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Steptoe and Son
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Why did they hate eachother in real life?
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There is a little bit here about why:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curse_of_Step toe
When they wrote Steptoe and son the writers wanted actors rather than comedians playing the 2 main parts.
Harry H Corbett (the son) was a promising actor at the time who probably saw the chance to act in a TV comedy (with serious overtones) as a good career move.
But the show was so sucessful that he was typecast in the role for the rest of his life and found it hard to get any other work.
The show did finish in 1965 but came back again in 1970 when Harry realised that was almost the only work he could get.
In a funny sort of way, the frustration he felt in the show was mirrored in real life as he felt his "father" was holding him back as a serious actor and this led to friction.
Brambell was also homesexual which at the time was a no-no and that also probably caused friction between them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curse_of_Step toe
When they wrote Steptoe and son the writers wanted actors rather than comedians playing the 2 main parts.
Harry H Corbett (the son) was a promising actor at the time who probably saw the chance to act in a TV comedy (with serious overtones) as a good career move.
But the show was so sucessful that he was typecast in the role for the rest of his life and found it hard to get any other work.
The show did finish in 1965 but came back again in 1970 when Harry realised that was almost the only work he could get.
In a funny sort of way, the frustration he felt in the show was mirrored in real life as he felt his "father" was holding him back as a serious actor and this led to friction.
Brambell was also homesexual which at the time was a no-no and that also probably caused friction between them.
My Dad told me they were victims of their own success - they didn't get on well to start off with but they became typecast & unable to get other work following the success of Steptoe & Son so in order to earn & stay in work they were forced to work together
There's some interesting stuff on them in wikipedia as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steptoe_and_son
There's some interesting stuff on them in wikipedia as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steptoe_and_son
As you can see, there is a drama covering this subect on TV soon, 19th March.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curse_of_Step toe
Maybe this prompted your question.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curse_of_Step toe
Maybe this prompted your question.
There is a famous TV interview with Harry H Corbett from the 1960s in black and white (I thought it may be on YouTube but cannot find it).
This was a "serious" interview about acting and so on, and Harry has his "posh" voice on. It is amazing to see him and hear him speak like that when we were all used to seeing him in Steptoe.
And that was the problem, after being so successful in Steptoe nobody could ever imagine him playing in Hamlet or some other serious play.
Bit like Jennifer Aniston today, after Friends, whatever film she is in you still think of her as the actress from Friends.
This was a "serious" interview about acting and so on, and Harry has his "posh" voice on. It is amazing to see him and hear him speak like that when we were all used to seeing him in Steptoe.
And that was the problem, after being so successful in Steptoe nobody could ever imagine him playing in Hamlet or some other serious play.
Bit like Jennifer Aniston today, after Friends, whatever film she is in you still think of her as the actress from Friends.
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>Off screen Wilfred was a very small,smart and dapper person;a sort on latter day regency dandy.
I remember reading once that after they both filmed episodes of Steptoe they would get changed and go out the stage door.
People would be waiting for autographs, and while they recognized Harry and asked him for his autograph few people recognized Wilfred because he had changed from his shabby Steptoe clothes into his dapper personal attire (often with a cane I believe) and nobody recognised him.
I remember reading once that after they both filmed episodes of Steptoe they would get changed and go out the stage door.
People would be waiting for autographs, and while they recognized Harry and asked him for his autograph few people recognized Wilfred because he had changed from his shabby Steptoe clothes into his dapper personal attire (often with a cane I believe) and nobody recognised him.
I would just like to say..........
Because the quality of TV has improved over the years I do feel that some 1960s/1970s comedy shows don't always get the recognition they deserve, Steptoe being one of them.
I am old enough to remember when it was on, when we only had a couple of TV channels, and EVERYBODY watched Steptoe, pubs would empty so people could go home and watch it.
As well as the two main actors I think the writers Galton and Simspon deserve HUGE credit for the writing of this show. This was ground breaking stuff and as many people have said, it was often like serious drama, but with huge laughs.
I think this has to be up there with the great TV comedy shows and easily makes the "top 10" of British comedy.
Because the quality of TV has improved over the years I do feel that some 1960s/1970s comedy shows don't always get the recognition they deserve, Steptoe being one of them.
I am old enough to remember when it was on, when we only had a couple of TV channels, and EVERYBODY watched Steptoe, pubs would empty so people could go home and watch it.
As well as the two main actors I think the writers Galton and Simspon deserve HUGE credit for the writing of this show. This was ground breaking stuff and as many people have said, it was often like serious drama, but with huge laughs.
I think this has to be up there with the great TV comedy shows and easily makes the "top 10" of British comedy.
One episode that was on TV about a year ago was a terrific example of how well it was written.
It was about 2 prisoners (one young, one old) who had escaped from a local prison (Leonard Rossiter played the young one). They took refuge in the Steptoe house while waiting for the police hunt to die down.
Of course the young prisoner (Rossiter) wanted to dump the older prisoner to make good his escape. Of course young Steptoe sided with the young prisoner, while old Steptoe sided with the older prisoner.
There was some lovely interplay between the 4 of them.
The Steptoe's borrowed money off the prisoners for the gas meter, then asked the prisoners for a fag, then matches to light it.
After seing how the Steptoes lived, eventually the prisoners realised that perhaps life inside was not so bad so decided to give themselves up.
Wonderful.
It was about 2 prisoners (one young, one old) who had escaped from a local prison (Leonard Rossiter played the young one). They took refuge in the Steptoe house while waiting for the police hunt to die down.
Of course the young prisoner (Rossiter) wanted to dump the older prisoner to make good his escape. Of course young Steptoe sided with the young prisoner, while old Steptoe sided with the older prisoner.
There was some lovely interplay between the 4 of them.
The Steptoe's borrowed money off the prisoners for the gas meter, then asked the prisoners for a fag, then matches to light it.
After seing how the Steptoes lived, eventually the prisoners realised that perhaps life inside was not so bad so decided to give themselves up.
Wonderful.
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