RTÉ Player: TV50 – celebrating 50 years of Irish television
About 11:00: Eamonn Andrews is dead wrong about the BBC being above censorship during the war. George Orwell was one of the censors, as point of interest. His war diaries about his work in censorship are quite interesting.
If you want to see Sir Matt Busby, the famous Manchester United manager, he comes on after 14 mins. Talking about George Best etc. ”a secular saint”.
He has an idea for a transfer window (there is now one) but in the closed season to create more stability and less panic. Does the present transfer window mean players play for one team at the start of the season and a different one at the end? I don’t know enough about it but that sounds wrong.
“Air-ay” is Éire. Nostalgia for people being able to smoke on the panel. I know it’s bad but there is also something good about it, something, I don’t know what. You will say, “no, nothing” and you’ll be right.
Next up Trevor Howard criticising David Lean very wittily but acerbically.
Matt Busby and Trevor Howard looking for a match to light up. “Dingle had 52 pubs and nowhere to eat.”
Gay Byrne to Trevor Howard: “Did you or did you not say that Irish people are only interested in drinking?” “No they are interested in other things.” “Like what?” “Well, you should know.”
A funny lady. Real trooper, type you hardly get now. a. days. Barbara Kelly
At least these interviews are getting somewhere, not the utter tripe you get now with Graham Norton etc.
”Helen threw a bicycle at me when we were at Cambridge and I said that’s the girl for me. I had to marry her and get my own back.” Trevor Howerd
Gay does ask some tactless questions. “Would you believe your husband Helen, if he turned to you and said you’re beautiful?” Ouch. But wait for this. Wait till you hear Matt Busby. Gay: “What about you Sir Matt, do you ever tell your wife she’s beautiful?” “Yes. Every morning. You have to use tactics as well!” (And he goes on to conjure the whole morning conversation.)
Next up Jack MacGowran, Beckett’s favourite actor. Both Eamonn Andrews and Jack MacGowran left working for Hibernian Insurance in Dublin on the same day. (!)
Aw man. Best art story ever.
Three smokers out of four on the panel. Man oh man. Jack too.
Brilliant mime by Jack MacGowran, under protest. It’s sewing. You have to see it. Hard to explain. Hilarious.
We may get a song from Jack from a Sean O’Casey play. And now Peter Sellers. It’s unbelievable.
Sellers is on fire. His Italian is a masterpiece – a story about the Pope…
He was first one to be defibrillated – in the world – dead for 2 minutes in L.A. Oh man he’s so funny. i rate him with Milligan now.
We’re promised mind reading and quick change act from Sellers in the next part. Can it get any better?
MacGowran on Lorca … and Polanski
Vaguely remember seeing this quick change before
I probably saw that whole show before when it was on. I was 17 in 1971. But the only thing that produced the smallest atom of deja vu was the quick change setup.
Stephen Moran's Museum of Illusions 