SARA AND HOPPITY
ROBERTA LEIGH'S
Trouble
Discussions between Roberta Leigh and Associated-Rediffusion regarding the television series of Sara And Hoppity took place in early 1961, with contracts completed by the end of May. The order consisted of 52 episodes shot on 35mm film with a running time of 13 and a half minutes each, with unlimited world rights in perpetuity. It is noted by Roberta Leigh, in a letter referring to the negotiations, that the book and merchandising rights were already held by publishers Michael Joseph, having been signed over on the publication of the first two Sara & Hoppity books in 1960.
Also included in the order were the original negatives (documented as necessary to make 16mm transfers for overseas sales), separate synchronised magnetic M&E (music and effects) tracks, a copy of each script and music cue sheet and twelve copies of the episode synopses for marketing. For this, Associated-Rediffusion paid Roberta Leigh's company Scribe Associates £700 per episode, plus the laboratory charges for making the seperate music and effects tracks. Fifteen per cent of the gross overseas sales by Associated-Rediffusion were also part of the financial agreement.
The first three episodes to be completed - Sara And Hoppity, Aunt Mathilda's New Dress and Sara Does The Spring Cleaning, respectively episodes 1, 13 and 17 - were delivered three months later on August 16th 1961. Regular deliveries of episodes continued with half the series completed by November. These were checked for technical quality and passed by the Film Librarian at Associated-Rediffusion.
The first indication of problems that Associated-Rediffusion had with Sara And Hoppity came from Joan Elman (believed to be Head of Programme Clearances, but this is unclear in all correspondence) to John Rhodes, the Head of the Children's Programmes Department, in a letter dated November 6th:
"I consider the series deplorable in concept,
characters and execution."
Joan Elman
"I consider the series deplorable in concept, characters and execution. There are specific objections to several of these episodes which in my view make them quite unsuitable fo transmission."Apart from a general dislike of the series, my specific rejections are as follows:
"Regarding the pilot episode, there is a dangerous use of scissors cutting off hair which could easily be imitated with dangerous results. The illustrated theme song on the lines... I hate spinach, vegetables, won't eat my bread and butter, feed the milk to the cat and make dirty marks on the door, does nothing but suggest a bad example to children. The detail of a child throwing poached egg and spinach onto the floor is not a proper subject for Small Time viewers."
Comments were also included for episode 2 Hoppity Is Stolen, episode 3 Sara And Hoppity Bake A Cake and episode 38 A Visit To The Seaside. In the case of the latter, the cause for concern was the term li-lo, which is 'a proprietary name' (i.e, a brand name) and is warned against being used in case the manufacturers complained when Hoppity floats out to sea on one and is nearly drowned.
Further memos, dated November 10th and 16th, reiterate the initial complaints and reject episode 4 Sara And Hoppity And Shaggy Dog, episode 8 Sara And The Broken Toys, episode 9 Shaggy In Trouble, episode 15 Sara And Hoppity Get Lost, episode 26 A Present For Jimmy, episode 22 Mummy's New Hat and in particular episode 11 Gorgie Georgie Comes To Stay.
Joan Elman continues:
Apart from looking and sounding hideous, Georgie is made out a very peculiar character by it being said of him that he does not like trains. On the other hand he says "I like little girls." Both of these statements seem rather unnatural and we could cause trouble if Small Time viewers were to get the idea from this film that they also did not like trains. This is as nothing, however, compared with the utter tastelessness of Gorgie Georgie sitting at a table covered in food, gorging himself through his theme song until he gets up to be sick at the sink. This exhibition together with the lyrics of his theme song make this episode quite revolting. Having presumably relieved his sickness to some extent, Georgie is then seen in bed where he is eventually discovered heating the thermometer on the hot-water bottle so as to avoid school for a week, making rude remarks about Mrs Betty Brown who had misguidedly asked him to stay.
To these, on November 17th, John Rhodes replied objections had been noted when the first episode (or pilot) was initially viewed. He suggests, as the offending theme songs are short, making cuts or replacing the scenes. There was a flurry of memos, cuminlating in the ACP (Assistant Controller of Programmes) Guthrie Moir deciding that in episode 1, Sara is too naughty, and in episode 11, Georgie is too gluttonous, and nothing can be done to save the episodes as they stood. At the same time, Roberta Leigh was quite naturally concerned that payments for delivered episodes were not being received, though four more (episodes 5, 10, 23 and 30) were completed and sent a few days later.
On November 22nd, John Rhodes overuled Joan Elman's objections on episodes 2, 4, 8, 15 and 26 but felt that episodes 1 and 11 had to be rejected outright, with episodes 3, 9, 22 (also containing the problematic songs) and episode 38 (the li-lo concern) needing discussion with the producers. The following day, Head of Contracts C.R. Lacy-Thompson informed Roberta Leigh of the decision by letter, though she was unable to reply until December 4th as she was in the United States at the time.
Quite understandably, Roberts Leigh's reaction was one of surprise - as most of the films had been held by Associated-Rediffusion for some months before any objections being raised but mainly as Sara's theme song had been in the pilot film which was approved! (It would appear, in light of internal memos at A-R, that these objections may not have been made known to Roberta Leigh) However, she did agree that a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity to resolve the matter was in order.
A few days later, three more films were rejected because of their inclusion of either Sara's song (episode 17) and Georgie's song (episodes 14 and 18), though eleven more, some of which had initial objections, were passed and payment for these permitted.
"The flower-cutting, damaging property, is a bad example...
but it is not the worst that this series has produced."
Joan Elman
On December 14th, three more episodes (25, 33 and 48) were rejected, again because of Georgie's song, and a further episode, Aunt Mathilda's Hat (32) had the following objection by Joan Elman:
"This episode originally seen by Messrs. Mior and Rhodes when apart from as now Sara cuts the flowers off her Aunt's hat to use them in a vase as tea-table decorations, it also contained Sara's song - pushing food away etc. The flower-cutting, damaging property, is a bad example and is still deplored both by self and Mr, Moir but it is not, compared with other things in the films, the worst that this series has produced."
After a note from John Rhodes querying whether this comment was actually a rejection or not, it would appear this episode was accepted the following day.
Over the Christmas/New Year Period, Roberta Leigh drafted new versions of Sara's Song and 'Fat Boy's Song' (to replace what Joan Elman referred to as 'The Guzzling Song') for the rejected episodes. In response to this, in a memo to John Rhodes dated January 25th 1962, Joan Elman considered these to have met the majority of her objections. As the problems with other episodes (2, 4, 8, 15 and 26) were considered minor, Rhodes had suggested to Elman that these could be resolved with an announcement after the relevant episode.
At the time, it is interesting to note that actors union Equity was in the middle of a protracted strike, which lasted a few months at the end of 1961 and well into 1962. While this did not affect production and refilming, since the puppeteers were either not members or allowed to honour an existing long-term contract (an exemption of the strike), neither Dera Cooper nor Ronnie Stevens recall being asked to do the required new tracks. Ysanne Churchman is not sure she was asked but as a staunch Equity supporter felt she would have been unable to do so, even if approached. She was quite surprised to hear a different version of her Sara's Song being used, and was of the opinion Roberta Leigh herself may have sung it.
By mid-February, with transmission of the first episode scheduled for the 27th, a memo from Children's Manager Arthur Bellhouse listed twelve episodes outstanding for correction and a deadline of the 23rd for the revised first episode plus episode three. The remaining ten could be delivered by the end of March.
As suggested by John Rhodes, memos from Arthur Bellhouse outline announcements to be made after episode 2 Hoppity Is Stolen, episode 4 Sara And Hoppity And Shaggy Dog (both concerning Sara leaving the garden by herself) and episode 26, A Present for Jimmy:
"In the Small Time Film 'Sara And Hoppity' on this day a man is shown stealing toys from a shop, though he does not get away with this crime. I should be very glad if the announcer, in the break after Small Time, could point out what a naughty chap he was and say that children must never dream of doing anything like that themselves."
Similar announcements were made during the repeat run in 1965, for episodes 2, 4 and 26 again, episode 8 Sara And The Broken Toys (stating there is nothing to be afraid of in the cellar) and episode 15 Sara And Hoppity Get Lost (' ...it is naughty to put spinach in your pocket. Spinach is really very good for you.')
By the end of March, the final four episodes plus the revised eleven (it is not clear what alteration was made regarding the term li-lo, though a repeat listing in 1965 refers to a 'rubber raft' instead) were delivered to Associated-Rediffusion, closely followed by a letter and accounts invoice for the alterations from Roberta Leigh. She states that no charge had been made for the use of the studio, the director (Frank Goulding), the lighting cameraman (who would have been co-producer Arthur Provis) or the cutting room. Nor would a charge be made for the re-striking up of sets or wiring of puppets, which took a day each. She also notes not charging for the re-writing of the songs themselves. The final figure came to just under £530.