Er..er.. what did we used to call it?
Maurice Fleisher
I always remember Una Stubbs doing a dance routine on one programme wearing a very tight leotard and as she finished the routine, sitting on the floor with her arms stretched above her, her nipples popped out above the costume. As the camera duly tracked in for a CU she dutifully lowered one arm across her breast.
Patrick Heigham
I heard of a situation, on “Lysistrata” where the lead actress, approaching camera, snagged her toga, revealing nothing worn underneath.
The story goes that the VT guys were contacted by the 35mm telerecording and bunged a clip to them, and this was processed and printed as a photo snap.
The guy in telerecording in question, I believe, was fired.
Chris Booth
There was a very large print stashed away behind VT6 for a few days – wonder what happened to it?
I must say I don’t recall any ‘disciplinary procedure’ though.
John Howell
I was tracking a boom, but the retake was only slightly less revealing as I recall.
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Bernie Newnham
Jim Atkinson told me that he had heard Diane Cilento say to Anne Bell “If they think I’m taking my knickers off they’ve got another think coming!”
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Diane Cilento in the title role.
“Lysistrata” – BBC Production 1964.
Ann Bell:
Roger Bunce, Albert Barber, Peter Neill
I’m sure that Ann Bell’s moment of revelation is preserved on one of the Christmas tapes – possibly on more than one.
It was in the papers at the time and the BBC said there were no recordings. Of course there were! The incident appeared in a VT tape pre “White Powder Christmas”.
The incident was very short and if you blinked you missed the little black and white triangle.
That shot was used to try out the new slo-mo equipment when it became available.
Lysistrata
“Lysistrata; or Women on Strike” was directed by Prudence FitzGerald for broadcast as part of the BBC’s “Festival” series at 9.25pm on Wednesday 15 January 1964. The opening of the production used a film clip of a mushroom cloud which was strikingly superimposed over an image of the Athenian Acropolis.
Dave Mundy
I seem to remember the lead actress was Ann Bell. The still frame was very popular in TC! OBs had their own version when a female streaker hurdled the stumps at a Test Match – luckily the stump cam was working!
Patrick Heigham
‘Stump’ Cam – I hope it was standing upright and proud!
I worked on a play – think that it might have been Ann Bell in lead, as a recluse who spent all day watching films on TV. The screen was never seen, but the soundtrack had to be evident. I spent hours at Ealing, viewing BBC library films for clips of soundtrack I might use, but eventually was forced into ‘dubbing’ an imaginary few movies, which only existed in my own mind. I still have these ‘ghost’ tracks!
