Screen Test - Young Filmmaker

[Gareth Randall]

I have a very specific memory of an entry to the Screen Test "Young
Filmmaker of the Year" competition which scared the crap out of me at
the time (I was about 7-8 years old) and has stayed with me, and I'd
be interested to know if anyone else remembers it :

It was basically an expanded and more menacing attempt at a public
information film. From the POV of the driver, we see a car pulling up
to the side of a road next to a child crying. The driver asks why the
child is upset, and the kid says that the ice-cream van is coming, but
his/her mummy is around the corner and he/she is worried that the van
will have gone before mummy gets back. The driver (who is always
unseen) says that he'll drive them round to find mummy...

The next scene I remember is the one that genuinely frightened me at
the time, and it still has the power to send a shiver down my spine.
We see a clearing in some woodland with two makeshift graves; two
children eating ice-creams dissolve in to stand on the grave sites,
then disappear again. A caption comes up, reading something like "And
all for the sake of an ice-cream"; as the word "cream" appears, we
hear a scream.

A friend of mine remembers this one too, and says it had/has just the
same effect on him! Anyone else remember it in more detail?

Gareth

[Martin Underwood]

Andrew Fovargue (And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: In article: <42qceb$i...@lemon.easynet.co.uk> g...@easynet.co.uk (Gareth Randall) writes:

: Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
: who presents Radio4's Huddlines? And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?

Michael Rodd presented Screen Test (and Tomorrow's World). Rod Hull is that
annoying git with the emu. Roy Hudd presents the News Huddlines.

Now let's all hum the catchy tune to Screen Test: da-dum-de-diddle-de-dumty-dum

[Andrew Fovargue]

In article: <42qceb$i...@lemon.easynet.co.uk> g...@easynet.co.uk (Gareth Randall) writes:

> A caption comes up, reading something like "And
> all for the sake of an ice-cream"; as the word "cream" appears, we
> hear a scream.

This is the only memory I have of Screen Test too.

The film mentioned was exceptionally sinister, especially for BBC TV afternoon viewing.
I remember was a play on words "Ice-cream" = "I Scream", and Rod Hudd (?) commenting
on how clever it was.

Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
who presents Radio4's Huddlines? And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?

Andy__________________________________________________________________ from the Fens

[D L Jones]

Andrew Fovargue <And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
>who presents Radio4's Huddlines?

*Roy* Hudd.

>And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?

Geoffrey Boycott.

Marmiteman

[Paul J Travers]

In article <DEsy8...@oasis.icl.co.uk>, m...@oasis.icl.co.uk (Martin

Underwood) wrote:

> Now let's all hum the catchy tune to Screen Test:
da-dum-de-diddle-de-dumty-dum

Nah, that's the Archers.

--
Paul J Travers phone : +44-(0)171-631-6862 (office)
ICRF Structural Biology Unit " " " 6868 (lab)
Birkbeck College fax : +44-(0)71-631-6803
Malet Street
London WC1E 7HX email : tra...@europa.lif.icnet.uk
England or : pa...@histo.cryst.bbk.ac.uk

[Andrew Fovargue]

In article: <travers-1309...@macmhc.cryst.bbk.ac.uk> tra...@europa.lif.icnet.uk

(Paul J Travers) writes:
> da-dum-de-diddle-de-dumty-dum
>
>
> Nah, that's the Archers.

Sounds like the intro for Monty Python to me. But then again, I'm the person
who confused Michael Rodd with Rod Hudd/Hull.

Andy_________________________________________________________________from the Fens

[mike plowman]

Andrew Fovargue <And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then

>who presents Radio4's Huddlines? And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?

>Andy__________________________________________________________________ from the Fens

T'was Michael Rodd, later on Tomorrows World and now.......who knows!

Mike
Bicester
UK

[Martin Underwood]

mike plowman (ec...@dial.pipex.com) wrote:
: Andrew Fovargue <And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk> wrote:

: >Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
: >who presents Radio4's Huddlines? And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?

: T'was Michael Rodd, later on Tomorrows World and now.......who knows!

He presents a TW-like programme on the satellite channel, Discovery.

[Andrew Benham]

Andrew Fovargue <And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
>who presents Radio4's Huddlines?

So are Rod Hull and Roy Hudd two different people?

--
Andrew Benham A.D.S....@bnr.co.uk
BNR Europe Ltd, 140 Greenway, Harlow Business Park, Harlow,
Essex CM19 5QD, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1279 402372 Fax: +44 1279 405746

[Ian Collier]

In article <95399...@fovargue.demon.co.uk>, And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk wrote:
>In article: <travers-1309...@macmhc.cryst.bbk.ac.uk> tra...@europa.lif.icnet.uk
>(Paul J Travers) writes:
>> da-dum-de-diddle-de-dumty-dum

>> Nah, that's the Archers.

No, the Archers is "Rum te tum te tum te tum, Rum te tum te ta ta".

>Sounds like the intro for Monty Python to me. But then again, I'm the person
>who confused Michael Rodd with Rod Hudd/Hull.

Yes, they are similar but diverge after the segment posted above.

Screen Test: da dum de diddly dum de dum, de dum de dum, de da de da de dum...
Monty Python: da dum de diddly dum de dum de da da da da da...

Not forgetting of course all the drums that came before the Screen Test tune.

(What a silly discussion...)

Ian Collier - i...@comlab.ox.ac.uk - WWW Home Page:
http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/users/ian.collier/index.html

[I.H.Cornwell]

I've got a tune in my head and I can't remember if it's Screen Test or Mr. Ben or
something else. I think it's Screen Test because it had drums at the start, but
I could be mixing two tunes, and it doesn't correspond to your diddley score.

This is it:

Big snare drum bit then:

dara-Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaaa,
dara-Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaaa,
da-Rum-de-Diddley-da-di-Diddley-daaaaa,
di-diddley-Da-da-Da-da-Da, di-diddley-Da Da Da,
di-diddley-daddley-da, di-diddley-daddley-diddley-daddley,
Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaa....
etc.

Can someone confirm whether or not this is the Screen Test tune? And if so, what was
the Mr. Ben theme tune?

Ian Cornwell

[David Smith]

I.H.Cornwell (cna...@ccsun.strath.ac.uk) wrote:

: dara-Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaaa,

: dara-Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaaa,
: da-Rum-de-Diddley-da-di-Diddley-daaaaa,
: di-diddley-Da-da-Da-da-Da, di-diddley-Da Da Da,
: di-diddley-daddley-da, di-diddley-daddley-diddley-daddley,
: Dum-de-dum-de-daaaaa....
: etc.

That is undoubtedly Mr Benn.

Screen Test went:

Darum de-diddly-da-de-da, De-da-de-da, De-da-de-da-
Darum de-diddly-da-de-da, De-da-de-da-de-dum
etc.

--
David Smith Vision Park Mail: dav...@sco.com
Cambridge Tel: +44 1223 518035
Senior Technical Author CB4 4ZR Fax: +44 1223 518001
SCO Client Integration Division England URI: http://www.ixi.com

[Steve Phillips]

In article <DEsy8...@oasis.icl.co.uk>, m...@oasis.icl.co.uk (Martin Underwood) writes:
> Andrew Fovargue (And...@fovargue.demon.co.uk) wrote:

> : In article: <42qceb$i...@lemon.easynet.co.uk> g...@easynet.co.uk (Gareth Randall) writes:
>
> : Help! - I've got myself confused. Did Rod Hudd present Screen Test? - If so then
> : who presents Radio4's Huddlines? And who attacked Michael Parkinson with his Emu?
>

> Michael Rodd presented Screen Test (and Tomorrow's World). Rod Hull is that
> annoying git with the emu. Roy Hudd presents the News Huddlines.
>

> Now let's all hum the catchy tune to Screen Test: da-dum-de-diddle-de-dumty-dum

Yeah - that was a cool theme tune!

For the worst theme tune, I cite Richard Stilgoe's "Finders Keepers" theme.
This was performed live each week by Mr Stilgoe and a cheap Hammond organ.

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo and out....boom.

Steve

[Alistair Rea]

You *are* confused. Roy Hudd did not present Screen Test. It was Michael
Rodd.

Al Rea

[Gareth Randall]

>For the worst theme tune, I cite Richard Stilgoe's "Finders Keepers" theme.
>This was performed live each week by Mr Stilgoe and a cheap Hammond organ.

>Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo and out....boom.

I'm pretty sure it was "Roger and out" rather than "echo"...

"Finders Keepers, losers weepers, where's that square?"

Did anyone ever work out what the "well-known phrase or saying" was in
the competition they ran in the second season? The prize was a BBC
Micro Model B (a powerful, expensive and desirable machine at that
time).

They'd put up the battleships board and expose a new letter at the end
of every show. I lost interest about halfway through the series, even
though I *really* wanted a BBC Model B!

Gareth

[Gareth Randall]

>Didn't Michael Rodd present John Craven's Newsround as well?

I really hope this *isn't* a serious question! =;-)

Gareth

[Paul Rhodes]

rose...@aauobs.obs.aau.dk (Colin Rosenthal) writes:

>: Michael Rodd presented Screen Test (and Tomorrow's World). Rod Hull is that

>: annoying git with the emu. Roy Hudd presents the News Huddlines.

>Didn't Michael Rodd present John Craven's Newsround as well?

No, that was John Craven.

______________________________________________________paul....@liffe.com
"Now, if I remember my 'O' level Geology and Domestic Science,
where there's strawberry jam, there should be..."

[unida...@gmail.com]

On Friday, 8 September 1995 08:00:00 UTC+1, Gareth Randall wrote:
> I have a very specific memory of an entry to the Screen Test "Young
> Filmmaker of the Year" competition which scared the crap out of me at
> the time (I was about 7-8 years old) and has stayed with me, and I'd
> be interested to know if anyone else remembers it :
>
> It was basically an expanded and more menacing attempt at a public
> information film. From the POV of the driver, we see a car pulling up
> to the side of a road next to a child crying. The driver asks why the
> child is upset, and the kid says that the ice-cream van is coming, but
> his/her mummy is around the corner and he/she is worried that the van
> will have gone before mummy gets back. The driver (who is always
> unseen) says that he'll drive them round to find mummy...
>
> The next scene I remember is the one that genuinely frightened me at
> the time, and it still has the power to send a shiver down my spine.
> We see a clearing in some woodland with two makeshift graves; two
> children eating ice-creams dissolve in to stand on the grave sites,

> then disappear again. A caption comes up, reading something like "And

> all for the sake of an ice-cream"; as the word "cream" appears, we
> hear a scream.
>

> A friend of mine remembers this one too, and says it had/has just the
> same effect on him! Anyone else remember it in more detail?
>
> Gareth

Hi Gareth, no idea if you're still on here, but this came up when I Google-searched for the Screen Test Ice Scream film. I too remember it very well - around the same age as you - and it has remained with me for years. The parts you mention but also the piece between those two scenes where they do drive to the ice-cream van, the care starts to slow, then speeds up really quickly leaving the van and children behind. An impressive film for a young filmmaker. Did you ever find anything else out? Was it a teenage Tim Burton! Dan

[mw92...@gmail.com]

Ice scream ....yes our film group made that..as well as the two and a half p kid ..which won it one year .....

[chris....@gmail.com]

I have just seen Ruby don't take your love to town by Charlie Rich, which I remember from Young Filmmakers.
I remember being overwhelmed at 'under ten' by the images.

[scarred...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 1:49:01 AM UTC, mw92...@gmail.com wrote:
> Ice scream ....yes our film group made that..as well as the two and a half p kid ..which won it one year .....

Hi there - I'm the co-author of a book called Scarred for Life, which looks at the dark pop culture of the 70s and 80s (public information films, scary kids telly, violent comics, etc). We're currently writing Vol 2: the 1980s, and there'll be a piece on the scary Screen Test Young Film-Makers shorts.

Ice Scream absolutely terrified me at the time, I've never forgotten it! Would you happen to remember anything about the making of the film? Do you still have a copy (or are you able to get hold of one?). Do you know the name(s) of those involved?

Feel free to contact me at ste...@hotmail.co.uk

Many thanks in advance, and thanks for scaring the pants off me all those years ago! :)

Stephen Brotherstone

[rithomp...@gmail.com]

Hi I was in this film group and would love to know is there any way of viewing any of the films we made? Cheers, Roger

[iancus...@gmail.com]

On Friday, 8 September 1995 08:00:00 UTC+1, Gareth Randall wrote:
> I have a very specific memory of an entry to the Screen Test "Young
> Filmmaker of the Year" competition which scared the crap out of me at
> the time (I was about 7-8 years old) and has stayed with me, and I'd
> be interested to know if anyone else remembers it :
>
> It was basically an expanded and more menacing attempt at a public
> information film. From the POV of the driver, we see a car pulling up
> to the side of a road next to a child crying. The driver asks why the
> child is upset, and the kid says that the ice-cream van is coming, but
> his/her mummy is around the corner and he/she is worried that the van
> will have gone before mummy gets back. The driver (who is always
> unseen) says that he'll drive them round to find mummy...
>
> The next scene I remember is the one that genuinely frightened me at
> the time, and it still has the power to send a shiver down my spine.
> We see a clearing in some woodland with two makeshift graves; two
> children eating ice-creams dissolve in to stand on the grave sites,
> then disappear again. A caption comes up, reading something like "And
> all for the sake of an ice-cream"; as the word "cream" appears, we
> hear a scream.
>
> A friend of mine remembers this one too, and says it had/has just the
> same effect on him! Anyone else remember it in more detail?
>
> Gareth

I realise you posted this query a quarter of a century ago Gareth, but I've just come across this now....

I don't recall that film, but other entries from (I'd imagine) 71 or 72 included "Abandoned in a Ghost Town" & "Watcher Over the Threshold," which terrified me witless.

I also recall a film about 2 kids going back in time & being killed by arrows in the US Civil War - all of them still give me the shivers now as I stand on the cusp of 56