Added stature for “The Years Back”

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33191, 3 April 1973, Page 4

Added stature for “The Years Back”

Teething troubles appear to be over for “The Years Back,” judging by the content of the second programme on Sunday. The appraisal of the 1920 s was so well balanced that viewers might well have wondered whether the old days were really good.

“The Twenties" had much more shape and substance than the programme which dealt with the early years of this century. The initial effort in the series appeared to be dictated by the footage available; consequently, it seemed like a collection of random snapshots from a faded album.

The second programme had much more rhyme and reason. An earnest attempt was made to get the 1920’s into perspective, and. by and large, the aim was achieved. Of course, the amount of

vintage film available from the decade was far greater than the material from the pre-World War One era. But it required careful selection and editing to give the programme impact.

The first offering contained reminiscences by unidentified veterans, and their contributions often seemed at variance with what was being shown on the screen.

This was another flaw which was eliminated during “The Twenties,” and, as a result, the programme reaped the benefit from a number of vivid utterances. The men behind the camera faced a formidable task in trying to capture the events of a decade and reflect the mood of the people in a halfhour programme. But the outcome was highly satisfactory, because of the worth-while contributions from older people blessed with clear memories, and a precise script which provided continuity. Film clips of royal visits and silent movies, the state funeral for Mr Massey, the Dunedin Exhibition, and the heavily clad bathers on what appeared to be New Brighton [beach helped make "The Twenties” a distinct success. “The Thirties,” to be screened next Sunday, will be eagerly awaited. * * * Biographical material was strongly in evidence on Sunday, when CHTV 3 screened tributes to Sir Noel Coward and Richard Tauber. The first programme was to be screened later this year, but was brought forward because of Sir Noel Coward’s death last week. Both programmes followed a familiar format by leaning heavily on contributions by prominent contemporaries of the two men. The life and times of the subjects, and, of course, their music, were woven into fascinating fabrics; scarcely anything was left unsaid. Melodies which have stood the test of time gave these programmes much of their appeal. The Coward offering was well narrated by Sir John Gielgud, but the same could not be said for James Robertson Justice, who recited the facts of Tauber’s life in a flat monotone, achieving a high rate of words a minute. A

NATIONAL LINK (Including 3YA Christcliurch (690 kilohertz;: 2YA Wellington (570 kilohertz); 4YA Dunedin (750 kilohertz); and 3YZ Grevmouth '950 kilohertz).l 7 p.m.: Sports News. (Parliament; 2YA 7.30-12.30 p.m ). 7.30: On Stage New Zealand. 8.30: Weather and News. 9.0: The Day of the Triffids. 9.30: Filmharmonics (7). 10.0: Jazz Tonight. 10.30: N.Z.B.C* News, Weather. 10.45: Lost Horizon. 11.0: 8.8. C. News and Commentary. 11.15: All Night Programme.

3YC, CHRISTCHURCH (960 kilohertz)

i 7 p.m.: Schubert: Hymn: To the Sun—Stephane Caillat Vocal Quartet. 7.14: Reger: Viola Suites, Op. 131 played I by Gavin Saunders (2) No. 2 in D minor. 7.25: Haydn: ! Symphony No. 46 in B—'Masterplayers under Richard ; Schumacher. 7.45: Letter from America. 8.0: Sergei 'Rachmaninov (2) Works tor [Piano and Orchestra with the ■ Composer as Soloist—Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor. Op. 1 (1891, revised 1919); Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. 8.27:

more sympathetic narration would have helped the programme greatly. sjs * rs

i “Review's” handling of the work involved in achieving the first live colour link between New Zealand and Britain was commendable. This was a subject which deserved explanation, and no apology was necessary for devoting the entire programme to the painstaking work which lay behind the achievement.

The fact that Harry Secombe was the artist involved was a happy coincidence. The man must be a joy to work with. >1:

The European adventures of the peripatetic Rene Cutforth again failed to produce much of value, although France offered him undoubted scope. There was too much of Mr Cutforth’s philosophy; his views tended to override the impressions of the inhabitants of the French town where he brought his caravan to a jerky halt. The best part of the programme was provided by glimpses of the quiet charm of the town and the unhurried approach of its people. Mr Cutforth almost seemed an intruder. —PANDORA.

Mussorgsky: Boris Monologue, Scene and Finale (Clock Scene) (Boris Godunov, Act 2) —Ivan Petrov (bass), Georgy Shulpin (tenor), Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra under Alexander Melik-Pashayev. 8.46: Prokofiev: Suite: Love for Three Oranges — Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky. 9.1: Guy Fallot (cello), Emmanuelle Lamasse (piano) — Debussy: Sonata in D minor; Falla: Suite espanola; Bartok: Romanian Dances. 10.0: Reith Lectures. Europe—Journey to to Unknown Destination. 10.28: Francaix: Divertissement —Peter Graeme (oboe), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), William Waterhouse (bassoon). 10.38: Sibelius: Rakastava, Op. 14; Romance in C, Op. 42 —Halle Orchestra Strings under Sir John Barbirolli. 3ZB, CHRISTCHURCH (1100 kilohertz) 7.32 p.m.: Top of the Top Forty. 8.2: Motoring with Robbie. 9.2: Easy Beat. 3ZM, CHRISTCHURCH (1400 kilohertz)

9 p.m.: Labi Siffre in Concert.

CHTV3 2.00 p.m.: News. 2.03: On Camera. 2.45: The Man and the Cuty. Drama. 3.36: The Challenging Sea. Adventure (Repeat). 4.02: Bewitched. Comedy. 4.31: Playschool. 4.56: Watch. 5.10: Huckleberry Hound. 5.34: News, weather. 5.39: World Championship Tennis. (Final). 6.43: Your Money’s Worth. Consumer service. 7.00: Network news. 7.22: Weather. The South Tonight. 7.45: Coronation Street. 8.15: Marcus Welby M.D. Drama. 9.14: Newsbrief. 9.16: Gallery. Current affairs. 9.44: McCloud. Drama. (New series). 11.05: Late news, weather.