Cyril Blamire
- Thread starter Charlie
- Start date
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
His most controversial role was Rangi Ram in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and probably one of the main reasons it will never be shown on TV now .
Douglas Enwright
Dedicated Member
Always thought he looked much older than 57 though,a great actor.
I really liked Blamire. Although I have never seen Michael Bates in anything else, what I appreciated was that, despite playing a fairly opinionated and domineering character, his acting was very subtle, a glance or a gesture can be as important as a good line, I think that is lost in modern acting.
As a child in America in the early 70's, the British warhorse from the Indian campaigns, always shouting, always trying to tell their memoirs, was probably the stock British character we were most exposed to, for example Comander McBragg from Tennesse Tuxedo/ Rocky and Bullwinkle, and a fixture in every murder mystery episode of any sitcom from that time period. I suspect the stereotype, besides being classified politically incorrect today, is dying out now and may not be as recognizable to the ever-younger demographic trying to be appealed to. I doubt the character of Blamire would have weathered as well as Clegg and Compo after 30 years.
I also always wondered if Rudyard Kipling had that classic British Indian accent, he's usually depicted as generally soft-spoken in keeping with the perception of how writers should be.
As a child in America in the early 70's, the British warhorse from the Indian campaigns, always shouting, always trying to tell their memoirs, was probably the stock British character we were most exposed to, for example Comander McBragg from Tennesse Tuxedo/ Rocky and Bullwinkle, and a fixture in every murder mystery episode of any sitcom from that time period. I suspect the stereotype, besides being classified politically incorrect today, is dying out now and may not be as recognizable to the ever-younger demographic trying to be appealed to. I doubt the character of Blamire would have weathered as well as Clegg and Compo after 30 years.
I also always wondered if Rudyard Kipling had that classic British Indian accent, he's usually depicted as generally soft-spoken in keeping with the perception of how writers should be.
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
Only in recent years am I really loving the earliest seasons. WETA-UK is currently airing season three and I am loving it so much. It could be my new favorite season (although there is still season 8). I know episodes like The Great Boarding House Bathroom Caper were originally written with Cyril in mind. I would just love to see how some of these episodes would be with Cyril instead of Foggy.
Yesterday, they aired the "Kink in Foggy's Niblick." I can't imagine that was written for Cyril with a little more slapstick humor (Football scene and golfing on the stream). Or was it?
Yesterday, they aired the "Kink in Foggy's Niblick." I can't imagine that was written for Cyril with a little more slapstick humor (Football scene and golfing on the stream). Or was it?
codfanglers
Dedicated Member
True, that is part of the inconsistency with Foggy's background. Although I don't remember Blamire in so many scenes with that sort of physical humor.
I do too, he was a horrible character in that!
If Blamire had stayed, the show would have gradually shifted to the physical humour, I'm sure.
Even in Series Two, Blamire was in the highly physical episode Ballad for Wind Instruments and Canoe - which was very much the style of things to come.
In fact, when Michael Bates became ill, and still carried on in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, he very reluctantly had to turn down Series Three, partly because it was going to be so physical.
Last edited: