RIP Richard Briers

When I heard the news earlier this week that actor Richard Briers had passed away at the age of 79, I was deeply saddened. Only a month or so ago, I had read an interview with him in The Guide in which he talked about what turned out to be his final project, the comedy film Cockneys vs Zombies. What you couldn't fail to notice, reading that interview, was how completely charming, witty and funny he was. It's an opinion that has been echoed in the many obituaries I have read this week. Quite simply, Richard Briers was one of life's nice guys. He was also a wonderful actor, whose work touched people's lives.

Like many others, I first became aware of Richard Briers through his role as Tom Good in the classic BBC sitcom The Good Life, which ran from 1975 to 1978. However, I am of course too young to remember the series when it was first aired. It was introduced to me a few years ago by my parents. They described it as "sweet but very funny." I loved it.

For those who haven't seen the show, it revolves around a suburban couple, Tom and Barbara Good (played by Briers and Felicity Kendal) and their attempts to live self-sufficiently, much to the disapproval of their conservative neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter (played by Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington). The chemistry between the four actors is wonderful to watch, and it's little wonder that viewers took the characters to their hearts. Briers' death sadly means that now only two cast members remain - Felicity Kendal and Penelope Keith. Paul Eddington died of skin cancer in 1995.

For Penelope Keith, Briers was not just a co-star, but a close friend. She has spoken this week of his humour and self-deprecation, and how she has never heard anyone say a bad word about him. That just goes to show what a kind and courteous man he was.

Of course, Briers was not just known for The Good Life. He had a long and successful career and was equally adept at comedy and straight acting. He started out on the stage and found television success in 1961 with Marriage Lines, in which he co-starred with Prunella Scales (later of Fawlty Towers). After the enormous success of The Good Life, he starred in another much-loved sitcom, Ever Decreasing Circles, from 1984 to 1989. He played compulsive 'pillar of the community' Martin Bryce, with Penelope Wilton as his long-suffering wife Ann. In recent years, he starred in Monarch of the Glen.

Briers returned to his roots in theatre on joining Kenneth Branagh's company in the late 1980s, playing key roles in the likes of King Lear. He also starred in Branagh's film versions of Henry V, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as the TV adaptation of Twelfth Night.

He will also be fondly remembered as a part of people's childhoods - he did voice work in Roobarb and Custard, Noddy, Watership Down and latterly Bob the Builder.

In a recent interview, he spoke of his poor health due to years of smoking. He gave up cigarettes ten years ago, but admitted, "I've got emphysema, you see, so I'm buggered." Right until the end of his life, that self-deprecation still came through.

We have lost another great actor, but he and his work will always be remembered with a fond smile. RIP Richard.

Christmas Reading

One of the advantages of having an extremely long break between semesters is that I have plenty of time to read the books I got for Christmas - and believe me, I needed it. This past month's reading material has been comprised of the long-awaited autobiography from one of my favourite musicians and the definitive biography of one of my favourite actors.

Who I Am by Pete Townshend

I had been waiting for this book to be published since at least 2006, and Pete Townshend had spent much longer than that working on it. Fans of The Who will remember that a few years ago Pete took to posting snippets of his life story on his blog, and I was one of the many who read these with interest. When news of the book's publication finally arrived last year, I was beside myself with excitement. I just knew it was going to be so good - never before have I had such a positive feeling about a book before even picking it up.

Pete Townshend is a musical genius, and I don't use the term lightly. He is one of the greatest songwriters in the history of popular music. He's always had an incredible mind that is constantly working away on something or other, as Who fans know only too well, and it's not always music either. That's why I was so positive about the book; because he's had such an amazing life story. Rock star autobiographies can be a bit hit and miss and a lot of them are ghost-written. Not Pete's. As you would expect, it is extremely well-written, brutally honest and candid.

He has always been a highly complex person, and his somewhat harrowing childhood goes a long way to explaining that. His memories of abuse at the hands of his grandmother are still painful for him today, and indeed are painful even to read about. This led to further problems down the line, such as the breakdown of his marriage and his drug and alcohol addictions.

While it was fascinating to read about the creative process behind his work for both The Who and his solo career, what was most interesting about the book was that it allowed me to understand Pete as a person more than I have previously been able to do, either through listening to his music or reading/watching his many interviews. He has often been labelled arrogant or pretentious (and he has confessed to both at times in his career) but what is clear from this book is the deep insecurity he has always felt about so many aspects of himself. It is nice to read, after all this time, that the other band members mean so much to him. He and Roger Daltrey had their spats in the early days, but he is very loving and generous towards Roger here, and it's great that they get on so well these days.

Some people were disappointed, feeling that Townshend was self-pitying throughout, but in my view he was just being one hundred per cent honest, laying his soul bare. What this book gave me was a true look inside the mind of one of my heroes.

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers by Roger Lewis

As I mentioned here before, Peter Sellers is one of my favourite actors. I have long been fascinated by him, and it has long been my ambition to read this book, which was made into a film a few years ago starring Geoffrey Rush. At over 1000 pages, some may say it's too long. Indeed, this has been one of the most frequent criticisms of the book, which still divides Sellers fans well over a decade since it's publication. Other criticisms are that it's far too analytical, self-indulgent and tramples on his memory. It's far from flawless, but personally I'd rather read a biography that analyses rather than merely documenting the events of the subject's life in chronological order.

There can be no denying Sellers' incredible talent. I would consider him the greatest comic actor of his generation, and I will always be a huge fan of his. That said, his personal life was anything but savoury, and while Roger Lewis is a self-confessed Sellers fanatic, that doesn't stop him from showing us what the man was really like. He always claimed that he had no personality of his own outside of the characters he became, but whether this was insecurity talking or an attempt to disguise the fact that he could be nasty, selfish and spiteful is hard to know.

Spoiled and indulged by an overbearing mother, Sellers grew up with the same kind of attitude in his adult life. He was difficult to work with, throwing tantrums on set, sacking directors left right and centre and generally getting his own way. His relationship with Blake Edwards (who directed him in the Pink Panther series and The Party) was particularly turbulent, and Edwards felt that Sellers resented him for having propelled him to movie stardom with the Inspector Clouseau character. At the same time, from his days on the radio with The Goon Show, Sellers was determined to become a film star.

He was equally appalling as a husband and father, as has been well-documented. Sellers was married four times and each of those marriages ended in disaster. His three children - Michael, Sarah and Victoria - suffered badly from his mood swings. He would frequently whisk them off to exotic locations and take them on holidays, while at other times he didn't want to know them. There are many disturbing stories in the book, from Sellers disowning his children in a rage and confiscating toys to waking them up in the middle of the night and demanding to know which parent they loved most.

At times the book can be tough going, and Lewis can be accused of over-analysing certain things, but for the most part it is a fascinating portrait of a deeply disturbed man with a brilliant talent.

My Top 5 Christmas Films

A couple of weeks ago I posted a list of my favourite Christmas songs; now it's time to do the same for my five favourite Christmas films. So here we go.

Home Alone (1990)

This wasn't just one of my favourite Christmas films as a kid - it was one of my favourite films to watch any time of year. I was literally obsessed with it, and I rented it every week. Yes, you read that right. Every single week. I single-handedly wore out the tape... oops. The man in the video rental shop wasn't too impressed. Anyway, I eventually got my own VHS copy, but now the only time I actually watch the film is at Christmas. I watched it last Christmas Eve and I will watch it again this year. What's not to love? Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is left behind while his family go to Paris for the festive season, and he is forced to defend his house against two totally inept burglars in the form of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Hilarious antics ensue. Classic.

Elf (2003)

Probably the funniest Christmas film I've ever seen. My abiding memory of seeing this in the cinema the day after Christmas in 2003 was of everyone howling with laughter (and returning home to find that my dog had eaten an entire cherry cake, but that's another story). Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a super-tall human who has spent his life being raised by elves in the North Pole, having been given up for adoption as a baby. After being told of his true identity, he makes the journey to New York City to find his father (James Caan). Along the way, he introduces his new family to the joys of spaghetti with syrup, assaults a department store Santa for being a fake and finds love (aww). Can he fit into the human world?

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

 

Incredibly, this classic was not a succcess when it was released in 1992, but has since been re-evaluated and is actually considered one of the best adaptations of Dickens. Michael Caine considers his role as Scrooge to be one of his most memorable, and it certainly is as far as I'm concerned, as for years I associated him with the character. And let's face it, who doesn't love the Muppets? A lovely and moving film (the sight of Michael Caine crying does strange things to my heart) with great songs. I remember the first time I saw it as a kid. I had just warmed to the loveable, bearded Ghost of Christmas Present, and then along came the scary-as-hell Ghost of Christmas Future, which caused me to hide behind the chair.

The Santa Clause (1994)

Another one which was on seemingly every Christmas Eve. Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, a man who unwittingly knocks Santa off his roof, resulting in him having to step in as the replacement. At first he struggles to adjust to his new role, but with the help of his son Charlie, he soon gets into the swing of things. The problem is trying to convince everyone else, including his ex-wife, that he's not crazy, as Charlie is telling everyone that his dad really is Santa. Still one of my favourites, unlike the sequels, which are rubbish.

The Grinch (2000)

Based on the much-loved Dr. Seuss tale, I was obsessed with this for a while after it came out. To be honest, I can take or leave Jim Carrey, depending on the role he's playing. But he did a great job as the Grinch (brilliant make-up too). Also look out for sweet little Taylor Momsen, a far cry from The Pretty Reckless.

My Top 5 Christmas Songs

As we have now entered the month of December, it's officially acceptable to start talking about Christmas! I'm now in full-on festive mood, so I thought it was time to compile a list of both my five favourite Christmas songs, and my five favourite Christmas films. First of all, here are the songs that made the cut.

Paul McCartney & Wings - Wonderful Christmastime (1979)

It could just be because I absolutely worship Paul McCartney, but I have always loved this song. It's been my favourite Christmas tune since I was a little girl, and it always puts me in a really happy mood. It has taken on a whole new significance for me since I saw Paul perform it live at the O2 in Dublin on 20 December 2009. As if it wasn't enough seeing the man himself - a dream I never imagined would come true in a million years - witnessing him perform this for the first time in years, five days before Christmas, surrounded by people in Santa hats, was a special moment that I'll never forget.

Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody (1973)

Another one that I've always loved. Slade are a great band, and this is one of the best Christmas songs of all time. It's just a feel-good, singalong song that I personally will never tire of hearing. As soon as I hear this one, it's Christmas as far as I'm concerned. For some people, that moment comes when they see the famous Coca-Cola advert on television. This is mine.

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles (1983)

Can you see a pattern emerging? I'm really going for the rock artists here! Chrissie Hynde is one of my favourite female singers, and the guitar in this song is just beautiful. This is another of those Christmas songs that was always played in our house, thanks to the compilation albums we had that it appeared on. This song was actually written for guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who had died the previous year, but it has been interpreted by many people as being about two people who are apart over the festive season.

Greg Lake - I Believe in Father Christmas (1975)

This is the song I'd play while tucked up on the sofa in my new Christmas pyjamas with a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Interestingly, this is Greg Lake's only solo hit single, away from ELP. The lovely little piece of music in between the verses is taken from Sergei Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite. This wasn't originally intended as a Christmas song, despite its title, but it has become a festive favourite for many people. The above promotional video is also very interesting, featuring scenes from the Vietnam War.

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (1946)

Or, as many people call it, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Written in 1944 by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells, it has been recorded many times by loads of different artists, but by far the best version is the original by Nat King Cole, from 1946 (though he recorded a few different versions of it). It's such a beautiful song, a timeless classic, with lovely lyrics and instrumentation.

In my next post, I'll be listing my favourite Christmas films, so stay tuned for that.

Eric and Ernie: My Comedy Heroes

Given my passion for British comedy, it was only a matter of time before I dedicated a post to the greatest double act in its history: the one and only Morecambe and Wise. With the notable exception of the brilliant Laurel and Hardy, who were of course a major influence on them, there has been no other partnership anywhere in the world, before or since, who can measure up. They are simply sublime.

It was Christmas 2007 when I was first introduced to the genius of Morecambe and Wise - an appropriate time of year, when you think about it, since they ruled Christmas television for more than a decade. In my case, it was a programme on GOLD titled Morecambe & Wise: The Greatest Moment that caught my attention. It was basically a countdown of their greatest sketches, as voted for by the British public, interspersed with interviews and a retelling of their story. For me, it was enough to spark a huge interest in Morecambe and Wise, much to the delight of my dad, who grew up watching them in the 70s when they were at the peak of their powers.

I unashamedly confess that I am a Morecambe and Wise anorak, a hopeless case. I have their ATV, BBC and Thames shows on DVD, as well as their less talked about feature films. I have read numerous books about them and seen various documentaries. I can't get enough. It doesn't matter how often I see the same sketches and hear the same one-liners - I laugh hysterically every single time. I can say in all honesty that I could watch the Grieg's Piano Concerto routine with Andre Previn ten times in a row and it would still be as funny to me as the first time I ever saw it. Great comedy stands the test of time, and people will still be laughing at Morecambe and Wise years from now, just as they still are today. They transcend the barriers of age - something that wouldn't take long to work out if you were to walk into our living room and see me, my dad and my younger sister all laughing at the same sketch.

There has been an unfair tendency among far too many people to talk about the comic genius of Eric Morecambe and completely ignore Ernie Wise - or, worse still, to say that Ernie didn't matter at all, or just 'wasn't funny'. This is complete and utter rubbish. Yes, Eric was a comic genius, but he was also the first to admit that he couldn't possibly have survived as a solo act. He needed Ernie there to bounce off and to keep him grounded. To put it simply, Ernie kept the whole thing ticking over. He also knew exactly how to get the best out of Eric, which is a skill in itself. People talk about him as the straight man of the duo, but he was so much more than that, as he proved time and time again in his role as pompous playwright during the years Eddie Braben was writing their material. Watch those flights of fancy and that comic air of self-importance and then try telling me that Ernie wasn't funny. As well as that, he was a great song and dance man, and he really shines in those wonderful choreographed routines. That's why I can't comprehend why some people insist on pitting them against one another. They were a double act, and that was it.

It's far too difficult for me to pick my own favourite Morecambe and Wise moment. It would be easy to talk about the 'classics', like the Breakfast sketch or Grieg's Piano Concerto, but right now the ones that spring to mind are some of the more obscure sketches. Their parody of Top of the Form, where Eric's button won't work, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The Bank Robber sketch, featuring Eric as the most incompetent criminal ever. Or going back to the ATV years, the Flamenco dancing sketch, which I think is one of Ernie's most hilarious moments, and the West Side Story parody. Then there's my 12-year-old sister's favourite sketch, which involves Ernie trying to sing 'I'm Wishing' while Eric is down the well playing the part of the 'echo' and messing the whole thing up as usual. Sheer brilliance.

One of the greatest injustices in comedy is the fact that Morecambe and Wise never made it big internationally. They appeared several times on Ed Sullivan in the 60s, but they just weren't embraced by America as a whole. There are conflicting opinions as to why this was, but I still believe that had they been able to stay in the American public's conciousness for a long enough period of time, they would have been huge. You only have to look at the number of British comics that achieved success in America to see that it was possible. Of course, they achieved iconic status this side of the pond, but it's still a shame that even to this day, despite the worldwide popularity of YouTube, they remain relatively unknown outside of the British Isles.

Eric Morecambe died in 1984, some eight years before I was even born, and Ernie Wise in 1999, when I was just seven. Therefore I wasn't aware of either event at the time, yet I feel an overwhelming sense of sadness when I think about both their absences. When you're watching the shows and laughing at their combined genius, it's very easy to forget that they are no longer around, and it can come as a bit of a nasty shock when you are suddenly reminded. I know this sounds terribly clichéd, but as long as we have the work they left behind, there will always be a part of Eric and Ernie that is still with us. It's there to be cherished and celebrated, and as much as I wish that I had been alive to appreciate them while they were here, I will always be grateful for the fact that I can watch them whenever I like.

Morecambe and Wise never fail to cheer me up if I'm having an off day, or to simply make a good day even better. It's pure escapism, and I can honestly say that they set the bar for great comedy as far as I'm concerned. You'd be hard pressed to find me two bigger comic heroes.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

As comedy films go, I can think of few more important than Stanley Kubrick's classic Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's probably my favourite film of all time.

Released in January 1964, at a time when nuclear war had become a serious possibility, the film was loosely based on Peter George's 1958 novel Red Alert. The term 'loosely' is key here - the film is a black comedy, therefore dealing with the subject in a very different way to that of the novel. While the idea of nuclear war is terrifying, Dr. Strangelove is absolutely hilarious - so you find yourself laughing hysterically at something so scary.

What makes it so great? Well, first and foremost, the cast. One of the greatest comic actors of his generation, Peter Sellers is absolutely fantastic in his three major roles in Dr. Strangelove. Sellers was no stranger to taking on multiple roles within the one film; it was something he had previously done in The Mouse That Roared a few years earlier. Originally Kubrick wanted him to play four roles, but Sellers was convinced it would be too much work. In the end it was probably just as well, as it allowed him to play the three - Captain Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and of course Dr. Strangelove himself - to perfection.

Captain Mandrake, the RAF officer, was reportedly the easiest of the three characters to play, as Sellers wasn't required to alter his own accent too much. He apparently based his performance as Mandrake on the way in which he used to mimic officers during his war service. President Merkin Muffley (a highly amusing name there) was played with an American Midwestern accent. Although Sellers originally aimed to play the role of the President for laughs, Kubrick advised him to play it straight, with the result that he is the serious character just about holding things together in the War Room.

The best character of all, however, is Dr. Strangelove. Sellers is absolutely outstanding in this role, and it is a performance guaranteed to leave you in stitches. Strangelove, a wheelchair-bound German nuclear scientist, is the President's scientific advisor. His ideas about the future of the world are, to put it mildly, unorthodox, and it is made clear from the start that he has Nazi sympathies. The way he unwittingly addresses the President as 'Mein Führer' is very comical, and even more hysterical is his struggle to suppress his Nazi salute reflex. This was completely improvised by Sellers, and if you look closely enough you can see Peter Bull (who plays the Soviet Ambassador, Alexei de Sadeski) trying desperately to hold back the laughter. It's interesting to note that Dr. Strangelove, despite being the title character, only appears in two scenes in the entire film - but it is probably these scenes that are the best remembered, and for me, it is one of Peter Sellers' finest performances.

I did mention the fact that there was a great cast, and although Peter Sellers pretty much makes the entire film, the other actors are also brilliant. As well as the aforementioned Peter Bull as the Soviet Ambassador, there is also Sterling Hayden as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (what a great name!), George C. Scott as General Turgidson (another great performance), and of course Slim Pickens as Major Kong, the character that Sellers was originally supposed to play in addition to his other three.

Dr. Strangelove is naturally an extremely quotable film. Who can forget Jack D. Ripper's paranoid obsession with "precious bodily fluids" or Dr. Strangelove's final exclamation as he emerges from his wheelchair: "Mein Führer, I can walk!" Another classic quote comes from Colonel 'Bat' Guano when Mandrake instructs him to shoot open the vending machine for change to use the payphone: "Okay, I'm gonna get your money for you. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you? You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company!"

Without doubt, Dr. Strangelove is one of the most important films in history, having been preserved in the United States National Film Registry on account of being "culturally significant" and frequently being proclaimed one of the greatest comedy films of all time, and indeed the greatest political satire of the century, according to the esteemed Roger Ebert.

My advice if you haven't seen this film would be to get out there and buy it as soon as possible, and admire true genius from all concerned - from Kubrick to Sellers and all the other cast members. You won't be disappointed. Oh, and just for the record, it's also got a 100% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Just in case you still needed convincing.

Politics Has Never Been So Funny

Over the summer, while waiting impatiently to find out whether or not I got onto my chosen university course, I became a little bit obsessed with a certain British comedy series. Rather than twiddling my thumbs and driving myself to the point of craziness, this show became a welcome distraction for me, something to look forward to in the afternoons. I'm talking about Yes Minister - that classic satirical BBC sitcom of the 1980s - written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn.

I'm still amazed that I managed to overlook this series for so long, especially since it stars one of my favourite comic actors, Paul Eddington (who played Jerry in The Good Life, another sitcom I love). But I'm so glad I decided to tune into GOLD this past summer and have a look, because I can now say that I have become a big fan. It doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if you are uninterested in politics - the point is, Yes Minister is a political satire. It pokes fun at the people in power, and that's what makes it so funny and so popular.

Paul Eddington stars as Jim Hacker, the inept Minister for Administrative Affairs, whose grand plans to reform his department are frequently foiled by his devious and manipulative Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, played by the brilliant Nigel Hawthorne. Stuck in the middle is Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, played by Derek Fowlds.

What I personally love about the series is the relationship between the three main characters. Hacker is an idealist who thinks he's in control, but little does he realise that Humphrey is the one doing all the controlling. Bernard, meanwhile, is torn between siding with Hacker or giving in to Humphrey. The chemistry between the three actors is sublime.

If I had to choose a favourite character, it would probably be Humphrey. He is wonderfully sly and always manages to manipulate Hacker with his extremely wordy and deliberately bewildering speeches. This perfectly executed obscurity means that he either stops Hacker's plans from going through, or wins him round to his own way of thinking - not that Hacker catches on to this, of course! Nigel Hawthorne's excellent performances as Humphrey resulted in him winning four BAFTA awards in a row for Best Comedy Performance.

Paul Eddington was always nominated too, though sadly he never won. It's a shame because he had a marvellous gift for comic timing, and this is always evident in Hacker's hilarious inadequacies and blunders, as well as his look of pure confusion when Humphrey is busy outwitting him. Comical though it is, Hacker is such a likeable character that you always end up feeling sorry for him, as he is always well-intentioned. Derek Fowlds also deserves a lot of praise for his role as Bernard. He always takes metaphors literally and is prone to the occasional bout of silliness, which means that he can sometimes get on the wrong side of both Hacker and Humphrey!

  
Yes Minister ran for three series from 1980 to 1984, and its success led to a follow-up, Yes, Prime Minister, which ran for two series from 1986 to 1988. This follows Hacker after he is elected Prime Minister, and is every bit as brilliant as its prequel. The idea that this man is now running the country (but still being manipulated by Humphrey) makes for hilarious viewing.

Sadly, Paul Eddington died in 1995 and Nigel Hawthorne in 2001, but both remain fondly remembered, as does the show itself. Right now, I'm missing those afternoons spent watching the re-runs on GOLD. Guess I'll just have to get the DVDs...