... Great Britain (ITV Thames) The Plank, 27 minutes THE first ITV entry was placed here and it brought the festival to life for the first time. Everybody laughed a lot. Everybody also mentioned that had the entry been in the humorous category B it surely had to be in the running for the Golden Rose. ...

... Holland (NOS) Jan J. de Bom, Before the Friend of Children, 30 minutes, English subtitles ONE out of a series for children which dealt with problems such as those at school, those with parents, homework, sex, and fear, this programme offended some delegates. The subjects in the series arise from letters sent in by young viewers. The Dutch chose the programme on sex for Montreux since it was ...

... Holland Martine Show, 38 minutes THIS was the first show in Category B. (Humour). The star, Martine Bibi, sings and goes in for sit com by the look of it, for here (and she was a co-writer of the show) we had an ironic look at Christmas rituals. She first sang in English accompanied by four girls dressed as Santa Claus before going into a sketch about a well known television quizmaster who ...

... Belgium Urbanus, Dead or Alive, 35 minutes, English subtitles THE name in the title belongs to the writer and star of the show. He is doubtless a clever chap but we very much doubt his sense of humour would be to British taste. He is bearded, long haired and of medium height. The story began with him going into a bank with a stocking mask on his head and being con- fronted by the staff who ...

... West Germany Nonstop Nonsense, 24 minutes, English subtitles A FAST Buster Keaton type opening to the music of the Donald O'Connor number Be a Clown was the intro for the first sketch with the star in all the main roles as a petrol station attendant for whom everything goes wrong when an attractive blonde turns up in her Mercedes. The air hose jams and one of her tyres blows up; the petrol ...

... France Collaro Show, 47 minutes, English subtitles (in blue) THE title came from the name of the writer and producer Stephane Col laro. Alas, it was another dud, un funny French show fussily put together. Television was meant to be the theme how to get- into it. executives, and how ideas are worked out. The linking was either the newsreader idea or by one of the performers. A still cartoon ...

... Hungary Toothache, 23 minutes, no subtitles THE middle-aged office manager goes to work with a toothache and it distracts him and he begins to visualise people's faces distorted. The office beauty is the centre of a lot of the camera's attention and in one sequence he pictures her doing a striptease on a table. He goes to a chemist, takes a pho tograph of himself in a booth to see what he ...

... Hollies star gets behind Chicken Shed By RICHARD BALLS HOLLIES STAR Francis Haines is putting the final touches to a unique album featuring disabled youngsters from the London theatre group Chicken Shed. The flourishing theatre workshop group, who now have more than 250 members and were recently featured in a TV documentary Another Side of London, are preparing to take one of their shows to a ...

... POOLE The Last of the Mohicans STAND by, theatre-goers, the New Vic is on the war-path with its very individual presentation of James Fenimore Cooper's classic, The Last of the Mohicans. Remember the 1936 film of this story of courage and bravery, starring Ran dolph Scott and Binnie Barnes? Forget it. The New Vic's is about one Geoffrey Winthrop, secretary of the Sons of Hiawatha (Indian ...

... Brasil Women in the eighties, 51 minutes, no subtitles WOMAN'S lot today seen through the eyes of seven women who have made their career in music was the subject of this entry which must have been spoiled for many because it was in Portuguese and there were no subtitles. Each of the women talked and then performed, but since there was quite a lot of conversation in the form of interviews, it ...

... West Germany Julia's Guide to the Opera, 26 minutes, English subtitles OPERA singer and comedienne Julia Migenes was the star of this satirical Iook at popular opera. A striking red head, she began with some clowning at a dress rehearsal before intro ducing straight to camera the main sequence which was a take-off of Don Giovanni. Thanks to the star's performance this had some very funny and ...

... Yugoslavia Don't shut your TV, 29 minutes ITHIS had English subtitles for links only and. since it was meant to be a satirical look at contemporary life and at television, this was a pity. The designer had put in some good work on the sets, animation, graphics and chromakey to fit his subject. A very glamorous blonde dancer doing a rock number got the show under way, followed by a group who ...