Episode Guide
Gordon Murray's Non-Rubovian Puppet Plays
& Series |
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Source | Production Information | Status |
Sources: RT; Puppet Master 1st tx: 2nd June, 1955 |
Will
O' The Gris Runtime: 15 minutes A play based on an old legend by Rhoda Power, and 'Abercadapple' by Miles Tomalin. Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson, Gordon Murray, Woolf Goldberg, Joan Garrick. Voices: Kenneth Connor, Pamela Russel, Redvers Kyle. Puppets by Laurence Primmer Designer, Claude Whatham Producer, Ursula Eason |
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Source: bfi 1st tx: 9th Sept., 1955 |
“The
Woodentops” Runtime: 15 minutes A series of 26 stories about a family of wooden dolls who live on a farm with their oversized dog (“...the very biggest spotty dog you ever did see.”) Part of the BBC's ‘Watch With Mother’ line-up. Marionette puppets. B&W. Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson, Gordon Murray. Voices: Peter Hawkins, Eileen Browne, Josefina Ray. Writer: Maria Bird Music: Maria Bird Points of Interest:
Filmed in the same ‘tin shed’ at Lime Grove, as later used by Gordon
Murray for his “Rubovian Legends” television series. Gordon Murray was
the puppeteer for Spotty Dog for the first several episodes. The first
‘Watch With Mother’ series to give the puppets their own voices.
Narration was minimal, with the action driven by inter-character dialogue,
in complete contrast to the mute Andy Pandy where the narrator spoke
directly to the young viewers, and the gibberish-talking Bill and Ben
where the narrator merely told the story. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 4th Oct., 1955 |
The
Wonderful Horse Runtime: 20 minutes? (1 of 3 programmes in a one-hour slot) A puppet play with music. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 12th July, 1956 |
The
Bird of Truth Runtime: 30 minutes? Written by Joy Martin |
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Source: ??? 1st tx: 21st Sept., 1956 |
Portrait
of the Mayor Runtime: 20 minutes Larry the Lamb and Danny the Dog agree to sell some of Mr. Artist's paintings in the streets of Toytown. Mr. Mayor is most impressed with the paintings that Larry has, and asks him to come to the town hall and paint his portrait. Larry does not tell Mr. Mayor that he did not paint the pictures, which puts Larry, Danny, and Mr. Artist in a tricky situation. A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 5th Oct., 1956 Telerecorded |
The
Great Toytown Mystery Runtime: 20 minutes A detective story that tries to discover who painted the Mayor's statue with green paint. Larry the Lamb and Dennis the dog who had been splashing about in the Arkville town fountain are prime suspects, until a trail of green paint footprints implicates Mr. Growser who is painting his shop in the same colour of green. However, Mr. Growser suggests speaking to the seller of the paint. A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 19th Oct., 1956 |
Dreadful
Doings in Ark Street Runtime: 20 minutes A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 2nd Nov., 1956 |
How
the Wireless Came to Toytown Runtime: 20 minutes Radio comes to Toytown in a big way. A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 16th Nov., 1956 |
The
Great Toytown War Runtime: 20 minutes A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT; BBC Infax 1st tx: 30th Nov., 1956 |
The
Enchanted Ark Runtime: 20 minutes A puppet play featuring Larry the Lamb. A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
BBC Programme No. LCH5454F |
Source:
RT 1st tx: 7th March, 1957 |
The
Tale of the Magician Runtime: 17 minutes A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source: BBC
Infax 1st tx: 27th June, 1957 |
Frightfulness
at the Theatre Royal Runtime: 20 minutes Children's puppet play featuring Larry the Lamb, Dennis the Dachshund and the other inhabitants of Toytown. A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
BBC Programme No. LCH7155E |
Sources: RT; DoP; BBC Infax 1st tx: 16th July, 1957. A BBC Telerecording. Also filmed in colour. |
The Emperor’s
Nightingale Runtime: Adapted by Gordon Murray from the story by Hans Christian Anderson. Point of Interest:
In his Memories of Rubovia (see excerpt from Prehistory of Trumptonshire
in the Production section),
Andrew Brownfoot recalled that when telerecording and colour TV was being
developed, The Emperor's Nightingale was selected by the BBC's Head
of Design as an example of the glories of colour. Andrew believes that
somewhere in the BBC archives there may still exist this one full-colour
example of the BBC Puppet Theatre's work, complete with specially composed
orchestral music performed live in the TV studio. |
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Source:
DoP tx live 1957 |
Beauty
and the Beast Runtime: Produced by Gordon Murray. |
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Source: DoP;
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The
Emperor's New Clothes Runtime: 25 minutes The fairytale classic in which a vain Emperor spends all his money on clothes. Marionette play. From Hans Christian Andersen's story. |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 11th Sept., 1958 |
The
Cruise of the Toytown Belle Runtime: 20 minutes A Toytown play by S.G. Hulme Beaman. |
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Source:
RT (+photo & article); BBC Infax TR'd 25th Nov 1958 1st tx from TR: 16th Dec., 1958
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The
Winkleburg Armourer Runtime: 25 minutes Set in an imaginary village somewhere in Europe, this play tells the story of a famous armourer, who is renowned for his magnificent workmanship, but whose great energy and skill is due to a steady consumption of doughnuts. When the armourer gets a big contract from the Emperor, his supply of doughnuts happens to get cut off, with unfortunate results. Written & produced by Gordon
Murray |
Held by BBC BBC Programme |
Source:
RT 1st tx: 5th May, 1959 |
The
Petrified Princess Runtime: 30 minutes A marionette operetta for television by composer Richard Arnell Words by Bryan Guiness |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 27th Oct., 1959 |
The
King of the Golden River Runtime: 30 minutes 16 mm B&W film The valley home of three brothers turns to desert and they turn to a magical king for help. A play based on the book by John Ruskin. Adapted by Gordon Murray |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 5th Jan., 1960 |
The
Crumpot Candles Runtime: 20 minutes 16 mm B&W film Puppet Players: Audrey Atterbury,
John Hardwick, Bob Bura, Dorothy Gordon, James Beattie, Roy Skelton, Noel
Coleman |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 6th Dec, 1960 rpt: 24th Dec., 1963 |
The
Magic Tree —A Persian Fantasy Runtime: 25 minutes 16 mm B&W film Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury,
John Hardwick, Bob Bura |
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Source:
RT 1st tx: 22nd May, 1962 |
The
Dancing Princess Runtime: 25 minutes 16 mm B&W film Puppeteers: Audrey Atterbury,
John Hardwick, Bob Bura |