Reviews

TOP SECRET…Directors…Jim Abrahams…David and Jerry Zucker… Cast Inc…Val Kilmer…Peter Cushing… I was booked for a couple of days to play a straight faced German and a very good actor (Warren Clarke) was to be my boss. The directors of this film had already shown their comedy worth with all the Airplane films in the USA.. So it was gag after gag in this film too. I don't know if this was Val Kilmer's first leading role but he certainly went to the top in his later films..

The scene I'm in goes something like this. Warren is checking Val's papers on a train and this is set during WW2. After the dialogue scenes between them Warren and I get off the train and wait for the train to pull out.. We stand on the platform. The train doesn't pull out, the directors think it's funnier if the platform pulls out instead. (British Rail should make note of this as it saves on crowded trains.) Warren and I did work together again over the years.

1982

GREAT EXPECTATIONS…BBCTV… I'm off down to the mud flats of the West Country on another version of this Dickens story. Again I'm playing an old time copper and there are another dozen of us Supporting Artists to help out with the filming for a few days. On the first early morning start we all sit down to breakfast in the hotel. The Wardrobe dept insist that the coppers all have large napkins placed on their laps and fronts to keep the pure white and red uniforms in pristine condition for the filming.. (It's a bit like we don't know how to eat breakfast without making a mess down ourselves).. After breakfast it's onto the coach for the two mile drive to the mud flats and the dialogue goes ''Sit straight boys, don't crease those trousers, don't smoke on the coach in case you get ash over yourselves, hang your jackets up etc'' (Now here's the rub) John (The Grunter) Cannon and I are to be in the first shot which consists of getting Magwitch (Stratford Johns) out of the water and mud in the tidal river… (I've sure I've done this before) Terry Plumber is stunt double for Mr Johns and weighs in at about eighteen stone (dry). On the word ''ACTION'' Aitch and the Grunter are into the mud and water and wade out to get Magwitch and help him to shore.. When we reach Terry and try to lift him we start to sink into the mud.(napkins and creased trousers come to mind) My large police top hat falls off and is heading for the coast as we struggle to get Terry to the bank.. When we are near to the bank Terry gets substituted for Stratford Johns for the close ups. He has to be muddied up. Because it takes a couple of hours to do the dialogue scenes (although on screen it's two minutes) the Grunter and I keep drying out and are asked before every take ''if you wouldn't mind getting back into the mud for continuity sake''. We finish off all the scenes by the river bank, then the three of us are whisked back to the hotel to get some clean dry clothes. The coach driver doesn't stop tut tutting all the way back about the mud we're spreading in his nice clean coach. (He should have put us on the roof rack) The Grunter and I were cold and wet and the first thing the jobs worth assistant wardrobe person said was (flapping) ''Where's your hat, where's your hat''? I looked at the clock on the wall, turned to him and said… ''In the English f***ing Channel by now… The rest of the shoot went to plan and I can laugh about it now. (I still think David Lean's 1946 version of this story can't be topped)

THE MISSIONARY…Director Richard Loncraine… Cast Inc…Michael Palin…Maggie Smith…Trevor Howard… We are filming down at Hoxton Market and our base is a pub I used to sing in twenty years before. It's only two minutes from my old swimming pool. (The canal). The 1st A.D. told me he was giving me a line to say to Mr Palin but it wouldn't be 'til late afternoon and would I like to relax at the base. (Is he kidding me) I have a walk up and down the market to see if any of the old faces are still about. I soon bump into Jimmy Dix who runs the butchers shop in the market and we were at school together.. (This man is a dead ringer for Oliver Reed) ''You still singing Aitch''. '' No Jim I'm in the film game'' They're all poofs in that game''. ''Not all of them Jim'' We went on to chat about old times then Jim decided he fancied a swift half with his long lost mate.. (Me) The afternoon sped by and when Jimmy decided to get up and sing a song in the pub (there was no music), I decided it was time to go to work.. When I get to the hall we're filming in the 1st A.D. tells me it'll be another couple of hours 'til they get to my bit and would I like to go for a tea break. (Now a strong coffee break is more what I'm after) I drink a few cups of coffee and wander down to the canal to have a look around. It's still there that big warehouse that Hitchcock used back in the black and white days. After a ten minute kip on a bench I make my way to the hall just in time to do my bit.. I say the words (Don't fall over the furniture) then it's ''Cut and print'' One Take.. If only they was all as easy as this. Bye, Bye Jimmy Dix and it was a good afternoon. Best wishes Aitch See Harry Fielder on Google

AN American WEREWOLF IN London…Director John Landis… Central Casting must have sent 200-300 people down to Piccadilly for a night shoot on this production. None of us knew anything about the scenes we were going to be involved in so we just hung around coffee bars (Or other bars) chatting and having a night out in The West End. About 1 o'clock in the morning the production team gathered us all together and told us the scenes they were about to do. (You ain't gonna believe this). A WEREWOLF is going to be running out of a cinema in Piccadilly Circus straight across Eros causing cars to crash and have people falling out of bus windows. (I'm thinking this will do the tourist trade the world of good) On a cue from the 1st A.D. the real police clear the roads of all late night Joe Public. The Central Casting crowd are all given places to stand and out of the woodwork comes our buses and cars and stunt people. We've got permission to hold up traffic for half an hour and John Landis had multi camera crews covering every angle. It was over as quickly as it began and as soon as the camera's stopped rolling the wrecking crews were in there clearing the wrecked cars and sweeping the streets clean again. An hour later it was like we'd never been. (See the film just to see this sequence) Well done, John Landis

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK…Director Steven Spielberg…Elstree Studios… Cast Inc…Harrison Ford…Karen Allen… A great joy to watch Mr Spielberg at work.. The whole sequence was set out on storyboards. A master of his craft… There's about twenty of the chaps dressed up as (It's that word again) GERMAN'S. And it's near the end of the film where the bad guys find The Ark and all us bad guys are going to get our just desserts.

When The Ark is opened strange things start to happen and strong winds and sand are blown all over the set. Steven tells us to react to strange ghost like creatures coming out of the Ark. He'd point at us and shout above the noise of the wind, ''It's coming for you now react, now it's got you round the face, react to it.'' George Lucas was standing next to Steven at times and seemed to be enjoying the action. Harrison and Karen were tied to a stake at the time so I couldn't get any help from that quarter… Of course all the special effects are put onto screen months later as is most films these days… I read Steven Spielberg's life story and he didn't always have it easy. (Read it) And the last word on this tale must go to Harrison Ford's stand/in… Jack (Chalky) Dearlove, who is still working for him…Hello Jack

RAGTIME…Director Milos Forman… Cast Inc… JAMES CAGNEY…Pat O'Brien…Donald O'Connor… This cast is a blast from the past… We film for a few days at Oxford and for me it doesn't get any better than this. The scenes are interior of a big office and I'm dressed as a US cop. Pat O'Brien came onto the set first and shook hands with many of the Supporting Artists (Including me) ''How are you son, you look good'' he said.. Well that's the best way for me to start the day because now I felt good that this man had taken time to welcome all of us. Pat moved around the room chatting to cast and crew alike and we were all waiting for the main man to arrive on set.. The noise was quite deafening until someone said ''He's here''. You could have heard a pin drop as the main man entered the set. Everyone stood and applauded and waited for James Cagney to take his position on the set before silence resumed. There they were in front of me my two heroes of the black and white days of cinema. I think I've seen every film that James has made (Some of them many times) I feel sorry for the kids of today that never got to see he's early films and think a good film today has to be bombarded with special effects to make it work. Let me list some of films of James Cagney to let the kids of today and tomorrow know what they have missed. The Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), White Heat (1949). Then in the 50s Love Me Or Leave Me (With Doris Day), Mr Roberts. (With a young Jack Lemmon). I could watch all these films again and never tire. This was to be James Cagney's last film and I would like to say, thank you Mr Cagney for entertaining me for so many years.

THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET…BBCTV… An agent sent me to Ealing film studios to start work on a seven day contract. Well that's good news to me. Better a seven day contract than a day here and there. It's 7:30 in the morning and the 2nd A.D. says '' Go to dressing room five, get into your costume and come back down to make/up'' In dressing room five there's no costume. (has he got the number wrong?) I'm back down again. ''Excuse me, there's nothing in room five for me to wear'' ''It's hanging on the rail, I put it there myself'' ''Ok'' (I'll have another look) As I start to go upstairs, I bump into Terry Greenham a prop man for the BBC. Terry used to get up and sing a good song in some of the pubs I was comparing in. A Tony Bennett style songster…''What are you doing here Aitch?'' ''I'm here for seven days on The Phoenix'' ''Oh you're one of them'' ''Them?'' ''Yea, a South Sea Islander. You're on your own today but tomorrow there's a dozen of you. Plenty of Hula dancing and frightening kids.(Wait till I get hold of the agent that sent me here. (Alf Costa) I find the costume (Grass skirt) and head for the make/up room. Two nice young ladies are covering my face and body with dark brown make/up. Then the hairdresser finds me a big black wig and some earrings and there's talk of putting a bone through my nose. (Art for art's sake etc).

Now it seems the director wanted a tribe of blue eyed South Sea Islanders. On the first take that I'm involved in a small white child is crawling through the jungle undergrowth and lands at my feet. The director pans the camera over my feet and up the length of my body to my face. This is the child's eye line. ''Now say something and frighten her'' He barks. (Now I'm not to up on South Sea talk. We don't get many Islanders in Islington) I'm lost for a second then it comes to me…TARZAN… ''UMM GOW AHH'' I roar. (It works as she bursts into tears) It took Terry Greenham and co ten minutes to stop laughing. It was a good week.

1977

STAR WARS…DIRECTOR GEORGE LUCAS… After finishing a couple of Doctor Who's Central Casting sent me to E.M.I. Studios to work on another space film for seven days. I did ask them if they had any other work because I was fed up with wearing space outfits and the like… (Little did I know about STAR WARS). There must have been about fifty Supporting Artists gathered on the first day, some putting on white space type suits, some being fitted out in weird make up and costumes and the rest of us waited around to see what we were going to be.

We had plenty of time to sit around chatting and playing the odd game of cards. When myself and a chap called Ronnie Conrad got a call to go to the wardrobe dept, They dressed us in black space type suits but without a face mask…(Were they telling us we were ugly enough to look like aliens). When we were dressed we sat at the back of the set and waited to do our bit. I got talking to a giant of a man (Dave Prowse) from the West Country and he told me he was playing a character called ''Daft Ada''. I found out later that day he was playing ''DARTH VADER'' (It must have been Dave's strong Cornish accent that made it sound wrong). Ronnie and I did some odd bits during the week and then the 2nd A.D. called for us to do a bit of business with our old mate ''DARTH''. We were going to arrest Princess LEIA (Carrie Fisher)… Carrie's parents were Eddie Fisher (singer) and Debbie Reynolds (singer/actress). Debbie starred in the film ''Singing In The Rain'' in 1952 and I, as a twelve year old, was in love with her... (It soon passed). Anyway lets get back to ''DAFT''.

Darth, Ronnie and I walk along some corridors and then into the cell where The Princess was being held. Darth had all the lines to say while Ronnie and I stood there looking ugly. (Typecast) In between lighting the set Carrie was very chatty and asked what else we had done in films. (Has she got that much time to spare?) I also met Harrison Ford and was to work with him again over the next few years. Star Wars was the highest grossing money film that I ever worked on. Some say it took a Billion Dollars at the box office and video sales… Twenty five years later I am held in deep respect for being one of "DAFT ADA'S" men, by my Grandchildren… Thanks Mr Lucas

MURPHY'S WAR… Peter O'Toole…Director Peter Yates… Central Casting sent Jerry Floyd, Nick (the bubble) and myself down to Portsmouth or Southampton (cant remember which) to play German U Boat crew. We'd be there for a couple of days and stay in a local B/B over night. When we get called onto the set we go below decks on a British submarine that is decked out like a second world war German U Boat. Now it seems in the film the U Boat has run aground on a sand bank on an inlet river in South America and is waiting for the tide to turn so it can re-float. Meanwhile Peter O'Toole is trying to chop a very large tree down and put it across our Sub. (Thus, causing us some discomfort.) (Got the plot so far, he's dropping trees, and I'm in the basement..) A cute make up girl asks me to strip to the waist (and I think, from the shoes up, what no flowers? We've only just met) but she has to put make up on my face and body to make me look tanned as if I was in South America. Bert Batt the 1st A.D. took us all to see the Director Peter Yates (of Bullitt fame) and I was chosen to be the blue eyed German working the controls of the Sub.. After a few different angles the make up girl applies sweat to my hair and face. The camera is stuck an inch from my nose. (Now we are talking about close ups here. My face plastered sixty foot by eighty foot at the Odeon Marble Arch. She could have saved on the sweat, I was sweating for England.) Peter was guiding me through the shots. ''Imagine you can hear a noise above you. Now imagine there's a noise to your left, now to your right. Don't move your head Back too far, we're close on your eyes.'' Then it was ''CUT, see you in the morning Eight O clock.. Thanks Harry that was good''. Well that was good for me too. It took me hours to come down. Me, Jerry and Nick went out on the town and got very drunk. (Well it makes a change)? The next day I'm back at the controls of the Sub and I'm thinking is it to be another starring role. Peter tells us today's the day the Sub gets hit and there could be a drop of water splashing around. First scene control room…I'm standing at the controls and Peter talks me through it. ''Now concentrate on the controls Harry and keep looking about. It seems the tide is coming in and you're going to be all right. Now give a huge sigh of relief. It's very quiet now but suddenly, !!!!! CRASH !!!!. That's the cue for the Prop men to sling big buckets of freezing cold water over me. ''You're panicking now Harry (He's got good eyesight) More water on him and CUT. I spent most of the rest of the day sitting on the Sub deck enjoying the warm sun while the Stuntmen got their share of the water. We shot some other stuff in one of the cabins drinking beers then it was time to head off back to London. Thanks Mr. Yates. (You must remember in the film game that all the shots don't make it to the big screen, a lot end up on the cutting room floor

1971

THE DEVILS…Director…Ken Russell… Oliver Reed…Vanessa Redgrave…Dudley Sutton… I worked for about sixteen weeks on this film standing/in for Dudley and doing every crowd scene possible.. From the first day on set I could not believe what I was seeing. A bevy of young girls dressed as Nuns walking around the set topless. Reg Prince, who was Oliver Reeds stand/in said to me ''Stop looking Aitch, or you'll go blind'' I said ''I'll risk one eye''. After the first couple of days it was back to looking at the Racing Post. I thought this film was Dudley's finest performance. How he could remember all those very long speeches was beyond me.. (That's the difference between an actor and a supporting artist) As I said, I got involved in many of the crowd scenes. Some days we had six Crowd Artists and another time six hundred. After a couple of months Ted Morley the 1st A.D. said ''Come in at six in the morning Aitch, Ken's got a little job for you'' (Be wary of Ken's little jobs) I'm in the make up room bright and early the next day standing in just my underpants. (Not a pretty sight at six in the morning) I'm painted off/white and grey and have rags tied about certain parts of my body. One of the make up girls pours some rice crispies into a bowl. (I'm thinking it must be breakfast time.) Then glue is applied one side of my face, shoulders and body and the rice is stuck on. After that they're painted yellow, red and a few other colours and it looks like I've got the plague. (That was the plan in the first place) It's nearly eight o clock now and I'm told I can go over to the Pinewood canteen and have a quick breakfast then go straight onto the set which was on the back lot.. The canteen was packed when I entered but within seconds I had a table to myself. (I wonder why?) Later on at the back lot they've dug a huge crater and filled it up with raggedly dressed dummies and I'm going to lay on the top.. This is the plague pit and I'm starring. Murrey Melvin was blessing our poor disfigured bodies. I had a smoke while they were lighting the set and it reminded me of that cigar advert Where the man is all at peace with his lot.. I thought to myself ''Is this it Aitch, on the scrap heap at thirty one years old'' Another of Ken's little jobs was to dress me up as a giant crow and to get drowned in the Pinewood pond. (Under the supervision of Peter Braham, Stunt Director) Now in theory it's quite easy to do. You float in the pond then sink into three foot of water whilst holding a plastic bottle of air in one hand and another one of blood in the other hand…(Simple) As you sink you squeeze the bottles and the air and blood rise to the surface. (Now here's the rub) The giant crows feathers wont let me sink. After about ten minutes the brains on the film come up with plan B. They will drop a huge weight with a steel ring in it to the bottom of the pond, then tie a rope around my waist under the feathers then through the steel ring. Pass the rope To the three prop men standing on the other side of the pond and they will pull me under the water. (It gets worse) By now I've been in the water for nearly an hour and I'm getting cold. The fish in the pond have got the hump with me and have started nibbling at the feathers and certain other parts of my anatomy. A couple of large brandies help with the cold and we're Ready for a take. (Let's do it) (now here's the plot.) I'm floating on the top and on a cue the prop men will pull me down to the bottom As I'm releasing air and blood.. (Big thought) What about my own air supply.??? How will the prop men know when I've run out of air to breathe so that they can release the rope. Another large brandy and it's decided that when I pull on the rope they will release it their end. Well to cut an even longer story short the idea worked and after about six takes (And Six more brandies) Ken got what he wanted. the moral of this story is, don't mix brandy and water. (Oh happy days)

The Devils was a great film to work on and I'd like to thank all the cast and crew for making it such a fun time. I'd like to say a very special thanks to the wonderful 2nd A.D. Mr. Vincent Winters. Vincent was a child actor and his great claim to fame was the film ''THE KIDNAPPERS'' Made in the fifties. He played the younger of the two brothers who find a baby on the Scottish Moors and want to call it Rover... (A wonderful film) I had a row with him twenty years later and never got to say sorry. Vincent has since died and I'm still sorry. (God bless)

THE NORMAN WISDOM SHOW… In about 1953 my Mother took me and my brothers and sisters to see Norman in a film called Trouble In Store at the local Bug Hutch in New North Rd. (That road still holds many memories). It was a film about a little man being put down but in the end coming up trumps. Anyway, I'm about to work with the man. An agent sends me to Watford main line station at 11am to play a crook. I have to meet up with another actor and wait for the crew to arrive. Now I'm dressed as a smart crook and I'm in the waiting room at Watford Station and the locals are giving me the beady eye… After about five minutes another smartly dressed crook arrives and the locals must think the heavy mob are about to take over. (We soon have the waiting room to ourselves)... Don Henderson introduces himself and it seems we have many friends in common. Mike Pratt, Dudley Sutton, Tom Baker etc. After about half an hour of chatting we get a message that the crew are running late at the other location and will not be here till about three thirty. ''Fancy a swift half'' I enquire to Don. "I could fancy a swift pint more" He replies. After three hours in the pub next door to the station we wend our way back to the waiting room just as the crew are turning up... ''Sorry to have kept you waiting so long, hope you haven't been too bored'' said a crew member. I'm trying to get the gob and the brain to work as one… "We're fine, we've been looking at a few sights" (from the bottom of a glass). The Director tells us that we are going to chase Norman, catch him and beat him up…(No problem). Now no one told us that Norman is the fittest man for his age that I had ever seen. We could not catch him and I was coming second. Norman was told to slow down his running so that the big bad bullies could beat him up. (There's got to be another story here somewhere). We worked quite late but managed to finish the shoot… Don Henderson went on to greater parts. Thank you Sir Norman Wisdom… I'm looking for a credit for this show....see my IMDb