The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Billy Burden Local Yokel
Local yokel comedian who delivered dialect and dialogue wherever he went.
In partnership with:
Overview
This is an extract from the documentary Send In The Clowns (1979) with a look at the summer season at the Babbacombe Theatre in Devon. Billy Burden's act as the Country Yokel brings intentionally uninsightful wisdom to audiences and to comic effect. Born in Wimborne in Dorset he embodied the local dialect. Dressed in a farmer's smock and chewing straw he would finish his act with Oi shall 'ave to go now - tis a long walk to Dorset and Oi don't do an act as a yokel, I am a bluddy yokel.
On television, he became the go-to country bumpkin of choice and in 1980 starred with Harry Worth in Oh Happy Band! He made guest appearances in Hi-De-Hi as a pig farmer and appeared as a herdsman in Val Guest's The Boys In Blue (1982) before starring in a spin-off of Are You Being Served? called Grace And Favour which made him a star in America. Burden was a regular on The Good Old Days and as part of his act played the piano; he was married to a concert pianist. The Babbacombe Theatre boasts the longest running summer season in the country and gained a reputation for hosting rising stars. Many of them appeared as part of Hedley Claxton Productions' Gaytime which in 1955 and 1956 starred an up and coming Bruce Forsyth.
Related
Currently unavailable
The Perfect Woman The Perfect Woman
Comedy 1949 87 mins
In a bid to improve on nature, a scientist creates a robot female. But the experiment doesn't quite turn out as planned...
Watch for free
Tilly and the Fire Engines Tilly and the Fire Engines
Comedy 1911 2 mins Silent
Mischievous sisters Tilly and Sally borrow a fire engine and take it for a joy ride in this spirited film comedy.
Watch for free
Something Completely Different Something Completely Different
1974 4 mins Silent Location: Doune
Join John Cleese and the cast of Monty Python and the Holy Grail on location in Scotland
Watch for free
Miranda Miranda
Comedy 1948 80 mins
A man goes fishing and comes home with a most unusual catch in this comedy feature.
Watch for free
Le Petomane Le Petomane
Comedy 1979 33 mins
The immortal Leonard Rossiter makes flatulence a fine art in this short, poignant comedy-drama from Hancock writers Galton and Simpson
Watch for free
Arthur? Arthur! Arthur? Arthur!
Comedy 1969 101 mins Location: Camden
A hen-pecked inventor plots murder while he leads a bizarre double life as a bewigged playboy who runs a dating agency
Watch for free
Cue Danny La Rue Cue Danny La Rue
Current affairs 1982 5 mins Location: Torquay
The charming entertainer explains his love of the frock.
Watch for free
Braille Lesson Braille Lesson
Current affairs 1962 1 mins Silent Location: Torquay
Police Constable learns to read differently.
Watch for free
Young Tennis Player Jo Louis Young Tennis Player Jo Louis
Sport 1980 5 mins Location: Torquay
Young tennis hopeful Jo Louis is at a coaching session in Torquay
Watch for free
Virginia Wade v Ann Jones in Dewar Cup Tie Virginia Wade v Ann Jones in Dewar Cup Tie
Sport 1970 7 mins Location: Torquay
British number ones compete for the Dewar Cup
Watch for free
Sue Barker competing in Torquay Sue Barker competing in Torquay
Sport 1984 12 mins Location: Torquay
Sue Barker returns to home turf with a very special fan
Watch for free
Sue Barker plays Evonne Goolagong Sue Barker plays Evonne Goolagong
Sport 1971 9 mins Location: Torquay
A young pretender takes on the Wimbledon Champion
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Watch for free
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Watch for free
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.