Gordon Blockley
Does anyone recall working on a two-studio production from Riverside in the late 1950s entitled “A Town Has Turned To Dust”, starring Lee Montague, Rod Steiger and directed by Sam Wanamaker. At the time, it was a prestige production, and still probably the only Western ever to be attempted on British television.
At the time it was dogged by misfortune; by the time that rehearsal commenced in the studios, the set was already posthumous. I do not recall the designer’s name – nor indeed which year it was, but I do recall that it was Easter time.
Looking through BBC archives for the period, I can find no reference to the production, nor any reference in the biogs of the three artists mentioned: the closest reference is to a “made for TV movie” in 1958 which sounds close, but I suspect that may have been an American production.
From a technical and personal viewpoint it was notable for the use of a Transatlantic camera crane, which some of you will recall was a Hollywood behemoth, capable of a maximum elevation of twenty feet, and a maximum speed of 40mph! Anecdotally, there were only four ever built, three of which remained in the States, and this European example had recently finished shooting the chariot race for “Ben Hur”.
Chosen for its elevation rather than its speed, it was still a bit of a handful in Riverside because of the low roofline, and imposed serious limitations on other disciplines! It came with its own driver, who became one of the minimum crew of seven in operation, which could easily be increased to nine if a boom operator and director were added in film mode.
My recollection is that we spent three days in rehearsal because of the complexity of the production, and it was shot “as live”, but that was common practice at the time, even if in recording mode. – what I cannot recall is whether it simultaneously went out live, so I am trying to jog memories in order to add a few more pieces to the jig-saw of memory that remains with me, or maybe inspire someone who is a more practised researcher!
David Brunt
It was broadcast 3rd July 1960.
Had the Radio Times cover for that week.
(Click on the picture below to see a larger or clearer version of this picture:
Click the “X” button (top right) to close the newly opened picture.)
Rather inevitably, there’s no archived recording of it.
Dave Buckley
A look at the BBC genome comes up with…
‘A TOWN HAS TURNED TO DUST’
BBC Television, 3 July 1960 20.50 – 22.20
No synopsis is listed and there is a request for any info about the programme.
There is also a film of the same name which has been transmitted four times.
The synopsis reads:
“A Town Has Turned to Dust”
Sci-fi drama set in the distant future. Most of the Earth’s inhabitants have
relocated to an asteroid. Two warring factions,
however, are still living in the Utah desert.
Director Rob Nilsson (1998, 18)
Gordon Blockley
1960 was well outside my search area …
What is clear is that it must have been recorded on VT, as the staging was definitely over Easter. Very much a landmark production at the time, it’s quite sad that there is no archive copy.
Mike Minchin
I don’t know about “A Town Has Turned To Dust”, tx 3rd July 1960 – a few months before I joined the Beeb – but it wasn’t the only “Cowboy Play” seen in a BBC studio. On 24th-26th May 1962 I was working in TC3 on “The Day before Atlanta”, directed by Alvin Rakoff. The title suggests it wasn’t strictly a “Western” – more American Civil War – but I remember a load of American actors in Cowboy outfits, and the set represented a “western-type Town street”, with a building (with saloon bar) to one side. I was tracking the peepie-creepie low-angle dolly (camera 6) so wasn’t that much involved.
David Brunt
22.07.1962 “The Day Before Atlanta”
Written by John Gay;
Play production by Alvin Rakoff.
Duration: 70 minutes.
With:
| Patrick Allen | (Jubal Banks) |
| John Welsh | (Matthew Claybourne) |
| Alfred Burke | (Zach Toombs) |
| Jerold Wells | (Clayton Beard) |
| Barry Justice | (Doug Hooker) |
| Roberta Maxwell | (Carolyn Claybourne) |
| David Calderisi | (Jim) |
| John Gardiner | (The Lieutenant) |
| Allan Jeayes | (Edwin McMaster) |
| Edward Fox | (Tom McMaster) |
| Pearl Prescod | (Esther) |
| André Dakar | (Jonathan) |
| Jon Farrell | (Major Barnes) |
| Donald Morley | (General McPherson) |
| William Greene | (Slade Simpson) |
| Maurice Durant | (Ralph Fletcher) |
| Bud Strait | (Stan) |
| Rikki Howson | (Abby) |
Another programme not in the archive.
Roger Bunce
Not exactly ‘Cowboys’ and not exactly a ‘Play’, but a similar historical setting, with lots of Stetsons and American accents – One of my earliest BBC memories is of working on Buddy Bregman’s “Songs of the American Civil War” – transmitted 17th April 1965 – a TC1 epic spectacular (orchestra elsewhere, I imagine) – a huge set, including John Brown’s gallows and battlefields – two Camera Crews, Eddie Stewart and Frank Wilkins (I think), uncredited of course. My involvement was limited to cable bashing. Anyone else remember it?
Details below –
SONGS OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
starring
Neil Mccallum
Brian Davies
Donald Sutherland
John Brandon
Peter Cranwell
Colin Maitland
Bari Jonson
Isabelle Lucas
Sarah Brackett
Terence J. Donovan
Ronald Rubin
Francis Napier
Fred Lucas
Ray Cooke
Evelyn Sharpe
The Cliff Adams Singers
| Author | Julian Bond | |
| Musical Director | Harry Rabinowitz | |
| Orchestrations | Alfred Ralston | |
| Vocal arrangements | Cliff Adams | |
| Musical numbers staged by | Alfred Rodrigues | |
| Make-up | Shirley Boakes | |
| Costumes | Sonia Kerr | |
| Lighting | Dickie Higham | |
| Sound | Hugh Barker and Len Shorey | |
| Designer | Keith Norman | |
| Producer | Buddy Bregman. |
Vernon Dyer
I remember that! I was swinging Eddie Stuart on the Transatlantic crane. The sequence I particularly remember was John Brown’s trial, conviction and death sentence in one corner of TC1, then we tracked out fast across the studio, craned up to find the noose f/g, saw them drag JB (Neil McCallum) across the floor and up the steps, framed in the noose, whereupon we craned down under the trapdoor as his feet came through (the noose had been put round his shoulders, don’t worry!). These days there would have to be an on-screen warning beforehand, but I don’t suppose that was deemed necessary at the time.
Dave Mundy
What a crew list to die for! Hugh Barker is still with us (Feb 2017) but sadly Len Shorey passed away some time ago. Dickie Higham, what a nice man. Harry Rabinowitz, also departed recently. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. I was sad to read in “Prospero” about Peter Seddon and the effect that John Birt had on his department, to think that John Birt was given so many awards for his ‘service to broadcasting’ turns my stomach, and I suppose many of you feel the same way too!
Roger Bunce
I’d missed the obit for Peter Seddon. A really nice, affable guy, as well as being so talented and creative. And, as a Head of Department, he had a really positive, supportive attitude to the abilities of his staff. Another sad loss.
It’s also good to see the pointless, negative, destructive policies of John Birt fairly described.
Alasdair Lawrance
When in Cardiff, I cable-bashed on a production of “Where The Buffalo Roam”, written by Dennis Potter and starring Hywel Bennet.
Bill Jenkin
I well remember watching “Where The Buffalo Roam”. It’s one of those Wednesday Plays which stay with you – I suppose that’s because of its Dennis Pottery nature. Am I right in saying that they used an OB for the exterior scenes at the end rather than film, which would have been quite adventurous at the time?
