Richard Whiteley interviews the actors Ian Carmichael, who was born in Hull, and Brian Rix, who was born in Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Title: YORKSHIRE TELEVISION – Colour Production Richard Whiteley interviews the actors Ian Carmichael, who was born in Hull, and Brian Rix, who was born in Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Colourful graphics based on various views of stylised male and female heads in profile introduce the programme. Title: CALENDAR PEOPLE...

Richard Whiteley interviews the actors Ian Carmichael, who was born in Hull, and Brian Rix, who was born in Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Title: YORKSHIRE TELEVISION – Colour Production Richard Whiteley interviews the actors Ian Carmichael, who was born in Hull, and Brian Rix, who was born in Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Colourful graphics based on various views of stylised male and female heads in profile introduce the programme. Title: CALENDAR PEOPLE Title: Richard Whiteley Richard gives a brief background story for each of the guests appearing on the programme. He mentions they both went to public school, and both wanted to become actors. Richard shows a film clip in which actor Ian Carmichael stars as a new recruit into the army; then Richard introduces the famous star of stage, film and television. A theatre poster is displayed for the Whitehall Theatre in London for a performance of a play called ‘Dry Rot’, followed by another for the farce ‘Reluctant Heroes,’ followed by ‘Simple Spymen’ plus a display of other programmes all at the same venue. These are used to introduce the next guest, the star of all these shows, Brian Rix. Since they both come from Hull, Richard Whiteley asks if they ever met as boys, both men say no. Brian explains that the families knew each other well, but Brian didn’t meet Ian until they were both in London. They are both from well-known families in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The Rix company started out building ships but also moved into the oil and petrol business. Carmichaels was a famous department store in Hull. Brian briefly mentions cousin John who is in the audience and is responsible for the family’s enterprise. Brian talks of how his relatives established the firm. Title Brian Rix Richard asks when they started acting, Ian Carmichael replies first. He says it was difficult to recall his first acting appearance, but he did have an ambition to run a dance band. During a school holiday when he was 17, he tried to recruit members for the band. Title: Ian Carmichael He advertised in the local paper to get applicants. He says the response was from 14 accordion players and a xylophone player. He admits he had no skill at music, but he did have courage, and they put on a show at a hall in Hull and raised just over one and a half pounds for the local children’s hospital. Richard Whiteley asks Brian Rix about his first appearance which was apparently playing the tail of a cow at prep school at St Bede’s in Hornsea where his family lived. He went on to perform in school plays and then appeared in his mother’s plays. Brian’s sister Shiela also acted and was part of the theatre company run by the great actor-manager Donald Wolfit. A still picture is shown of Shiela Rix. Brian Rix followed his sister into the Wolfit company and performed in Shakespeare plays. Ian Carmichael interrupts Brian Rix’s tale of his early life to emphasise his own comparative absence from Hull from quite an early age, he finds it extraordinary that he first met Brian Rix when working in the theatre business and Ian was astonished that Brian knew so much him and his family. Richard asks when both actors met which was in London, neither can remember but Ian says he got to know Brian well through an association with Leo Franklyn the actor and well known performer in musical comedies. Brian Rix goes on to say how he started his own theatre company in 1947, from a small flat over a chemist’s shop in Hornsea. Eventually producing the farces he is well known for at the Whitehall Theatre in London. Ian Carmichael talks about other actors and entertainers that have come from Hull, including well established actors John Alderton and Tom Courtenay. Richard observes that both actors don’t have a Hull or Northern accent. Ian talks of a play where he resurrected his accent. Brian Rix said his mother didn’t have a Northern accent and says his natural voice was probably developed from his mother’s accent. Ian Carmichael did have an accent and while at school in Birmingham during his teenage years he was teased for having a broad northern accent. At the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art aged 18 his elocution teacher said that his ‘black country’ accent had to go. Richard asks Brian if he has ever forgotten his words on stage, he says he hasn’t, but he has been involved where a fellow actor has forgotten lines, in fact both actors involved in the scene froze. He recalls a play his wife, Elspet Gray also an actor, appeared in a play where both she and another actor forgot lines and how long it took before they could resume as normal. Ian recalls a play in which he appeared at Leeds. He and the actor who was sharing the scene finished at a point which was a cue in the play for two girls to come on stage. The girls didn’t appear, so the actors improvised to fill the time. Desparate to keep the play going Ian introduced a fictitious character which they might talk about until the girls appeared. This failed and Ian left the stage and found the girls still in the dressing room. Brian talks about an event which happened during a televised play which were often transmitted live. When his wife Eslpet Gray playing in character did not appear for over two minutes, Brian Rix and the actress he was with had to improvise. Elspet then appeared staring with her face to the front as she could not face the actors for if she did the viewers at home would realise the zip on her costume she had to put on in rush, was undone. Ian follows that about another incident in another play where a command to put the clothes back in the wardrobe turned into a command to put the clothes back in the oven. Brian Rix comes out with a tale of three actors who forgot their lines, and when prompted remained silent, until one of them tells the prompter that they know the line but don’t recall who says it! Richard Whiteley then turns the conversation to cricket, both Ian Carmichael and Brian Rix are keen cricketers, as Brian syas that he once played for Hull in the Yorkshire league, and a former president of the Lord’s Taveners, which help and support young people. Ian takes a modest view of his cricketing skills when quizzed by Richard. Richard asks what their current projects are; Brian is writing his autobiography and Ian says he’s not sure whether he is ready to commit to an autobiography. Richard closes the programme by pointing out the audience is compiled from relatives of both men as well as actors involved with local amateur dramatic groups. Title: CALENDAR PEOPLE Tonight Featured Credits: Ian Carmichael Brian Rix Talking to Richard Whiteley Director – Charles Flynn Editor – John Wilford End Title: YORKSHIRE TELEVISION Colour Production