WITHNAIL AND I : definition of WITHNAIL AND I and synonyms of WITHNAIL AND I (English) Box office $1,544,889 Withnail and I is a 1987 black comedy film produced by HandMade Films . It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” (portrayed by Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann ) who live in a squalid flat in Camden Town in 1969 while waiting for their careers to take off. Needing a holiday, they obtain the key to the country cottage in the Lake District belonging to Withnail’s flamboyantly gay uncle Monty and drive there. The holiday is less ‘recuperative’ than they expected. The role of Withnail was Grant's first film and launched him into a successful career. The film also featured performances by Richard Griffiths as Withnail's Uncle Monty and Ralph Brown as Danny the drug dealer. The film has tragic and comic elements (particularly farce ) and is notable for its period music and many quotable lines.

It has been described as "one of Britain's biggest cult films". [2] Contents 11 External links Plot The film depicts the lives and misadventures of two "resting" (struggling and unemployed) young actor friends in 1969 London. They are the flamboyant alcoholic Withnail and "I" (named "Marwood" in the published screenplay but not in the credits) as his more level-headed, anxiety -prone friend and the film's narrator. Withnail is filled with indignation over life's injustices, despite his privileged background. He rages against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune all the more because he blames others for the adverse consequences of his exuberant arrogance and habitual lying. Withnail sets the tone for the friendship, with Marwood going along with whatever Withnail wants to do. They live in a filthy Georgian flat in Camden Town . While they wait for a part, daily life revolves around getting coins to use in the meters that provide gas or electricity, going to collect benefits, and waiting for the pubs to open so they can drink and be somewhere with heating. The film begins with Marwood smoking in the darkened flat.

When he has finished he goes to a café and reads disturbing articles in a newspaper. Needing a change of scene, Withnail and Marwood decide to take a recuperative holiday in the countryside. Withnail secures the loan of the country cottage belonging to his eccentric, gay uncle, Monty. Monty is an old boy of Harrow School , and it is suggested that Withnail is one too. Monty is told that Marwood went to " the other place ". Monty is an aesthete, nostalgic for a by-gone age of beauty and poetic friendship among young men, and, fancying himself an actor, is fond of quoting Charles Baudelaire and reciting passages from Hamlet . His only companion in the large luxurious Chelsea house in which he resides is a pet cat with which he is seen constantly arguing. Withnail and Marwood get into Marwood's battered Jaguar Mark 2 , which is parked next to a scene of demolition of some old houses (significant for the time period) and set off north along the motorway.

The holiday doesn't quite go according to plan: although the countryside is beautiful, the weather is cold and often inclement, the cottage is run-down and dusty, they have little food or supplies and the locals are surly and unwelcoming – in particular a threatening poacher, Jake, whom Withnail offends. Then an intruder breaks into the cottage in the middle of the night. Withnail and Marwood are terrified, believing that the intruder is Jake. Comically, the intruder turns out to be Monty, who has been stranded for "an aeon " with a punctured tyre. They greet Monty with mixed emotions. Monty brings them ample supplies of food and wine, but it soon becomes clear that – having been falsely told by Withnail that Marwood is gay – he has designs on Marwood and will not be deterred by politeness.

In a farcical scene of bedroom-switching, Monty eventually corners Marwood, bursting into his room and proclaiming his desire to "have [him] even if it must be burglary." Terrified, Marwood manages to stave off Monty's overtures with the excuse that he has a permanent relationship with Withnail that he is afraid to reveal. Monty, who believes in love and loyalty, accepts this excuse as the whole truth and apologises for coming between them. Rebuffed, Monty leaves the cottage in the night for London. The next morning, Marwood finds Monty's gracious note of apology and reads it aloud, feeling sympathy for him. Withnail, who is eagerly drinking Monty's fine wine, takes no responsibility for the chaos he has caused, and Marwood begins to distance himself from his friend. Marwood receives a telegram that confirms that he has an audition for a part, and he insists that they go back to London immediately. After Withnail (who has no driving license and is still drunk) tries to "make time" by driving the car while Marwood sleeps, and swerving all over the road, they encounter a police van and eventually pull over for it.

Withnail is arrested for driving while intoxicated , and attempting to give them someone else's urine sample from a Fairy Liquid bottle attached by a tube to his penis. The pair return to the flat, to find a man lying in their bath. Danny, who is squatting at the flat, opines that the oncoming end of the 1960s is the end of the "greatest decade in the history of mankind" and that "there are going to be a lot of refugees." The three, and Danny's friend Presuming Ed (the man in the bath), get high smoking a " Camberwell carrot" ( cannabis joint ). Marwood calls his agent and discovers that the production company now want him to play the lead part in the play. He gets his curly hair cut short, packs his bags, and prepares to leave for the station for what he hopes is a new and more mature phase of his life. He wants to leave by himself, but Withnail insists upon accompanying him at least part of the way, while drinking from a bottle of Monty's wine; " '53 Margaux , best of the century." Marwood leaves Withnail in the rain in Regent's Park .

There, for the first time, Withnail sincerely reveals himself, declaiming " What a piece of work is a man !" from Act 2 Scene ii of Hamlet to an uncomprehending pack of wolves behind a fence in the adjoining London Zoo . [3] Then, the camera remains still as he turns and walks further and further away into the distance, swinging the bottle, as the credits start to roll. Cast Noel Johnson as General Production The film is an adaptation of an unpublished novel written by Robinson in the winter of 1969. Actor friend Don Hawkins passed a copy of the manuscript to his friend, the wealthy oil heir Moderick Schreiber in 1980. Schreiber, looking to break into the movie industry, paid Robinson a few thousand pounds to adapt it into a screenplay, which Robinson did in the early 1980s. On completing the script, producer Paul Heller urged Robinson to direct it and found funding for half the film. The script was then passed to Handmade Films . After he read it, George Harrison agreed to fund the remainder of the film. [4] Robinson's script is largely autobiographical.

"Marwood" is Robinson; "Withnail" is based on Vivian MacKerrell , a friend with whom he shared a Camden house; and "Uncle Monty" is loosely based on the unwanted attentions he received from an amorous Franco Zeffirelli when he was a young actor. [5] He lived in the impoverished conditions seen in the film and wore plastic bags as wellington boots . Robinson threw four or five years of his real life into the script, condensing them into two weeks. The narrative is told in the first person by the character played by Paul McGann , named just once in passing in the film (see below) as Marwood, and only credited as "I". Early in the film, Withnail reads from an article headlined "Boy Lands Plum Role For Top Italian Director" and then goes on to imply that the director is sexually abusing the boy. This is a reference to the sexual harassment that Robinson alleges he suffered at the hands of Italian director Franco Zeffirelli when, as a young man, he won the role of Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet .

[6] The end of the novel saw Withnail committing suicide by pouring a bottle of wine into the barrel of Monty's gun and then pulling the trigger as he drank from it. Robinson changed the ending, as he believed it was "too dark." [7] Denis O'Brien , one of the film's producers, nearly shut the film down three days into the shoot. He thought that the film had no "discernible jokes" and was badly lit. [8] The film cost £ 1.1 million to make. Robinson received £80,000 to direct, £30,000 of which he reinvested into the film to shoot additional scenes such as the journeys to and from Penrith , which HandMade Films would not fund. He was never reimbursed his money after the film's success. [9] Casting Paul McGann was Robinson's first choice for "I", but he was fired during rehearsals because Robinson decided McGann's Liverpool accent was wrong for the character. Several other actors read for the role, but McGann eventually persuaded Robinson to re-audition him, promising to affect a Home Counties accent. He quickly won back the part.

[10] Actors who were considered for the part of "Withnail" included Daniel Day-Lewis , Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh . [8] Robinson claims that he told Richard E. Grant that "half of you has got to go", and put him on a diet in order to play the part [8] [11] although Grant denies this in the 1999 documentary "Withnail and Us". The role of Withnail was Grant's first in film and launched him into a successful career. Though playing a raging alcoholic, Grant himself is a teetotaller , who had never been drunk prior to making the film. Robinson decided that it would be impossible for Grant to play the character without having ever experienced inebriation and a hangover, and thus "forced" the actor on a drinking binge. Grant has stated that he found the experience deeply unpleasant. During the filming of the scene in which the lighter fluid is consumed, Robinson changed the contents of the can, which had been filled with water, to vinegar . While the vomiting is scripted, the facial expression is totally natural.

Filming Sleddale Hall , the location used as Monty's cottage The film was not shot entirely on location. There was no filming in the real Penrith , the locations used were actually in and around nearby Shap and Bampton . Monty's cottage, "Crow Crag", is actually Sleddale Hall , located near the Wet Sleddale Reservoir just outside Shap, although the lake that "Crow Crag" apparently overlooks is actually Haweswater Reservoir. Sleddale Hall was offered for sale in January 2009; [12] a trust has been created by fans who wish to collectively purchase the building for its preservation as an iconic piece of British film history. It was sold at auction for £265,000 on 16 February 2009. The starting price was £145,000. It was bought by Sebastian Hindley, who owns the Mardale Inn in the nearby village of Bampton, which did not feature in the film.

Hindley, however, was unable to raise the necessary finances and in August 2009 the property was resold for an undisclosed sum to Tim Ellis, an architect from Kent, whose original bid failed at the auction. [13] The bridge where Withnail and Marwood go fishing is located at the bottom of the hill below Sleddale Hall, a quarter of a mile away. The telephone box where Withnail calls his agent is beside the main road in Bampton. Hertfordshire Although exterior and ground floor interior shots of Crow Crag were shot at Sleddale Hall, Stockers Farm in Rickmansworth was used for the bedroom and stair scenes. Stockers Farm was also the location for the "Crow and Crown" pub. Milton Keynes The "King Henry" pub and the "Penrith Tea Rooms" scenes were filmed in the Market Square in Stony Stratford , Milton Keynes at what is now the "Crown Inn" and Cox & Robinsons Chemists. London "The Mother Black Cap" pub in the film was in reality the "The Frog and Firkin" pub situated in Tavistock Crescent, Westbourne Green .

For some time after the film, it was in fact officially called "The Mother Black Cap". It has since been demolished. Withnail and Marwood's flat was located at 57 Chepstow Place in Bayswater (W2). The shots of them leaving for Penrith were filmed at Ansleigh Place. The cafe where Marwood has breakfast at the beginning of the film is located at the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Lancaster Road. The scene where Withnail and Marwood are ordered to "get in the back of the van" was filmed on the flyover near John Aird Court, Paddington . The final scene was shot in Regents Park . Uncle Monty's Chelsea town house is actually Glebe House, Glebe Place, in Chelsea (SW3). Shepperton Studios Police Station interior was shot at the studios. Anachronisms The period setting of this film in 1969 is consistent, apart from a few details: "I" packing a visibly late 1980s Penguin Classic edition of Joris-Karl Huysmans ' Against Nature ( À rebours ) in the penultimate scene.

The record that "I" plays at the beginning of the film is King Curtis' Live at Fillmore West , an album which was released in 1971. In the first driving scene cars from the 1980s can be seen in the background, motorway signs for roads constructed well after the sixties are also visible, including a sign clearly showing " M25 " (filming took place on this motorway before it was fully opened in 1986). Barcodes can be spotted on cans in the kitchen. One shot shows the characters driving on the wrong carriageway, with the hard shoulder on the right. In the scene where Withnail and Marwood flee from the Mother Black Cap, cars can be seen driving on the Westway , which was not completed until 1970; also visible is Trellick Tower , which was completed in 1972. Additionally, in this scene, "Provo" can be seen written near the bottom of the pub's outside wall. The Provisional IRA was not founded until December 1969 and the film was set in late September/early October 1969. "I"'s name "Marwood"?

A telegram arrives at Crow Crag Although the first name of 'I' is not stated anywhere in the film, it is widely believed that it is 'Peter'. This myth arose as a result of a line of misheard dialogue. [14] In the scene where Monty meets the two actors, Withnail asks him if he would like a drink. In his reply, Monty both accepts his offer and says "...you must tell me all the news, I haven't seen you since you finished your last film". While pouring another drink, and downing his own, Withnail replies that he has been "Rather busy uncle. TV and stuff". Then pointing at Marwood he says "He's just had an audition for rep". Some fans hear this line as "Peter's had an audition for rep", although the original shooting script and all commercially published versions of the script read "he's". The "I" character's name is given as 'Marwood' in the original screenplay. It has been suggested that it is possible that 'Marwood' can be heard near the beginning of the film: As the characters escape from the Irishman in the Mother Black Cap, Withnail shouts "Get out of my way!".

Some hear this line as "Out of the way, Marwood!", although the script reads simply "Get out of my way!". There is, however, one occasion in the film where the name 'Marwood' is given, though not stated. Toward the end of the film a telegram arrives at Crow Crag and as Withnail reads the note, the name 'Marwood' appears to be visible, upside-down, on the envelope. 'I' is now widely accepted as 'Marwood', as this was the name that was used, in the script of 'Withnail and I', but due to the fact that the story is told from Marwood's point of view, he is considered as 'I'. It should also be considered that in the ending credits and all media in relation to the film the character played by McGann is referenced solely as "...& I." However, in the supplemental material packaged with the Special Edition DVD in the UK, McGann's character is referred to as Peter Marwood in the cast credits. Reception The film had a domestic gross of £565,112 and a US gross of $1,544,889.

DVD and VHS sales have been quite strong throughout the years, and the film has gained cult status with a number of websites dedicated to the film itself. In 2000, readers of Total Film voted Withnail and I the third greatest comedy film of all time. In 2004 the same magazine named it the 13th greatest British film of all time. Withnail & I was 38th in Channel 4 's 100 Greatest Films poll. The film holds a 93% "fresh" rating, and an average rating of 8.3 out of 10 from critic website Rotten Tomatoes . [15] In August 2009 The Observer polled 60 eminent British film filmmakers and film critics who voted it the second best British film of the last 25 years. [16] The film was also ranked number 118 in Empire's 500 Greatest Films of all Time list. In 2007, a digitally remastered version of the film was released by the UK Film Council .

It was shown at over fifty cinemas around the UK on 11 September, as part of the final week of the BBC's "Summer of British Film" season. [17] Legacy Music Irish band Bell X1 end their song "Bigger Than Me" with the questions, "Am I a stone?/Am I a sponge?". Uncle Monty poses a similar question to Marwood, in reference to his thirst for all of life's experiences. Irish band Gama Bomb quote the film in their song "Slam Anthem" from the Tales from the Grave in Space album with the line, "I'm gonna pull your head off, because I don't like your head." US band Kings of Leon referenced the film in their second album, Aha Shake Heartbreak . The song " King of the Rodeo " contains the line "...how dare you come to me like Withnail for a favour". The excerpt, "Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day", was sampled by British dance act Orbital on the track "Planet of the Shapes", from their second album. Oxford band Ride referenced the film in their 1992 album Going Blank Again .

The song "Cool Your Boots" contains the excerpt, "Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day", which is said by McGann's character early in the film. The title of the song – "Cool Your Boots" – is a direct quote of the phrase used by "Danny the drug dealer" telling the two actors to calm down. Stage In 2000, Brighton based theatre company, Hanover Productions , produced the World Premiere of the first stage version of Withnail and I at the Brighton Festival.[ citation needed ] Representatives from Equator Films (who owned the copyright at that time) came to see the show and a West End run and national tour were discussed with Beaumont and Hanover Productions,[ citation needed ] but in the end nothing came of it and the whole project was shelved. Drinking game There is a drinking game associated with Withnail and I. [18] The game consists of keeping up, drink for drink, with each alcoholic substance consumed by Withnail over the course of the film.

[19] [20] All told, Withnail is shown drinking roughly nine and a half glasses of red wine, half a pint of cider, one shot of lighter fluid (vinegar or overproof rum are common substitutes), two and a half shots of gin, six glasses of sherry, thirteen glasses of whisky and half a pint of ale. [21] It should be noted that this quantity of alcohol, consumed over the course of the film, would be fatal. Home media The film has been released in several countries world wide. United Kingdom (1st Edition) The first UK release was by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2001. It included a number of extras, such as the original trailer, the Channel 4 documentary Withnail and Us, a commentary by Paul McGann and Ralph Brown, and a new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The main feature was converted from the North American release and exhibited some picture and compression artefacts as a result. Like the North American release, it was also letterboxed. This edition was later re-released by Anchor Bay in February 2007.

United Kingdom (2nd Edition) The second UK release was a budget edition by Anchor Bay in 2005, under their Bay View label. It featured an un-remastered version of the film, identical to the original cinema release in 1987 (later editions of film had several minutes of cut footage reinstated). No extras were included. United Kingdom (20th Anniversary Edition) The third UK release, again from Anchor Bay, came in 2006 to coincide with the film's 20th Anniversary. For this three-disc release the film was remastered in high definition and released for the first time in anamorphic format. It included all the extra features from the first UK edition, plus an additional commentary by Bruce Robinson, a featurette on the Drinking Game, a brand new interview with Bruce Robinson and a locations featurette called Postcards from Penrith. [22] A bonus CD was also included, featuring all of the music specially composed for the film, because the soundtrack was no longer in print and had become rare.

Free copy A DVD of the film was given away with the Sunday Times newspaper on 14 June 2009 to celebrate 40 years since Robinson first conceived the idea. The Blu-ray trailer was also included. Canada The first DVD edition of the film was a 4:3 pan-and-scan version released in Canada by Seville Pictures . The film ran to 104 minutes. Although the sleeve claimed that the original cinema trailer was included as an extra, it was omitted from the disc. At the time the sleeve was printed, Seville believed they had access to the trailer but later discovered it was not in their library. United States The second DVD release of the film was in North America as part of the Criterion Collection . This was the first widescreen release of the film and was remastered under the supervision of the film's Director of Photography , Peter Hannan. Although widescreen, the film was actually presented letterboxed in a 4:3 raster rather than anamorphic . Germany One of very few releases (if not the only) of the film outside anglophone countries.

The DVD features besides the original English audio track a German dubbed one (stemming from a TV screening from the mid 80s) and several extras from the UK releases, such as the audio commentary by Bruce Robinson. Download On 31 July 2007 Channel 4 put the entire film up online as part of their 4oD video-on-demand service. It was available to download free of charge from 4oD until 12 August 2007 after which a fee was chargeable. [23] Soundtrack The soundtrack for Withnail & I, while out of print now, was available on Silva Screen Records, Silva House, 261 Royal College Street, London NW1 9LU, England. It is claimed that the soundtrack album was discontinued and deleted by the distributors because of the actions of the estate of Jimi Hendrix whose tracks are featured in the film. The family will not allow any of his music to be used to glorify or promote the use or abuse of drink or drugs.[ who?

][ citation needed ] The film also features a rare appearance of a recording by The Beatles , whose song " While My Guitar Gently Weeps " briefly plays as Marwood and Withnail return to London and find Presuming Ed in the bath. Although the surviving members of the group rarely licensed the use of their original recordings for feature films (cover versions were often substituted, as in the case of The Royal Tenenbaums and I Am Sam ), George Harrison happened to be one of the film's producers, and allowed its inclusion in Withnail & I. Another rare inclusion of a Beatles song was 1982's The World According to Garp . There is a misheld belief amongst some fans of the film [24] that King Curtis was murdered on the very night his live performance of " A Whiter Shade of Pale " was recorded. Ralph Brown, in the audio commentary on some DVD issues, wrongly states that he was shot in the car park after the concert. In reality Curtis was stabbed to death in August 1971, some five months after the recording was made in March 1971. The recording comes from Curtis's album Live at the Fillmore West.

[25] *** classic of lesser local significance ** classic of little local significance * worth a mention Click the pictures to go to excerpts or trailers. **** Robert Stevenson 1971, set in 1940. “There’s only one place to get it”… ‘Portobello Road, Portobello Road, street where the riches of ages are sold… you’ll find what you want in the Porto Bello Road.’ Follow-up to Mary Poppins featuring Disneyland Portobello market, which Angela Lansbury and her evacuee kid charges search for a magic book. This involves a proto-Carnival song and dance routine with Cockney, Scottish, East and West Indian turns, and Bruce Forsyth as a switchblade-wielding spiv. It Happened Here ** Kevin Brownlow/Andrew Mollo 1963, set in 40s, shot in late 50s/early 60s. Occupied London film with scenes of Nazis in Notting Hill, including local resistance fighting in the beergarden of the Prince of Wales pub on Pottery Lane. The Lamp Still Burns * Maurice Elvey 1943.

Wartime nurse morale-builder, from the novel One Pair of Feet by Monica Dickens, the great-granddaughter of Charles who lived on Chepstow Villas on the corner of Portobello. Chicago Joe and the Showgirl Bernard Rose 1990, set in 40s. Keifer Sutherland and Emily Lloyd as Bonnie and Clyde in the Blitz, featuring the Portobello black market. The Ministry of Fear * Fritz Lang 1944. In Graham Greene’s 5th Columnist thriller the key séance scene takes place at ‘Mrs Bellairs’ house’, which he described as ‘old and unrenovated standing among the To Let boards on the slopes of Campden Hill.’ The Blue Lamp **** Basil Dearden 1950, shot in 1949. Dirk Bogarde plays a west London rebel without a cause but with a quiff some years before James Dean. After murdering Dixon of Dock Green on Harrow Road, in the climactic car chase Dirk’s delinquent spiv character is pursued along Ladbroke Grove and Lancaster Road to Latimer Road, where his car crashes and he runs across the railway lines to the White City stadium.

Seven Days to Noon * John Boulting/Roy Boulting 1950. An atomic scientist played by Barry Jones, threatening to blow up London unless his work is stopped, is shot outside St John’s church on Ladbroke Grove at the top of the hill. The Lavender Hill Mob *** Charles Crichton 1951. The other great post-war car chase concludes with all the police radio-cars converging in a pile-up at the junction of Bramley Road and Freston (then Latimer) Road, in front of the Bramley Arms. The Secret People * Thorold Dickinson 1952. Political assassination drama set in Notting Hill in the 30s, starring Audrey Hepburn. Turn the Key Softly * Jack Lee 1953. An old woman convict returns to a house on Portland Road, starring Joan Collins and Thora Hird. 10 Rillington Place **** Richard Fleischer 1971, set in early 50s. From Ludovic Kennedy’s book of the case of Notting Hill’s most notorious address, where John Christie murdered several women and hid their bodies.

The first floor tenant Timothy Evans was executed for the murder of his daughter and wife 3 years before Christie. The Ludovic Kennedy book contributed to Evans receiving a posthumous pardon but didn’t entirely clear him. Fleischer’s follow-up to The Boston Strangler, starring Richard Attenborough and John Hurt as Christie and Evans, features the street and the interior of another house in the row. Christie reputedly worked as a projectionist at the Electric cinema but probably didn’t. Absolute Beginners **** Julien Temple 1986, set in 1958. Musical adaptation of the Colin MacInnes novel featuring the 1958 race riots; starring Ray Davies (of the Kinks) and Mandy Rice-Davies (of the Profumo affair) as the parents of the Absolute Beginner, Eddie O’Connell, Patsy Kensit, David Bowie as the ad executive, and Gary Beadle as Michael de Freitas, on his way to becoming Michael X as he organised the black resistance. This involved turning Totobag’s Café on Blenheim Crescent into a fortress, from which white rioters were repelled, dramatised here as MacInnes intended it to be as a West Side Story dance sequence.

Sapphire *** Basil Dearden 1959. The follow-up to The Blue Lamp examines racial prejudice during a police investigation into the murder of a light-skinned West Indian girl. The black suspect escapes the law from a club in Shepherd’s Bush, only to run into Notting Dale. There he’s beaten up by Teds and saved by a grocer woman locking him in her shop until police arrive (re-enacting a real riot incident also incorporated into Absolute Beginners). Peeping Tom * Michael Powell 1960. Karl Bohm plays another local photographer-turned-serial killer in Michael Powell’s Holland Park house. Raising the Wind Gerald Thomas 1961. A virtual Carry On film set at a musical academy on Royal Crescent. Scandal **** Michael Caton-Jones 1989, et in early 60s. ‘Christine’s fallen out with Lucky, Johnny’s got a gun, Please Please Me’s number one.’ As put into song by Dusty Springfield and the Pet Shop Boys, 50 years ago the Profumo affair political sex scandal rocked the nation with accompanying Rachman slum housing revelations.

On the 25th anniversary of the affair, Joanne Whalley re-enacts when Christine Keeler met Lucky Gordon at Frank Crichlow’s El Rio cafe at 127 Westbourne Park Road. The L-Shaped Room ** Bryan Forbes 1962. The seedy exoticism of the Rachman slums was captured at the time in the film of Lynne Reid-Banks’ kitchen-sink melodrama, starring Leslie Caron as a pregnant French girl, sharing a house with ‘a maladjusted negro’ jazz musician, a lesbian actress, prostitutes and an unpublished writer. The L-Shaped Room house was thought to be 4 St Luke’s Road, but according to Simon James’s London Film Locations Guide it’s east along Talbot Road. The pub is the old Tavistock Hotel on Tavistock Crescent. West Eleven ** Michael Winner 1963. The year of the Profumo affair, The Furnished Room novel by longstanding Portobello market trader Laura del Rivo was adapted by Winner as the film West Eleven, partly set on Colville Terrace. Alfred Lynch stars as the archetypal local anti-hero who is offered £10,000 to commit a murder.

Halliwell called it a ‘dingy but not very convincing realist melodrama, with jazzy style which induces weariness.’ A Hard Day’s Night ** Richard Lester 1964. Ringo Starr appears on All Saints Road, running from screaming girls round the north-east corner of Lancaster Road into a secondhand shop. Ringo’s ‘parading’ sequence concludes in Notting Dale, with all the Beatles running in and out of the police station (the old St John’s church school hall) on Walmer Road, and along Heathfield Street. Goldfinger Guy Hamilton 1964. Ian Fleming named the James Bond film, with accompanying Shirley Bassey song, after his Hampstead neighbour Erno Goldfinger, the future architect of Trellick Tower. Funeral in Berlin Guy Hamilton 1966. In Len Deighton’s spy novel The Berlin Memorandum Harry Palmer is on Portobello in Henekey’s (the Earl of Lonsdale), but unfortunately not in the film version Funeral in Berlin, starring Michael Caine. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Martin Ritt 1965.

Richard Burton is on Westbourne Grove in the cold war thriller, posing as a defector in Operation Rolling Stone. The Nanny ** Seth Holt 1965. Bette Davis was filmed along Latimer Road in 1964 before the area was demolished to make way for the Westway roundabout. Hammer horror in which ‘a 10 year old boy hates his nanny and with good reason for she is a neurotic murderess.’ The Knack and How to Get It ** Richard Lester 1965. The Absolute Beginners Southam Street photographs of Roger Mayne inspired a play by his wife Ann Jellicoe. This in turn became Richard Lester’s follow-up to A Hard Day’s Night, the swinging 60s classic The Knack. Michael Crawford stars as a Holland Park School teacher/landlord, renting rooms in his house on Pottery Lane to Ray Brooks and Donal Donnelly. Then Rita Tushingham appears from up north and a silly bedstead chase sequence ensues around the area. Quadrophenia ** Franc Roddam 1979.

Set in mid 60s The mod revival film of the Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ album features several Freston Road scenes. The mod’s scooter breaks down and the rockers give him a kicking on The Lavender Hill Mob crash site. Alfie * Lewis Gilbert 1966. Michael Caine speaks to the camera at Notting Hill Gate, outside Shelley Winters’ flat in Campden Hill Towers. His bed-sit is on the corner of St Stephen’s Gardens and Chepstow Road in the former Rachman slum area. Blow Up ** Michelangelo Antonioni 1966. In the definitive Swinging London film David Hemmings, as David Bailey/Terence Donovan, uses Johnny Cowan’s studio on Prince’s Place to photograph Vanessa Redgrave, Verushka and co. The exterior is 77 Pottery Lane by the Earl of Zetland pub. The premiere at the Coronet (then the Gaumont) is in Stoned. Georgy Girl * Silvio Narizzano 1966. Charlotte Rampling gives birth at St Charles Hospital. Jemima and Johnny * Lionel Ngakane 1966.

The adventures of a young black girl and a white boy in Notting Hill, concluding with their rescue from a derelict house by Johnny’s formerly racist father. Morgan A Suitable Case for Treatment * Karel Reisz 1966. The 60s carry on swinging with David Warner as an artist, prone to dressing up in a gorilla costume, embroiled in a marital farce with Vanessa Redgrave again, filmed in and around Campden Hill Square. The scene at Karl Marx’s tomb in Highgate cemetery was shot at Kensal Green with a plastercast Marx. Bedazzled * Stanley Donen 1967. Pete Cook and Dudley Moore appear on Southam Street, shortly before Trellick Tower. Dudley: “Where are we? Is this hell?” Pete: “Just my London headquarters.” Bedazzled was re-made in 2000 with Liz Hurley in the Pete Cook devil role. Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London Peter Whitehead 1967. Summer of love documentary film featuring a hippy Portobello antiques market scene. Hippie Hippie Shake Beeban Kidron, yet to be released.

The Oz magazine story from the memoirs of Richard Neville, starring Sienna Miller (as his girlfriend Louise Ferrier), filmed along Portobello in 2007, featuring the First Floor bar converted back to a 60s pub, and All Saints Road as King’s Road. Mr Nice Bernard Rose 2010. Howard Marks’ counter-culture career begins on Portobello. Corruption Robert Hartford Davis 1967. Peter Cushing and Sue Lloyd appear in Holland Park Mews. Poor Cow * Ken Loach 1967. Social realist take on 60s London featuring Notting Hill street scene. The Sorcerers Michael Reeves 1967. Boris Karloff on Norland Road. Interlude Kevin Billington 1968. Oskar Werner follows Barbara Ferris home in Holland Park. Otley ** Dick Clement 1968. Tom Courtenay stars as the antiques market trader Otley, who gets caught up in a spy caper which takes him around the area. In the opening continuous long shot, he walks down Portobello by Henekey’s (the Earl of Lonsdale) on Westbourne Grove.

He is evicted from his bed-sit above the Trad shop at 67 Portobello Road, and ends up being held at gunpoint by Leonard Rossiter in Notting Hill Gate station. Performance ***** Donald Cammell/Nic Roeg 1970, shot in 1968. The classic Notting Hill film, defining both Heaven W11 and Notting Hell, starring the most notorious local film address, apart from 10 Rillington Place, 81 (really 25) Powis Square. As Mick Jagger sells his soul to satin as the rock star landlord Turner, his gangster alter-ego Chas, played by James Fox, arrives on Colville Terrace to Ry Cooder’s ‘Powis Square’ Wild West 11 cajun-blues theme (which went on to Paris Texas). After Chas enters Turner’s house it’s no longer 25 Powis Square but 15 Lowndes Square in Knightsbridge. Secret Ceremony Joseph Losey 1968. Liz Taylor stars as a prostitute adopted by Mia Farrow on Addison Road. Subterfuge Peter Graham Scott 1968.

Another 60s spy movie, featuring Joan Collins as a gym mistress at Holland Park School. The File of the Golden Goose Sam Wanamaker 1969. Yet another, in which Yul Brynner follows Charles Gray from the antiques shop on the corner of Portobello and Westbourne Grove to Kensington Park Road. The Italian Job * Peter Collinson 1969. In the most famous Hollywood W11 scene, Michael Caine appears round the back of Alice’s antiques shop in the Denbigh Close mews. Leo the Last *** John Boorman 1970, shot in 1969. Marcello Mastroianni (from La Dolce Vita) stars as Leo, an alienated aristocrat who brings about a ‘firework revolution’, in which his façade house across Testerton Street (on the site of the Lancaster West Estate) is destroyed. Brinsley Forde of Aswad is the lead black kid Bip. The pub is the Bramley Arms. Crossplot Alvin Rakoff 1969. Roger Moore is in Holland Park Mews in another spy film. Laughter in the Dark Tony Richardson 1969.

Vladimir Nabokov novel adaptation starring Anna Karina in Holland Park. Withnail and I ** Bruce Robinson 1987, set in 1969. Richard E Grant and Paul McGann as Withnail and I are chased out of the old Tavistock Hotel pub on Tavistock Crescent, towards the footbridge under the Westway and Trellick Tower. The pub was subsequently named the Mother Black Cap in reality after its role in the film. Their house is off Freston Road. Getting it Straight in Notting Hill Gate *** Joe Gannon 1970. Legendary short film of the hippy scene by the Pink Floyd and Quintessence lighting whiz kid featuring the latter, the Mangrove restaurant on All Saints Road and Caroline Coon of Release. Every Home Should Have One Jim Clark 1970. Marty Feldman appears in Holland Park. Duffer * Joseph Despins/William Dumaresq 1971. Proto-Eraserhead 70s Notting Hill S&M oddity. Ooh You Are Awful Cliff Owen 1972. Dick Emery and Pat Coombs live at 9 Stanley Crescent.

Mas in the Ghetto Anthony Perry 1973. The first modern Notting Hill Carnival film. Dracula AD 1972 Alan Gibson 1972. Christopher Neame lives at 75 Hillgate Place. The Satanic Rites of Dracula * Alan Gibson 1973. Another Hammer horror, known in the States as Dracula is Alive and Well and Living In London, featuring a property speculator vampire and actual hells angel Satanic bikers kidnapping a girl on Bard Road off Freston Road. Theatre of Blood Douglas Hickox 1973. Milo O’Shea and Eric Sykes pursue a drunk in a taxi under the Westway roundabout. Steptoe and Son * Cliff Owen 1972 and Steptoe and Son Ride Again * Peter Sykes 1973. Oil Drum Lane is on Adela Street off Kensal Road. Harold gets married at St John’s church and visits the Edward Woods estate. Modelled on the Arnolds Notting Dale rag and bone men who frequented the Freston Road scrapyard (in Quadrophenia, Sweeney, Minder, etc).

In the 50s there was an antiques dealer called George Steptoe at 84 Portobello Road. A Bigger Splash * Jack Hazan/David Mingay 1973. David Hockney docu-drama film, partly set in his studio flat on Powis Terrace, with diversions to Celia Birtwell’s on Arundel Gardens, around the Elgin on Ladbroke Grove, and along Latimer Road. The Tamarind Seed * Blake Edwards 1974. Another spy movie starring Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif, with a scene in Barnett’s toyshop on the corner of Elgin Crescent and Kensington Park Road. Hennessy * Don Sharp 1975. Rod Steiger is on St John’s Gardens and visits Lee Remick’s shop at 96 Portland Road. The Passenger * Michelangelo Antonioni 1975. Jack Nicholson is on Lansdowne Crescent, where Jimi Hendrix died in 1970. Pressure *** Horace Ove 1975.

Ove joined forces with The Lonely Londoners author Sam Selvon to make the major 70s Notting Hill film, focusing on the second generation black British identity crisis; featuring a ‘Blood and Fire’ reggae soundtrack, the Caribbean store at 194 Kensington Park Road, Ram John Holder and Norman Beaton. The Moon Over the Alley ** Joseph Despins/William Dumaresq 1975. Gritty cult mid 70s Notting Hell film featuring Electric alley rape scene. Tommy * Ken Russell 1975. Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, Oliver Reed and Tina Turner appear in the musical adaptation of the Who’s rock opera, filmed at Lee International Studios on Kensal Road. The Squeeze *** Michael Apted 1977. Stacy Keach and Freddie Starr search the area for a kidnapped girl, on an extended pub crawl featuring the Apollo on All Saints Road, the Bevington Arms, the Bramley Arms on Freston Road – outside of which the shoot-out finalé takes place – and the early stages of the Carnival. The Big Sleep Michael Winner 1977. Robert Mitchum meets Sarah Miles in Holland Park.

Sweeney David Wickes 1977. John Thaw appears in Holland Park in the first film version based on the Profumo affair. The series features various local scenes. Carry On Emmanuelle Gerald Thomas 1978. The Arab and French embassies are on Addison Road. Don Letts’ Punk Rock Movie 1978. A revealing look into the bands from the 1978 London punk-rock scene. DOA Lech Kowalski 1981. The Westway, Trellick Tower and the surrounding urban wasteland provide the backdrop to punk London. The Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle Julien Temple 1980. Performance homage Sex Pistols docu-drama that founded Virgin Films in Vernon Yard and Portobello Dock. Sid and Nancy * Alex Cox 1986, set in late 70s. Gary Oldman as Sid headbutts the wall of what would become the Heart FM radio station on Freston Road. The pub scenes in the Bramley Arms recreate punk events in Henekey’s (the Earl of Lonsdale) on Portobello. The Golden Lady Jose Ramon Larraz 1979.

Christina World and June Chadwick appear under the Westway roundabout. Radio On Chris Petit 1979. Wim Wenders produced road movie featuring a Ballardian view from the Westway and ‘Free Astrid Proll’ graffiti on Harrow Road. Rude Boy Jack Hazan/David Mingay 1980. Clash docu-drama by the David Hockney filmmakers. Babylon Franco Rosso 1980. Aswad’s Brinsley Forde stars in a sound-system clash with Thatcher’s Britain, to a soundtrack of Aswad’s ‘Warrior Charge’. Breaking Glass * Brian Gibson 1980. Dodi Fayed produced film starring Hazel O’Connor as a troubled pop icon, with a scene where skinheads attack a Rock Against 1984 march under the Westway roundabout. The pub is the Trafalgar Apocalypse Hotel on Freston Road. Silver Dream Racer * David Wickes 1980. Rock On. David Essex goes down the Westway on his Silver Dream Racer bike, from Ladbroke Grove garageland to Thruxton, with his West Indian mechanic mate Tizer.

The Final Conflict * Graham Baker 1981. The Omen 3 film features the most notorious Hollywood W11 horror scene, in which the pram goes down St John’s Hill (St John’s Gardens) and is hit by a taxi on Lansdowne Road. The French Lieutenant’s Woman 1981. Jeremy Irons’ house is 2 St James’s Gardens. Time Bandits Terry Gilliam 1981. The Time Bandits leader David Rappaport was the minister for foreign affairs of the squatted Republic of Frestonia. Betrayal David Jones 1982. Harold Pinter adaptation in which Jeremy Irons meets Patricia Hodge in the Bramley Arms. Hell W10 ** Joe Strummer 1983. The Clash gangster home-movie featuring scenes outside the Electric and on the Acklam footbridge. The Clash also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s King of Comedy, and Joe is in Straight to Hell, Mystery Train and Walker. Mick Jones went on to form BAD and recorded ‘E=MC²’ as a homage to Nic Roeg’s ‘insanity bohemian style’ in Performance.

Runners Charles Sturridge 1983. James Fox returns to Powis Square. Brazil Terry Gilliam 1985. The facelift scene is in the Leighton House Arab Hall. Plenty Fred Schepisi 1985. Meryl Streep and Charles Dance are in Holland Park. National Lampoon’s European Vacation Amy Heckerling 1985. Chevy Chase has a wrong side of the road car-trouble scene on Addison Avenue by St James’s Church. Half Moon Street * Bob Swain 1986. Sigourney Weaver plays an 80s Christine Keeler saying “I want a riot of my own.” Sammy and Rosie Get Laid * Stephen Frears 1987. Hanif Kureishi’s 80s state of the nation address starring Roland Gift (of the Fine Young Cannibals, who went on to play Johnny Edgecombe in Scandal); featuring a hippy travellers camp by the Westbourne Park curve of the Westway, an obligatory riot scene and hippies abseiling from the Westway. American Roulette Maurice Hatton 1988.

Andy Garcia appears in Notting Dale, at Latimer Road station, St Francis of Assisi church on Pottery Lane, and Julie’s bar. A Fish Called Wanda Charles Crichton 1988. Michael Palin appears in Rasta disguise in Kensal Green Cemetery. Madame Sousatzka John Schlesinger 1988. Shirley MacLaine plays a piano teacher on Stanley Crescent. For Queen and Country Martin Stellman 1988. Denzel Washington is in Kensal under Trellick Tower watching a game of football. I Hired a Contract Killer * Aki Kaurismaki 1990. Jean-Pierre Leaud meets Margi Clarke in the Warwick Castle pub at 225 Portobello Road (now just the Castle), also featured in JB’s Portobello Pirate TV. Joe Strummer appears again as a pub entertainer. London Kills Me * Hanif Kureishi 199.1 The Notting Hill acid-house film features scenes in the market, under the Westway, in Portfolio on Golborne (also in Notting Hill), and the First Floor bar.

The Chepstow Villas acid-house squat was a former property of the Tory MP Michael Heseltine, between residences of Mark Knopfler and Jason Donovan. After Kureishi re-enacted the story of the late 80s local ravers, the house was really squatted and has since been occupied by Salman Rushdie. Kureishi returned to Golborne in Buddha of Suburbia. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves Kevin Reynolds 1991. Michael Kamen, Bryan Adams and Mutt Lange co-wrote ‘Everything I Do, I Do It For You’ in Notting Hill. The Punk and the Princess * Mike Sarne 1993. Punk/Ted Romeo and Juliet affair set in 90s Notting Hill, adapted from The Punk pulp novel by Gideon Sams. Jack and Sarah * Tim Sullivan 1995. Richard E Grant makes further local appearance on St James’s Gardens, at the Westbourne Park Road/Powis Terrace cornershop offy (also in The Squeeze), and Barclay’s Bank on the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Lancaster Road. Crash David Cronenberg 1996.

The Westway features in the JG Ballard book. Crimetime * George Sluizer 1996. Britpop serial killer movie featuring Stephen Baldwin and Sadie Frost sex scene in the Electric cinema alley. The Man Who Knew Too Little * Jon Amiel 1997. Bill Murray appears in St Luke’s Mews and Golborne. The Saint Phillip Noyce 1997. Val Kilmer is at the Halcyon Hotel on Holland Park Avenue. Spiceworld the Movie Bob Spiers 1997. St Peter’s Church on Kensington Park Road makes an appearance. Bedrooms and Hallways Rose Troche 1998. Jennifer Ehle and James Purefoy run Coins Café at 105/7 Talbot Road, on the site of Fullerton’s blues club (currently Raoul’s). Martha Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence Nick Hamm 1998. More local romantic comedy in which Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes go to Mike’s Café on Blenheim Crescent. Parting Shots Michael Winner 1998. Chris Rea is at Latimer Road station on Bramley Road.

Sliding Doors * Peter Howitt 1998. The Gwyneth Paltrow rom-com theme, ‘Have Fun, Go Mad’ by Blair, contains the line ‘You know Wez said sell from just around the corner of the Portobello Road.’ Gwyneth Paltrow appears at the former Mangrove restaurant on All Saints Road (then Mas Café). Twice Upon a Yesterday Maria Ripoli 1998. Time travel rom-com in which Douglas Henshall meets Lena Headey on the corner of All Saints and St Luke’s Mews. Respect Oz Hutchins 1998 Local low-budget version starring Eon John of Honey Child. Notting Hill * Roger Michell 1999. The Westbourne Park Road blue door house was previously occupied by the Transvision Vamp drummer and squatters. The Travel Bookshop on Blenheim Crescent (now the Notting Hill Bookshop) was recreated in 1998 at 142 Portobello Road. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts climb into Rosmead Gardens. The Lost Son Chris Menges 1999. Daniel Auteuil plays football at the Westway Sports Centre on Crowthorne Road.

Mad Cows Sara Sugarman 1999. Joanna Lumley posts Anna Friel’s letter on St Luke’s Road. Saving Grace Nigel Cole 1999. Brenda Blethyn visits the Portobello Market Bar. Virtual Sexuality Nick Hurran 1999. Laura Fraser is in the Tavistock Crescent Withnail and I pub, outside the Electric on Portobello and on the Golborne bridge. Intimacy Patrice Chereau 2000 Mark Rylance meets Timothy Spall in the Earl of Derby pub in Kensal. Rancid Aluminium Ed Thomas 2000. Rhys Ifans and Joseph Fiennes walk down Portobello to Colville Terrace. Sexy Beast Jonathan Glazer 2000. Performance homage in which Ray Winstone ends up under the Westway at Paddington and James Fox gets shot at the end. Sorted Alex Jovy 2000. Sienna Guillory lives in St Luke’s Mews. Mike Bassett England Manager ** John Smith 2001.

The pub crowd scene as Ricky Tomlinson recites Kipling’s ‘If’ poem was filmed in the back bar of the Elgin on Ladbroke Grove. Revelation Stuart Urban 2001. Holy Grail conspiracy thriller featuring Trellick Tower and Heathcote Williams of local hippy previous and recent Royal Babylon film. Bridget Jones’s Diary Sharon Maguire 2001. Originally largely set at 192, the Kensington Park Road bar-restaurant much resorted to by Bridget Jones and her creator Helen Fielding. Bend It Like Beckham Gurinder Chadha 2002. The Norland Road temple is the wedding venue and Shaznay Lewis of All Saints is the team captain. Lava Joe Tucker 2002. Lads yardie coke deal revenge comedy set during the Carnival. Silent Cry Julian Richards 2002. Trellick Tower reappears in the abduction thriller starring Emily Woof. Three Blind Mice Mathias Ledoux 2003.

Chiwetel Ejiofor visits Emilia Fox on St Luke’s Road at the Tavistock Crescent junction by the Withnail and I pub (demolished in 2011). Love Actually * Richard Curtis 2003. Andrew Lincoln expresses his love for Kiera Knightley in St Luke’s Mews, and Kris Marshall appears on Golborne Road. If Only Gil Junger 2004. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paul Nicholls live on the corner of Kensington Park Road and Westbourne Grove. Suzie Gold Ric Cantor 2004. Summer Phoenix and Lee Gregory leave the Electric cinema on Portobello. Match Point * Woody Allen 2005. Scarlet Johansson works in a Ledbury Road boutique and goes to Julie’s Bar on Portland Road with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Scoop * Woody Allen 2006. Originally known as the ‘WASP’ Woody Allen’s summer project, serial killer rom-com featuring Scarlet Johansson and Woody on Golborne Road in 2005, at the time of the arrests of the local failed suicide-bombers, and Woody driving on the Westway.

Kidulthood ** Menhaj Huda 2006. Great Western Trainspotting portrayal of Notting Hell W10 gritty urban underbelly/ground/world, starring and written by Noel Clarke, the local Dr Who assistant. A day in the life of disaffected west London youth featuring suicide, teenage pregnancy, drugs, baseball bat, knife and gun crime, on or around Ladbroke Grove. The Future is Unwritten * Julien Temple 2007. Joe Strummer tribute featuring campfire interviews filmed by the Absolute Beginners director by the Westway roundabout in Stable Way. Extraordinary Rendition Jim Threapleton 2007. Trellick Tower appears again in the abduction sequence. Adulthood ** Noel Clarke 2008. Self explanatory follow-up to Kidulthood, filmed on Portobello at the Tavistock Road square, Ladbroke Grove at Dub Vendor, Lancaster West estate and St Charles Square. Noel Clarke reappears in front of Trellick Tower on the poster. The Bank Job * Roger Donaldson 2008. The local anti-hero Michael X and the Princess Margaret sex photos affair. Grove Roots 2008.

Documentary tracing the evolution of Ladbroke Grove from the 1958 race riots to the present day. Carnival Don Letts 2009. Grammy Award winner Don Letts tells the incredible story of Europe’s biggest street party – the Notting Hill Carnival. 58 Riot Tour Tony Auguste 2009. Local history documentary films. Anuvahood * Adam Deacon 2011. Kidulthood 3 urban comedy starring and directed by Adam Deacon. Babylondon Julien Temple 2012. Cultural Olympiad film from the Apollo Studios on All Saints Road featuring the Rotten Hill Gang. Royal Babylon Heathcote Williams 2012. Michael X tribute premiered at the Portobello Pop-Up Cinema.

Dr Who - Surprising Facts about Doctors Seven, Eight and Nine, part 3 of 5 - InfoBarrel Dr Who - Surprising Facts about Doctors Seven, Eight and Nine, part 3 of 5 0 The Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy played Dr Who from 7 September 1987 - 6 December 1989 Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith AKA Sylvester McCoy was born on 20th August 1943 in Scotland. His mother was Irish and his English father sadly died in action in the Second World War just a month before Percy was born. Like Tom Baker, the young Kent-Smith had religious leanings and trained to be a priest. He then worked in Insurance for a short time before working in the box office of The Roundhouse in London. This amazing circular Grade II Listed building which was built in 1847 was originally a railway shed which had a turntable to enable trains to be turned around. It was subsequently converted to a Performing Arts Centre. Credit: was discovered in the box office by writer, director and playwright Ken Campbell who included him in The Ken Campbell Roadshow – a group of theatricals who appeared in unusual venues.

Kent-Smith performed as a stuntman – stuffing forks into his nose and putting ferrets down his trousers. A fellow actor, Brian Murphy gave Kent-Smith the name of Sylveste McCoy. It wasn’t until a few years later that McCoy added the r to Sylveste and became Sylvester. McCoy made various appearances on TV, including Vision On (an iconic programme for deaf children) and the zany Tiswas. In 1979, McCoy appeared in the film Dracula – with Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence. McCoy Becomes Dr Who As mentioned in the article re: Colin Baker, McCoy was the only Dr Who to play both Doctors in the regeneration scene. As Baker did not return to play his own Dr regenerating, McCoy wore a blonde wig to play Baker’s part – as well as his (McCoy’s) own Dr coming out of the regeneration. As McCoy was inherently a comedic actor, he brought this to the role of Dr Who but fans complained that the character was too lightweight. The script editor, Andrew Cartmel listened to what they had to say and as a result, McCoy’s Dr developed a deeper, darker side which was enhanced by being at odds with his outwardly colourful appearance.

McCoy provided voiceover for the game Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors McCoy’s Dr went on to become so popular that he beat Tom Baker to be named the Best Doctor in a 1990 poll in Doctor Who Magazine. McCoy presented The Hartnell Years, a 1991 documentary which included episodes of missing stories from the time of the First Doctor. Amazon Price: $24.98 $14.95 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014) McCoy misses out on two big roles... McCoy was lined up to play Governor Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl which Steven Spielberg was going to direct but Disney wouldn’t give their permission for the film at that time. Credit: He was the second choice to play Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson but missed out to Ian Holm. However, he did get the part of the wizard Radagast in Jackson’s The Hobbit.

Amazon Price: $28.98 $9.37 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014) Shakespearean actor McCoy acted the Fool in Lear, starring Ian McKellen. The RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) took the production to Australia, New Zealand and London. The play incorporated McCoy’s talent for playing the spoons! A great singer McCoy has performed with the Welsh National Opera. He appeared in a Robin Hood musical playing the Sheriff of Nottingham, in a London production, featuring songs by award winning composer Laurence Mark Wythe. McCoy played the lead in the 2008 Carl Rosa Company production of The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan. The Eighth Doctor Paul McGann,who many believe was Dr Who from 1996-2005 Paul McGann was born on 14th November 1959. Paul was the third child of six. He had twin brothers born a year before him but one, John, sadly died. The surviving twin, Joseph, and Paul’s two younger brothers, Mark and Stephen are all actors.

Paul was advised to become an actor by one of his teachers at school and he subsequently went to RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts). In 1995, Paul starred with his three brothers in a TV serial about the famine in Ireland, called The Hanging Gale. Paul, Mark and Stephen appeared in a film made for TV, Catherine the Great. All four brothers formed a pop group called, not surprisingly, the McGanns. Their single was called Shame About the Boy. The British TV series Give Us A Break provided McGann with his breakthough role. He acted alongside Robert Lindsay. There was only one series. The Monocled Mutineer Credit: people remember McGann for his first major lead in the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer. He received great critical acclaim but sadly the series was never shown again by the Beeb. The subject of the series was a very sensitive one, dealing with the 1917 Étaples Mutiny – which occurred at a tough training ground for the British Army. Documentation dealing with what really happened at Étaples will stay sealed until 2017.

However, when the series was shown in 1986, the Conservative Government said that events shown were inaccurate and took an unfairly Left Wing view. This cause a minor political issue and so the BBC shelved any plans to show it again. However, it came out on video in the 1990s and on DVD in 2007. Withnail and I Credit: the debacle caused by The Monocled Mutineer, McGann searched for a lighter and less inflammatory role. He found it in 1986 when he was cast to play alongside Richard E Grant (in Grant’s first film role) in the now iconic Withnail and I. The hugely popular black comedy was based on the life of its’ writer and director, Bruce Robinson. McGann and Grant paid unemployed actors sharing a seedy flat in Camden. Desperate for a break from London, they go to stay in a cottage in the Lake District having been given a key by Withnail’s extrovertly gay Uncle Monty, played by the greatly missed actor, Richard Griffiths. However, they don’t get the restful break they were anticipating. The film became greatly loved for its’ use of period music.

Its’ vast selection of quotable lines lead it to be described as one of the biggest cult films in Britain. Amazon Price: $14.98 $5.77 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014) Sharpe Most people associated the Sharpe TV series with Sean Bean. It is not widely known that McGann was the original Sharpe but only for the first few days of filming. McGann injured his knee while playing football and was unable to continue in the role. It earned him £2,128,172 – at that time, the biggest insurance payout in British TV history. However, it lost him a role which went on to make Sean Bean world famous. McGann Becomes Dr Who Credit: and his brother Mark both auditioned for the lead role in the 1996 film for TV. It was a massive co-production by BBC Films, BBC Worldwide, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios and the American TV network, Fox. The TV series of Dr Who had been on hiatus since Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor ended on 6th December 1989.

The production companies hoped that a good reaction to the TV film would prompt a new series. Sadly, that didn’t happen. The TV film performed well in the UK with high ratings of over 9 million. However, it didn’t do so well in the USA and so no new series was commissioned. There would not be another TV series of Dr Who until 2005 – a total hiatus of sixteen years. So Paul McGann only made one appeaance as Dr Who, in that ill-fated TV film. From 1991 to 1997, Virgin Publishing had been publishing successful Dr Who spin off books. When McGann’s film failed to deliver the hoped for series, the BBC chose not to renew Virgin's license and took on the publishing of their own range of books. McGann allowed them to put his face some of the front covers. He also appeared again as the eighth Doctor in the BBC Radio 7 series Doctor Who, from 2007 to 2012.

Amazon Price: $34.98 $17.41 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014) McGann has continued to perform in film, on TV and on stage. The Ninth Doctor: Christopher Eccleston played Dr Who from 26 March - 18 June 2005 Christopher Eccleston was born on 16 February 1964 to working class parents in Salford, Lancashire, England. He has twin brothers who are eight years than him. Eccleston did well at school and became Head Boy. He was inspired to become an actor by gritty, down to earth films like Kes and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and took a Performance Foundation Course in Salford. He then moved to London to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Despite his early inspiration, he performed in classics by Shakespeare, Chekhov and Moliére. His first professional (at age 25) role was in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Bristol Old Vic. Sadly, this promising beginning dwindled as it does for so many actors.

Eccleston ended up working in a supermarket, on building sites and even as an artist’s model to make ends meet. Let Him Have It Eccleston first caught the publics’ eye in a 1991 British film which was based on a true story. Let Him Have It tells the tragic story of a young man, Derek Bentley (played by Eccleston) who is illiterate and has developmental disabilities. He joins a gang led by 16 year old Chris Craig. The two become cornered by Police. They tell Craig to throw down his gun. Bentley says ‘Let him have it, Chris’ – meaning, give the gun to the Policeman. Instead, Craig fires, wounding one Policeman but killing another. The court scenes of cross examination showing Bentley being bombarded with questions that he struggled to comprehend are haunting and a wonderful performance by Eccleston. Although Craig fired the shots, he was considered a minor. Despite pleas for mercy from Bentley’s family he was hung on 28 January 1953, before the Government could take any steps to prevent it.

Amazon Price: $94.99 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014) Other notable roles 1994, Danny Boyle film Shallow Grave, starring with a newcomer, Ewan McGregor 1996, Our Friends in the North, working alongside Daniel Craig. For this performance he was nominated for Best Actor at the 1997 British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA), losing out to the late Nigel Hawthorne. However, he did win Best Actor from the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards. 1996, TV drama Hillsborough written by Jimmy McGovern. Eccleston played Trevor Hicks who lost both of his daughters in the 1989 disaster. During the Football Association semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, a crush barrier collapsed resulting in the death of 96 people. 766 others were injured and it is still one of the worst football related disasters in the world. Eccleston was Trevor Hicks’ Best Man when he got married in 2009.

Eccleston has worked with a lot of famous people Jude(1996), co-starring with Kate Winslet Elizabeth(1998), co-starring with Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, John Gielgud and Richard Attenborough. A Price Above Rubies (1998) co-starring with Renee Zellweger Existenz(1999), co-starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Ian Holm and Willem Dafoe. Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), co-starring Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie. Eccleston didn’t take his driving test until January 2004 and admitted that his licence only allows him to drive automatics.

The Others(2001), co-starring with Nicole Kidman The Invisible Circus (2001) co-starring Cameron Diaz 24 Hour Party People (2002), co-starring with Steve Coogan 28 Days Later (2002), co-starring with Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris Eccleston Becomes Dr Who Credit: April 2004 the BBC announced that Dr Who was coming back at last with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role as the Ninth Doctor. The show returned on 26th March 2005 and just four days later a statement was released – by the BBC but allegedly from Eccleston – claiming that he didn’t want to become typecast and so he was only going to do the one series. A few days later, the BBC admitted that they had falsely attributed the statement to Eccleston and that he hadn’t even known about it. Ecclestone had only ever intended to do one series and the BBC had agreed to keep this quiet but when journalists contacted the Press Office the erroneous statement had been released. In June, Eccleston was being interviewed on a BBC radio show and was asked if he had enjoyed being Dr Who.

He replied “Mixed – but it’s a long story.” In October 2005, actor and comedian Alan Davies was being interviewed by The Daily Telegraph and claimed that Eccleston had left the role because he was exhausted, having been overworked by the BBC. Ten days later, Eccleston claimed in the Daily Mirror that this was not true and appeared to be irritated by Davies’ comments. In the 2005 National Television Awards, Eccleston won Most Popular Actor for his performance as Dr Who. Russell T. Davies who had revived Dr Who and was Executive Producer, was promoting his book The Writers’s Tale at The National Theatre in 2008. He said that Eccleston had only been contracted for a year because at that stage, no one knew if the series was going to continue, having been on such a long hiatus. In an interview in 2010, Eccleston said that he was proud to have played Dr Who but left the show because he "didn't enjoy the environment and the culture that the cast and crew had to work in". Amazon Price: $79.98 $20.39 Buy Now (price as of Aug 1, 2014)

Question: A 1986 film starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, described as "one of Britain's biggest cult films", is what " ... and I"?
Answer: Withnail