Saturday, December 10, 2011

Liberal MPs in the movies


Make Mine Mink from 1960 is a pretty dire film, despite some nice Terry-Thomas moments and an interesting cast including Billie Whitelaw, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams, Jack Hedley (the senior British officer in the Colditz television series) and a young Peter Vaughan.

But another bit player really grabs the Liberal viewer's attention. Because, yes, that is Clement Freud, later to be Liberal MP for the Isle of Ely from 1973 to 1987, behind the Bonkeresque moustache.

So did any other Liberal MPs appear on screen?

This blog has already recorded one other example from a far more distinguished film. Cecil Beresford Ramage, later to play the Crown Counsel in Kind Hearts and Coronets, was Liberal MP for Newcastle West between 1923 and 1924.

Over to you, readers...

5 comments:

  1. Clement Freud also appeared (dressed in prison uniform) on the sleeve of the Paul McCartney & Wings album, 'Band on the Run' (released in 1973, the same year as the by-election victory).

    And we must not forget that, before his election, he was best known to the general public for his appearances (with a bloodhound called Henry) in TV commercials for Pedigree Chum.

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  2. I would add that Ramage-Liberal Parliamentary candidate in Southport and MP for Newcastle in the 1923 election-was in the Secret of Stamboul (1936), Nicholas Nickleby (1947) as well as Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

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  3. Clement Freud appeared in several British films where a casino setting was required, as in "Make Mine Mink" not always credited.

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  4. Unless the legend is true that David Lloyd George himself made a fleeting appearance in the long-suppressed film of his life, I can't add anybody. However, Rachel Willis, daughter of Phil, appeared in "The Fifth Element".
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119116/fullcredits#cast She is now running her own business, I believe.

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  5. Weren't the dogfood ads for Minced Morsels IIRC?

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