Your early career seemed to indicate you were heading towards animation.
What happened to move you towards film?
I suppose it was probably the notion of having to spend a whole year on one joke.
I think it was my touching depiction of an inflatable woman getting her own back that swung it.
This was around 1984.
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That first year at the National was a little demoralising.
I dont usually have a defeatist nature, but I did then.
Did you also really write lyrics for The Christians?
How did you get the job?
Why does it sound so ludicrous?
Yes, I wrote a few songs on their first album Ideal World, Hooverville, Sad Songs.
One of your first films,Blame It On The Bellboy, was one of Dudley Moores last.
Two questions, really: How was Dudley Moore to work with?
One of my lasting memories ofBellboywas nipping off set for a smoke.
The further I climbed, the more I could hear this wonderful music.
The cigarette break lasted about half an hour, my own little private concert.
There were indications even back then of what was to come.
He did occasionally slur his words.
A really sad loss, not only to the world of comedy, but to the world of music.
What did you make of the reception toBlame it on the Bellboy?
Pretty much the same as the reception made ofBlame It On The Bellboy.
What do you remember about that time?
I couldnt get arrested.
Over the next few years I had more children than pay cheques, and I only had two children.
The drive took me through the town of Grimethorpe.
I used to know the town quite well in the mid-70s in my former life as bacon salesman.
I used to occasionally rep in that region, full of then thriving mining communities.
What I hadnt been aware of was the disastrous effect they had had on the communities.
And that needed to be very carefully handled.
You dont want to be making a farce about these peoples very real tragedy.
The humour inBrassed Offis very dry, very specific to the area in which its set.
Was it easy to get funded?
No, funding wasnt particularly easy.
As a pitch, a tale of suicidal trumpet-blowing miners is hardly mouth-watering.
We looked everywhere, but in the UK could only get the interest of Film Four.
They put up half the money, but we had to go to America for the rest.
How tricky was it to pull that group of actors together?
Without blowing my own trumpet sorry!
I think the script seemed to do the trick.
And once we moved into the area to start filming, they became even more passionate.
The crew, too.
Ive been to see them play quite a few times and theyre still the best band in the world.
AfterBellboyI taught myself not to pay any attention to critics, they dont know anything.
Of course, when the reviews forBrassed Offcame out, that was a difficult policy to uphold.
Critics are marvellous and everything they say is absolutely spot on.
You see films where entire cities are blown up, thousands die, but you dont give a monkeys.
Our biggest special effect was Pete Postlethwaite on a bicycle, but for some reason this one moved people.
Hed gone over to doAmerican Beauty.
What an awful career move that was!
There had been a few screenplays.
Jim Cartwright who wrote the original play had done one, and so had Sam.
There were also some casting issues to agree upon.
Is that true, and if so, did that have any impact?
He came straight offStar Warsto doLittle Voice.
Straight from lightsabers in Hollywood to pigeons in Scarborough.
I think he loved the change.
As Ive said, its very rewarding.
Its good that so long after the fact were still here talking about them.
InBrassed Off, there was a passion for music, inPurely Belter, a passion for football.
Are these the kind of stories you look for?
I guess Ive already answered that question?
I support Hull City, and have done for over forty years.
as it, and what are your memories of the film?
My abiding memory is rain.
Something like 48 days out of a 50 day shoot we had rain.
Not just rain, but heavy rain.
That was the only real difficulty.
Does that change the working mechanic in any way?
No, not really.
Colin Firth was also sky high at the time.
Again they were both very professional and a delight to work with.
It also saw you shoot in the States for the first time.
Was it an American project you were looking for?
Well, it was Canada, actually.
And an Ealing production for Disney.
Again, I wasnt looking for anything in particular, American or otherwise.
This was quite quirky, at times off the wall, and that was what appealed to me.
I dont think quite enough of that quirkiness survived the process, but its still pretty off-beat.
I think in that respect it was largely misunderstood.
Can you tell us about it?
I was very moved by John Boynes novel.
I was surprised at the time that nobody had snapped up the film rights already.
I put this down most obviously to the subject matter.
I suppose, in a way, that is exactly why I was interested.
Which is what I think weve made.
Is this true, and if so, whats the most youve paid for a pencil?
As for that price, mind your own business.
