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A life in films and tv....
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Re: A life in films and tv....
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Harry Fielder
Re: A life in films and tv....
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May 9 07 1:34 AM
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Went out yesterday to film some chat for a dvd company to add to a show I did nearly forty years ago.
The show is called Randall and Hopkirk (My Friend The Ghost)
We filmed my bit in a small studio in Londons West End and it turned out to be a nice day....This is the show.....
DirectorsRoy Ward BakerRay Austin
Jeremy SummersLes Norman..
Cast IncMike PrattKenneth CopeAnnette Andre
Central Casting sent me to A.B.P.C. Studios to do some tests on a series they were about to make. It was tests for special affects to be tried out such as walking through walls etc.
I was to be Randall and a chap called Doug Lockyer was to be Hopkirk.
We did the tests over a period of a week and the following Monday the series got going for real..
I was asked Would you be a stand/in for Mike Pratt if he gets on with you..
Now Im going to say no to a years work. (Not)
We got on like a house on fire from the first day. Mike told me that he and Lionel Bart wrote all of Tommy Steels early songs, (Handful Of Songs, Rock With The Caveman and many more)
With all the years I spent with the bands we had something in common.
We used to have a sing a long in the dressing rooms or where ever we could.
Douglas stood/in for Ken
We did twenty six episodes over the next year and Mike, Ken and I became good friends.
I would read the other actors lines in the script so Mike could learn his.
Every two weeks we would get a new guest cast and I really wish I had saved all the call sheets with all the cast names on. I wonder how many went on to greater things.
One I do remember was a wild looking man called Dudley Sutton.
He went on to play Tinker in Lovejoy and we still send cards at Christmas time.
(Merry Christmas Dudley, it saves a card.)
Every episode I would have to double for Mike for his driving shots or walking in and out of London buildings. We used a second unit camera team (small crew) for this as
it was better for Mike to be in the studio saying the words.
Although I appeared in a few crowd scenes during the series my claim to fame are those immortal words I say to the onlookers as Hopkirk is run down by the bad guys car.. I compose myself and utter Hes dead
I had a few fan letters in after that scene was shown on TV suggesting I go back in the timber game.. (It wasnt even my voice, it was dubbed..)
When Mike had days off I had to find other film jobs to do.
We was only paid 5 a day and you only got paid if you worked
Lucky for me they were making other series in the studio and I would go in the bar and find an A.D. from Department S. or the Avengers and see if they could use me for a couple of days till Mike was back. So look out for me in other series playing a French/German/Spanish/American cop/waiter/soldier/sailor/crook etc
Ive been all around the world but Ive never left English shores.
We finished shooting the series in 1969 and had a huge party to celebrate.
(It took me a week to get over it)
Id like to say hello to the three main Stuntmen on the show, Rocky Taylor, Les Crawford and Frank ( Elstree Cowboy ) Maher.
Also my best regards to all the crew for making it a wonderful year.
MIKEAITCHKEN1969.
MIKE PRATT DIED IN 1976LONG LIVE MIKE PRATT
Aitch,
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