A Chorus of Frogs
Teleplay by Martin Woodhouse
Directed by Raymond Menmuir
Production Schedule
Episode (5) (sic - should be 50)
Production Number : 3523
VTR/ABC/2488 & 2488A-B
Teddington Studio 1 & Rehearsal Room 3A
Rehearsals
Held in REHEARSAL ROOM 3A from 23rd February, 1963 to Wednesday 6th March, 1963.
Thursday 7th March 1963
| Camera rehearsal of 1st VTR INSERT |
10.00-10.45 |
| Cameral rehearsal of 2nd VTR INSERT |
10.45-11.45 |
| LINE UP |
11.45-12.15 |
| VTR Recording of INSERT NO.(A) |
12.15-12.30 |
| VTR Recording of INSERT (B) |
12.30-12.45 |
| Clearing of Inserts. |
12.45-1.00 |
| LUNCH BREAK |
11.00-2.00 |
| Camera rehearsal (from top) |
1.00-6.00 |
| SUPPER BREAK |
6.00-7.00 |
| Camera rehearsal |
7.00-9.00 |
KENNY POWELL TRIO Bass, Piano, Drums.
Called for 2.30 pm on Thursday 7th March, 1963 excluding Mr. Powell till about 3.30pm.
Called for 10.00 am on Friday 8th March, 1963.
VTR Inserts:
- 2488A - SHOTS 63-70: (1.50s approx.) Steed is found checking the divers' equipment and taken below; once he and Helena have gone, Anna kills Jackson with a harpoon gun. [17:07-18:55]
- 2488B - SHOTS 185-196: (40s approx) Mason threatens to put Venus in the bathyscaphe, but Helena enters, followed by Steed; they enter and fight the villains. [46:25-47:28]
Friday 8th March 1963
| Camera rehearsal |
10.00-12.30 |
VTR INSERTS
Stand/By for replay from 11.30 am. |
| LUNCH BREAK |
12.30-1.30 |
| Camera rehearsal |
1.30-3.30 |
Tea break, Line-up,
Normal scan, Make-up |
3.30-4.15 |
| DRESS REHEARSAL |
4.15-5.30 |
| Notes |
5.30-6.00 |
| Line-up |
6.00-6.30 |
| VTR RECORDING |
6.30-7.30 |
Running time
Expected: 51'25" + 2 commercial breaks
Actual running time with bumpers: 49'14"
The bumpers between the acts are generally 10 seconds from fade in to the "End of Act" bumper to the end of audio before the commercial, a 10 second still without audio, then cut to the next act bumper. This would play with the theme for around 10 seconds. Accordingly, with the episodes being in 3 acts, the running time of the action is approximately a minute less than listed above, minus the opening and closing credits (normally 0'16", with a 2" fade, and anywhere from 0'41" to 1'20", hard cut or 1" fade or mix, respectively).
Transmission
| London |
9th March 1963 |
| Sydney |
16th March 1964 |
| Melbourne |
15th October 1964 |
Equipment
| Cameras: |
4 Pedestals |
| Sound: |
3 booms, 1 lazy arm. Mics for trio- bass, piano, drums. Mic for Julie Stevens singing 'live'.
Slung mic for Bathyscaphe. Remote mic feeding into Int. Control Room. distort. Intercom from Control Room to Int. Bathyscaphe. |
| Effects: |
3 wind machines EXT. DECK. |
| Inserts: |
Two scenes. ACT ONE: Ext. Boat Deck to end of Act. (A)
ACT THREE: INT. LABORATORY. |
| Telecine: |
ABC symbol. Caption scanner. |
| Music: |
KENNY POWELL TRIO ( bass, drums, piano)
'LIVE' VOCAL NUMBERS - JULIE STEVENS. |
Murders
|
|
click a name
to see the face
|
Transport
| Marque/type |
Plate |
| (Mason's yacht) |
| (bathyscaph) |
Minutiæ
- 1:15 - there are a few spots on the camera lens, and the cinematography is decidedly shakey in the scene in Jame's office when Carlo first meets Sica.
- 4:24 - Venus reveals she was born on her father's barge.
- 17:07 - visual interference when the VTR Insert is mixed in
- 46:25 - visual interference when the VTR Insert is mixed in
- 47:28 - more visual interference when the VTR Insert ends and the is mixed back to 'live'.
Times are from the re-mastered 2009 Optimum Releasing DVD set, any times in brackets are from the previously released DVD sets which had frames with interference or banding deleted, resulting in shorter running times.
The Songs
Julie sings two songs, accompanied by the Kenny Powell Trio.
- "Hush Little Baby" [8:21 (8:16), 1:43 long]
- Burnaby & Long's parody of "The Lips That Touch Liquor", "The Lips That Touch Kippers" [19:26 (18:49, 0:47 long]
The trio play a short tune at the beginning of the first yacht scene, entitled "Pots Blues" [3:24, 0:17 long (3:20, 0:15 long)].
Julie's backing band in this episode is a trio of musicians from the Jack Parnell Orchestra, drummer and band leader Jack Parnell, his regular bassist, Lennie Bush and Kenny Powell as accompianist. Parnell did most of the on-set music at Elstree as well as being regulars at Ronnie Scott's, so it's odd they're here billed as the Kenny Powell trio when Jack was the eminent player.
Lyrics in blue italic are not sung by Julie
Lyrics in green italic are inaudible.
Lyrics in red italic have been adapted or ad libbed.
Hush Little Baby
traditional, arr. Kenny Powell/Julie Stevens, 1963
Hush, little darlin', don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a mockin'bird
And if that mockin'bird don't sing
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring is brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat
and if that billy goat don't pull,
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and mule
And if that cart and mule turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover
and if that dog named Rover won't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that Horse and Cart fall down,
You'll be the sweetest little baby in town ---
The Lips That Touch Kippers
George T. Evans, 1874, parodied
by H.M. Burnaby & John P. Long, 1924
The lips that touch kippers
shall never touch mine
And though you cry like a child in despair
Though you swear to be true
till your beaver turns blue
and the birds build their nests in your hair
Though you own an old Ford,
and your life's well insured
Still it breaks my poor heart to decline
Give me onions or armour,
sing come-diddy-come, but
The lips that touch kippers,
The lips that touch kippers,
Kippers?! Shall never touch mi--ne
