BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Geoffrey Palmer (original) (raw)
Geoffrey Palmer
Sue Lawley's castaway is actor Geoffrey Palmer.
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Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actor Geoffrey Palmer. Best known for his roles in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Butterflies and As Time Goes By, he had to wait a long time to become a household name and national treasure. Unsure what career to pursue after a spell in the army, he fell into acting because a girlfriend was involved in amateur dramatics. He worked in repertory theatre throughout the 60s and 70s and ended up working with John Osborne during the Royal Court's heyday in West of Suez, and later with Laurence Olivier.
With a face "reminiscent of a bloodhound mourning a lost scent", Palmer has, by his own admission "cornered the market in playing dull, plodding men". Many of his characters live out lives characterised by petty worries, suburban frustration and missed opportunities, but he plays them brilliantly, and with a sympathy that elevates them to the status of unlikely heroes. Geoffrey's grumpy on-screen persona has also recently led to him doing the narration for the BBC TV series Grumpy Old Men, which has become a cult hit and brought him a whole new generation of viewers. He was awarded an OBE in the new year honours list.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Favourite track: One O'Clock Jump by Benny Goodman
Book: Oxford Book of English Verse by Arthur Quiller-Couch & Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse by Philip Larkin
Luxury: Fly-fishing rod
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Music Played
Alan Price
Look Over Your Shoulder
- O Lucky Man.
- Warner.
Fats Waller
When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful
- You Must Remember This: The Great Love Songs.
- Happy Days.
Bunny Berigan and His Boys
I Can't Get Started
- Classics 1935-36: Bunny Berigan.
- Classics.
Johannes Brahms
Nänie, Op. 82
- Deutsche Grammophon.
Robert Schumann
Romance in B major, Op. 28/3
- Musik für Oboe und Clavier: Mayer and Becker.
- EMI.
Castaway's Favourite
Benny Goodman
One O'Clock Jump
* Benny Goodman: Live at Carnegie Hall.
* Columbia.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9 in D minor 'Choral' - 4th movement
- Beethoven: Symphony No.9.
- Philips.
Richard Strauss
Four Last Songs
- Strauss/Wagner: Jessye Norman.
- Philips.
Book Choice
Oxford Book of English Verse - Arthur Quiller-Couch & Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse - Philip Larkin
Luxury Choice
Fly-fishing rod
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Sue Lawley |
| Interviewed Guest | Geoffrey Palmer |
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