8mm Forum: Tons of Trouble 1956 DCR Films

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Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on May 05, 2012, 03:27 AM:

TONS OF TROUBLE 1956
DCR Films 1977 £48.20
4X400ft 78 minutes

Born 1908 Richard Hearne OBE star of Tons of Trouble was in later years to become a popular star of TV, Radio, Stage and Film particularly in the 1950’s which was the peak of his career. Many of my generation and older will recall watching him on children’s TV or Saturday morning pictures at the local ABC Cinema, but my own memory’s of Richard are drawn from this little gem from 1956 which was distributed by Renown Pictures Limited and was regularly seen on TV in the 1970’s bud sadly no more. The film has never seen an official DVD release and the ex library 16mm prints which circulate in very small numbers are very splicy and coated with tram lines which is far from ideal. Way back in the 70’s DCR films listed a healthy number of super 8 sound full length features and in 1977 one appeared which caught my eye although for some reason I never got round to ordering possibly as being somewhat younger then I thought things would be here forever. Latterly TOT was withdrawn so I missed what was a valuable opportunity to obtain a new Super 8 print and eventually got round to searching for a second hand film. 30 years later at long last I found a print and after its first screening here it left me completely speechless.

Tons of Trouble stars Richard in his familiar Mr Pastry character that is a lovable principled old gentleman living and working in a block of flats looking after two old boilers which need much attention. Local milkman William Hartnell (Dr Who fame) is after his job which he eventually gets. The typically acrobatic Mr Pastry has a series of comical events throughout this film including accidently pushing the maid in a bath and getting caught in the act of bathing her. A chap crashes his car that had a special message to deliver and Mr Pastry gets mixed up in that as well. This film is full of short comic sketches which will take you back a bit to a time when life was just that little bit simpler.

This particular film has quite a few interesting points to pick up on. Richard Hearne was offered the lead in the TV show Doctor Who but turned it down was he wanted to be his Mr Pastry character in it. Interestingly a bumbling Doctor Who would have also suited I guess. Many aficionados would site that Peter Cushings Doctor Who was a direct pinch of Richards Mr Pastry but you can decide that for yourself.

DCR Films aka Dave West did a great job with this print make no mistake. The master used is a very good copy and complete. The original had a small number of splices and only at reel changes which makes the Super 8 final print more desirable due to a near mint mastering process. The DCR film is of good quality with nice contrast and as mentioned full length. Sound is very good with excellent base for the familiar music score so top marks there as well. When I run DCR films I always think of Dave in that garden shed recording his super 8 sound tracks with his unique quarter inch reel to reel sound recording system. Those who visited him and got the guided tour will know what I mean.

Well it took me 30 years to find a used print of this little gem and the book is now closed. Yes I’m a hard core fan of Richard Hearne OBE the star who raised enough funds for many hydro pools for disabled children, gave much of his life to help others, appeared on the Ed Sullivan show so many times I lost count and was the first British television star. He passed away in 1979 but he is remembered today by many fans and thankfully a very good print of Tons of Trouble was made available by DCR for which I am grateful. They also issued the trailer within Trailer reel No 2 £6.25.

Over the years it seems I have followed the Mr Pastry trail closely even visiting his former home at one point, but it is his films and TV appearances that will keep his memory alive and I would recommend this DCR release to anyone who enjoys variety and just plain old entertainment which will take you back a bit.

[ May 09, 2012, 07:51 AM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on May 13, 2012, 04:05 PM:

I've got to say Lee,that was a labour of love and it shows,my
feelings are that you should submit that article to Phil's new mag
it certainly took me back to when my childhood heroes were
Mr Pastry,Flash Gordon,anything with Steve Reeves,Bronco &
Cheyenne,and it seems like yesterday.The last time I saw the
feature televised must have been about '62/63 at Christmas time
and my sister and myself were helpless.That was when children
had childhoods and were not young adults.Happy times.I do hope you put it in the next issue,but in the meantime I shall
ptint one off for the archive.Thanks for the trip.

Posted by Phil Slater (Member # 2388) on May 14, 2012, 05:09 AM:

Nice review Lee, it's great to see the memory of Mr Pastry being kept alive. I too am a Richard Hearne fan (although perhaps not as hardcore as you). He was born only about 3 miles from where I live in Norwich.

I was also lucky enough to pick up a great condition print of Tons of Trouble a few months ago. I also have the trailer (which I once loaned to you). I think you once told me that the maid he pushed into the bath in Tons of Trouble was his real life wife.

Do any of the Ed Sullivan appearances still exist, and are they available on any format? I would imagine that few, if any, of the many British TV shows he made, survived.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on May 14, 2012, 06:02 AM:

Thank you Hugh for the kind words and glad you liked my slightly extended review.

Good to hear from you Phil as well and yes I remember my first viewing of the trailer very well, and gob smacked springs to mind. Yes the Ed Sullivan shows are available on DVD and Richard can also be seen in colour as well which was a great surprise to me. Expect you know that some of his films are on disc as well although a genuine issue for TOT is slow coming forward. Thankfully we have the super 8 full feature from a very nice master although I was told only 20 prints were struck due to some issues in the 70’s which ultimately led to the films withdrawal. This is probably why it has been so elusive also compounded by being in the wrong place at the wrong time such is film collecting. Keep in touch.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on January 27, 2016, 05:17 AM:

Well it will soon be Richards birthday so we will be enjoying our usual film screening evening on the 30th.

A bit of a treat to TV viewers as on Jan first at 12.05 Talkingpictures will be screening TOT and this will be its first broadcast for many a year. Enjoy my friends.
[Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 29, 2016, 03:34 AM:

I hope you meant Feb 1st as we would have missed it if it was Jam. I remember this being shown during an ITV strike and would love to see it again. Richard Hearne starred in the first pantomime I ever saw at the Brixton Granada (originally Brixton Empress Theatre, now demolished) when I was very young.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 04, 2016, 06:03 AM:

If you did miss it Brian twas a very poor print sorry to say, but at least it had an airing.

Posted by Graham Sinden (Member # 431) on February 04, 2016, 07:06 AM:

I recorded this and totally agree with you Lee. Looked like they used a well run 16mm print with many lines. Does this exist on 35mm. I thought TPTV would have sourced a much better print. Mabye that's why there is no official DVD.

Graham S

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on February 06, 2016, 06:41 AM:

On again tomorrow lunchtime, I'll give it a try them.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 08, 2016, 06:38 AM:

Richard did appear in Googie Withers 'This is your life' and he also had his own programme in 1959. I find the colour footage of Richard fascinating along with all his films of course, but TOT has always been the most memorable and thanks to DCR good prints although small in numbers are still around.

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on December 11, 2016, 02:14 PM:

There was a 16mm print of this for sale at Blackpool, David Guest said it was the print returned from Talking Pictures TV (well, he said several on the table had been and I think this was one of them) so it would seem they did show it from 16mm.

Posted by David Guest (Member # 2791) on December 11, 2016, 02:42 PM:

yes sold it to lee Mannering at blackpool
I also have 2 more mr pastry films for sale called
madame gambles aka madame louise and
something in the city

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