''Pickwick'' is a British television musical made by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

in 1969 and based on the 1963 stage musical '' Pickwick'', which in turn was based on the 1837 novel ''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was the Debut novel, first novel serialised from March 1836 to November 1837 by English author Charles Dickens. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Bo ...

'' written by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

. It stars

Harry Secombe Sir Harry Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, mos ...

Samuel Pickwick Samuel Pickwick is a fictional character and the main protagonist in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836-37), the first novel by author Charles Dickens. One of the author's most famous and loved creations, Pickwick is a retired successful businessman ...

and

Roy Castle Roy Castle (31 August 1932 – 2 September 1994) was an English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician. An accomplished jazz trumpet player, he could also play many other instruments. In a career as a versatile perfo ...

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. The musical had been produced by

Bernard Delfont Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont (born Boris Winogradsky; 5 September 1909 – 28 July 1994) was a leading Russian-born British theatrical impresario. Life and career Delfont was born in Tokmak, Berdyansky Uyezd, Taurida Governorate, Russian ...

and had premiered in the West End in 1963, again with

in the lead role and with choreography by

Gillian Lynne Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne (née Pyrke; 20 February 1926 – 1 July 2018) was an English ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director, noted for her theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-runni ...

. Running at 90 minutes and made in colour, the TV musical again had lyrics by

Leslie Bricusse Leslie Bricusse OBE (; 29 January 1931 – 19 October 2021) was a British composer, lyricist, and playwright who worked on theatre musicals and wrote theme music for films. He was best known for writing the music and lyrics for the films '' D ...

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 S ...

.''Pickwick''
on the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

The book was by

Wolf Mankowitz Cyril Wolf Mankowitz (7 November 1924 – 20 May 1998) was an English writer, playwright and screenwriter. He is particularly known for four novels— '' Make Me an Offer'' (1952), '' A Kid for Two Farthings'' (1953), ''My Old Man's a Dustman' ...

and it was directed by Terry Hughes. 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, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...

, 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 Breach of promise is a common-law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...

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

...

Mr. Pickwick Samuel Pickwick is a fictional character and the main protagonist in ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836-37), the first novel by author Charles Dickens. One of the author's most famous and loved creations, Pickwick is a retired successful businessman ...

... Sam Weller *

Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-no ...

... Mrs. Bardell *

Aubrey Woods Aubrey Harold Woods (9 April 1928 – 7 May 2013) was an English actor. He is best remembered for playing Bill in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', where he sang " The Candy Man". Biography and career Woods was born on 9 April 19 ...

...

Alfred Jingle Alfred Jingle is a fictional character who appears in the 1837 novel '' The Pickwick Papers'' by Charles Dickens. He is a strolling actor and an engaging charlatan and trickster noted for his bizarre anecdotes and distinctive mangling of Englis ...

Bill Fraser William Simpson Fraser (5 June 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Scottish actor who appeared on stage, screen and television for many years. In 1986 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his stage role in the play '' ...

... Serjeant Buzzfuzz *

Julian Orchard Julian Dean Chavasse Orchard (3 March 1930, in Wheatley, Oxfordshire – 21 June 1979, in Westminster, London) was an English comedy actor. He appeared in four ''Carry On'' films: '' Don't Lose Your Head'' (1966), '' Follow That Camel'' (196 ...

...

Augustus Snodgrass Augustus Snodgrass is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836-37). He considers himself a Romantic poet, though there is no mention of any of his own poetry in the novel. A founder and younger memb ...

Robert Dorning Robert Dorning (13 May 1913 – 21 February 1989) was an English musician, dance band vocalist, ballet dancer and actor. He is known to have performed in at least 77 television and film productions between 1940 and 1988. Origins Robert Dorning ...

...

Tracy Tupman Tracy Tupman is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836-37). Although fat and middle-aged he considers himself a young lover and has an unfortunate amorous entanglement with the spinster Rachael Ward ...

* Ian Trigger ...

Nathaniel Winkle Nathaniel Winkle is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's first novel, ''The Pickwick Papers'' (1836-37). A founder and younger member of the Pickwick Club created by the retired businessman Samuel Pickwick, Winkle is a young friend of Pi ...

* Sheila White ... Mary * Michael Logan ... Wardle * Joyce Grant ... Rachel * Julia Sutton ... Isabella * Cheryl Kennedy ... Emily * Robert Yetzes ... The Fat Boy * Christopher Reynalds ... Bardell Jr. *

Gertan Klauber George Gertan Klauber (5 March 1932 – 1 August 2008) was a Czech-born British actor, known for playing various character parts in films and television programmes, particularly the ''Carry On'' comedies. Early life Of Sudeten German and ...

... Landlord *

Erik Chitty Erik Chitty (8 July 1907 – 22 July 1977) was an English stage, film and television actor. Early life Chitty was the son of a flour miller, Frederick Walter Chitty and his wife Ethel Elsie Assistance née Franklin; they married in 1902. He at ...

... Judge *

Michael Darbyshire Michael Darbyshire (15 October 1917 – 20 November 1979) was an English actor of stage and screen. He is perhaps best known for his role as Hubert Davenport, the Victorian ghost, in the long running BBC TV children's comedy series '' Renta ...

... Dodson * Tony Sympson ... Fogg * Ian Gray ... Serjeant Snubbin * Michael Balfour ... Roker

Archive status

Although the play still exists in full colour as its original

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually Sound recording and reproduction, sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog signal, analog or Digital signal (signal processing), digital signal. V ...

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 Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...

. A single clip, the opening titles, has been made available on the

Ravensbourne University London Ravensbourne University London is a public university on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, England. It is classified as a digital media and design university, with vocational courses in fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive produc ...

website. The movie is now on YouTube under Pickwick 1969.

Trivia

Shelia White and Harry Secombe both appeared in the Academy Award winning ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' a movie based on the Charles Dickens story Oliver Twist. Shelia portrayed Nancy's sister Bet while Harry portrayed the pompous Mr Bumble.

References

External links

''Pickwick'' on the Ovrtur website''Pickwick'' (1969)
on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

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