Where imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

The Two Ronnies Series 3 – Episode 5

Broadcast: 22nd November, 1973. 11 mins.

Ronnie Corbett took the role of Jason King, who is in Oxford to pick up an award for “Services to mankind… and womankind.” 

We find him in a punt on the river with his girlfriend, Angela Fitzupton (played by Julie Crosthwaite). Suddenly, Angela screams out and points to a body which his lying partly in the river. Jason is horrified when they reach bank, but only because the corpse is wearing the same shoes as him!

Ronnie Corbett as Jason King

Walking close to the river is the famous crime writer and criminologist, Miss Wilberforce (Ronnie Barker), who Jason visits to enquire if she saw anything suspicious while she was out catching butterflies. We learn that the body is that of a Don from one of the Oxford colleges who, it transpires, had been poisoned with deadly nightshade. The twist in the story is that the prime suspect, Professor Sax, and Miss Wilberforce are one and the same.

Detectives On The Edge Of a Nervous Breakdown Series 7 -Episode 1

Broadcast: 22nd April, 1993. 32 mins.

The Comic Strip was a periodic series of satires and spoofs that helped bring alternative comedy to the mainstream and forge a comedy reputation for then-new Channel 4. The title itself was a parody of the 1988 film, ‘Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown’.

In a sequel to feature film spin-off, ‘The Bullshitters’ featuring the characters Bonehead and Foyle (for this read Bodie and Doyle of ‘The Professionals), who are called in to solve a 70s-style murder. Unfortunately, so are 70s detectives Shouting George of The Weeney (Jack Regan – ‘The Sweeny’) and Jason Bentley of Department Z (Jason King – Department S), and 90s Northern detective Dave Spanker (Dave Spender – ‘Spender’).

Jason Bentley, played by Peter Richardson, owns a 1970s retro clothes shop called Flares ‘R’ Us and, of course, drives a Bentley Continental at a very sedate, unhurried speed, as he’d portrayed here as having claret in one had (Jason King never drank Claret, as his favourite tipples were vintage Champagne or Stornoway Whisky). Nevertheless, he rues the day when drinking in such a way might be made illegal.

Peter Richardson as Jason Bentley

When it comes to solving crimes, Bentley prefers to make no visible effort at all, as he anticipates that all the plot devices required to solve the case will arrive by themselves in due course.

The film employed techniques of metafictional parody to make overt critical comparisons between 1990s TV detective shows and their 1970s counterparts. The editorial line taken throughout the film presents a very affectionate portrayal of several of these 1970s shows, despite acknowledging their use of methods and styles that had since become somewhat clichéd.

When Peter was interviewed on ‘Pebble Mill’ (BBC1 – 6th May, 1994), he said he was flattered by the film, but insisted that Jason King would never wear crushed velvet.

Jeremy Clarkson Promotional Film

Filmed: Friday, 8th May, 2015

Presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, donned a false moustache and a garish pink cravat to shoot a short sequence to publicise his up-coming arena tour of the UK, and paid homage to Jason King with his ‘Jason Clarkson’ send-up.

Clarkson as Jason Clarkson

Clarkson had become a free agent following his high-profile departure from BBC show ‘Top Gear’, was seen jumping from his vintage Jensen sports car – another seventies throwback – and rolling across a large mat as a camera crew filmed close by.

Above: Peter and Janet Blair with members of the crew

JULY 1961

(i) The first day of action takes place on the set at Beaconsfield Studios and involves Peter, in the role of Professor Norman Taylor, being pursued down the corridors of Hempnell College by an enormous eagle, which is seen towards the end of the film.

During the scene, Peter is required to hurl various items in the direction of the giant bird, which will be superimposed onto the film in post production. As a precaution, Cinematographer, Reg Wyre, suggests that the Director might consider placing a piece of Perspex in front of the camera in case Peter were to accidently hit the lens.

However Director, Sidney Hayers, dismisses the idea, saying: “He’s as much chance of hitting the lens as I have hitting the moon!”

As the camera starts rolling, and Peter begins screaming and hurling objects around the room, a bottle flies out of his hand and straight into the camera lens – shattering it into an infinite number of pieces. Trust Peter to prove the boss wrong!

(ii) American actress, Janet Blair, arrives on set at her usual time of 9.30am. She’s to feature in a scene with Peter and Margaret Johnson, who plays the evil College Principal, Flora Carr.

Above: Janet Blair with Lochanvir the Eagle and his trainer the Eagle

The sequence focuses on Flora as she attacks the defenceless Tansy, who is confined to bed. Thankfully, her husband, Norman, arrives home in the nick of time, and succeeds in rescuing his wife from the clutches of the wicked crone.

Sadly, this particular scene was cut from the European version of the film, but it did survive in the American release, which has the alternate title, ‘Burn, Witch, Burn’. (Please see a still which was taken during the sequence below).

Above: This scene featuring Peter, Janet Blair and Margaret Johnson was cut from the final edit

(iii) It is 7.30am, and the cast and crew have boarded a bus which is heading to Taplow in Buckinghamshire, which is to double as the village of Hempnell.

The main shot of the day will involve Peter crossing a narrow road near his fictional home, as he makes his way to the college after what had proved to be an eventful weekend.

The scene calls for Peter to step out into the road just as a large van comes into view around a sharp bend, and almost hits the visibly shaken Professor.

Sidney Hayers discusses the sequence with Peter – advising that he would prefer to use a stunt double. But when Peter insists on doing his own stunts wherever possible, Hayers decides to shoot the piece in close-up as opposed to the original long-shot. A short debate is had between Peter, Hayers and the Stunt Coordinator, during which Peter is assured that he will be perfectly safe.

(It should be noted at this point that it was Hayers’ who was certain that Peter wouldn’t hit the camera lens with a projectile in an earlier scene, only to have been proved disastrously wrong!)

To be on the safe side, Hayers orders a dummy run in order to ensure the safety of his leading man, but as the time of the actual ‘Take’ draws ever closer, the Stunt Coordinator begins to show increasing signs of doubt.

As Hayers calls for order on the set, Peter takes up his position on the pavement on the opposite side of the road to the College entrance. Right on cue, the van rounds the bend, but as Peter steps out, the HGV passes much closer than had originally been expected, and clips Peter. Thankfully, a quick check by on-set medical staff confirms that he hasn’t been badly injured, and he’s given the all clear to carry on.

(iv) Director Hayers appears to have chosen the coldest day of the year to take the cast and crew to a Cornish beach, where several crucial scenes are to be shot

Above: Peter and the crew filming on the cliffs at Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall

Peter is put through his paces high up on a steep cliff face, where he’s instructed by Hayers to both climb and descend some dangerous-looking rocks, over and over again until the Director is happy with the ‘Take’. A longshot is then added of Peter running along a deserted stretch of beach in broad daylight, that was later given the effect of being filmed around midnight.

Meanwhile, Peter’s co-star, Janet Blair, concludes her scenes on the beach, where she’s sprayed with water as she’s seen to be walking from the waves. Once the Director is happy with the shot, Ms Blair is brought dry clothes and is allowed to change into them.

(v) For one particular sequences in the film, Sidney Hayers chose to use a 9mm lens to show the action from Janet Blair’s dazed point of view. During the early Sixties, the zoom lens was hardly ever used in film-making, and so Night of the Eagle became a forerunner for the particular technique.

One of the scenes where this method was used was during the sequence at the cliff-top cottage, where Tansy is coming out of her trance. She opens her eyes to find Peter and a doctor looking down at her. Hayers said that he’d used the method to distort the two men’s faces – i.e. to elongate their noses, giving them the look of an eagle.

Peter, however, didn’t share Hayers’ view of the shots, and was none too pleased with the result. When he eventually saw the ‘Rushes’ of that day’s filming, he apparently yelled: “Sidney, you’re not going to use that! For God’s sake!” He did!

Gallery

Peter and director, Sidney Hayers. go over a few points on set

Peter with crew members – including, Sidney Hayers (Director), Eric Bayman (Sound), Gerry Turpin (Camera)

Filming the scene in which Peter, as Professor Taylor, pursues his wife, Tansy, who has boarded a bus to their weekend cottage on the coast

Peter with Judith Stott who played Margaret Abbott in the film.

Woollen cardigans and coats are the order of the day between takes on an obviously chilly beach

Peter and Sidney Hayers on the cliffs at Porthcurno Beach

Peter and members of the crew on the cliffs at Pedn Vounder Beach

Peter being filmed running down Pedn Vounder Beach

Peter and his Welsh Corgi, Cassio

Click below for more about ‘Night of the Eagle’/’Burn, Witch, Burn’

Click below for more on Department S…

© Copyright The Hellfire Club: The OFFICIAL PETER WYNGARDE Appreciation Society: https://www.facebook.com/groups/813997125389790/

The Official Peter Wyngarde Fan Club – 1954 to 1985

Above: An original badge and sticker

Above: Poster given to fans in the Membership Pack

Below: A ticket for the Peter Wyngarde Fan Club Buffet and Dance at the Pembridge Court Hotel, 34, Pembridge Gardens, London – 27th February 1972.

Below: A Fan Club ‘Newsletter’ from August 1978. The Club was now being run by Jacky Chapman from South Harrow in Middlesex. Jacky kept the Club open until 1985 when it finally closed for good.

You may’ve noted how all of the Fan Club secretaries were perfectly comfortable to include their home addresses and telephone numbers on all of the forms and newsletters. It’s highly unlikely that ANYONE would dare to risk such a thing today!

Click below for more about Peter’s fanbase...

To honour the late, great Peter Wyngarde, the Whipton-based Devon Wargames Group decided to play a Department S/Jason King inspired game. See what happened below…

“To mark the sad passing of Peter Wyngarde, we decided to take us back to his youth and the wonders of Department S.” J.J.

Left: Enlargement of the Jason King gaming piece.

The scenario was that a British army helicopter had crashed in the Devon countryside whilst transporting the advanced ZX80 top secret computer. The local Police had secured the crash site, but were unaware of the true situation. Department S agents were dispatched to make contact with the
Police and recover the advanced machine.

The scene opened at the crash site, near a crossroads in a small hamlet. The Police had established road blocks on each of the roads into the area and officers were posted by each part of the widely scattered wreckage.

Drawing up at one checkpoint, Jason King flashed a ready smile to the officers. A quick check against his “seduction” special ability (best not to ask), persuaded the constables to wave him through.

Meanwhile, on a different approach road, Stewart Sullivan was not finding things so easy. “Look, I work for Interpol.” he said. “Interpol, who are they then Sir ? We don’t have any of that in these here parts.” the officer replied.

On the last two roads, vehicles carrying east European agents were waved down by the Police. Their approach was less subtle and sub machine gun fire rang out. One officer fell, but the other dodged.

A shotgun fired and he dodged again, Matrix style. “FFS” the east Europeans said in Russian. Finally a volley of pistol shots cut him down.

Seeing a policeman by a piece of wreckage, Jason King and a scientist went to investigate. “Is that a computer?” King asked. “No” said the boffin, “That is a clock radio”. “Ah” said King “Just as I thought. “

Elsewhere on the crash site, foreign agents cut down a policeman and grabbed the piece of nearby wreckage.

Meanwhile, Stewart Sullivan and his colleagues had spoken to the chief constable on their car’s radio telephone and been granted access to the hamlet. Just as they arrived foreign agents opened fire from the crossroads and a fire fight developed. Minor cast members on both sides were cut down and a Cortina 2.0 GXL slewed across the junction. It’s occupant gave fire to the a group of Department S security officers and four officers emptied their pistols into his vehicle. The car erupted in a fireball.

Jason King and his boffin drove towards the enemy agents carrying part of the wreckage. As they neared the group, an “evil co-star” leapt onto the side of the vehicle. “I have been waiting to take my revenge on you King” he said (vendetta special ability) and fired through the window, killing the boffin. Using his “impossibly cool” trait, King avoided the fire, blew smoke from his cigar in his assailants face, pushed him from the vehicle and ran him over. “That is why I am a star” he said as he drove on.

At the crossroads things were going in favour of the forces of law and order. One denim clad thug remained and he laughed off every attempt to gun him down. It began to look like denim was bulletproof, but he was eventually overwhelmed.

The enemy agents carrying the ZX80 got into a waiting Jag (it is always a Jag) and gunned the engine.

Just then a Land Rover driven by Stewart Sullivan rammed their car, disabling it. The foreign spies jumped out and tried to run off with the secret device. At this point King came speeding towards them across a ploughed field. Leaning from the window he fired a shot, killing the man with the ZX80. The man next to him picked up the device and ran to a waiting car. As it drove off, with King in hot pursuit, the closing credits read:

To Be Continued…..

The game was played to the excellent “7TV” rules from “Crooked Dice”. They certainly catch the 60s/70s vibe.

Many thanks to Chas and Charlie, who played the dastardly devils and Steve L, who joined me with the men from Department S. A well deserved win for the enemy agents, in a close fought game.

P.S. No velvet was harmed or shirt frill creased during the making of this programme, but Jason King’s Chelsea boots did get muddy. Nothing a good buffing with some “Cherry Blossom” polish can’t sort out though.