LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
The Adventures of William Tell (1958)
DVDRips
English
Conrad Phillips starred as the legendary hero from the Swiss settlement of
Berglan in Uri, who became a folk hero very much in the Robin Hood mode.
William Tell.The story of William Tell goes back nearly seven centuries
(first appearing in a chronicle of 1470) to the days when the Austrians were
the overlords of the states that now make up Switzerland, and the invading
Austrian Governor Landburgher Gessler ruled with tyrannical force. To
make sure that he was feared and respected Gessler placed his hat on a
pole in the market place of Altdorf and ordered every citizen to salute it as
they passed by. Then one day Tell walked into town with his son, and
disgusted with the Austrian rule and the crippling taxes that they had
imposed, walked past the hat without even looking at it. He was immediately seized by soldiers and taken before the tyrant. Gessler, who
had heard of Tell and his skills as a bowman, told him that he could only
avoid execution by shooting an arrow into an apple placed on his son's
head from a distance of 20 paces (try it, it's longer than you think).
Legend has it that Tell succeeded and later slew Gessler and so initiated the
movement which secured Switzerland's independence. In Altdorf today there stands a statue of William Tell holding his son in one hand and his
crossbow in the other. However, like most folklore, the story -as well as
Tell's own existence- is open to dispute.
Gessler.For the series, Tell had kept an extra arrow for Gessler (Willoughby
Goddard), in case he failed to shoot the apple, and on discovering this, the Governor ordered his re-arrest. But Tell escaped and fled to the mountains
with his son, Walter (Richard Rogers) and his wife, Hedda (Jennifer Jayne),
before leading a small band of followers into a series of forays against the
Austrians. Actor Conrad Phillips was 34 years of age when he took the part
of William Tell. A Londoner who served in the Navy during the war he was
also an ex student of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Phillips
performed most of his own stunts and by the end of the series he had
suffered a broken ankle, torn ligaments, and was left with a scar across his
right shoulder as the result of a sword fight that became too realistic. The
format of the series altered slightly during the run. Originally the Tell
family was made up of wife, son and dog, but the dog was quickly dropped
after the first few episodes when it was realised that far too much time was
needed for it to learn its stunts. Next went the son, played by child actor
Richard Rogers, allegedly because he was late for work too many times,
holding up filming. Then, when actress Jennifer Jayne complained about
not having enough to do, apart from appearing as the dutiful wife at the
beginning and end of each episode, her part was expanded-even to the
point where Jayne was giving fencing lessons so she could join in the
action.
Location work took place in and around the area of Snowdonia and the
usual ITC stable of writers, directors and producers were employed. Of
more interest however is the impressive list of 'guest' actors who were
starting out on the road to stardom (and in some cases superstardom).
Early roles were given to Michael Caine, Christopher Lee, John Le Mesurier,
Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines and Wilfrid Brambell. Phillips re-surfaced
years later as an estate agent in the rural soap Emmerdale Farm (another
vehicle for Frazer Hines), and later still in 1989 in an Anglo-French remake
of the Tell saga, in which he made a guest appearance.
CAST
William Tell Conrad Phillips | Hedda Tell Jennifer Jayne | Walter Tell
Richard Rogers | Gessler Willoughby Goddard | Fertog (The Bear) Nigel
Greene
Created By: Leslie Arliss. Produced By: Ralph Smart, Leslie Arliss. Directors
Included: Ralph Smart, Quentin Maxwell, Terry Bishop. Writers Included:
Lelie Arliss, Ralph Smart, Ian Stuart Black, Roger Marshall, John Cruse.
Theme: Harold Durrell
The series features appearances by Michael Caine, Donald Pleasence,
Robert Shaw and other acclaimed British actors.
1x01 - The Emperor's Hat
Code:
1x02 - The_Hostages
Code:
1x03 - The Secret Death
Code:
1x04 - The Gauntlet of St. Gerhardt
Code:
1x05 - The Prisoner
Code:
1x06 - Voice in the Night
Code:
1x07 - The Assassins
Code:
1x08 - The Baroness
Code:
1x09 - The Elixir
Code:
1x10 - The Suspect
Code:
1x11 - The Cuckoo
Code:
1x12 - The Bear
Code:
1x13 - The Magic Powder
Code:
1x14 - The Golden Wheel
Code:
1x15- The Bride
Code:
1x16 - The Boy Slaves
Code:
1x17 - The Young Widow
Code:
1x18 - Landslide
Code:
1x19 - The Trap
Code:
1x20 - The Shrew
Code:
1x21 - The Manhunt
Code:
1x22 - The Killer
Code:
1x23 - The Surgeon
Code:
1x24 - The Ensign
Code:
1x25 - The Unwelcome Stranger
Code:
1x26 - The Avenger
Code:
1x27 - The Bandit
Code:
1x28 - Gessler's Daughter
Code:
1x29 - The General's Daughter
Code:
1x30 - The Raid
Code:
1x31 - Castle of Fear
Code:
1x32 - The Black Brothers
Code:
1x33 - The Lost Letter
Code:
1x34 - The Secret Weapon
Code:
1x35 - The Master Spy
Code:
1x36 - The Traitor
Code:
1x37 - The Spider
Code:
1x38 - The Mountain People
Code:
1x39 - Undercover
Code:
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks