''Pickwick'' is a British television musical made by the BBC in 1969 and based on the 1963 stage musical '' Pickwick'', which in turn was based on the 1837 novel '' The Pickwick Papers'' written by Charles Dickens. It stars Harry Secombe as Samuel Pickwick and Roy Castle as Sam Weller. This television production was based on the stage musical '' Pickwick'' which had been a commercial success. It was adapted for the screen by James Gilbert and

Jimmy Grafton James Douglas Grafton, (19 May 1916 – 2 June 1986) was a producer, writer and theatrical agent. He served in World War II as an officer in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during O ...

. The musical had been produced by Bernard Delfont and had premiered in the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

in 1963, again with Harry Secombe in the lead role and with choreography by Gillian Lynne. Running at 90 minutes and made in colour, the TV musical again had lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and a score by

Cyril Ornadel Cyril Ornadel (2 December 192422 June 2011) was a British conductor, songwriter and composer, chiefly in musical theatre. He worked regularly with David Croft, the television writer, director and producer, as well as Norman Newell and Hal Sh ...

.''Pickwick''
on the Internet Movie Database The book was by Wolf Mankowitz and it was directed by

Terry Hughes Terry Hughes may refer to: * Terry Hughes (baseball), American Major League Baseball player * Terry Hughes (biologist), Irish-Australian biologist * Terry Hughes (director), British comedy television director * Terry Hughes (politician), Califor ...

. The programme was first transmitted on 11 June 1969 and again on 26 December 1969.Pointer, p. 171 One of the better known songs from the score is " If I Ruled the World". The cast of this production differed somewhat from that of the stage musical.

Plot

Set in England in 1828, the story centres on wealthy Samuel Pickwick and his valet Sam Weller, who are in a debtors' prison where they recall the misadventures that led to their imprisonment. On the previous

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

, Pickwick introduced his friend Wardle, Wardle's daughters, Emily and Isabella, and their Aunt Rachael to Nathaniel Winkle, Augustus Snodgrass, and Tracy Tupman, three members of the Pickwick Club. They were soon joined by Alfred Jingle, who tricked Tupman into paying for his ticket to a ball that evening. Upon learning Rachael is an heiress, Jingle set out to win her hand and eventually succeeded. Pickwick engages Sam Weller as his valet and, through a series of misunderstandings, he inadvertently leads his landlady, Mrs. Bardell, to believe he has proposed marriage to her. Pickwick is charged with breach of promise and hauled into court, where he is found guilty as charged and sentenced to prison when he stubbornly refuses to pay her compensation.

Cast list

* Harry Secombe ...

Mr. Pickwick Samuel Pickwick is a fictional character and the main protagonist in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836), the first novel by author Charles Dickens. One of the author's most famous and loved creations, Pickwick is a retired successful businessman an ...

* Roy Castle ... Sam Weller * Hattie Jacques ... Mrs. Bardell * Aubrey Woods ... Alfred Jingle * Bill Fraser ... Serjeant Buzzfuzz * Julian Orchard ... Augustus Snodgrass * Robert Dorning ... Tracy Tupman *

Ian Trigger Ian Trigger (30 September 1938 – 6 January 2010) was a British actor of stage, film and television who had a successful career in the United States. A diminutive actor, Trigger's long career saw him working in the West End, on Broadway and ...

... Nathaniel Winkle * Sheila White ... Mary * Michael Logan ... Wardle * Joyce Grant ... Rachel * Julia Sutton ... Isabella *

Cheryl Kennedy Cheryl Kennedy is an English actress and singer. Early life and career She was born in Enfield, Middlesex, and educated at a convent. Her first appearance was at the age of 15 at Stratford East Theatre Workshop in ''What a Crazy World''. She ...

... Emily * Robert Yetzes ... The Fat Boy *

Christopher Reynalds Christopher Peter Tempest Reynalds (born 13 December 1952) is a British child actor of the 1960s and 1970s, a former member of the National Theatre and a former Caterham 7 motor racing champion. Acting career One of three brothers all of dimi ...

... Bardell Jr. * Gertan Klauber ... Landlord * Erik Chitty ... Judge * Michael Darbyshire ... Dodson *

Tony Sympson Tony Sympson (10 July 1906 – 30 March 1983) was a British actor. Selected filmography * '' The Indiscretions of Eve'' (1932) - Pip * '' Sexton Blake and the Mademoiselle'' (1935) - Tinker * ''Sexton Blake and the Bearded Doctor'' (1935) - ...

... Fogg * Ian Gray ... Serjeant Snubbin * Michael Balfour ... Roker

Archive status

Although the play still exists in full colour as its original videotape master, it has not been released onto VHS, DVD or Blu-ray, nor has it been made available on any streaming sites, including

BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers and smart televisions. iPlayer services del ...

. A single clip, the opening titles, has been made available on the Ravensbourne University London website.

References

External links

''Pickwick'' on the Ovrtur website''Pickwick'' (1969)
on the British Film Institute website {{DEFAULTSORT:Pickwick 1969 television films 1969 films British television films Compositions by Leslie Bricusse Films based on The Pickwick Papers Films set in 1828 Films with screenplays by Wolf Mankowitz