percy toboggan
22-Mar-08, 18:49
and Son.....did anyone watch this the other night on BBC4?
It told the story of possibly the greatest ever sit-com Steptoe & Son. I can remember the first series, the way it caught on so fast. Quite co-incidentally I was given a dvd of the pilot, and the subsequent first five episodes by my daughter last Christmas.
I had only a vague idea the idea that Harry H. Corbett -who played the son, Harold...was an accomplished classical actor whose career was sidetracked by Steptoe. Despite revelling in the early success of the show he later yearned to return to the stage, but was hampered by typecasting. Which in term made him slightly bitter...latterly it ate away at his soul.
His relationship with his on-screen Dad, Albert..played by Wilfred Brambell was never a warm one. They didn't actually like each other very much. The latter often turning up late for rehearsals and readings, and aloof from all of the cast and crew, save for a rather camp make-up man.
I can remember a news story from the sixties about Brambell...he'd been 'nicked' for importuning in Gent's toilets somewhere...the story seemed to go away much more quickly than it would have done today. He was a lonely, pathetic figure really, was Wilfred. An alcoholic - or thereabouts, who could not really come to terms with his sexuality...something I found a little odd, given his chosen profession...I mean there must have been plenty of like minded men about, backstage and up front. It made me think of the plight of homosexuals back then before this subsequent age of relative enlightenment. Not at all easy, and this portrayal of Wilfred as an almost lost soul looking for love and affection might have earned a good deal of sympathy from any viewer, no matter how hard hearted on the subject.
The programme was brilliantly scripted and acted. Phil Davis , playing Wilfred was very, very good (to be expected from Davis) but the real revelation here was the performance of Jeremy Isaacs as Harold. In certain lights, the resemblance was quite uncanny, and he seemed to capture the essence of frustration, and resigned bitterness so wonderfully well. Bravo!
I'm glad I taped it to disc, which will be slipped into the case of my recent gift. An essential companion, if a rather sad one. Even at this distance of forty odd years the myth has been debunked, and it's saddened me slightly . All those side splitting repeats which still work so well will now be slightly tainted by the truth. Both men are long dead of course but they are immortal...in time they will elevate to Laurel & Hardy proportions, if they haven't already. Gods of comedy.
But Steptoe & Son was never just about comedy, scriptwriters Galton & Simpson, whose characters played a big part of this semi-documentary conveyed huge dollops of pathos...the younger thrusting Son who felt so trapped in his hum-drum life in Oildrum Lane. The wiser viewer tapped into his fate. Almost chained to the horse & cart, because his father could not survive without him...his youth passing him by, and forever vanishing. A line from Shakespeare bookended the BBC show 'I have wasted time, and now time wasteth me'...I think from Richard III (not sure) It served to sum up Harry 'Aitches attitude to his own career.
There are more programmes to come in 'The Curse of ' and promise excellent viewing , I'm just not sure I want to watch :confused .
If you like good telly though, you might like this.
It told the story of possibly the greatest ever sit-com Steptoe & Son. I can remember the first series, the way it caught on so fast. Quite co-incidentally I was given a dvd of the pilot, and the subsequent first five episodes by my daughter last Christmas.
I had only a vague idea the idea that Harry H. Corbett -who played the son, Harold...was an accomplished classical actor whose career was sidetracked by Steptoe. Despite revelling in the early success of the show he later yearned to return to the stage, but was hampered by typecasting. Which in term made him slightly bitter...latterly it ate away at his soul.
His relationship with his on-screen Dad, Albert..played by Wilfred Brambell was never a warm one. They didn't actually like each other very much. The latter often turning up late for rehearsals and readings, and aloof from all of the cast and crew, save for a rather camp make-up man.
I can remember a news story from the sixties about Brambell...he'd been 'nicked' for importuning in Gent's toilets somewhere...the story seemed to go away much more quickly than it would have done today. He was a lonely, pathetic figure really, was Wilfred. An alcoholic - or thereabouts, who could not really come to terms with his sexuality...something I found a little odd, given his chosen profession...I mean there must have been plenty of like minded men about, backstage and up front. It made me think of the plight of homosexuals back then before this subsequent age of relative enlightenment. Not at all easy, and this portrayal of Wilfred as an almost lost soul looking for love and affection might have earned a good deal of sympathy from any viewer, no matter how hard hearted on the subject.
The programme was brilliantly scripted and acted. Phil Davis , playing Wilfred was very, very good (to be expected from Davis) but the real revelation here was the performance of Jeremy Isaacs as Harold. In certain lights, the resemblance was quite uncanny, and he seemed to capture the essence of frustration, and resigned bitterness so wonderfully well. Bravo!
I'm glad I taped it to disc, which will be slipped into the case of my recent gift. An essential companion, if a rather sad one. Even at this distance of forty odd years the myth has been debunked, and it's saddened me slightly . All those side splitting repeats which still work so well will now be slightly tainted by the truth. Both men are long dead of course but they are immortal...in time they will elevate to Laurel & Hardy proportions, if they haven't already. Gods of comedy.
But Steptoe & Son was never just about comedy, scriptwriters Galton & Simpson, whose characters played a big part of this semi-documentary conveyed huge dollops of pathos...the younger thrusting Son who felt so trapped in his hum-drum life in Oildrum Lane. The wiser viewer tapped into his fate. Almost chained to the horse & cart, because his father could not survive without him...his youth passing him by, and forever vanishing. A line from Shakespeare bookended the BBC show 'I have wasted time, and now time wasteth me'...I think from Richard III (not sure) It served to sum up Harry 'Aitches attitude to his own career.
There are more programmes to come in 'The Curse of ' and promise excellent viewing , I'm just not sure I want to watch :confused .
If you like good telly though, you might like this.