters from people who want to know what the difference is between jive dancing and rock`n'roll dancing. He introduces Bill Ross and Lesley who perform a rock`n'roll dance to Rex playing his own composition `Rex's Rock'. Lesley wears a very, very short flared skirt, neckerchief, flat pumps and seamed tights; Bill Ross wears a check shirt, sneakers and denim jeans. Murray introduces American band leader, Ray Anthony. Anthony says he finds the show very exciting and comments that there is nothing like it on US television. He says that he is on a `goodwill tour' of the UK and his band will be brought over to Britain in a few months. Murray asks him which is his favourite composition; Anthony replies `Mr Anthony's Boogie'; Murray approves the choice. They speak briefly on the Band's film work. Anthony has made a record called `Bunny Hop' - Bill Ross and Lesley dance to it after brief instruction from Anthony. The studio audience joins in and dance as Don Lang plays (the dance is a bit like the Hokey Cokey, forming lines, holding the person in front of you round the waist and doing hopping steps). Jo Douglas on location with rock and mountain climbers from the Polytechnic Climbing Club. They climb the Milestone Buttress in Trefan (?), North Wales. The leader is Hugh Gurr (?). Jo Douglas introduces Chris Barber and his Band and Ottilie Patterson. Ottilie Patterson sings `Steamboat Bill' with the Band. Chris Barber and his Band play an instrumental as the studio audience jives. Spike Milligan, Freddie Mills and Jo Douglas in a sketch in which Milligan is a butcher cutting up meat as the two customers ignore him and gossip. He eventually blows the meat joint up with dynamite. Pete Murray introduces the Deep River Boys who sing `All Shook Up', `Love Me Tender', `When rock`n'roll came to Trinidad' (a rock`n'roll meets calypso song) and finally `Not too old to rock`n'roll'. Pete Murray and Jo Douglas close the show and Eric Delaney and his Band play their version of `The Banana Boat Song' as the credits roll and the studio audience dances (55 mins). Note: The Mike Sammes Singers are billed in the opening credits but do not appear. They may be the unseen vocal backing group on Michael Holliday's mimed song `Old Cape Cod'. Note: `All Shook Up' sung by Elvis Presley was in the UK charts at the time of the programme was made; `Love Me Tender' (Presley) was a number one UK hit in December 1956. The Deep River Boys did not record `When rock`n'roll came to Trinidad' but it was recorded by Nat King Cole in 1957. Note: The train sequence which forms the opening titles is a montage. The trains shown are a pre-war LMS Duchess class, an old Royal Scot and an LNER A3 class travelling over the Forth Bridge. (NFA Catalogue)
- Subject
- Credits
- Cast
Title
Six-five Special[31/08/57] (Original)
Category
Non Fiction- Six-five Special
Series Work - 780747
United Kingdom - TV - Non Fiction
- +Six-five Special[31/08/57]
Work - 521328 - 1957-08-31 (Television)
United Kingdom - TV - Non Fiction
- +Six-five Special[31/08/57]
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