A Kick Up the Archives – March 2023 Special – The Goon Show Preservation Society

Here comes another one! Another chance to take a look at some freshly dug gems from Peter Sellers and his Goon Show pals… and what a bumper bundle we’ve got for you this time!

The Goons

This book on British radio comedy has been in print for years, but it’s good to see it available as a PDF
Radio Comedy 1938-68

Climb Up The Wall – Directed by Michael Winner Famous 1950s radio disc jockey and one-time bandleader Jack Jackson hosts some pop personalities from the period.
Also, 3 minutes in we get Michael Bentine, with Peter Sellers seen 13 minutes in. Both these clips come from Down Among The Z Men. Produced by Oliver Negus-Fancey the clips were probably stolen from the Fancey archives. (Fancey that!)
at www.tptvencore.co.uk
at amazon.co.uk
at www.imdb.com
at cinemaretro.com

A colourised picture from Down Among The Z Men
at tvwish.com

Peter Sellers

Hancock’s Half Hour: The Marriage Bureau. This recently rediscovered show featuring Peter Sellers in place of Kenneth Williams is due for a CD and download release on 1^st June
at www.penguin.co.uk

The Party – A review at www.cultfilmfreaks.com

The Return Of The Pink Panther – A review at www.cultfilmfreaks.com

The Pink Panther Strikes Again – A review at www.cultfilmfreaks.com

House & Garden – Inside Sellers’ home – at www.houseandgarden.co.uk

Some nice pictures in the Iconic Archive – at iconiclicensing.net

A featurette on Murder By Death

Neil Simon revisits Murder By Death

While we’re on the subject, here’s the trailer

Here’s the Sellers family slide collection as used by his mother on stage
at www.magiclantern.org.uk

Peter Sellers film posters – at www.cinematerial.com

Being There lost out to Kramer vs Kramer at the Oscars in 1980, but it didn’t stop Sellers from attending the London premiere in March. This was probably Sellers’ last official public engagement in Britain. Here’s a clip from the TV coverage…

A clip of Peter Sellers on The Late Late Show
at www.rte.ie

An update regarding the restoration of three lost Peter Sellers shorts:
“The materials have been retrieved from Cinelab where they were stored. They are now being cleaned and prepped for upgrading to 4k. We have negotiated with a UK sales company to produce blu rays and dvds and will have a UK premiere this year.”

Spike Milligan

A website dedicated to Spike – at mikeagnew123.tripod.com

Spike interviewed by Gay Byrne on RTE in Ireland
at www.rte.ie/archives

Spike on the Gay Byrne Show again
at www.rte.ie/archives

and RTE’s tribute to Spike
at www.rte.ie/archives

Save The Whale 1981 at www.rte.ie/archives

Spike according to the BBC Genome
at www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/genome

Spike Milligan film posters – at www.cinematerial.com

There will now be a commercial break courtesy of Spike Milligan and the History Advertising Trust!

The English Tourist Board 1979-1980 – at www.hatads.org.uk

The Sunday Times – at www.hatads.org.uk

The Sunday Times – again! – at www.hatads.org.uk