Outstanding shows on Sunday evening

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33049, 17 October 1972, Page 4

Outstanding shows on Sunday evening

After the frustrations of Friday and Saturday viewing, Sunday night's programme was a delight. The best Rolf Hams show for a long time was followed by a fine Somerset Maugham play and Tommy Steele in his striking, often moving “Search for Charlie Chaplin.”

The Rolf Harris format, and Harris himself, are now so familiar, and his shows in the present series so moderate of standard, that there is a tendency to switch off the mind, if not. the set, when his programme appears.

On Sunday, however, the show was vivid and exciting from its opening number, in which the frocking cried for colour. Harris has an engaging personality, and a nimble tongue for some of the involved lyrics he tackles. These assets were used well. But one of the best performers he has had on his show for a long time was Dana Valery, who sang the very familiar “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” She has a thrilling voice, with power and control, and she does nicely without the agonies

suffered by so many of her contemporaries.

Bibi Johns, who appears on the show regularly, made | a very good job of the George Harrison song. | “Something” and to comjplete a notable trio of ! singers there was the I treacly-voiced Matt Monro, who is much easier to listen to than most. The Mexican and Maori numbers were excellent, and [although Rolf Harris did not |do much to improve “Eidel- [ weiss,” the Young Generation was seen to much i advantage in “The Sunny j Side of the Street;” the i frocking in the finale was superb, the whole show a i delight, partly because of The familiar music perhaps, partly, for certain, because [Harris did not make the mistake of engaging second-rate [comedy acts.

Eileen Atkins. who [appeared recently in Marty [Feldman’s "Double Bill” held the Maugham play together with a firm and skilful hand. There were glimpses of some more caricatures of members of the British colonial service jof half a century ago, but the play depended on the [sincerity with which the roles of the Hardys, brother ■and sister, were played. It was no easy assignment, for the strange relationship between them could only be hinted at until the final dramatic scene. But both Eileen Atkins and Edward Fox were utterly real, and never departed from character. Martin Potter was exactly right as the handsome, nice young Mark Featherstone. It was a difficult and unusual subject, expertly handled.

The most enjoyable contribution to an attractive evening’s viewing came from Tommy Steele wno — rather to the surprise of this viewer — was responsible for writing, as well as performing, this “musical journey” through the London of Chaplin’s boyhood. It was an extremely refreshing and imaginative piece of television, very touching in its glimpses of Chaplin’s ill-fated parents, the poverty and suffering he endured. Tommy Steele is a young man of versatility and talent, his script disclosed a sensitive appreciation of Chaplin and his beginnings in life. The camera gave the audience some delightful, some depressing, glimpses of London, and the contribution of Steele, singing the songs of some of the music hall

favourites of the day was embellished strangely but effectively, by a series of camera portraits of members of the audiences. At times, the film was extremely touching, especi ally with the association of the haunting “My Old Dutch” with Chaplin’s unfortunate mother. "Tommy Steele in Search of Charlie Chaplin” ranks very high in the short list of outstanding television programmes.— PANDORA