Re: RARA-AVIS: The Singing Detective

Peter Walker (pw@pw.cablenet.co.uk)
Mon, 14 Sep 1998 21:13:45 +0000 Im Tigger wrote/ponders/asks:
>A question to Peter Walker, Mark Sullivan and any others who have
>knowledge of UK. Have you ever seen this? It was to have aired on
>the BBC in November/December 1986.
Aaaah (sigh). Those were the days - when a close up of a girating
bottom wedged between two be-stocking legs caused a nationlal outcry.
It was brilliant and memorable for many things and, recently, and by a
coincidence, I'd been wondering about the theme running through it
which is a homage to crime/detective fiction/writing. There is a
whole sub plot which is a 'pastich' (in a loving way) of the genre
(oops, that word again). All the elements - the 'present',
'childhood' and 'fiction' - colide in a cathartic shoot-out at the
end, as I recall. Its been a while since I've seen it but amongst the many
lasting impressions are the tragi-comic rendering of the central
characters childhood (aka Potters own) all lovinginly told in
flashback (and containing the afore mentioned bottom). Was it all
really only in 1986?
In fact, now that I actually read your posting, I see you have a fair
bit of info already:
>a man named Phillip Marlow
>(note the lack of "e")who happens to be in a hospital ward and has
>nasty burns all over the skin (psoriasis I believe) with flashbacks
>into 1945 to a younger Marlow (maybe with an "e" this time) and a case
>(that's all I got so far).
Exactlly. I'd forgotten he was Philip Marlow but your posting has
hightened my interest. Sort of thing the BBC shows from time to time
as a repeat. It is certianly visually stunning and has left a
lingering impression over the years.
And good luck with this....
>I have been developing (rather early stages) a one-man or one act
>play about the tough guy private detective character who occasionally
>breaks into song.
And re this:
>Sorry for the lengthy post, feel free to e-mail me directly if the
>group would not be interested in this (it is kind of marshmellow-y
>after all).
Dont let them kid you, they are all big softies really. The recent
spate of slanging and general name calling has been a curious episode
and let me say in my defense that any name calling or general abuse
by me is competely out of character - even when the intended
reciepients have deserved it.
On a final note. I'm pretty sure you could get "The Singing....." on
vid and I even have catalogue details somewhere if you want. E-mail
me.
All the best.

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Not that Peter Walker, the other one....
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