Dave Freeman (British writer)
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Dave Freeman | |
---|---|
Born | David Freeman 22 August 1922 Marylebone, London, United Kingdom |
Died | 28 March 2005 (aged 82) |
Occupation(s) | Film and television screenwriter |
Notable work | The Benny Hill Show |
David Freeman (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.
He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. His works were known for their usage of puns and double entendre.[1]
During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including Benny Hill, Tony Hancock, Ted Ray, Terry Scott, Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes, Peter Sellers, Charlie Drake, Arthur Askey, Sid James, Leslie Crowther, Roy Hudd, Jimmy Edwards, Tommy Cooper, Harry Worth and Frankie Howerd.[1]
Early life
Dave Freeman was born in
After a period back at
Career
Benny Hill
Freeman co-wrote with Benny Hill from 1955 to 1968 for The Benny Hill Show on BBC. The early series were notable for spoofs of popular television personalities of the time, such as the quiz and talent-show host Hughie Green, the globe-trotting journalist Alan Whicker, and the undersea explorers Hans and Lotte Hass.[1]
Freeman was teamed with Hill from the second series, in 1956, and also appeared on screen when the star made one-off shows for ITV (1957–60) under a special contract with Bernard Delfont. He was later responsible for most of the scripts when Hill starred in three series of a BBC sitcom titled simply Benny Hill (1962–63), featuring the comedian in a different role each week in self-contained playlets.[1]
Television, Film and Radio
Alongside his success with
Television became Freeman's medium. Moving back and forth between BBC and ITV, Freeman wrote the sitcoms Charlie Drake in . . . (co-scripted with Charlie Drake, who played a different character each week, 1958–59) and both Arthur's Treasured Volumes (1960) and The Arthur Askey Show (1961).[1]
He also created and wrote sitcoms for Roy Kinnear and Jimmy Edwards. In A World of His Own (1964–65), Kinnear played the daydreaming Stanley Blake, an outwardly ordinary husband lost in his own fantasies. The Fossett Saga (1969) was a spoof on The Forsyte Saga and starred Edwards as an author of penny-dreadfuls, bon viveur and patron of the arts in Victorian London.[1]
Freeman wrote the fantasy serial Knock Three Times (1968), starring Hattie Jacques and based on the children's book by Marion St John Webb.[1]
In 1968 he wrote the screenplay to Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon. He also scripted episodes for The Avengers (1968)[4] and It's Tommy Cooper (1970).[4] After contributing to "Carry On" television specials, Freeman also wrote the feature film Carry On Behind (1975) and Carry On Columbus (1992).[1]
Much of his subsequent career was spent contributing episodes to some of television's most popular sitcoms, including Bless This House (1971–76), Robin's Nest (1977–81) and Keep It in the Family, writing nine episodes with his scriptwriter son Greg Freeman, between 1980 and 1983.[1]
He wrote, too, for
Theatre
A theatrical collaboration between Benny Hill and Freeman, Fine Fettle[1] opened at the Palace Theatre in 1959. Freeman's stage farce A Bedfull of Foreigners opened at the Victoria Palace in 1973, starring Terry Scott and June Whitfield.[1] In 1974, it transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre starring David Jason.[5]
In 1982, Key for Two
All three plays have since been performed all over the world.[1]
Commercials
Freeman wrote over 50 advertisements in a series of television commercials for the soft-drinks company Schweppes starring Benny Hill. The commercials became the first from Britain to win the Grand Prix de la Télévision at the 1961 Cannes International Festival of Publicity Films.[1]
Following the success of the Schweppes adverts, Freeman was asked to write a series of television commercials for the Egg Marketing Board starring Tony Hancock and Patricia Hayes.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Dave Freeman". The Independent. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Dave Freeman.co.uk – history". davefreeman.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ISBN 9781845136871.
- ^ a b "Dave Freeman". IMDb. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Week Ending.... – BBC Radio 4 FM – 3 June 1977 – BBC Genome". BBC. 3 June 1977. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Key for Two | Samuel French". www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Key Fot Two". chaseside.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA – Other Plays 1980–89". phyllis.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2015.