F*** Me, It's Freddie!

FMIF as Philip Proudfoot in 'Otley' (1968).

We've actually done this film before, but it is well worth revisiting, especially with facial expressions this good. Freddie plays what is called in olden days parlance 'a flaming homosexual', i.e. he isn't scared of what you think of his sexuality. He's also quite a dandy, and at the centre of the intrigue, like a camp mod spider. It's a broad performance, but it works - after all, as you can see from the second screen shot, Freddie has his tongue firmly in its cheek.

Adieu, Aubrey

The purring, sinister, wonderfully eccentric Aubrey Morris is dead. He lived for 89 years, and was acting up until a few months ago. Here he is as an utterly bonkers psychiatrist Dr. Putnum in Hammer's 'Blood From The Mummy's Tomb'. Adieu, Aubrey.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

 

Derren Nesbitt is one of the great British characters, capable of creating hugely interesting characters wherever he goes, especially when it comes to bad guys. A powerful presence and scene stealer, he pinches everything that isn't nailed down in a 1964 episode of 'Gideons Way' called 'The Tin God', playing a super-confident, super-smooth psycho bastard with great hair called John 'Benny' Benson. Benson breaks out of prison in order to kill his his wife, who turned him in because she realised he was a monster - and, true to form, the bastard plans to ruthlessly uses his adoring son as bait to bring her to him. 

Dez is great - at first he's charming and funny and likeable - although clearly something of a rogue. As soon as you warm to him, however, he commits an unnecessary, furtive murder and you realise that you've fundamentally misjudged him: he's a psycho. 

Just for company, he takes a seemingly pre-pubescent John Hurt along for the ride. Then makes him drive. Then shoots him when things don't work out. Hurt looks ridiculously young (he's actually 24, which still seems ridiculously young to me given my advanced age) and hasn't yet developed his trademark voice, equal parts whine and gravel. 

The son is played by a 14 year old Michael Cashman, later to become Colin in 'Eastenders' and, since 1999, a Member of the European Parliament, although I always think of him as Terhew in 'Unman, Wittering and Zigo' for some reason.

All these older people seen when much younger gives me an idea for a new feature, but I think the title will need some work. 

W Is For Wyngarde

Peter Wyngarde could have been Doctor Who, you know. He has presence, authority and eccentricity. He is obviously intelligent, and looks fantastic in Edwardian costume. I can imagine that he would have been acerbic, snappy, sometimes cruel - fond of eloquent speeches, merciless in his contempt for evil, camp as hell. That never came to pass, unfortunately, but in 1984 he did finally turn up in the programme as Timanov, the religious leader of a group of people called the Sarns who live on a volcanic 'Planet Of Fire'. i.e. Lanzarote.  

To be honest, 1984 is two years beyond my cut off date* for Doctor Who, so I only remember this story from seeing a bit with a young woman in a bikini (pervy fan fave Peri)and thinking 'well, she's a bit better looking than Adric'. Having watched it again in its entirety for this post, I have little to add to my earlier assessment.  Not a good or even coherent story, the tedium / confusion is relieved by Mr. Wyngarde, of course, who isn't onscreen much but still gives a typically assured performance, even though he has a load of rubbish to work with. The thing is that Peter is a proper actor, so it doesn't matter whether he's wearing a keffiyeh, a pirate hat or a gorilla suit - you're always going to get a performance out of him. He's a Genius.  

* I stopped watching the show in 1982 for several reasons, not least because the BBC had moved it to twice a week (on Tuesdays and Wednesday evenings) and I was doing other stuff (girls, riding my bike, riding my bike to girls) and I just lost track. My defection coincided with a particularly poor period for the show (although it would get much worse) and a new Doctor (Peter Davison) I didn't in any way dislike but just couldn't quite believe or get excited about. The passage of time has not changed my mind.  

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

'I'll show 'em'

'He shouldn't have interfered, should he?'

'Go stuff yourself!' - obviously not a phrase the Norwegians understand.

Derren Nesbitt gives a tremendous performance in Donovan Winter's last film (to date!) sleazy hostage thriller 'Give Us Tomorrow'. Once again, he's a real bastard, but this time he's a nasty, brutish one, totally devoid of his usual smooth, psychotic charm. It's a rather obscure film, but, obviously, was once available in Norway.

F*** Me, It's Freddie!

FMIF as a twitchy but immaculately dressed reporter in 'Assault' (1971).

Thanks to the legendary Freddie Jones for holding the fort. We'll be back open for business tomorrow. See you then.

F*** Me, It's Freddie!

FMIF as George Kovich in David Lynch's 'Wild at Heart'(1992). it's a brief role, but a memorable one, especially as he talks like Donald Duck throughout. Good old Freddie.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt as nasty gangster Sid Sabbath in Dick Emery vehicle 'Ooh...You Are Awful' from 1972. Here he subtly conveys the various stages of being being covered in cream from an exploding milk float.

Later, Derren goes head to head with Dick Emery in a horrible cross-dressing face off. The results are disturbing, to say the least, with Derren looking like the missing link between Alejandro Jodorowsky and Damaris Hayman.



Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Damaris Hayman.

F*** Me, It's Freddie!

FMIF as Gilmour, a brash American who brags to David Niven about the health benefits of receiving regular blood trasfusions before getting bitten on the neck by Teresa Graves in undead 'comedy' 'Vampira' (1974)

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt fights the law and the law wins in 'My Name is Sergeant Bergerac' a 1990 episode of, yep, 'Bergerac'.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt gets his clipped German accent out of the Left Luggage as Gunther Esslin in 'Chorale', a 1982 episode of 'The Chinese Detective'.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

A young-ish (29) Derren Nesbitt as 'The Man' in taut b-movie'Life In Danger' (1964). Please note the sign behind him. It's political correctness gone non-existent.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt as the new Number Two in 'It's Your Funeral', the eleventh episode of 'The Prisoner'.

Hugh Goes There

Hugh Griffith pops up in 'Legend Of The Werewolf' in another rascally character study, this time as Maestro Pamponi, the actor / manager / chief swindler of the pitiful travelling show the wolf boy finds a home with for a while until he bites somebody to death. Which is harder than it looks, believe me.

Hugh Goes There

Hugh Griffith was a Welsh actor known for his exuberant performances and extraordinary face. He appeared in a number of high prestige blockbuster films in supporting roles, but wasn't fussy, also cropping up in horror films and sex comedies and even co-starring with Cliff Richard in 'Take Me High'. He's seen here as cheeky grave digger / grave robber Mickey in 'Cry Of The Banshee'.

He'll be back, the rascal. Thanks to Andrew Demetrius for the suggestion.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt as the dastardly Netchideff in 'The Sporting Chance', a 1963 episode of 'The Saint'.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt flashes some dentistry as Burke in 'Burke & Hare'.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt is darkly menacing as ruthless Lebanese assassin, Rachid Noureddine, in 'A Sting In The Tail', a 1965 episode of 'Danger Man'.

Derren Nesbitt, Actor

Derren Nesbitt gets nasty in 'Disappearing Act', a 1974 episode of 'The Protectors'.