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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Topic started by: Iain Fisher on September 10, 2019, 08:20:18 PM

Title: Portrait of a Goon online
Post by: Iain Fisher on September 10, 2019, 08:20:18 PM
Ken's early television film Spike Milligan, Portrait of a Goon is now online

https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/spike-milligan-portrait-of-a-goon/znbkbdm (https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/spike-milligan-portrait-of-a-goon/znbkbdm)

Spike Milligan was a famous British comedian, who wrote the cult radio series The Goon Show.  Ken's film consists of Milligan talking to camera, mainly reflective rather than funny, with some madcap interludes.  Not one of his best films, but still good to see it.

It was broadcast on 6 Dec 1959 and lasts just over 9 minutes.

Title: Re: Portrait of a Goon online
Post by: Rosebud on September 11, 2019, 07:56:00 AM
Thanks so much for sharing Iain.  I've been wanting to see this for many years now.  Definitely, not one of his best, but still quite impressive and inventive, especially compared to the crap being made today.
Title: Re: Portrait of a Goon online
Post by: BoyScoutKevin on September 21, 2019, 09:24:09 PM
Yes, thank-you so much Iain.

They do say the best comedians experienced a life of tragedy, before they became comedians.

He certainly looks different here than what I remember him looking like in 1973's The Three Musketeers, which is where I 1st came across Spike Milligan.

While there were other members of The Goons and guest appearances, the 2 main members, besides Spike Milligan, were Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers.
Title: Re: Portrait of a Goon online
Post by: Iain Fisher on October 22, 2019, 09:36:59 PM
Quote
While there were other members of The Goons and guest appearances, the 2 main members, besides Spike Milligan, were Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers.

Michael Bentine was the final member, a comedian with a sense of humour similar to Milligan, but he has now been mostly forgotten.  There is a pub in London near where I used to work with a plaque for the Goons, as they wrote their first scripts in a room above the pub.
https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMMZ29_The_Goon_Show_Strutton_Ground_London_UK (https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMMZ29_The_Goon_Show_Strutton_Ground_London_UK)

The Goons were a major influence on Monty Python, and Milligan has a cameo in Life of Brian.