Web Page No 2746
2nd
January 2021
1st Picture: Mr. Leonard Sachs
2nd
Picture: Hinge and Bracket at the Good Old Days
3rd
Picture: John Inman appearing as a fairy
4th
Picture: Eleanor Summerfield.
Happy New Year
As we start a New Year maybe it is
appropriate to look back at :--
The Good Old Days
The TV Programme
Early in 1953 Barney Colehan devised a
one-off show entitled "The Story of the Music Hall" presented
by Deryck Guyler. The programme proved so popular that
it was decided to create a series under the title of "The Good Old
Days" to be produced by Barney Colehan which was
eventually to run from 1953 to 1983.
It was performed at the Leeds City Varieties and recreated
an authentic atmosphere of the Victorian–Edwardian music hall with songs and
sketches of the era performed in the style of the original artistes.
The audience was elaborately dressed in
period costume and joined in the singing, especially "Down at the Old
Bull and Bush" which closed the show each week. The show was
compered by Leonard Sachs, who introduced the acts from a desk
situated at the side of the stage. Leonard Sachs was born in the town of Roodepoort, Transvaal (now Gauteng), South Africa. He was Jewish and
emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1929 and had many television
and film roles from the 1930s to the 1980s, including Mowbray in the 1950
version of Richard II, John Wesley in the 1954 film of the
same name and Lord Mount Severn in East Lynne from 1976. In his role as Chairman of
The Good Old days he became well known for his elaborate and erudite
introductions of the performers. In the course of its long run the programme
featured about 2,000 performers many from the days of the original music hall.
Each show was up to an hour long.
The show was first broadcast on 20 July 1953
and the first two shows were compered by Don
Gemmell. The show included many regulars such as Joan
Sterndale-Bennett, (two-ton)Tessie O'Shea, Dudley
Stevens, Hattie Jacques, Loraine
Hart, Ray Alan, Roy Castle, Roy Hudd, Ken Dodd, Barbara Windsor, Eartha Kitt, Danny La Rue, Hylda Baker, Les Dawson and Arthur Askey.
The Good Old Days was inspired by the
success of the "Ridgeway's Late Joys" at the Players' Theatre Club in London: a private
members' club that ran fortnightly programmes of variety acts in London's West End. The club was originally founded by Leonard Sachs and business partner Peter
Ridgeway.
Out of 245 episodes only 108 are believed to
survive complete. 63 of these programmes were broadcast on BBC Four
between November 2015 and January 2018.
On 30 December 1983, a Goodbye to the
Good Old Days was shown, a documentary celebrating the end of the 30-year
run that year; Barry Cryer served as narrator for the documentary.
In our house this was almost compulsory
viewing but it did give us a chance to see some of the old music hall stars
even though most were well into their 70’s by then. I remember Rob Wilton, Nat
Jackley, Monswer Eddie Gray and Richard Hearn.
Luckily You Tube, you can see a very
seductive Eartha Kitt having the audience eating out of the palm of her hands;
John Inman in fairy costume is also memorable.
The music was always provided by Bernard
Herman and the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra.
An odd fact that I did not know was that
Leonard Sachs was married to Eleanor Summerfield. She was born as Eleanor Audrey Summerfield in St Pancras, London on 7th March 1921, received her acting training at
the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in
1937. She was married to Leonard Sachs from 1947 until his death in 1990. They
had two sons: Robin Sachs, who was also an actor, and Toby Sachs. She died in
Westminster, London on 13 July 2001, aged 80.
Stay in touch
Peter
gsseditor@gmail.com
You Write:
News and Views:
On this day 2nd
January 1960 – 1965
On 02/01/1960 the number one single was Starry Eyed - Michael
Holliday and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show
was not listed and the box office smash was North by Northwest. A pound of
today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the
Season's Division 1 champions. The big news story of the day was Stephanie
Baird was beheaded and the day before was the last day for being called up for
National Service.
On 02/01/1961 the number one single was I Love You - Cliff
Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show
was The Russ Conway Show (ATV) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's
money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
On 02/01/1962 the number one single was Moon River - Danny
Williams and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrel
Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street
and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's
money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the
Season's Division 1 champions.
On 02/01/1963 the number one single was Return
to Sender - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Black & White
Minstrel Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Coronation
Street and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money
was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division
1 champions.
On 02/01/1964 the number one single was I Want to Hold Your hand
- The Beatles and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The
top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's
money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's
Division 1 champions.
On 02/01/1965 the number one single was I Feel Fine - The Beatles and the number one
album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation
Street and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's
money was worth £11.69 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the
Season's Division 1 champions.
