This Is Your Life: Pat Kirkwood

Pat KIRKWOOD (1921-2007)

The last edition produced by Thames Television to be broadcast on ITV

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Pat Kirkwood, actress, singer and dancer, was surprised by Michael Aspel during an interview in the bar of the Prince of Wales Theatre in London.

Pat made her professional debut at the age of 14 as a singer on the BBC radio programme The Children's Hour. A year later, she made her first appearance on stage, billed as the Schoolgirl Songstress at the Royal Hippodrome in Salford. Her first big break came in the revue Black Velvet at the London Hippodrome in 1940.

Pat was one of the West End's liveliest and most glamorous musical stars in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in such plays as Noel Coward's Ace of Clubs in 1950, which he wrote especially for her, and the 1955 London production of Leonard Bernstein's Wonderful Town. In 1954 she became the first female star to have her own series on British television, The Pat Kirkwood Show.

"Michael, Michael Aspel, the man with the book!"

programme details...

Edition No: 892
Subject No: 879
Broadcast date: Wed 20 Jul 1994
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Thu 20 Jan 1994
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 34
Edition: 26
Code name: Society

on the guest list...

Peter Knight - husband
Van Johnson
Alfred Black
Roma Beaumont
Robert Nesbitt
Wendy Toye
June Whitfield
Hubert Gregg
Carmel Gregg
Patricia Hodge
Michael Denison
Dulcie Gray
Brian - brother
Lord Delfont
Carole Lynne
Lewis Gilbert
Shani Wallis
Evelyn Laye

production team...

Researcher: Elizabeth Ross
Writer: Simon Booker
Director: Brian Klein
Associate Producer: John Graham
Producer: Malcolm Morris

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life is a Cabaret

a musical theatre chorus line

Timeline

the show's fifty year history

This is Leslie Jackson's Life

Interview with the first producer of This Is Your Life

Michael Thornton, friend of Pat Kirkwood, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in October 2012

Screenshots of Pat Kirkwood This Is Your Life

Pat Kirkwood recalls her experience of This Is Your Life in her autobiography, The Time of My Life...

Something extremely pleasant happened on 20 January 1994, although the beginning was rather mysterious. In December 1993, Barry Burnett, my new agent, rang to say he had been asked to arrange an interview with me for Thames Television at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

They were holding an anniversary celebration for the theatre's birthday and all the principal artists who had played there had been invited to give an interview on their stage experiences. I was delighted to accept, as I had done two shows there – one of them Chrysanthemum.

Then strange things began to happen at home. Peter was, as usual, talking a lot on the telephone, but now would close the door for prolonged periods. When I entered the room for some papers he would mutter down the phone, 'Sorry, can't talk any more now,' and put it down. I thought this was a bit odd, and when I asked him who he was talking to he said it was the vicar, but without much conviction.

Then one evening when he had gone to bed I went upstairs and heard the murmur of a voice, rather muffled, and opening the bedroom door I gazed on a large lump of bedclothes under which Peter was whispering into his mobile telephone. He immediately surfaced, giving me a sickly smile. What was going on? Had Peter a secret companion? I was mystified but did not ask him anything. Shortly after, he announced that he had to go to WH Smith's in Darlington, about thirty miles away. I still kept quiet.

On the day before the interview on 20 January, we set off for the Cavendish Club, near Marble Arch, and the following morning presented ourselves at the Prince of Wales Theatre in readiness for my interview. The television cameras were set up in the downstairs bar, the cameramen and the interviewer – whom I had not met before – were already there, but there was no sign of any other artists.

Either they were late or I was early. We began the interview, but shortly after we had started the interviewer began to move away from behind the camera and I had to bend in my chair toward him, still talking and wondering what was going on. In the middle of my sentence I sensed someone standing next to me and turned.

Close to me was Michael Aspel with an enormous red book in his hands. I completely lost my cool and gave what I can only describe as a loud, inelegant yelp, reminiscent of Eliza in Pygmalion. 'It's the man with the book' I cried tremulously, although I knew it was Michael as I had seen him on television many times; now, however, his name deserted me. 'This is your life,' said Michael, but I felt it was just the opposite.

What a shock! Michael laughed his handsome head off, as did the cameraman, the interviewer and, lurking in a corner, my scheming husband!

I was whisked off to the Teddington studios, shown into a dressing-room and provided with champagne and delicious sandwiches, neither of which I could touch at the time. Also I noticed a familiar looking suitcase, which, the make-up woman explained, had been packed by my husband with some dresses for me to choose from.

Later I learned that he had organised the whole operation and kept it all secret so that I would not know. He was aided and abetted by our good friend, Michael Thornton. The television staff were marvellous and helped me back to earth and to relax. I was then shepherded to the set, where I waited for Michael Aspel to call my name.

When he did and I came onstage the reception I received was heart-warming. The audience had not known who was appearing and, thankfully, welcomed me most generously. Sitting on seats on either side were a host of old colleagues and friends – it was like a happy dream.

Then a galaxy of talented artists with whom I had worked over the years began to appear: Roma Beaumont and her husband Alfred, the son of George Black; Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray; Wendy Toye; Shani Wallis, on video from America; Van Johnson, flown over from the United Sates; Lord Delfont and his wife Carole Lynne, together on the video screen with a warm message; Lewis Gilbert, my film director in Once a Sinner, likewise; Evelyn Laye, too – seated at her piano in her home – raised her glass to me; Robert Nesbitt, my director in many shows; June Whitfield; Hubert Gregg with his wife Carmel and their two children Kathy and Robert; Gerry Phillips, stage director, and not least, Patricia Hodge.

The surprise of the evening, its culmination, was the entrance of my brother Brian, whom I had not seen for nine years. He had been flown over from his home in Palm Springs, California. He made a splendid entrance and contribution, as confident as ever and exciting the television crew to comment upon his professionalism.

After hanging on, amidst all these nostalgic memories, hoping I would not give way to the tears I was on the point of shedding, this last emotive meeting was very nearly more than I could bear. It was one of the happiest and most touching nights of 'my life', thanks to my colleagues and friends, who had made the effort to support the programme, and to the meticulous organisation of the director and the team responsible for it.

Later I was to receive 'the Red Book' in remembrance of the occasion. I shall always treasure it.

Series 34 subjects