MOONLIGHT AND ROSES

Rehearsals: 11^th – 14^th September 1975 at The Sulgrave Boys Club, 287 Goldhawk Road, London, W12

1:30pm – 5:30pm

Walk-Through: 18^th September 1975 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Leeds

Recorded: 19^th September 1975 at Yorkshire Television Centre, Studio 4, Leeds

Broadcast: Friday 7:30pm 28^th November 1975

CAST

Leonard Rossiter – Rigsby

Richard Beckinsale – Alan

Frances de la Tour – Ruth

Don Warrington – Philip

Robin Parkinson – Desmond

Gay Rose – Brenda

CREW

Creator/Writer – Eric Chappell

Producer/Director – Ronnie Baxter

Designer – Colin Pigott

Music – Dennis Wilson

Casting – James Ligatt

Floor Manager – Mike Purcell

Stage Manager – Olive Simpson

Production Asst – Celia Sherman Fisher

Lighting – Peter Squires

Cameras – Gerry Lord

Sound – Dave Whiteley

Vision Mixer – Chris Foles

Tech Supervisor – Gordon Quinn

Wardrobe – Brenda Fox

Make-up – Viv Locklin

Prop Buyer – Fred Newell

Scenes – Bill Donnelly

Call Boy – Graeme MacArthur

Warm-up – Felix Bowness

Episode Review

There’s competition for landlord Rigsby in….RISING DAMP

Rigsby’s perplexed tenant, Ruth, has found new love, and it certainly seems like the real thing. Rigsby, always searching for the slightest hint of encouragement from the light of his life, believes it has finally happened, and that she’s finally fallen forhim, besides, you can’t resist that sort of charm for long. Alas, poor Rigsby is in for a rude awakening – for the new man in Ruth’s life is not him, but Desmond from the local library….

“What….D-e-s-m-O-n-d?!?” Rigsby has one weapon against Desmond in the fight for Ruth’s heart – cunning! All’s fair in love and war they say – but trust Rigsby to abuse the privilege.

Interesting to note:

• Production# 2773
• ‘Moonlight and Roses’ – not in Top 20 viewing figures
• Fridays at 7.30pm, opposite US imports The Invisible Man, starring David McCallum

Did you know?

• In an interview given to the TV Times in 1975, Ruth’s character was referred to as Jill.
• The role of Brenda was originally given to an actress who started rehearsals but then withdrew shortly after citing incompatibility with Leonard Rossiter. With Chappell and Baxter under pressure to replace her, Baxter recalled a young Canadian girl he had seen on stage in Leeds a year prior. She (Gabrielle Rose) was called and she was given just 5mins to make up her mind. She is quoted as saying “I reckon I took just ten seconds to say yes”, she would later recall.
• The rehearsal script featured several sequences which were almost entirely different than the broadcast script; a greater emphasis was given to astrology, with an alternative ending – see below for images from the script.
• During the break in production, the lower jaw of the anatomical skeleton on the attic flat set had become detached whilst in storage and subsequently lost. It would remain without it for the rest of the series.
• Tinted lighting was used throughout the episode to simulate moonlight.
• The chimes of a large clock were ‘fed in’ during the opening scene.
• Did Rigsby move? Perhaps caused by his political intervention in Stand Up and Be Counted, or maybe just a renumbering scheme by the Royal Mail – his boardinghouse is shown to be number 34.
• A large quantity of flowers were obtained to dress Miss Jones’ flat.
• The end credits were super imposed over the closing scene of this story, and partly over the “RISING DAMP” caption slide.

Dressing Rooms:-

Leonard Rossiter #12

Richard Beckinsale #11

Frances de la Tour #6

Don Warrington #8

Gay Rose #6 (previously occupied by Frances de la Tour)

Robin Parkinson #9