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WELCOME TO JUST A MINUTE! starring KENNETH WILLIAMS, DEREK NIMMO, CLEMENT FREUD and ANDREE MELLY, chaired by NICHOLAS PARSONS (Radio, 24 November 1970)
THEME MUSIC ANNOUNCER: We present Kenneth Williams, Derek Nimmo, Clement Freud and Andree Melly in Just A Minute. And as the Minute Waltz fades away, here to tell you about it is our chairman Nicholas Parsons. NICHOLAS PARSONS: Thank you very much, hello and welcome once again to Just A Minute. And once again I’m going to ask these four seasoned battlers at this game to try and talk for Just A Minute on some unlikely subject without hesitation, without repetition and without deviating from the subject on the card if they can. If one of the other three think they are guilty of doing this, they may challenge. And if I agree with the challenge, they will gain a point and take over the subject. If I disagree with the challenge whoever is speaking will gain a point and continue with the subject as long as they can. That’s the way we score and that is the way we play the game. And the audience have already started laughing because Kenneth Williams is already doing his tricks! Which is playing to the audience. The subject is what excites me. So can you talk on that subject, what excites me, for 60 seconds Kenneth starting now. KENNETH WILLIAMS: Well I think, that in common with most people, I find extremely exciting the spectacle of semi-nudity as opposed to the complete thing. A small amount exposed really gets me going! The curiosity which is the insatiable element, I think, in all of us is tickled, if you like, aroused. And one mentally wonders oooohhh what have they got on underneath, you see. Even the face... BUZZ NP: Clement Freud you’ve challenged, why? CLEMENT FREUD: Deviation. NP: What from? CF: You don’t see! NP: You don’t see what? KW: I didn’t say I see, I said you wonder what’s going on. NP: You wonder what’s going on underneath... CF: You see! NP: Now! APPLAUSE FROM THE AUDIENCE KW: Don’t clap him! NP: It’s a very clever challenge. But you see, when it comes to nudity, if you couldn’t see it, or semi-nudity, you would not be able to be excited by it. Therefore it is obviously not a legitimate challenge. Because you’ve got to be able to see semi-nudity to be excited! KW: Oh that’s true! Yes! He’s very good! Yes! NP: So your, your, um, what’s that, your colloquialism was apt on this occasion Kenneth. I disagree with the challenge so you gain a point and you keep the subject and there are 23 seconds left for what excites me starting now. KW: Nothing more than the power of oratory. The finest speeches, words chosen with memorable precision and care strike a reverberating chord in the memory. And one is reawakened, so to speak, renewed, so to speak... BUZZ NP: Clement Freud you challenged. CF: Repetition, he so to spoke. NP: He so to spoke yes. And alas there were only three seconds to go and he would have kept the subject for 60 seconds otherwise. But Clement was the first to get in, he’s so clever at doing that. And you, I agree with your challenge Clement so you gain a point. Three seconds left, for what excites me starting now. CF: Kenneth Williams’ knees give me... WHISTLE NP: Kenneth Williams’ knees give Clement Freud yet another point... KW: Oh I’m completely overcome! I don’t know what to say! Really! NP: I wouldn’t say anything Kenneth, I’d just keep quiet! We often wondered what it was, the big bond between you. KW: Well they are nice you know! They really are! They are nice! They are nice! NP: I must explain to our listeners that Kenneth has now shown his knees to our audience! And from their reaction they obviously thoroughly approve! Also I must explain to the listeners that if any of them heard a noise in the background of either a police car screaming in the distance, they weren’t coming to help Kenneth Williams out! They were obviously on some other errand of mercy or emergency. The score, I must explain to those who may not know. Whoever is speaking when the whistle goes gains an extra point. In this case it was Clement Freud. The whistle tells us that 60 seconds is up. Andree Melly it’s your turn to begin. What to look for when buying a dog, that’s what Ian Messiter’s thought of for you and will you talk about it for 60 seconds starting now. ANDREE MELLY: I haven’t written it down yet! NP: I’m sorry. Well if you have to write it down, we’ll go back to the beginning. AM: Very sorry, yes right. NP: You must warn me in future if you’re going to write things down. AM: It’s very long, terribly long. NP: I think you’re just playing for time so that you can think about it. AM: That’s right, yes. NP: What to look for when you’re buying a dog, Andree Melly, 60 seconds starting now. AM: The most important thing to look for on this occasion is a dog. You want to find an animal with four legs, two ears, a nose, a pair of eyes, some teeth. If possible a young version of the species. And you want to be sure that you know what kind of animal it’s going to grow up to when it’s... BUZZ NP: Clement Freud has challenged. CF: Repetition of animal. NP: That is right, she did say animal more than once. So Clement you gain another point, 41 seconds left for what to look for when buying a dog starting now. CF: It’s not at all a bad idea to look at cats, parrots, ferrets.... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why did you challenge? DEREK NIMMO: Hesitation. NP: No I don’t think so, no, no, no, almost but not quite, no. So Clement has another point, 36 seconds left, what to look for when buying a dog starting now. CF: And other animals, so that when you meet the dog you are immediately able to say "you are a dog and I want to buy you..." BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo’s challenged. DN: Dog twice. CF: It’s on the card. DN: I’m so sorry, it was a great mistake. NP: Why? DN: Well I was challenging wrongly on dog, and it’s on the card. NP: Yes that’s right, yes. Well there we are, yes you were too keen. All that happens is that Clement has another point and there are 29 seconds left for what to look for when buying a dog starting now. CF: Perusing it carefully will show you the gender of the beast in question. Turning it upside down... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams why have you challenged? KW: I haven’t come here to listen to a load of filth! Supposed to be family entertainment! It’s a disgrace! NP: I kind of agree Kenneth, I don’t think it’s necessarily what to look for when buying a dog. I don’t think.... KW: Of course not! It’s not necessary! The dog is, we all know, a dog is a dog. If he said a dog... NP: Kenneth! If I may say, if it was a bitch.. KW: Oh yes! That’s right, yes! NP: ...which one was looking for, buying a dog... DN: Well if he was a Yorkshire terrier you wouldn’t see anything anyway, would you? NP: What to look for when buying a dog.... KW: It wouldn’t establish the gender, you see! NP: No that’s right, no, there we are.... CF: You’ve got to! NP: You’ve got to establish the gender? In other words, you might get a bitch? Is that what you were going to say? Well all right, I will score no points, because I think it was a debatable point. But I leave the subject with Clement Freud who has 18 seconds to continue with what to look for when buying a dog starting now. CF: Bright of eye, wet of nose, and savage of tooth is really what the ideal dog should be. He growls at strangers and licks friends. He mouths, barks.... WHISTLE NP: Well Clement Freud just managed to keep going until the whistle went. So he gains an extra point for speaking on the whistle. And as the challenges were debatable he got no points for his challenges. I want to make that quite clear. But he still has a commanding lead at the end of that round. And he continues talking because it’s your turn Clement. The subject is pulling a cork. Can you talk on that subject for 60 seconds starting now. CF: That’s absolutely disgusting! How can you talk about that! You... grip it in your hand, and you establish whether it’s a hen or a cock, and then... pluck it carefully... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo you challenged, why? DN: He’s not talking about pulling a cork, he’s talking about pulling a cock! NP: No, of course not! CF: Isn’t that what he said? NP: That is what I said, pulling a cork! LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE FROM THE CROWD CF: You could have fooled me, is all I... NP: All right. But, Clement Freud, you did not fool us! So I’m going to give it to Derek Nimmo, he has a point... KW: We’ll have to start all over again! NP: No! KW: None of that’s airable is it! NP: Derek Nimmo has rescued us.... KW: Goodness knows what old ladies in the Falkland Islands will say! There’ll be a lot of knitting stitches dropped! NP: I refuse to believe that my diction is so bad. Derek Nimmo’s going to take over the subject, there are 48 seconds left for pulling a cork starting now. DN: When you go fishing, it’s very advisable to throw a cork into the water so that you can see whereabouts the line is following your boat. Now if you do not do this, the string goes right down and you don’t see it again. Sometimes of course you can pull one out of a bottle. And my great-grandmother bequeathed onto me the most splendid corkscrew. It has worked on a trellis in Devise and patented, I might say, in the last century. It fits snuggly on top of the bottle and with a great swish out it comes and perhaps with a (makes popping noise) as well. That makes it particularly nice when you drink your wine which could be Muscadet or perhaps some Merthot or perhaps... BUZZ NP: Andree Melly you challenged. AM: Hesitation. NP: Yes he was searching for another wine and it’s very difficult when you’re having to keep going. So Andree I agree with your challenge, you take over the subject of pulling a cork and there are 13 seconds left starting now. AM: There are a great deal of new scientific ways of doing this these days. Some of them are to do with air... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why have you challenged? DN: That’s not pulling a cork. NP: No.... DN: That’s air pressure which goes.... NP: Yes that is not pulling a cork. You see, pulling a cork... AM: It pulls it up! NP: No, no, it’s the pressure behind that shoots the cork up. AM: Oh God! NP: You see, so you were deviating and Derek gets the subject back and there are six seconds left for pulling a cork starting now. DN: Well I tie a piece of string on the end of the cork and I walk round Trafalgar Square... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams why have you challenged? KW: String. NP: String, yes, you had string.... DN: You are right, jolly good! Well listened Ken! NP: Oh dear. So Kenneth you’ve gained the subject and a point and there are four and a half seconds left for pulling a cork starting now. KW: Well it’s always best to leave this sort of thing to waiters. They do it far better than I do it so I always do... WHISTLE NP: Kenneth will you begin the next round, patriotism. Will you talk to us about patriotism for 60 seconds starting now. KW: Well that great woman Edith Cavell said "it is not enough". She said "there must be no hatred in my heart for anyone". And I think it is very very beautiful... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why have you challenged? DN: Repetition of very very. KW: It doesn’t matter.... NP: No, it was not a repetition of very very, it was a repetition of very. DN: Very very beautiful, oh well, I mean, really! NP: Yes well all right, but it was a bit of a tough one. Because after all he was quoting, he was giving a very fine example of patriotism... DN: Right! NP: So I will charge no points, leave the subject with Derek, with Kenneth Williams, 50 seconds left for patriotism Kenneth starting now. KW: Doctor Johnson said it was the last refuge of a scoundrel. And of course there is something to be said for this point of view. It has been used or abused by many people in the world. I have no time for it myself. I think much the same thing applies to any piece of land. You can’t say this is peculiar because of so-and-so-and-so-and-so. I... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo you challenged. DN: Rather a lot of so. NP: Yes, that time definitely repetition. So Derek Nimmo... KW: It was nice! NP: Yes! But he definitely gains a point that time and there are 19 seconds left for patriotism Derek starting now. DN: I am deeply ashamed of Kenneth Williams’ view on patriotism. Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you? Joy or proud, shout it aloud. Let it be known... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams. KW: Deviation, he’s doing a song now, he’s not discussing... NP: And he is doing a very patriotic song. So he is still on the subject of patriotism, therefore I disagree with the challenge... KW: Ah well in that case, we could all start quoting reams of songs! NP: You were quoting something... DN: From Dr Johnson and Edith Cavell! KW: Ah that’s different with me because I do it beautiful! NP: Others would do it beautifully but you do it beautiful! Anyway Derek has a point and there are eight and a half seconds left Derek for patriotism starting now. DN: Down I go to Dover with my Union Jack and I stand on the cliffs. "Whatho!" I say. I’m an Englishman and proud of it! Come on you... WHISTLE KW: Why is he walking along like that Nick? And sticking his behind out? NP: That was one of those moments when we wish this was television and not radio. Because Derek Nimmo was giving an impersonation of Kenneth Williams arriving at the beginning of the show. Walking.... KW: It’s disgraceful! You shouldn’t mock infirmities! NP: You’ve mocked his impediment before now, his stutter! KW: Oh I thought it was a pediment! I’m sorry! NP: No, no, that’s on his foot! Right, the subject is, er Derek Nimmo to start, clock chimes. All right Derek, 60 seconds on that subject if you can, starting now. DN: I once knew a man who sat outside a big building to listen to the chimes. It’s not... BUZZ CF: Sorry, sorry, mistake. NP: Someone’s challenged. KW: He mistook it, he thought he said it twice, he hadn’t, go on. NP: Yeah but... it’s nothing to do with... no, no, no! If he challenges, he can’t... CF: Who challenged? NP: ...justify his challenge... CF: Who challenged? NP: Well somebody pressed the buzzer. But no light came on, I’m afraid. KW: It wasn’t me! DN: Lock the doors! Nobody leave the house! NP: I’m going to put you all on your honour! You’ve all been very honourable up to now. Now who pressed their buzzer? CF: I did. NP: There we are! So it was an incorrect challenge, so Derek Nimmo gets another point and there are... KW: You’re very buoyant tonight, aren’t you? NP: I’m all revved up! I’ve got a clock chimer. So there are 51 seconds left for you Derek on clock chimes starting now. DN: I must say I love the sound of jolly old clock chimes, don’t you? Ding dang dong dung bing bang bong bung! What more enjoyable noise... BUZZ NP: Clement Freud challenged you. CF: Repetition. NP: Of what? CF: More. NP: That is quite correct. Yes I wanted to hear, you might have said bing or bung... DN: What? KW: You said more and more. NP: Having got cleverly round your ding dongs and bungs and bangs you then got so carried away you said more and more. Clement spotted it, I agree with your challenge, Clement you gain another point, 41 seconds left for clock chimes starting now. CF: One of the most famous clocks is called Big Ben. And it chimes on the hour, and... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why have you challenged? DN: Well the clock is not called Big Ben. NP: That is perfectly correct. APPLAUSE FROM THE CROWD NP: The bell is Big Ben. Well done Derek, so that was deviation... KW: Well what is it then that’s called Big Ben? The bell? NP: The bell. KW: Well the bell belongs to the clock! So when he says Big Ben... NP: He said the clock chimes, er Big Ben chimes, the bell.. KW: What else is it that chimes? DN: One of the most famous clocks is called Big Ben... KW: Oh well it’s the clock that’s called Big Ben! It’s the clock that does do the chiming, isn’t it! DN: No it isn’t. KW: Well he’s still right! Of course he is! The clock is the thing... NP: Oh all right, if you’re going to start arguing, let the audience judge. They haven’t judged yet. Do you agree with Derek Nimmo’s challenge? If you do, will you cheer and if you disagree will you boo, and will you all do it together now! CHEERS AND BOOS FROM THE AUDIENCE NP: There’s no doubt about it, Derek Nimmo has a point. And there are 34 seconds left for clock chimes Derek starting now. DN: Tompkin made some of the finest clocks in this country and all of them have the most wonderful chimes fitted within them. Some can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. If you go into their Long Gallery on the second floor, there you will see a wonderful bow walnut cased clock which is absolutely magnificent. One of the finest examples of craftsmanship, I think, in this country. Oranges and lemons said the bills of St Clemence... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams why have you challenged? KW: I thought hesitation, the bells of St Cl-cl-cl-clemence. NP: If you had had deviation, because oranges and lemons said the bells of.... KW: Well he hesitated! NP: ...St Clememce. KW: You hesitated when you were speaking. NP: Well all right, it was also hesitation I think. Yes I quite agree, I quite agree. I quite agree. So Kenneth you have a point and you have eight seconds left for clock chimes starting now. KW: Not that I really want them. I regard them as the most dreadful sound ever to come upon my ear. They don’t float or it like the... WHISTLE NP: Well Kenneth Williams was speaking then when the whistle went and he’s now jumped into third place. And er Clement, no, Kenneth Williams is in third place, Andree’s just behind in fourth. And Clement Freud it’s your turn to begin again, the subject is the invention I most approve. Can you talk about that invention for 60 seconds starting now. CF: The invention of which I most approve is the wheel. And a very fascinating invention it was. Because first of all they thought "let’s make it a triangle" and they rolled this down hill and found... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams why have you challenged? KW: Deviation, it’s impossible to roll a triangle. NP: No, you can only roll something that is round. You can make it turn from point to point but that is not rolling.... KW: Quite right! CF: But that is how they got the wheel. NP: It’s how we got the wheel but they didn’t roll a triangle. They moved the triangle from point to point. I decide that rolling is not a thing you can do with a triangle. So it must be a smooth surface to roll. And therefore Kenneth has a point and he takes over the subject with 47 and a half seconds left starting now, the subject by the way, the invention I most approve starting now. KW: Well of course, there’s no question about it. It is Kenneth Williams! This invention has delighted thousands of people who would, without it, have been totally bereft. People say to me "without you where would my night be?" BUZZ NP: Clement.... KW: ... ie., my evenings totally empty.... BUZZ NP: Clement.. KW: You fill the spaces... NP: Clement Freud challenged you, though we were just loving it... CF: Two people. DN: Yes. NP: Yes we did have two people, people ask... KW: The whole thing’s deviation because I’m not an invention, I’m a natural product. So you should have had that. NP: I know! KW: I don’t know how any of you let it all go on so long! NP: I’ll tell you why... KW: I’m a natural product! NP: Kenneth! KW: I’m issue you see! NP: Quiet Kenneth! Quiet for a minute! I’ll tell you exactly why they let it go on. KW: Why? NP: Because you made such a point about your fascination, they really felt they should give you a chance to go! KW: Yes! CF: I let it go because his Mum’s sitting in the front row nodding! APPLAUSE FROM THE CROWD NP: And I must... If this was television, the producer would now put the camera on her at this particular moment and show that she was thoroughly embarrassed about what her son was saying at this moment! Anyway the subject is the invention I most approve, it’s back with Clement Freud who’s gained another point and there are 33 seconds left starting now. CF: So then they tried with a square, pushing it along an incline and not very fast did it move downwards. So... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why have you challenged? DN: Hesitation. NP: Not quiet. He was coming towards that moment of hesitation but he didn’t quite achieve it. So Clement has another point, there are 23 seconds for the invention I most approve starting now. CF: They trimmed off the edges, put a hubcap, invented spokes. And there was the wheel, rolled... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo’s challenged. Why? DN: Repetition of invented. NP: Yes that’s right, yes. We’ve had invented more than once. Derek you have a point, you take over the subject of the invention I most approve, 17 seconds left, starting now. DN: The invention of which I most approve is the single yellow line. I find it absolutely fascinating when I go out of my house in the morning, there I see a great long slip of yellowness.... BUZZ NP: He couldn’t get away from it, could he? Clement you challenged first. CF: Repetition. NP: Of what? CF: Yellow. NP: Yes, that is correct. DN: Yellowness. NP: So um you said yellow more than once Derek. Clement you get another point, three seconds left for the invention I most approve starting now. CF: The circle came later... WHISTLE NP: At the end of that round Clement Freud again increases his lead over Derek Nimmo who increases his lead a little over Kenneth Williams and Kenneth increased a little over Andree Melly. In that order they are still at the end of that round. Kenneth it’s your turn to begin again. I pause because I wasn’t quite sure what Ian’s thought of you, it is the snark. Can you talk about the snark for 60 seconds starting now. KW: I believe this is an imaginary animal. It occurs in the title of The Hunting of the Snark. And I understand it was written by someone called Dodgson or Lewis Carroll, as he was titled for the purpose of authorship. And this whole thing has its beginning in the idea of diverting the young. It’s certainly never succeeded with me! I infinitely prefer Gibbon or John Mottley to this muck! But I believe with many people it has achieved a kind of popularity. The explanation... BUZZ NP: Derek Nimmo why have you challenged? DN: Repetition of achieved. He achieved... NP: Yes, yes yes... KW: Oh very clever of you! NP: Yes! he’s very much alive. And Derek Nimmo gets another point and there are 23 seconds left for the snark Derek.... DN: I’m always fascinated I think, to think of Mr Dodgson in his Oxford college, leaning out of the window looking at little girls going across the garden. And all the time thinking of the snark. Now I... BUZZ NP: Derek, Clement Freud challenged, why? CF: Deviation. NP: Why? KW: Certainly deviation! It’s disgusting! CF: There were no little girls in Oxford Colleges... DN: That’s when he saw... NP: He could well have seen one out of term time. You’re allowed to take visitors into colleges at winter. DN: That’s where he met Alice, you see. In Wonderland. NP: I don’t think he saw a snark, he might have seen... CF: You mean Alice is at it again? Alice? NP: No you can’t justify it Clement, Derek Nimmo has a point and there are 15 seconds left for him to continue with the snark Derek starting now. DN: I bought a new boat last week, and I’m going to call it The Snark. I think it’s an awfully appropriate name for a catamaran, don’t you? Because a catamaran has... BUZZ NP: Andree Melly got in that time. AM: Repetition of catamaran. NP: That is right and there are eight seconds left for the snark, Andree starting now. AM: This poem which tells you how to hunt for snarks... BUZZ NP: Kenneth Williams why do you challenge? KW: It’s not a poem. NP: What is is then? KW: Prose. NP: The Hunting of the Snark, it’s poetry. KW: Oh well, I understood... I’ve never read it, I always understood it was prose. NP: No it’s definitely poetry. It rhymes you know with the tumty-tum, very much. KW: Oh well, that’s not poetry either! That’s doggerel. He wasn’t a poet! NP: Well tried! They do try hard, don’t they! KW: No it’s certainly not a poem, it’s doggerel! Doggerel unquestionably! NP: Some people think it’s great fun and very good poetry. And Andree Melly has a point and she continues with the snark... KW: It’s not even listed! What are you talking about? He’s not even listed in The Book of English Literature, this man! It’s rubbish! It’s all rubbish! NP: Kenneth Williams you cannot get round me. Andree Melly has a point, there are five seconds left for the snark Andree starting now. AM: It is difficult to understand because in a way it is a form of rubbish writing. And when you want to... WHISTLE NP: I’m afraid that is all we have time for. I see it is time to halt this particular edition of Just A Minute, so let me give you the final score. Reading backwards as I like to do, though I find it very difficult. Andree Melly and Kenneth Williams were equal in third place. They were a little way behind Derek Nimmo in second place who was behind this week’s winner Clement Freud. We do hope you’ve enjoyed this particular edition of Just A Minute. From all of us here goodbye. THEME MUSIC ANNOUNCER: The chairman of Just A Minute was Nicholas Parsons, the programme was devised by Ian Messiter and produced by Simon Brett. |
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