There are few things and people that I envy, but I would have sold my soul to have been part of this wonderful community in such a beautiful and noble place, at a great time in history - the 60s through 80s.
Thank you so much! This is a real treasure trove, especially for Americans like myself that missed so much of what was available to you. Now, the poor sound quality made some parts nearly indecipherable. Captioning at some point would be great. but still, this is thrilling.
@@billbobmatthews I refer to the version of 'Judge Not' beginning at 44:34 - this is from the charity show 'An Evening At Court', staged (justice once) at Drury Lane Theatre on Sunday 23 January 1983. The story behind the need for the show is here liberalengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/adran-slade-zac-goldsmith-and-election.html . Adrian Slade had been in the Footlights in 1958 & 1959, becoming president for the second year, so had useful showbiz connections. Apparently there is a full recording of the show in existence. I am unsure if that full recording is video or just audio. However, some of the comedy performers withheld permission for the full recording to be released. Obviously they were happy for the courtroom sketch to be included in this Footlights documentary being made the same year. If there is film of the whole charity show it would be of enormous interest if it could ever be cleared for release. The cast: Alan Bennett; Eleanor Bron; Tim Brooke-Taylor; Graham Chapman; John Cleese; Peter Cook; John Fortune; David Frost; Graeme Garden; Neil Innes; Bill Oddie; Angela Thorne. In addition, Willam Cook states in 'Tragically, I was an Only Twin: The Complete Peter Cook' that Rowan Atkinson, Barry Took and French & Saunders took part, plus Adrian Slade himself, his brother Julian (writer of the musical Salad Days) and Nicola, Adrian's daughter. Denis King was involved with the musical side. Cleese & Cook performed the 'Inalienable Rights' sketch, written by Cook and Bernard McKenna. Brooke-Taylor, Garden & Oddie performed something [unsure what but I'm guessing a song] AS The Goodies, as well as taking individual roles. Willie Rushton also took part. Trade paper The Stage announced the benefit on 2nd Dec 1982 and Humphrey Barclay (director of the show, and at the time Head of Comedy at LWT) implied that it wouldn't hold back in criticising the legal system - and would be risqué! The Stage returned to witness the rehearsal; also taking part were Kit & The Widow and Harvey & the Wallbangers (they were the first group I went to see as a teenager, incidentally). In the show, Angela Thorne was interviewed as Mrs Thatcher by David Frost, introducing her cabinet for the forthcoming election - who were all lookalikes of herself, played by some of the men! I'm indebted to Jonathan Sloman for much of this information.
20:00 Nick Hancock. If anyone ever comes across the 2009 episode of The South Bank Show that featured The Cambridge Footlights, please let me know by replying to this comment.
RIP Richard Baker, David Frost, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, Jimmy Edwards, Richard Murdoch, Dudley Moore and Mel Smith. Tony Slattery will never work again because of his mental illness. And Chris Serle, the interviewer, died on 16/09/24.
One of the new words that needs inventing is one reflecting the fact that an institution which gains its inaugural notoriety is down to those within it at the time and that subsequent members tend to drag it down That phenomenon is more or less completely lost on the shameless newcomers, particularly today
That's not right in two ways. Fry was in prison for fraud to do with bad cheques, IIRC. Nothing to do with burglary! Also, Fry's parents weren't poor but also not especially rich. I think it was his enormous brain that got him into Cambridge more than rich parents.
Are you not aware Stephen Fry was admitted to Cambridge AFTER he wrote Mythos and Heroes, and subsequently went on to invent a time travelling device to go back in time to prove that he was smart enough to be admitted. 😎 Fry is, ofcourse , far to modest to brag about these facts cq accomplishments. He is quite humble, you know...he really is. 😉
After a troubled adolescence Stephen Fry got into Cambridge by settling down and working bloody hard at his A-Levels. Sorry if that doesn’t tickle your class prejudices so much.
There are few things and people that I envy, but I would have sold my soul to have been part of this wonderful community in such a beautiful and noble place, at a great time in history - the 60s through 80s.
Marvellous! Many thanks!
As EL Wisty Peter Cook never blinks once. It's remarkable.
He blinks at 0:36
@ Ah! I must have blinked when he blinked.
Utterly priceless! A history of comedy as high art. I never saw this documentary at the time. (I was 29 in 1983.)
What a gem.
Thank you.
You're very welcome.
Thank you so much! This is a real treasure trove, especially for Americans like myself that missed so much of what was available to you. Now, the poor sound quality made some parts nearly indecipherable. Captioning at some point would be great. but still, this is thrilling.
Thank you!! I've looked for this forever!
Thanks for uploading this! It contains a clip of An Evening At Court - it would be lovely to find a complete recording of that show.
No problem. Is that the correct name? An Evening At Court?
@@billbobmatthews I refer to the version of 'Judge Not' beginning at 44:34 - this is from the charity show 'An Evening At Court', staged (justice once) at Drury Lane Theatre on Sunday 23 January 1983. The story behind the need for the show is here liberalengland.blogspot.com/2010/07/adran-slade-zac-goldsmith-and-election.html . Adrian Slade had been in the Footlights in 1958 & 1959, becoming president for the second year, so had useful showbiz connections.
Apparently there is a full recording of the show in existence. I am unsure if that full recording is video or just audio. However, some of the comedy performers withheld permission for the full recording to be released. Obviously they were happy for the courtroom sketch to be included in this Footlights documentary being made the same year. If there is film of the whole charity show it would be of enormous interest if it could ever be cleared for release. The cast: Alan Bennett; Eleanor Bron; Tim Brooke-Taylor; Graham Chapman; John Cleese; Peter Cook; John Fortune; David Frost; Graeme Garden; Neil Innes; Bill Oddie; Angela Thorne. In addition, Willam Cook states in 'Tragically, I was an Only Twin: The Complete Peter Cook' that Rowan Atkinson, Barry Took and French & Saunders took part, plus Adrian Slade himself, his brother Julian (writer of the musical Salad Days) and Nicola, Adrian's daughter. Denis King was involved with the musical side. Cleese & Cook performed the 'Inalienable Rights' sketch, written by Cook and Bernard McKenna. Brooke-Taylor, Garden & Oddie performed something [unsure what but I'm guessing a song] AS The Goodies, as well as taking individual roles. Willie Rushton also took part.
Trade paper The Stage announced the benefit on 2nd Dec 1982 and Humphrey Barclay (director of the show, and at the time Head of Comedy at LWT) implied that it wouldn't hold back in criticising the legal system - and would be risqué! The Stage returned to witness the rehearsal; also taking part were Kit & The Widow and Harvey & the Wallbangers (they were the first group I went to see as a teenager, incidentally). In the show, Angela Thorne was interviewed as Mrs Thatcher by David Frost, introducing her cabinet for the forthcoming election - who were all lookalikes of herself, played by some of the men!
I'm indebted to Jonathan Sloman for much of this information.
19:42 Desky Dennis comes in! And Tony Slattery and Stephen Fry in the historical recreations.
20:00 Nick Hancock.
If anyone ever comes across the 2009 episode of The South Bank Show that featured The Cambridge Footlights, please let me know by replying to this comment.
Good to see Tony Slattery.
13.21 That photo isn’t from Victorian times, that’s Tim Brooke-Taylor in drag!
Comedy has come a long way.
Tx: 04 June 1983.
Is that victoria wood at 12.12
Haha, it DOES look like her but it's not.
Victoria Wood didn't go to Cambridge. And she was already on the television by 1983.
John Cleese - the "fat Elvis" years... 😂🤣
The latest Footlighters wearing kefirs.
No doubt politically correct, self-righteous and utterly humourless.
RIP Richard Baker, David Frost, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, Jimmy Edwards, Richard Murdoch, Dudley Moore and Mel Smith. Tony Slattery will never work again because of his mental illness. And Chris Serle, the interviewer, died on 16/09/24.
One of the new words that needs inventing is one reflecting the fact that an institution which gains its inaugural notoriety is down to those within it at the time and that subsequent members tend to drag it down
That phenomenon is more or less completely lost on the shameless newcomers, particularly today
Stephen Fry`s rich parents got him into Cambridge after he was released from prison for burgling houses
So? He's spoken about that aspect of his past and he's clearly a brainiac anyway.
That's not right in two ways. Fry was in prison for fraud to do with bad cheques, IIRC. Nothing to do with burglary! Also, Fry's parents weren't poor but also not especially rich. I think it was his enormous brain that got him into Cambridge more than rich parents.
@@billbobmatthews 2 lies for the price of one,you must research the subject at hand before commenting
Are you not aware Stephen Fry was admitted to Cambridge AFTER he wrote Mythos and Heroes, and subsequently went on to invent a time travelling device to go back in time to prove that he was smart enough to be admitted.
😎 Fry is, ofcourse , far to modest to brag about these facts cq accomplishments. He is quite humble, you know...he really is. 😉
After a troubled adolescence Stephen Fry got into Cambridge by settling down and working bloody hard at his A-Levels. Sorry if that doesn’t tickle your class prejudices so much.