Terry-Thomas - 1976

Terry-Thomas had just made the film Spanish Fly when we recorded this interview with him in 1976. You can see that even then he was not a well person. In fact it was rather sad to see someone you had known through so many films looking old and frail. We had to arrange for some electric heaters (in addition to the lighting) to help keep him warm. The tea he had in front of him had something added to give it a kick.
Sadly, this is an edited version of the original video, this is due to copyright claims from StudioCanal and Billion Dollar Boy, even though all clips were supplied 100% legally and from the relevant film companies for specific use in this interview when it was recorded in 1976!
The interviewer is Mark Caldwell.
See a promo for the film SPANISH FLY:
• "Spanish Fly" - Releas...

[@djgade6766]

I worked with terry Thomas on 'the magnificient Men...',carried him up the beach when he unloaded his plane from a boat to give the impression he had flown the channel. I was as a french villager who thought he was a hero and carried him off on their shoulders. This was filmed at Camber Sands, I was a very young man. Took 3 of us to lift him up the dunes. So sad to learn of his long illness and demise. The most honourable devotion and and care he had from his wife is so admirable. My wife of 33 years abandoned me when I became disabled. Terry was truly a Magnificient Man, and his Lady a truly Magnificient Woman RIP

[@Czechbound]

Hear hear. Sorry that you wife was so callous. Hope you're in good health in these days. I watched Spanish Fly yesterday. For the probable low budget, it was well made. The actors do their best with the thin material, but the pacing is good. The models/ actresses that play the models in the movie are up for giving their all. Sad to read that the lead model, Natiuska, has been a resident at a mental institution near Madrid for many years, suffering from schizophrenia

[@stobbinsboy]

Oh that is really low. My heart goes out to you. Be good to yourself. I wish you peace in everyway my good man.

[@simonrae3048]

Great that you've commented on this and wish you the best. You are a little part of film history which must be wonderful.

[@ThePanicman66]

Wow! What a great story…you were so lucky👍👍

[@nigel900]

The guy had more charisma and witt in a 20 minute interview, than all of Hollywood in a lifetime. What a class act.

[@mckavitt]

Nigel 900 Absolutely!

[@cityandsuburb]

So true.....

[@paulhargreaves9103]

I like the cut of your jib Sir, respect...!

[@darioyabra1465]

What an Absolute STAR!!! ❤ Just as Brilliant in real life as he always was when he played such memorable characters to perfection!!! 😹😹😹

[@ralphsanchico2452]

Terry Thomas was instrumental in getting me to watch a lot of English movies whether they be action, comedy or drama! He was a class act!

[@craigbeaumont414]

TT.......Absolute bloody legend, and I will make sure that if I have children they will see his films. Loved him to bits

[@cityandsuburb]

Me too chaps...

[@musiclover6133]

Me too.

[@mariogiresi6792]

@starchildstrider Make sure they get to see Tom Thumb. Absolutely hilarious 😂

[@malcuk5014]

Good show 👍

[@MrMakeDo]

A wonderful legendary British actor. You can see the development of Parkinsons in this interview and it's tragic how his life ended. He deserved better.

[@dashercronin]

What a gent! He is really carrying the interviewer despite the encroaching horror of Parkinson.

[@whispperson]

Love this incredible actor. Terry Thomas was just brilliant in every movie.

[@toff358]

An absolute delight to watch! TT was plainly some way down the road with Parkinsons here (it was diagnosed in 1971), but still manages to be very funny, witty, quick witted mentally agile and utterly delightful. God love him; he was a wonderfully funny comic actor who brought so much laughter to so many, and by so many accounts was a thoroughly nice fellow.

[@garydunn3037]

toff358 Here Here.

[@mckavitt]

toff358 His end was most tragic, heartbreaking. Worst of all, you can see it here on KZbin. So v. sad.

[@scrmepal]

Terry Thomas was one of those actors who everyone seemed to love.........he played English cads so well, and who can forget his famous phrases, such as "you an absolute shower", or "hard cheese"..............:)

[@mckavitt]

scrmepal He was grand in MAKE MINE MINK.

[@saintetienne755]

Generous of spirit and a warm temperament made Terry wonderful company. God bless you Terry - missed terribly

[@Dudleymiddleton]

" Absolute shaaah!" Gap in the teeth, cigarette holder, utter legend!

[@arranshirovay6107]

What a bloody good fellow he was, an Era of British class long gone

[@Tridhos]

"You're an absolute shower" a wonderful comedian, so sad to see him at the end he deserved better.

[@Gobs68]

Interesting insight that he viewed many of his characters as middle class desperately trying to be upper class. Lovely man and a comedy legend.

[@spritbong5285]

Basil Brush was the puppet, identical twin of the great Terry Thomas. Both loved and adored by the British public.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

BOOM BOOM

[@chrisbarton5851]

dear terry Thomas gave us such laughter a brilliant actor sadly missed 😢

[@musiclover6133]

I wish he knew just how long lived his legacy will be, and how revered after all these years.

[@ceceliaclarke]

Terry Thomas...wonderful as always and responding with good will and patience. The interviewer...perfectly awful. Knows very well that an actor is not going to want to talk about being "type cast" and performing the same role repeatedly, and yet he pushes through with one question after another about "type casting". He's an absolute creep. Lacks the talent for bringing out the best from the person being interviewed, and so resorts to trying to corner an actor into defending his entire career. However, this is the truth which emerges: we all remember Terry Thomas, as a versatile and highly enjoyable performer. Who remembers this interviewer? His close relatives...maybe.

[@dad7720]

Well said👏👏👏

[@DrCrabfingers]

He is the quintessential RAF Spitfire pilot....white scarf and stiff upper lip. I've just ordered "Those Magnificent Men...." An extraordinary persona...but in reality he was just a common Londoner...the accent was contrived. TT has entered the British Psyche and remains the quintessential English gentleman and also cad. So funny, and always entirely watchable.

[@simongee8928]

Thomas's greatest skill was to play broadly similar caddish characters, but with superbly observed subtle differences. A true craftsman.

[@garybrockwell2031]

What a fantastic Englishman, just looking at all the comments 😁 you can see how much we all loved and identifyed with him. Got the onset of the allfull slow robbing disease 😢🆘🇬🇧 Seeing this , reminds me how much he's missed still🙏💯🎬 Sleep well ol'chap🙏✌️🤩😍🕊️🕊️

[@josephlandrut4154]

Terry-Thomas played a cad but his loyal wife nursed him during his last day.,

[@danabrahams7892]

What an absolute legend - one of the absolute greats. Allegedly a really genuine and nice man as well - treated poorly by his family when he fell ill - shame on them

[@ColinGrimshaw]

When I met him for this 1976 recording, he was indeed a real gent !

[@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs.]

Is that so? I just finished his biography, apparently his wife looked after him until she had a nervous breakdown and his sons tried to make money to pay for his treatment. I hadn't heard that he had been treated badly by them. Sorry to hear it if so.

[@danabrahams7892]

@@Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXyQmKWcqdOCprc sad to say it is/was true

[@danabrahams7892]

@@ColinGrimshaw How wonderful thank you for posting this and replying

[@dizzysteve256]

Absolute legend and a true gentleman we will never see his like sadly again 🙂

[@MrNaKillshots]

RIP. A legend of the screen.

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

Terry Thomas was a legend. I’m a fan of many of his films, but I thought he was especially delightful in Make Mine Mink.

[@michaelgibson4705]

T T the epitome of a 40’s-50’s cad,blunder,and an absolute rotter,fond memories and a wonderful accent from that time

[@RonWylie-gk5lc]

Wonderful wonderful actor

[@borderlands6606]

The interviewer was okay, he let T-T do his stuff without interjecting any of the cod psychology so rampant now, and had actually seen the films, which again is a novelty. As is the fact he got more than 5 minutes to tell his story. Terrible way to go, but Terry-Thomas comes across as a genuinely nice and extremely funny chap.

[@bennyjazzful]

WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 What a wonderful actor & a great person. From a mad keen 76yo Aussie fan.

[@benjaminclasper9355]

Terry Thomas has quite the elderly Englishman sort of a John Cleese vibe I get from him which I like and it’s showing how he is totally different talking in an interview and he changes his personality from acting to being himself and yet he always has comedy with him and he’s like John Cleese as basil fawlty in a comical way too.

[@benjaminclasper9355]

And he also has played old cads and horrible old baggy characters but in real life I love how he isn’t like that all and how he changed his acting to being himself really easily too. And he’s so entertaining too.

[@shotokansmudgemosmith2346]

Thanks for making this available to us. 69 now & grew up watching Terry Thomas. The geezer was & still is a one - off World Class source of entertainment. R.I.P. Terry Thomas. From me & my late wife Maureen.

[@musiclover6133]

Pure comedic Genius.

[@Lewisevans1618]

I love Terry-Thomas can watch and listen to this great man for hours 😊

[@ALKAHESTBOY]

The interviewer Mark Caldwell is one of the best and brightest I've ever seen.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

I'll tell him that !

[@shaun5944]

I absolutely love T T, totally unique man. He played many great characters. I Iove every film he was in. Thank you for all the laughs Terry. 👍😂😂😂🇬🇧

[@robbryant52]

Now Terry was a great character and a wonderful actor every film he nearly always stole the scene ...in it's a mad mad etc film he was really on top form and he was surrounded by lots of great actors comedians but he shone through in every scene ..I doubt if we will ever see the likes of him ever again....in my eyes he was number one ..brilliant and what a class act

[@dps8435]

He dominates that film,no mean feat.

[@cosmicman621]

@@dps8435 ...the car scenes with Milton Berle and Ethel Merman...are high art.Mr Berle trying not to laugh at Mr Thomas.That’s What makes life worth living.😂😂😂

[@coolhand67]

Thank you so much for uploading this. What a wonderful man.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

My pleasure!

[@305Lfx]

Well hello..... Beautiful man... erudite and hilarious... charismatic.... played the most magnificent bastards ...fantastic man salute

[@gregw4303]

He was great. Can’t think of anyone like him now.

[@Ohcurlygirl9611]

Such a wonderful man, loved him xx

[@videocurios]

Interview Heaven Thanks again for sharing this gem

[@mariogiresi6792]

Thomas is a delight as always, but the interviewer tends to rush from question to question without letting the audience absorb and enjoy Terry’s answers. How I miss dear old T-T.

[@morganfisherart]

I certainly agree! I think that young interview was far too pushy and impatient when dealing with a gentleman of this quality.

[@WhippetOut]

Terry-Thomas was incredible. Loved him in everything he did. Too Many Crooks a particular favourite.

[@charleigh195]

What a guy truly magnificent as an actor and a beautiful man

[@nikkimorris5060]

I loved Terry Thomas!! He was a wonderful actor, d. I laughed at him, (and Peter Sellers), until I could hardly breathe. I am 81 years old, and still Terry Thomas is a clear vision in my memories, and I still smile, and/or laugh every time. I am old now, however, I will never forget you Sir, and the wonderful enjoyment you gave to so many, and always gav to me.

[@johnhuwroberts7766]

He’s looking well here. He became terribly ill with Parkinson’s. A true “one off!” Lovely man.

[@dps8435]

He just captivates you,so effortless,would love to have met him,I bet he had some great stories,a life well lived.

[@alanwitton5039]

Great actor! I'm so sorry to hear of his health problems

[@jennifermorrison9923]

Absolute shower Terry last interview when parkinsons had really got him was so sad the true English gent god bless KOR F

[@mjrussell414]

That was incredible - what a gentleman he was! So funny, generous and eloquent all at the same time. Ran hilarious circles around that silly interviewer. I was a fan ever since I was a kid and saw him in old movies but didn’t really know who he was. You appreciate the nuances of pure talent more when you are older and more experienced yourself. I was sad when I found out him and his wife lived in poverty at the end of his life while he battled Parkinson’s disease, but was glad to also find out people rallied to raise money for him to receive proper care. I would have donated if I had known.

[@jyotifraser7439]

Thank you very much for saying this. I feel very touched by your appreciation of T-T, and I liked his work a lot, from my 1950s' boyhood onwards!

[@philipbrougham6360]

Never heard anyone say a bad word about him ....

[@albertatlock]

Absolute genius.

[@PamelaTurnbull-s2k]

I love Terry-Thomas.❤

[@retromechanicalengineer]

School for Scoundrels, awesome film.

[@glamdolly30]

The great Terry-Thomas, still as sharp as a tack here despite his failing health - he's running rings around that work-experience interviewer! Was this regional TV? A bit sad to see this actually, T-T was a legend, worthy of a skilled interviewer on the level of Michael Parkinson.

[@mbvideoselection]

STOIC = Student Television Of Imperial College (London)

[@ColinGrimshaw]

+glamdolly20 It was shown throughout London via the ILEA cable television network, which linked all schools and colleges in the London area.

[@dps8435]

So many nuances,a master of his craft with innuendo.

[@LemoUtan]

@@mbvideoselection I remember watching it in some common room at Imperial. The cold and the Parkinsons was much discussed. Great man.

[@photogenic2010]

Marvelous man, his words still fresh in my head. I wonder if any recordings exist of Terry doing piccadilly hayride or any radio / stage performances of his that we can somehow listen to ?

[@MrDavey2010]

The interviewer is so bloody serious. No sense of humour at all which makes TT’s life so difficult as he’s being frivolous and witty against a black hole.

[@monsieurdel]

But it makes for a GREAT opportunity... the perfect unintentional straight man.

[@cityandsuburb]

Loved TT, ex R.A.F - still sporting the WWII issue mustache... An old chum lived three doors away from the man in Queens Gate Place Mews, just round the back of the Natural History Museum. He had a perfect 'bachelors flat' to which he'd bring the young fillies back....! Absolute rotters...

[@bazzbazzley]

Superbo...you might say.

[@Soundofsilence-j4d]

What gentleman never put any one down. Full of culture.to share. And gentle man as well who intriviewed

[@castelodeossos3947]

Modest gentleman who could teach famous American comedians a thing or two about 'trying to be funny'. The more famous of them always do so, which makes them a bore rather than funny. Great to see how the interviewer can't stop laughing at what Mr T-Thomas says.

[@carolilseanne2175]

He did play similar roles, but he was superb at being a cad, swindler and con man. I hate to think the poor man died in such dreadful circumstances as he did, but his wife never gave up on him. Bless them bith. RIP Terry-Thomas, they don't make them like you any more.

[@markomarko1341]

God bless his soul , done so much good for so many peopl❤

[@Catherineone]

His book is a great read.

[@jamie7896]

Wonderful actor. Very sadly to you can see in this interview that Parkinson's has already taken hold. 4 -years after this interview the great man was unable to work.

[@davidfos84]

You can tell how much the illness had taken hold since shooting Spanish Fly and partaking in this interview. That said, Terry was still hugely entertaining, dry and a bit surreal.

[@SpikeXtreme]

Actually i think he looks good considering. His hands are not shaking and his voice is firm and he has vivid recall of the past. Seeing him on the Thames program sitting slumped in a chair, with a blanket over his lap was very shocking and upsetting.

[@Danimal77]

There is a transitional video on youtube from 1982, where he had declined a lot since this 1976 interview, but he even that's a stark contrast from the 1989 interview you're referring to where he's pretty much completely frozen/catatonic. Remember, he was diagnosed in 1971.

[@dps8435]

I watched that clip recently and it left me deflated,not how I want to remember him,such a hideous disease.

[@jrgboy]

Most actors are chosen for a part based on their own character cos it makes the role believable, isn't that the idea ?

[@misfit2022]

I first noticed Terry-Thomas in horror films as a small child before progressing to Monte Carlo or Bust then his classic early films like Too Many Crooks, I’m Alright Jack etc etc. I rewatched It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world recently and still great.

[@rosemariemann1719]

Terry-Thomas was the perfect irate boss in " I'm Alll Right, Jack" . ( Very funny film , Peter Sellers & co., reflecting the inverted snobbery of union - based power !). Who can forget the wonderful way he used to say, "Absolute SHOWER !" 😊💕🇬🇧⭐🇺🇲💕😊

[@philwilliams2505]

Love Terry xxx

[@jackmonaghan8477]

There should be a biopic made of Thomas and his struggles with Parkinson's in later life. It would also help to illustrate the point that anyone can fall into poverty as he did and just how vicious the attacks on the welfare state became during the 80s (the effects of which can still be felt today).

[@kyawkyawwin1]

You can tell he wasn't well. What a sad and tragic decline.

[@chrisbird2458]

The best of his generation.

[@shambhuthapa4283]

Brilliant

[@frarfclin7736]

Class act , liked a libation to wet his whiskers. 😂

[@markandresen1]

I'm sure Mark Caldwell's a lovely chap, but his interview technique here was poorer than most on your excellent channel. TT, great value as ever...

[@gjones7547]

TT - class act.

[@dreadnaught3894]

"Hallo . . . are you terribly well?. . . . . . you are?. . . . . . . . Good Show!"

[@JD-eq4dp]

1976 and still in Black and White ? T-T a national treasure. Should have been knighted. Brilliant.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

We used the South London Studios of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) who did not have the resources to move into colour, at that time.

[@stevenlangdon-griffiths293]

The phrase "absolute shower " was, I remember correctly was what Terry-Thomas heard an officer say through an open window during his military days. He changed his accent to be the same as the officer too.

[@hectorchaves9717]

Probablemente el mejor comino del cine ingles, junto a David Niven, ,Alec Gines y Peter Sellers

[@splerth3771]

I say, good show!

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Stupid asking him like he's anything like the characters he plays on screen, it's a bit like asking if the sky is blue, Terry was like sid James, they didn't really act, they just played themselves

[@ColinGrimshaw]

Galaxy Tab So the answer was actually yes then!

[@adrinathegreat3095]

😄

[@curleyteeth]

That is not entirely true as Sid James was an African and was acting the part of the Cockney Spiv bit.That made him as good as any actor could be.Terry Thomas,well need i say anymore.Two greats that you have mentioned Galaxy my old Tipper.

[@tomheslington2993]

TT was pretty lower middle class played the toff pretty well. He was born in a fairly poor area of Finchley. They both played a character that was a great invention but didn't really have much to do with who they were.TT was a pretty smart guy and was nice, not the snide charmer he portrayed and depending on who you believe Sid James was a quite fairly shy man who loved his wife and his kids and whose only real vice was horse racing. He was far from 'crooked old Sid' from Hancock.

[@SafetyProMalta]

Those intro sketches were like Pennywise had a film show..😂

[@trevorbrown6654]

It's curious this is a black and white video seeing as in 1976 the UK had.gone completely to colour. I wonder if it's from a home recording.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

We used an educational television studio that was still running in B/W. Even our studio didn't go colour until 1979. It was a huge investment to re-equip a studio in colour.

[@trevorbrown6654]

@@ColinGrimshaw ok, I had assumed this had been made for BBC or ITV broadcast.

[@extrastype]

He's ill but still sharp.

[@LemoUtan]

Clouseau/Clouzot - hah!

[@martinshannon7632]

Brill

[@esteban1487]

Parkinsons beat him up so bad.

[@barrycuda3769]

Was his character in it's a mad mad world horrible? I didn't think so.

[@17losttrout]

Mark Caldwell wasn't all that as an interviewer. Love Terry, blessim.

[@ColinGrimshaw]

Just a reminder that he was an undergraduate student at the time and not a professional interviewer of any kind. :-)

[@rapido2963]

I thought the interviewer did a good job actually. He let TT tell his anecdotes without unnecessary interruptions. It couldn’t have been that bad as we all thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@nickrees4706]

TT mentions director Clouzot. Interviewer: “Would you have liked to play Clouseau?”. LMAO. TT: “No Clouzot who directed Les Diaboliques and the Wages of Fear…’. Interviewer “Oh, yes” ROTFL😂

[@robertthomas6866]

I dig john Cleese in that same way, the Englishmen.....

[@hackbritton3233]

I'm sorry I love Terry but I can't watch any more of this.

[@roberthayes9842]

Actually his real voice was cockney, rare tapes reveal this

[@Sol-Cutta]

50 films??!!?? In 6 yrs he would be well into parkinsons and not making any more films.. He had made 200 odd when he died.so he didn't make 150 in 6 yrs... U can hear here the parkinsons.. Life's a weird bugger.

[@andrewhoward7200]

Wonderful man, dismal interviewer.