From john.koster@wxs.nl Sun Dec 23 19:48:09 2001 Path: news11-gui.server.ntli.net!news5-gui.server.ntli.net!ntli.net!xara.net!gxn.net!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!195.86.7.162!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!newsfeed.wxs.nl!not-for-mail From: "John Koster" Newsgroups: alt.fan.goons Subject: Script of Operation Christmas Duff Date: Sun, 23 Dec 2001 20:48:09 +0100 Organization: Planet Internet Lines: 458 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: ipd50a9676.speed.planet.nl NNTP-Posting-Date: 23 Dec 2001 19:48:14 GMT Xref: news5-gui.server.ntli.net alt.fan.goons:27194 Dear fellow Goons, Here is a transcript of "Operation Christmas Duff". It differs quite a lot if you compare it with the script in "The lost Goon Shows". As I am not a native speaker (I'm from Holland) I would welcome your comments. John Koster GREENSLADE: This is the General Overseas Service of the BBC. This program is specially dedicated to Her Majesty's Forces Overseas and to the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, the Falkland Islands Dependency Survey Teams and the Royal Society Expedition at Halley Bay. Greetings from the Goons. ECCLES: Hello. ORCHESTRA: Royal fanfare. SELLERS: This is the story of a great endeavour. A story of land, sea and air. And in some cases, both. The date: the 23rd November 1956. Christmas was coming. The geese were getting fat. But one problem lay heavily on Parliament's conscience. FX: (Fade in) Crowd talking. MINISTER: Gentlemen! MP 1: What's happened to the colonies? MP 2: What are colonies? MP 3: Think of something. MP 2: Piece of land, surrounded by dollars. MP 1: Aah! MINISTER: As Minister of Military-type Foods, I must state that the picture regarding Christmas puddings for the forces overseas looks pretty black. MP: Why don't we send them black puddings? ORCHESTRA: Corny chord. MP: Hoi! SELLERS: Thank you, Sir Hartley Shawcross KC. And now, a few statistics from our resident statisticker. ORCHESTRA: Lively introductory-type music. STATISTICKER: I say, I say, I say, I say, I say, gentlemen, owing to the shortage of civilian contractors, they cannot supply sufficient Xmas-type duff for our forces overseas. CROWD: Calamity, a terrible calamity OLD MAN: What about the Naafi? FIRST VOICE: Naafi, what is Naafi? SECOND VOICE: An organisation, working for the downfall of the British Army. FIRST VOICE: Have they succeeded? SECOND VOICE: Several times. STATISTICKER: Gentlemen, gentlemen, I have a solution. I just took it off a bicycle tire. Now, listen to me, please. Why don't the services all combine in the building of a giant Christmas pudding? FX: Crowd - applause, cheers, fade in singing of "Land of Hope and Glory", speeded up. SELLERS: The motion was adopted and passed. But meanwhile, at the Admiralty... FX: Bosun's whistle. SPARKS: Ah, pardon me, sir RN. SEAGOON: What is it, Sparks? SPARKS: I'm sorry to interrupt you at squash, sir. SEAGOON: It's all right, I'll drink it later. SPARKS: Right...Ah, this morse signal just arrived from Magadan Trans-Antarctic Expedition, sir. SEAGOON: Really, what's it say? SPARKS: I don't know. It's all little dots and dashes, I.... SEAGOON: I see. Play it on the gramophone. SPARKS: Right. FX: Beeps in Morse. SEAGOON: What a lovely tune. What's it called? SPARKS: It's says: we want a Christmas Pudding for Christmas, by the boys of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, with Taffy Williams at the mighty Morse keys. SEAGOON: Three words a minute, that's his lot. Gad! SPARKS: Good luck, sir. SEAGOON: You mean those lads out there in all that sand and snow are to be denied a Christmas pudding? SPARKS: I fear so, sir. SEAGOON: It's not British, I tell you, it's not British. SPARKS: Very few Christmas puddings are these days, sir. They're made in Japan. SEAGOON: Wait, wait! I have it, Robin. SPARKS: Have you, sir? SEAGOON: I have indeed, Robin. We will have to ask the service chefs to increase the size of the giant Service Christmas pudding to allow for an extra slice for the Antarctic base. SPARKS: Magnificent, sir. You know, they're mixing it at Chatham at this very moment, sir. I'll drive you there. SPARKS: Giddup, sir, giddup! SEAGOON: Neighing. FX: Two men running away. GRAMS: "Claire de lune". GREENSLADE: We included that brief excerpt from "Clair de lune" for people who speak French. And now, over to Richard Dimbleby. FX: Industrial sounds. DIMBLEBY: The sound you are now hearing is the great combined Services Christmas pudding in the making. I'm standing by the great dry dock at Chatham in which the Christmas pudding is being mixed. Standing next to me is Admiral Seagoon, RN. SEAGOON: Well, we've had a good day today. Number three flotilla torpedo boats have been going backwards and forwards churning up the mixture. The cruiser Ajax has been following in their wake, dropping depth charges to bring the raisins to the surface. DIMBLEBY: How perfectly splendid, to see the finest traditions of the silent service being maintained. SEAGOON: Yes, yes, we try to keep the men happy when they're off duty by giving them little tasks like this. DIMBLEBY: We could do with more of that spirit, sir. SEAMAN: You could do with a big clout up the back of your big fat steaming nut, there. SEAGOON: Put that admiral under arrest. SEAMAN: I'll write my MP. DIMBLEBY: How do you test the density of this great patriotic pudding mixture? SEAGOON: We've sent a diver down. He went down half an hour ago. We're getting rather worried. DIMBLEBY: Why? SEAGOON: He hasn't got a diving suit on. DIMBLEBY: Ha, ha, what a splendid joke that was to play on him. FX: Planes. DIMBLEBY: And now the great dockyard is being cleared, as the fairy gannets of 824 Squadron swoop low over the pudding. Their bomb bays are open, and yes, down comes the candied peel, stone ginger and sultanas. FX: Sound of bombs falling down and landing in pudding mixture. DIMBLEBY: A direct hit on the great Christmas pudding mixture. This is indeed a grand day for the Empire. SEAMAN: Eh, pardon me, sir, eh, oil tankers standing by for to take on the pudding, sir. SEAGOON: Right! SEAGOON: Right-o. SEAGOON: Tell them to drop the suction pumps into the mixture and suck it! SEAMAN: Right-o, sir. FX: Pumping. DIMBLEBY: And so the great pudding mixture is siphoned out of the dry dock and into the great all-British oil tanker Aristotle Onassis. SEAGOON: Yes, she'll transport it to an empty gasometer near Salisbury Plain. From then on the pudding is under Army command. Unfortunately. DIMBLEBY: Thank, you, Admiral Seagoon. And before we go, what is the great record of your choice? SEAGOON: I should say, Max Geldray. ORCHESTRA and MAX GELDRAY GREENSLADE: Operation Christmas Duff, part two. VOICE: Burps. FX: Bugle call, speeding up and down. BLOODNOK: Oh, oh, ooweeoweeowee, reveille! And first thing in the morning, too! Oh, what a shock. Quick, get me some brandy. BATMAN: Have you got a weak heart sir? BLOODNOK: No, a weak will. Oh, Captain Thing, what's the latest sit. ref.? CAPTAIN THING: 0600 now, sir. BLOODNOK: Yes, yes. CAPITAIN THING: Tank transporter arrived with converted gasometer containing 600 tons of Christmas pudding ready for cooking. BLOODNOK: What's its map reference? CAPITAN THING: 7981. BLOODNOK: Salisbury Plain? CAPTAIN THING: Yes, sir BLOODNOK: Where's that? CAPTAIN THING: You're standing on it, sir. BLOODNOK: Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry. I hope I haven't dirtied it. CAPTAIN THING: It's all right, sir. We have it blancoed every other day. BLOODNOK: Yes. FX: Knocking on door. BLOODNOK: Come in! Two, three! FX: Bosun's whistle. BLOODNOK: Oh, it's a naval snotty, RN! What are you doing, so far inland? SEAGOON: I ran aground, sir. I was sent alongside to report on the cooking. BLOODNOK: Well, you'd better follow me. SEAGOON: Oh. BLOODNOK: The Derbyshire Yeomanry have laid on fourteen flame-throwing tanks. SEAGOON: I see. FX: Bugle: "Come to the cookhouse door". SEAGOON: I say, what call is that? BLOODNOK: The cookhouse, Number one on our hit parade, you know. Has been for three hundred years now. SEAGOON: Yes, yes. BLOODNOK: Now here we are. Now if you'll just come into this observation post you'll be able to watch to whole of the Christmas pudding being cooked. Now, let's go over to this clearing here. FX: Flame-throwers. GREENSLADE: Hello, listeners. The sound you're hearing are the tanks which are bringing their flame-throwers to bear, as they cook the giant Christmas pudding in its gasometer. And now a word from our military observer. CAPTAIN BERK: Well, at down this morning, number forty-five commando went in under cover of daylight, and brought back samples for testing by the Army Catering Corps. GREENSLADE: What was it like? CAPTAIN BERK: Pretty good. BLOODNOK: I say, Captain Berk. CAPTAIN BERK: Sir, two, three, four. BLOODNOK: Eh, field intelligence reports that the pudding is done. CAPTAIN BERK: Splendid, sir, absolutely, first class! Yes, I should wait till things have cooled down a bit, then send in the Sappers who blast open the gasometer with Bangalore torpedo's, leaving the pudding completely in our mercy. BLOODNOK: Splendid, and Roger and out. CAPTAIN BERK: Thank you. GREENSLADE: Excuse me Major, I'm from the BBC. BLOODNOK: I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me. Ask John Snagge, he's got a fortune in his mattress, you know. FX: Explosions. BLOODNOK: Ooohh! There she goes, there she goes. You see that? Split the gasometer completely in two. Well done, Sappers! GREENSLADE: Indeed yes, listeners, right in two. Revealing a great big steaming Christmas pudding. FX: Gunfire. GREENSLADE: And there you hear the 74th Medium Regiment R.A., firing over open sights smack into the pudding itself. Tell me Major, what are they firing? BLOODNOK: Three-penny bits. CAPTAIN BERK: Excuse me, sir, the infantry of Gorlean. Their CO is on the walkie-talkie. BLOODNOK: Oh, hello, Sunray here. MASTERS: Masters speaking. BLOODNOK: Yes. MASTERS: Here's a sit. rep., sir. BLOODNOK: Yes. MASTERS: B Company 2nd Force Hamps have reached the summit of the Christmas pudding. BLOODNOK: All right. Consolidate. Roger and out. MASTER: Roger and out. BLOODNOK: Gentlemen, the Army's task in this matter is completed. It is now under RAF command. Unfortunately. GRAMS: "Land of Hope and Glory". SECOMBE: That night, an excited House was given the news. FX: Crowd noises - heavy mutterings. CHURCHILL: Honourable members. I have this moment received good news. At 1700 hours British troops have gained the summit of the combined Services Christmas pudding and there planted the British holly. FX: Applause and cheers. CHURCHILL: One hour later, the Sopwith Camels of Bomber Command, dropped delayed brandy bombs, then to set the (??) on fire. The magnificent Christmas duff is now ready for transporting FX: Cheers, all sing "Land of Hope and Glory". GREENSLADE: Late that night, Service chiefs were given their instructions at the War Office. FX: Bar room noises, hony tonk piano. SEAGOON: Gentlemen, please, please. If the Chief of the Imperial General Staff will lay off the joanna, thank you. THROAT: Cor blimy, I've all this pleasure before. (?) SEAGOON: I have here sealed orders containing four tickets for the Windmill, and this message... VOICE: (??, there) SEAGOON: "The pudding will be... VOICE: What about the old General Staff, there? SEAGOON: I don't wish to know that. VOICE: What about the old (??) SEAGOON: (??) VOICE 2: (??) SEAGOON: What about it? What about the turkey in the shop? (??) The pudding will be divided as follows. One slice to be cut and filled with anti-freeze for immediate transport to the Trans-Antarctic expedition. The remainder of the giant Christmas pudding will be fitted with wheels, a diesel engine, and driven to the Middle East depots for distribution. Signed, Field Marshall Montgoonery. FX: Crowd noises. ORCHESTRA: Musical link. FX: Vehicle driving in sand storm in wrong gear. BLUEBOTTLE: Have you ever driven a Christmas pudding before, Eccles? ECCLES: No, I've never driven anything before. BLUEBOTTLE: Then how did you get the job? ECCLES: Well, the sergeant said, one pace forward my good man, anyone who can play the piano. BLUEBOTTLE: Oh, can you play the piano then? ECCLES: No. BLUEBOTTLE: Then why are you driving a Christmas pudding? ECCLES: I want to learn to play the piano. BLUEBOTTLE: Then it's true what the recruiting posters say. ECCLES: What do the recruiting posters say? BLUEBOTTLE: They say: You're somebody in the modern army of today. ECCLES: Oohh, and what are you? BLUEBOTTLE: I'm somebody in the modern army of today. ECCLES: Oh, I wondered who you were. BLUEBOTTLE: Hello kitty, hello Kay (?), Hello Jim. ECCLES: Eh, eh, how did you, how did you join? BLUEBOTTLE: Well. ECCLES: Well. BLUEBOTTLE: I was in the street.. ECCLES: Yah. BLUEBOTTLE: ...writing something on the wall. ECCLES: Oohh! BLUEBOTTLE: Quiet! I was only writing my name. ECCLES: Wouldn't they know who did it then? BLUEBOTTLE: No, I didn't sign it. ECCLES: Oh, you got brain Bottle. Go on then. BLUEBOTTLE: Then up comes a naughty hairy man wearing a soldier's hat, and he said "Little Finchley lad, you don't want to write your name in silly chalk. You want to write your name in ink." And then I said "Where?". And he said "On this nice military dotted line". So I signed it. And then they said "Can you play the piano?". And I said "Yes". And here I am. ECCLES: Give us a tune. BLUEBOTTLE: What would you like? ECCLES: My ticket. BLUEBOTTLE: How does it go? ECCLES: It goes (sings): Doctor, my dear military doctor, you gotta believe me, I got a bad back in the front. I'm not fit for active service, I gotta bone in my leg. And when I close my eyes I can't see. When I lie down it hurts me to lie sideways, and ohh type... RAY ELLINGTON QUARTET: Old Man River. FX: Wind blowing under... GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Moriarty? MORIARTY: Grytpype? GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Tell them who we are. MORIARTY: Moriarty and Grytpype. Hasn't got a laugh, it passed the time. Continue. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Hello Ted. MORIARTY: Hello Jim. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: What's that coming round the mountain pass in Cyrenaica? MORIARTY: I'll soon tell. Hand me my wig. I'll just trim the fringe. FX: Scissors. MORIARTY: Ah, yes. Sapristi pompet! It's a giant Christmas pudding with a sign on top that says "Low bridge". GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Anything else? MORIARTY: Yes, a low bridge. This is our big chance. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Big chance - to what? MORIARTY: To eat! Oh, (smacks) food, I've got to have food! Oohhh. Give me my teeth back, give me my teeth back! GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: You shan't have them, Moriarty, they're mine, they're mine forever. MORIARTY: Oh ya, noo aah. Be kind to a little steaming record. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: You should never have left France. MORIARTY: I never lefted it, it left me. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: You, you nifty Norman, you. First we must stop them, Moriarty. Now, you lie across the road and show the top of your boot. MORIARTY: Right. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Not too much though! It may be a lady driver! MORIARTY: Right! FX: Screeching tyres. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: There, Moriarty she pulled up - MORIARTY: But than ran over me first! GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: And I ruined the gag. MORIARTY: And I continued as if nothing had happened. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: I shall follow suit. BLUEBOTTLE: Ah, poor little thin man. Did we hurted you? MORIARTY: Yes, little cardboard string lad. Only one thing can save poor old Moriarty's life. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Yes, he must have a diet of military Christmas pudding which he must eat on the move. ECCLES: That's a bit of luck, Christmas pudding will keep you on the move all right, chum! And we're driving one on the move, as well. GRYTPYPE-THYNNE: Quick! Help me get him inside then. ECCLES: OK, I'll take his legs, you take his arm, and I'll take.... GREENSLADE: Meanwhile, meanwhile the portion of the pudding destined for the Antarctic base was on board theTheron, going full steam ahead over the ice floes. FX: Wind and sea. Breaking of ice. BLOODNOK: Oh, gad, what a night. Nothing but sleep. I tell you, I tell you it's hell out there. SEAGOON: Actually it's a little bit colder. BLOODNOK: Oohh! SEAGOON: Keep your chin up, Major! BLOODNOK: Why? SEAGOON: It's in the soup! BLOODNOK: I'm sorry, I thought my beard was on fire. SEAMAN: Land ahead! SEAGOON: Hear that? They've sighted the Thurston ice-shelf. Gad, in a few days we'll be at the base with the pudding. What a thrill it will be. I can see Dr Foulkes' face now. BLOODNOK: You've got damned good eyesight, that's all I can tell. SEAGOON: Prepare to unload pudding, dogs and sleds. Ooowowohhww! ORCHESTRA: Dramatic chords. GREENSLADE: Seven months later... FX: Wind. BLOODNOK: Ah..., oh, Seagoon, what's the time? SEAGOON: I can't tell you until it gets dark. BLOODNOK: Why not? SEAGOON: My watch has got a luminous dial. BLOODNOK: Curse, we shall have to wait till nightfall before we know it's late. SEAGOON: Who cares about things like that? When we run out of food! BLOODNOK: We've still got the Christmas pudding. Let us eat that. SEAGOON: What? You touch that, Bloodnok, and I'll, I'll drop you in your tracks. BLOODNOK: Oohh! SEAGOON: Ahh, that's for the boys at the Antarctic base. BLOODNOK: But if we don't eat it, we won't have the strength to pull it. SEAGOON: At the back of my legs I knew he was right. All right, Bloodnok, but we'll, we'll just have a thin quarter ounce slice of pudding each. BLOODNOK: Can't I have a thick quarter ounce slice? SEAGOON: No, but I'll meet you halfway. BLOODNOK: All right, I'll see you there then. Forward! ORCHESTRA: Dramatic chords. FX: Icy wind. SEAGOON: December 52nd. Took of record of effects. For three nights now, gallant Bloodnok has volunteered to stay awake and guard the pudding. BLOODNOK: December 1st, pudding getting smaller. SEAGOON: Bloodnok getting bigger. BLOODNOK: Seagoon getting suspicious. SEAGOON: December 19th! BLOODNOK: Oohhh! SEAGOON: Caught Bloodnok brown-handed digging into the pudding! BLOODNOK: It's a lie. We're just good friends, I tell you. Officer, arrest that pudding for molesting me out of season, you hear! SEAGOON: Bloodnok, you devil of the snow! BLOODNOK: Oohh! SEAGOON: Open your hand! FX: Coins falling BLOODNOK: Aahh! SEAGOON: AAhhhh! So that's what you're after, the three penny bits! BLOODNOK: Yes, I wanted to make a brown phone call! SEAGOON: Phones? Here? Ha, ha, ha, ha. FX: Phone ringing. SEAGOON: Don't answer it, it's a mirage. BLOODNOK: Nonsense, it's a phone. Hello? PHONE: Hello, this is a mirage speaking. FX: Phone thrown down. BLOODNOK: Ooohh. You were right, Seagoon. Oh, unless we reach the base soon my mind will give out. SEAGOON: Well, try to use it as little as possible. BLOODNOK: I always do! FX: Wind. Car breaking. ECCLES: Heeelloolloo! Hellooo fellers. Hello. We've brought you your Christmas pudding. SEAGOON: Whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat? What? ECCLES: No thanks, I'm trying to give them up. Here, I think this is the first time you've had snow in Libya. BLOODNOK: What? We're in Libya? SEAGOON: Nonsense. ECCLES: I am. SEAGOON: According to my calculutions and our position on the map, we are 20 miles south of here. BLOODNOK: Well, we shall soon settle this. Let's ask somebody. Excuse me, sir, where's our position? GREENSLADE: Cher monsieur, soyez le bienvenue à New York. BLOODNOK: He says, "Welcome to New York". ECCLES: What's New York doing in Libya? SEAGOON: Nonsense, nosense, Eccles. You mean what's New York doing in the Antarctic? BLOODNOK: Perhaps it's on holiday. ECCLES: It's the best time of the year. SEAGOON: Will you stop talking rubbish? ECCLES: I make my living doing that. BLOODNOK: Sing Frankie. Well, we'll soon settle where we are. Stand me on my head. Right. Now then, I'll just toss this coin, this melody coin. FX: Coin falling. BLOODNOK: Na! Heads! Yeah. We are in Mongolia! SEAGOON: Ah! But you're using a Mongolian penny. BLOODNOK: Yes, but only from the inside. SEAGOON: What does that mean? BLOODNOK: It means we are in Mongolia! ECCLES: I want to learn the piano. SEAGOON: Liberace said that and look how he's turned out. ECCLES: Wait a minute. GREENSLADE: (Over others arguing) Here is an urgent communiqué from the War Office. If a sledge drawn by Seagoon RN should arrive at the transit camp in Melbourne, will the commanding officer please redirect him to the Antarctic base. VOICE: (accompanied by Eccles) Here is a further message. If a hollow Christmas pudding on wheels should report the British Embassy in Calcutta. Will they please shoot the driver. And eh, oh, yes, eh, Merry Christmas to you all, Goodnight! SEAGOON: Good night! ORCHESTRA: Playout. GREENSLADE: That was the Goon Show, a BBC recorded programme featuring Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan with the Ray Ellington quartet, Max Geldray and the orchestra conducted by Wally Stott, script by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, announcer Wallace Greenslade, the program produced by Pat Dixon.