NOVEMBER 1964
PRODUCTION INFORMATION Produced by: ATV NETWORK at the Alpha Studios, Birmingham.
Cast and story information from: ITC Entertainment Programme Synopsis: Crossroads Episodes One to Forty. Producer: REG WATSON Created by: HAZEL ADAIR AND PETER LING Directors: ALAN COLEMAN, REG WATSON, TIM JONES, JACK BARTON Written by: PETER LING (Week 1 and 2), HAZEL ADAIR (Week 1 and 2), MYLES RUDGE (Week 3), TED DICKS (Week 3), ANDREW HILL (Week 4) Theme Tune: TONY HATCH Other Crew: Designers: REX SPENCER and ELIZABETH DORRITY, Floor Managers: PETER HARRIS and LIZ STERN, Production Manager: MARGARET FRENCH |
CAST LIST – NOVEMBER
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EPISODES
EPISODE ONE: Nov 2nd 1964: There’s trouble at the Crossroads Motel when a construction worker causes problems for Meg and Jill Richardson. Brian Jarvis is feeling miserable on his birthday, despite greetings from Aunt Meg, Uncle Andy (via a letter from Gibraltar) and sister Lesley (Via telegram from Australia). Father Dick, recently made unemployed, is feeling a bit more optimistic when an old pal informs him there’s a job going at the local pottery firm. Kitty Jarvis, overseeing her newsagents shop, is keen to get Dick from under her feet and back into work.
Episode status: Wiped/Missing.
EPISODE TWO: Nov 3rd 1964 Sandy returns from visiting Brian on his birthday over at Kitty’s shop and stops Gillow from giving Meg a beating. Meg decides as the construction worker is drunk it is best to appease him and offers him a meal, which he accepts.
Meg’s female Spanish cook turns out to be a temperamental male Spanish Chef when Carlos finally arrives in Kings Oak. Dick, sure he’s got the job following a successful interview, “borrows” £2 from Kitty’s shop till without asking her. Having previously talked her way out of a beating, Meg and Jill continue to pacify the troublesome Gillow, however, Jill is grabbed and slapped leaving Meg stunned. Kitty’s lodger, Patrick Wade, is under suspicion – Kitty just doesn’t trust him.
Episode status: Wiped/Missing.
EPISODE THREE: Nov 4th 1964 Kitchen assistant Vi Blundell get’s the wrong idea when she finds Carlos half-naked washing himself in the kitchen, his English isn’t great and gives her the impression he’s Meg’s lover! When Kitty discovers her till £2 short she blames Patrick, but before she can confront him Dick fesses up. She’s deeply disappointed. Jill has a keen interest in new magazine “Silhouette” and asks Brian if he can pop one over to the motel – she lures him with the promise of good food via their new chef. Dick is given the bad news the pottery firm boss thinks he’s “too old” and hasn’t been given the job.
Episode status: Wiped/Missing.
EPISODE FOUR: Nov 5th 1964 Carlos tells Meg he misses female companionship, she’s relived when he mentions his wife, and the motel should employ her. She explains at the moment there just isn’t the custom to expand the kitchen staff. Dick is depressed to think he’s “too old at 44!” and drowns his sorrows in The Crown Inn. However, there is a brief moment of happiness when his horse bet comes in – a £30 win. He lies to Kitty and pretends he’d got the job.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE FIVE: Nov 6th 1964 Patrick has departed the Jarvis’ lodging and heads to the motel following seeing an advert in Kitty’s window for the expanding Crossroads establishment. Dick gives Brian and Kitty a gift, saying he’s had an advance on his wages. She says this is good news, and informs him of Patrick’s departure, noting they don’t need to worry about the loss of rent now he has employment. Dick feels terrible.
Jill and Meg row over her plans to go and live in London with her friend Sarah. Jill has plans to become a fashion journalist in the capital for Silhouette Magazine.
Victor Amos returns to Kings Oak and while chatting to Dick in the The Crown Inn, he suggests a business proposal. Patrick Wade checks into the Crossroads Motel as Philip Winter.
Sandy is injured when outside the motel a group of hooligans throw fireworks at the building, his hand is burned. Carlos scares the thugs away. Meg calls the police.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE SIX: Nov 9th Sandy returns from the hospital with a bandaged hand, but is feeling every bit the hero. He’s also pleased to have three days off school. He sees Patrick in reception but is confused that he’s now called Philip. (Sandy met Patrick at Kitty’s store when he visited on November 2nd).
Dick finishes his breakfast and pretends to Kitty he’s off to work. In the shop Kitty speaks to OAP Miss Tranter who is very distressed about being unable to pay her bills. She asks Kitty to put a card in the window advertising the sale of some of her possessions.
Victor and Dick have a ‘business meeting’ at The Crown Inn and Victor explains as Dick knows about car’s he’s perfect to invest in his venture. He just needs input £2000.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE SEVEN: Nov 10th Sandy confronts Philip over his Patrick persona, Philip denies he’s the same person, suggesting there are lots of people who are similar. A few drinks for the worse Brian arrives home and knocks over Miss Tranters box breaking her valued possessions that Kitty had, reluctantly, agreed to store in the shop in the hope someone would want to instantly view them. Now they’re useless.
Jill and Carlos discuss the possibility of Meg hiring his wife Josephina at the motel. She says this would enable her to leave for London, they just have to convince her mum.
At the shop Miss Tranter comes in to see if anyone has purchased any of her valuables, Kitty informs her there’s been no interest as yet. Dick’s friend George pops in and references ‘it’s a pity about the job’, Kitty is surprised – only two days into his new job and there are problems for Dick already?
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE EIGHT: Nov 11th Dick reassures Victor that he won’t have any trouble getting a bank loan for their business partnership. At the motel Carlos annoys Meg by continuing to try and persuade her to employ his wife.
Kitty, in front of George, confronts Dick about not getting the pottery job. George makes his excuses and leaves, Brian goes to his room to avoid the pending row.
Sandy is unimpressed with Philip and his excuses, he tries to get his mum’s views on it but she’s too occupied with the motel to be that interested.
At the shop Dick discovers Miss Tranters box of broken items, only one thing isn’t broken – a silver jug. He thinks it may be valuable.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE NINE: Nov 12th A guest Meg has mistaken as a hospitality magazine writer has set his eyes on her. She has to break it to Mr Thompson that sadly, it just could never be.
Kitty discovers the broken china and blames Dick, Brian confesses it was his clumsy feet. Dick suggests they try and sell the silver jug and give the money to Miss Tranter. Kitty reluctantly agrees.
Jill calls her friend Sarah in London asking her to fix an interview with her boss at Silhouette Magazine as she thinks she’ll be able to leave Crossroads soon.
Sandy tries a different tactic with Philip, a friendly probing approach having apologised for his accusations. It still gets him nowhere.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE TEN Nov 13th In the previous end of the episode Philip caught Sandy snooping in his chalet. He now confronts the schoolboy, but before there is any exchange of views Jill arrives and sends Sandy on his way. He agrees not to tell Meg, but insists he will have words with Sandy later.
At The Crown Inn Brian and an antique dealer are looking over the Silver Jug. It’s Georgian and worth around £15, which Brian happily takes.
There’s a powercut at the motel and Carlos attempts to cook on gas with candles for lighting. Philip, having said he was an electrician, fixes the power and Meg is more than satisfied to who he says he is.
Miss Tranter is thrilled to have more than she expected with a £15 payment for her goods. Two military policemen turn up at the shop, they’re looking for an army deserter going by the name of Patrick Wade. Kitty and Dick are stunned. Back at the motel Meg offers Philip the job of handyman.
Episode Status: Wiped/Missing
EPISODE 11: Nov 16th Dick and Kitty give the military police all the information they can on Patrick Wade. While at the motel Philip Winter and Meg Richardson are discussing his new role and also he suggests maybe the place could do with a part-time waitress to make things easier for her. Upon hearing this development Jill is thrilled.
Gillow, the drunk and abusive construction worker (episode 1/2), returns to the motel to apologise for his actions and blames too much booze. He asks if there is room this evening and if he could have a meal. He’s however travelling to London the day after so will just be one night – Jill’s interest in him perks up.
Sandy is keen to go to a pop concert in Birmingham, Meg suggests Jill go with him. Usually, Jill would be reluctant to babysit her younger brother, but this time realising it tallies with the time of Gillow’s departure for London she says she will go with Sandy.
Over at Heathbury Bowling Alley Brian is enjoying an evening out with his girlfriend Janice. She keeps dropping hints by talking about her friends Henry and Alice and how he’s just bought her an expensive engagement ring. This all goes over Brian’s head. She then turns to never having met Kitty and Dick, and they’ve been together three months. Brian does react to this and says its time she came for tea.
Jill persuades Frank Gillow to give her a lift to London, however, Sandy overhears part of the conversation and is very worried.
Episode status: Wiped/Missing.
EPISODE 12: Nov 17th At the motel reception Sandy asks Jill what she’s doing making a date with Frank Gillow. She explains she’s hitching a ride to London. Sandy isn’t convinced that is a good idea.
Dick and Kitty are looking forward to finally meeting Brian’s girlfriend Janice Gifford. Kitty will be making her speciality cake – Lemon Sponge with cream filling. Later at the meal, Dick has taken to Janice, while Kitty isn’t a fan.
Meg has placed a newspaper ad in the Castlewich Clarion in regards of a part-time waitress for the restaurant. Jill seems preoccupied to take much notice.
Kitty and Brian find Janice’s views rather appalling. She thinks once a woman is married her place is in the home, Kitty points out she runs the shop, not Dick and times have changed. Janice is put in her place.
Sandy and Jill leave to go to the pop concert when Frank Gillow gets a call, his work landrover has had to go in for a repair, he arranges to meet a friend at The Black Cat Transport Café in Solihull to borrow a Buick.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 13: Nov 18th Kitty and Dick continue to ponder the events of the following evening of their encounter with Janice. Their conversation is cut by the arrival of Victor Amos who wants to talk about the proposed car hire business, Dick needs to raise the money urgently if he wants to be part of the project. Dick reassures Victor he’ll get the money as quick as possible.
Carlos has misplaced his diary, he asks Philip who is covering reception if he’s seen it. He says he hasn’t. Carlos suggests it was near the map of London and maybe Jill had packed it into her suitcase in mistake. Philip realises what is possibly going on. Carlos however is just happy he’s now found his diary.
Dick reveals to Kitty the proposition of the car hire business. He says however to get in on the deal he needs £2000. Kitty is speechless.
At the Black Cat, having been on reception when Gillow took the call about his car, Philip Winter took a punt and guessed Jill would be there with Gillow. He tells Frank Gillow that Meg is unaware of what’s going on, which makes him back off and leave. Now he has to persuade Jill to return to the Motel with him. Jill is not impressed. She begrudgingly goes back with him.
Episode Status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 14: Nov 19th The following morning Meg interviews Marilyn Gates, who has applied for the waitress job. She is given the position. Sandy also perks up when Meg mentions Kitty is popping round for lunch tomorrow – she’ll see Philip!
At the Jarvis’ Kitty has been asked to sell her shop to fund Dick’s new venture, however, she says no – and that is her final answer. Later he finally visits the bank to see if he can get a loan for the £2000. He hears what he expected – no as he has no assets.
Philip suggests to cheer Jill up he takes her out to the countryside tomorrow, a drive out. Sandy points out due to his hand injury he also has tomorrow afternoon off from games so he can come too. Jill reluctantly says that’s a great idea.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 15: Nov 20th Marilyn and Carlos are working together in the kitchen, he’s being flirtatious, giving the impression he’s young, single, Spanish and in the mood for romance. Marilyn is flattered – and interested!
Meg has invited Kitty up to the motel for more than just lunch. She has a business proposal of her own. Meg suggests that Kitty sell the newsagents and come in with her at the Crossroads Motel. Kitty is surprised.
Sandy is keen to wait to see Aunty Kitty, before he goes on the daytrip with Philip and Jill. He’s hoping Kitty will confirm his Patrick Wade suspicions. Sandy’s wish comes true later, outside the motel. Philip and Kitty are face-to-face once more.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 16: Nov 23rd Kitty is astonished to see ‘Patrick’ Meg unaware introduces her sister Kitty to ‘Philip’, he pointedly notes its nice to meet Meg’s sister for the first time. To his relief, she concurs. Sandy is flabbergasted and has to admit Philip and Patrick are not the same fella.
Carlos is wooing Marilyn with stories about life in Spain, demonstrating the finer points of a bull fight. Marilyn is lured into this world by his charms. Meg enters and ponders why things are taking so long in the kitchen…
On Kitty’s return to the shop Dick asks what Meg wanted, she lies and suggests it was just a catch up over lunch. She casually brings up Patrick (Philip) and if there are any belongings still around. There is a dressing gown and a letter arrived in the post. Dick asks why the sudden return to Patrick, she doesn’t answer instead changing the discussion to how he’s funding the car hire, he once again suggests selling the shop. Kitty is not tempted.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 17: Nov 24th Philip telephones Kitty, he asks if they can meet so he can explain what is going on. Jill, jealous, overhears him arranging a ‘date’. She asks if his new lady is pretty. He says ‘she’s very kind’.
As Marilyn prepares to go home, she puts on her coat, but as Carlos talks his words of love, saying how pretty she is, she manoeuvres herself into a position that could only lead to a kiss, which it does – she almost faints with delight.
At the shop Kitty asks what Brian’s intentions are with Janice, every time she hears about the girl she finds her less and less suitable. He says he’s also not sure himself where its going at the moment. Later Philip explains about Patrick Wade. How he is on the run from the military police, he was a Sergent in the Signals but was falsely accused of stealing money from the sergeant’s mess. He knows who the real culprit is, he’s somewhere hiding in Birmingham – and once he finds him he can clear his name, he hopes.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 18: Nov 25th Convinced by his story Kitty agrees to keep Philip’s secret and that he best get back to the motel as Dick is due back to the shop soon. At the motel coffee bar Brian and Janice are having another disagreement, he isn’t happy with the way she implied to Kitty that they could be getting married. She’s huffed that he doesn’t appear to want to get married.
Kitty decides against selling the shop and coming in with Meg at the motel. Dick is relieved, but he’s also reminded she’s not selling for him either.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 19 Nov 26th Unbeknown to Kitty Dick has paid Meg a visit at the motel. He attempts to get Meg to persuade Kitty to sell and retire! He makes out that his wife could do with a rest; she’s probably working too hard. Meg, never particularly keen on Dick, feels he indisposes on her sister and he’s not to be trusted. She makes excuses.
Sarah rings Jill and informs her she’s in the area as the magazine is doing some photoshoots around Coventry, and she thinks it would be great for Jill to get involved.
Marilyn is very upset, Carlos had promised he’d come to meet her parents – but he never showed up, Meg comforts her. As Marilyn is leaving she bumps into Carlos on the driveway – she’s furious. She says her mother and father are not impressed, he replies that he doesn’t want to meet them, he has no interest in this dinner. She responds by noting her parents must meet the man she’s going to marry! Carlos informs her he’s already married. She storms off, very upset.
Jill, unable to get away from the motel, is horrified when Sarah and a fashion photographer turn up at the motel for dinner. She’s made to feel very provincial. However, Philip later cheers her up with a happy chat but it is cut short when emptying the bins Sandy finds an envelope addressed to Patrick Wade.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
EPISODE 20: Nov 27th Sandy hands the envelope addressed to Patrick Wade to Philip and suggest it belongs to him. Philip comes clean and explains his story, as he had to Kitty.
At the shop Dick mentions he saw Patrick Wade near the motel. Kitty comes clean and admits she knew he was there. Dick wants to inform the army, Kitty protests they shouldn’t get involved and anyway she is sure he’s innocent.
In the motel kitchen, Marilyn arrives with her mother. Mrs Gates gives Carlos a disapproving look and says she will speak with him soon, but first, she wants words with his employer and heads to the reception. Marilyn tells Carlos her mum has come to the motel to have him sacked for taking advantage of her. Carlos is furious, and lunges at her, however, he is stopped from strangling her when Meg enters the kitchen, followed by Marilyn’s mother. Meg is confused about what has gone on…
Episode status: Missing/Wiped.
EPISODE 21: NOV 30th The row continues in the kitchen between Mrs. Gates, Carlos, Marilyn and Meg watching on. Mrs. Gates states that she blames these ‘foreigners coming over here behaving disgracefully – it might be acceptable in his country to behave like an animal, but it’s not acceptable here’. Meg has heard enough and gives Marilyn a week’s notice, she won’t tolerate such views in her motel. Both Gates leave deflated and still outraged. Carlos is pleased.
Meg later ticks off Carlos, saying he shares the blame for the fall-out in the kitchen earlier, leading Marilyn on. Brian is curious when Janice says she can’t see him that evening as ‘she’s made other plans’. What they are she declines to note.
Meg and Kitty have had a chat over the phone, and Meg mentions Dick had visited the motel the other day, Kitty isn’t too pleased when she is told why he visited. She later asks Dick to explain, he is non-plussed by the whole thing. It is what it is.
Episode status: Missing/Wiped
NOTES OF INTEREST
In the original synopsis, it is Meg Richardson who answers the telephone and speaks the first line. This is changed by the time the final script is signed off. Meg’s first line, mid-way through scene one, is ‘And what exactly is going on here?’
*Patrick Wade and **Philip Winter are fake names being used by the character who is really called Philip Carroll. Sue Nicholls makes her début as Marilyn Gates in edition 14.
In November episodes the local pub featured is ‘The Crown’. The motel is in the hamlet of Burbank, one mile east of the village of Kings Oak. The road outside the motel we learn leads to Kings Oak Corner and Heathbury’s cinema is called The Regal. The Bowling Alley is established with ATV Today news footage of a Birmingham Alley. (episode 11).
While no footage from the first two months worth of episodes survives a reel of film containing early stills from episode one through to January 1965 did exist in the Central News archive. There are also several launch trailers featuring the key cast.
There are no stop-shot cliffhanger sequences in the early episodes (The short scene that followed the closing titles).
∇ – Performers are better known for other roles:
Mr Thompson is William Avenell’s first role in Crossroads. He was listed in the credits as ‘Bill Avenell’. He is best known to Crossroads viewers as chef Gerald Lovejoy from the late 1960s into the mid-1970s. Monica Lewis’ first role but returns as a different character, as does Stanley Illsley. 1st LEATHER COAT is Graham Weston’s first role in Crossroads. He was most famous for his late 1970s role as Garage Manager for Go-Col Colin Dutton. Ralph Lawton plays a policeman. He later becomes a regular as Sergent Yorke.
With thanks to John Drury for additional TV Times cast/writer credits missing from the ITC Script details. Synopsis written by Mike Garrett for The Crossroads Years.
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