David Butler - The First Guest

The First guest - Freddie Mills

This is Eamonn Andrews` full original script and stage directions from the "working" book in his hands.

Our first guest - Freddie Mills the former Light-Heavyweight Champion of the World

CAMERAS DIALOGUE SOUND

1. F/UTK. (seq.1) THIS IS YOUR LIFE - WITH EAMONN ANDREWS S.O.F.

APPLAUSE

2. 1 EAMONN: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THIS IS YOUR LIFE.

TONIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A REMARKABLE, HAPPY, COURAGEOUS

YOUNG-IN-HEART STORY. BUT

L/S EAMONN enters from behind book

FIRST I`D LIKE YOU TO MEET - NOT OUR GUEST OF HONOUR, ALTHOUGH HE WAS ONCE,

BUT FORMER LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, FREDDIE MILLS.

BPSTILL of FREDDIE MILLS TAPE 1

ENTRANCE FROM CAMERA RIGHT - GREETS EAMONN

3. 3 ENTRANCE FREDDIE MILLS

EAMONN: FREDDIE, YOU MET OUR GUEST OF HONOUR WHEN HE WAS REALLY ON THE ROPES?

4. 1 2/shEAMONN/ MILLS

5. 3 FREDDIE MILLS: YES, I WENT ALONG TO SEE HIM IN HOSPITAL SOON AFTER

MCU MILLS HE`D HAD BOTH HIS LEGS AND HIS LEFT HAND AMPUTATED. A FRIEND OF MINE, CHARLIE COLLETT, WHO RUNS THE LOCAL BOXING CLUB THOUGHT A VISIT MIGHT CHEER HIM UP.

EAMONN:BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE OTHER WAY ROUND?

1 2/sh EAMONN/MILLS

FREDDIE MILLS: I GOT THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF MY LIFE.

7. 3 MCU MILLS I THOUGHT THE POOR FELLOW WOULD BE BREAKING HIS HEART BUT

THERE HE WAS SMILING AND CRACKING JOKES AS THOUGH NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.

EAMONN: AND ONE JOKE IN PARTICULAR YOU REMEMBER?

8. 1 2/sh EAMONN/MILLS

9.. 3 FREDDIE MILLS: YES, HE WAS SAYING HE`D LOOK PRETTY SILLY IF HE TRIED TO BOX

JUST THEN BUT HE GRINNED AND SAID "DON`T WORRY, THOUGH, WHEN I GET MY NEW

STEEL FIST I`LL BE ABLE TO KNOCK ANYBODY OUT."

I DON`T MIND ADMITTING IT BROUGHT A LUMP TO MY THROAT.

MCU MILLS

10. 2 MCU EAMONN: IN FACT YOU WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH HIS COURAGE THAT YOU`VE QUOTED IT AS AN EXAMPLE EVER SINCE?

11. 3 FREDDIE MILLS: YES. THAT SAME EVENING I VISITED HIM I HAD TO GIVE A TALK AT AN AMERICAN BASE ABOUT BOXING BUT I FOUND MYSELF TELLING THEM ABOUT HIM

INSTEAD. HE`S ONE OF THE FINEST BLOKES I`VE EVER MET.

MCU MILLS EAMONN: FREDDIE, WILL YOU TELL US WHAT AGE HE IS?

12. 2 MCU EAMONN

FREDDIE MILLS: CERTAINLY, NOW HE`LL BE JUST SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD.

13. 3 MCU MILLS EAMONN: THANK YOU FREDDIE MILLS

14. 1 EXIT FREDDIE MILLS (EXITS) TAPE 2

(on 1) EAMONN: AND SO HE IS - OUR GUEST FOR TONIGHT - ZOOM TO JUST SEVENTEEN

YEARS OLD. SO WHEN IT CAME TO SPRINGING OUR SURPRISE ON HIM EARLIER TODAY

THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO ... TO SCHOOL. TO HEMEL HEMPSTEAD GRAMMAR

SCHOOL IN FACT ...

15. TK.25 HEMEL HEMPSTEAD GRAMMAR SCHOOL L.S. EXTERIOR FROM PLAYING FIELDS

EAMONN (OVER FILM) WHERE A CERTAIN PUPIL IN FORM V WAS SUMMONED TO THE

HEADMASTER`S STUDY

CUT TO INTERIOR. SHOT OF DOOR OF HEADMASTER`S STUDY FROM OUTSIDE.

EAMONN: (CONTINUED OVER FILM) ALTHOUGH THIS TIME THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE "HEADMASTER".

CUT INTERIOR HEADMASTER`S STUDY EAMONN SEATED AT DESK

EAMONN: ON FILM - MANY`S THE TIME I`VE BEEN CALLED TO MY HEADMASTER`S

STUDY YEARS AGO BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I`VE SEEN THE VIEW FROM THIS SIDE.

I WONDER IF HE HAS THE SAME ANXIOUS FEELINGS AS MOST BOYS WHEN THE HEAD

SENDS FOR THEM. WE`S KNOW AS HE COMES THROUGH THAT DOOR.

Ad lib. on subject of getting cameras into the school while the boys were in Assembly. Headmaster

has arranged to be in a different part of the school etc.etc.

PAN L. ACROSS ROOM TO DOOR AND HOLD KNOCK ON DOOR

EAMONN: (OUT OF SHOT) COME IN.

DAVID ENTERS. HE WILL CERTAINLY BE VERY SURPRISED TO SEE THE CAMERA SET UP,

AND LIGHTS, AND EVEN MORE SURPRISED TO SEE EAMONN. HOLD FOR REACTION.

EAMONN: (RISES AND HOLDS OUT HAND) GOOD MORNING BUTLER. YOU`VE BEEN WONDERING WHY YOU`VE BEEN SENT FOR AND WHY I`VE TAKEN OVER AS HEADMASTER. THE ANSWER TO BOTH QUESTIONS IS THE SAME.

IT IS BECAUSE - TONIGHT - DAVID BUTLER - "THIS IS YOUR LIFE".

REACTION - EAMONN (IN MCU TO MACERA)

WE`VE ARRANGED THAT ALLOWANCES ARE MADE IF DAVID`S MIND WANDERS OCCASIONALLY FROM HIS BOOKS FOR THE REST OF TODAY. HIS MIND MAY WELL BE ......

MIX TO 16. 4 MLS STAGE (MIX T/C TO THEATRE) EAMONN (ON STAGE)

HERE AT THE TELEVISION THEATRE WHERE I`M NOW PROUD AND HAPPY TO SAY -

COME IN DAVID BUTLER

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