Dave Freeman (British writer) - Revision history

Kurt at 04:28, 18 February 2023

2023-02-18T04:28:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:28, 17 February 2023
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	~~{{Short description\|English writer}}~~
	~~{{EngvarB\|date=November 2017}}~~
	~~{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| image = Dave Freeman (British writer).jpg		\| image = Dave Freeman (British writer).jpg
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	\| birth_name = David Freeman		\| birth_name = David Freeman
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[w:Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London, United Kingdom		\| birth_place = [[Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London, United Kingdom
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2005\|03\|28\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2005\|03\|28\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}
	\| occupation = Film and television screenwriter		\| occupation = Film and television screenwriter
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	'''David Freeman''' (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.		'''David Freeman''' (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.

	He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the [[w:pun\|pun]] and [[w:double entendre\|double entendre]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman\|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html\|website = The Independent\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>		He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the [[pun\|pun]] and [[double entendre\|double entendre]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman\|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html\|website = The Independent\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

	During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including [[Benny Hill]], [[Tony Hancock]], [[Ted Ray (comedian)\|Ted Ray]], [[Terry Scott]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Eric Sykes]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Charlie Drake]], [[Arthur Askey]], [[Sid James]], [[Leslie Crowther]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Harry Worth]] and [[Frankie Howerd]].<ref name=":0"/>		During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including [[Benny Hill]], [[Tony Hancock]], [[Ted Ray (comedian)\|Ted Ray]], [[Terry Scott]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Eric Sykes]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Charlie Drake]], [[Arthur Askey]], [[Sid James]], [[Leslie Crowther]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Harry Worth]] and [[Frankie Howerd]].<ref name=":0"/>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Dave Freeman was born in [[w:Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm at the outbreak of the [[w:Second World War\|Second World War]]. His service with the Pacific fleet took him to Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and finally Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon return to England in 1946, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in [[w:Paddington\|Paddington]] rising to a [[w:Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)\|Special Branch]] detective at [[w:Scotland Yard\|Scotland Yard]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman.co.uk – history\|url = http://www.davefreeman.co.uk/history.html\|publisher = davefreeman.co.uk\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>		Dave Freeman was born in [[Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm at the outbreak of the [[Second World War\|Second World War]]. His service with the Pacific fleet took him to Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and finally Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon return to England in 1946, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in [[Paddington\|Paddington]] rising to a [[Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)\|Special Branch]] detective at [[Scotland Yard\|Scotland Yard]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman.co.uk – history\|url = http://www.davefreeman.co.uk/history.html\|publisher = davefreeman.co.uk\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

	After a period back at [[w:Special Branch\|Special Branch]], he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in [[w:Regent's Park, London\|Regent's Park]]. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with [[Benny Hill]], the pair started writing together.<ref name=":0" />		After a period back at [[Special Branch\|Special Branch]], he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in [[Regent's Park, London\|Regent's Park]]. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with [[Benny Hill]], the pair started writing together.<ref name=":0" />

	==Career==		==Career==

Kurt: clean up

2022-10-22T04:19:22Z

clean up

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	{{s-end}}		{{s-end}}

	~~{{Authority control}}~~

	{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Dave}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Dave}}

Kurt at 21:33, 25 September 2022

2022-09-25T21:33:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:33, 25 September 2022
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	{{EngvarB\|date=November 2017}}		{{EngvarB\|date=November 2017}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=November 2017}}
	~~{{More citations needed\|date=June 2012}}~~
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
			\| image = Dave Freeman (British writer).jpg
	\| name = Dave Freeman		\| name = Dave Freeman
	\| birth_name = David Freeman		\| birth_name = David Freeman
	\| birth_date = 22 ~~August 1922~~		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}
	\| birth_place = [[Marylebone]], London, United Kingdom		\| birth_place = [[w:Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London, United Kingdom
	\| death_date = 28 ~~March 2005 (aged 82)~~		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2005\|03\|28\|1922\|08\|22\|df=y}}
	\| occupation = Film and television screenwriter		\| occupation = Film and television screenwriter
	\| notable_works = ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]''		\| notable_works = ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]''
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	'''David Freeman''' (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.		'''David Freeman''' (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.

	He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the [[pun]] and [[double entendre]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman\|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html\|website = The Independent\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>		He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the [[w:pun\|pun]] and [[w:double entendre\|double entendre]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman\|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html\|website = The Independent\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

	During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including [[Benny Hill]], [[Tony Hancock]], [[Ted Ray (comedian)\|Ted Ray]], [[Terry Scott]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Eric Sykes]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Charlie Drake]], [[Arthur Askey]], [[Sid James]], [[Leslie Crowther]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Harry Worth]] and [[Frankie Howerd]].<ref name=":0"/>		During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including [[Benny Hill]], [[Tony Hancock]], [[Ted Ray (comedian)\|Ted Ray]], [[Terry Scott]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Eric Sykes]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Charlie Drake]], [[Arthur Askey]], [[Sid James]], [[Leslie Crowther]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Harry Worth]] and [[Frankie Howerd]].<ref name=":0"/>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Dave Freeman was born in [[Marylebone]], London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm at the outbreak of the [[Second World War]]. His service with the Pacific fleet took him to Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and finally Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon return to England in 1946, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in Paddington rising to a [[Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)\|Special Branch]] detective at [[Scotland Yard]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman.co.uk – history\|url = http://www.davefreeman.co.uk/history.html\|publisher = davefreeman.co.uk\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>		Dave Freeman was born in [[w:Marylebone\|Marylebone]], London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm at the outbreak of the [[w:Second World War\|Second World War]]. His service with the Pacific fleet took him to Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and finally Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon return to England in 1946, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in [[w:Paddington\|Paddington]] rising to a [[w:Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)\|Special Branch]] detective at [[w:Scotland Yard\|Scotland Yard]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web\|title = Dave Freeman.co.uk – history\|url = http://www.davefreeman.co.uk/history.html\|publisher = davefreeman.co.uk\|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

	After a period back at [[Special Branch]], he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in [[Regent's Park, London]]. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with [[Benny Hill]], the pair started writing together.<ref name=":0" />		After a period back at [[w:Special Branch\|Special Branch]], he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in [[w:Regent's Park, London\|Regent's Park]]. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with [[Benny Hill]], the pair started writing together.<ref name=":0" />

	==Career==		==Career==

Kurt: 1 revision imported

2022-07-27T21:11:46Z

1 revision imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 16:11, 27 July 2022
(No difference)

en>MaybeItsBecauseImALondoner: /* Early life */

2021-11-05T13:31:31Z

Early life

New page

{{Short description|English writer}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dave Freeman
| birth_name = David Freeman
| birth_date = 22 August 1922
| birth_place = [[Marylebone]], London, United Kingdom
| death_date = 28 March 2005 (aged 82)
| occupation = Film and television screenwriter
| notable_works = ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]''
}}
'''David Freeman''' (22 August 1922 – 28 March 2005) was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.

He was one of the first generation of writers who established television, taking over from radio, as the most popular medium for comedy. A prolific practitioner, he was a master of the [[pun]] and [[double entendre]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Dave Freeman|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html|website = The Independent|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

During the small screen's Golden Age, he wrote scripts for comedians including [[Benny Hill]], [[Tony Hancock]], [[Ted Ray (comedian)|Ted Ray]], [[Terry Scott]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Eric Sykes]], [[Peter Sellers]], [[Charlie Drake]], [[Arthur Askey]], [[Sid James]], [[Leslie Crowther]], [[Roy Hudd]], [[Jimmy Edwards]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Harry Worth]] and [[Frankie Howerd]].<ref name=":0"/>

==Early life==
Dave Freeman was born in [[Marylebone]], London. He trained as an electrician before joining the Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm at the outbreak of the [[Second World War]]. His service with the Pacific fleet took him to Ceylon, India, South Africa, Kenya and finally Australia where he met and married his wife, Alberta. Upon return to England in 1946, he joined the Metropolitan Police as a police constable in Paddington rising to a [[Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)|Special Branch]] detective at [[Scotland Yard]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title = Dave Freeman.co.uk – history|url = http://www.davefreeman.co.uk/history.html|publisher = davefreeman.co.uk|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

After a period back at [[Special Branch]], he became a journalist, then took a job as a security officer for the American Officers' Club in [[Regent's Park, London]]. One of his tasks was to book entertainment acts and when he struck up a friendship with [[Benny Hill]], the pair started writing together.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

===Benny Hill===
Freeman co-wrote with [[Benny Hill]] from 1955 to 1968 for ''[[The Benny Hill Show]]'' on [[BBC]]. The early series were notable for spoofs of popular television personalities of the time, such as the quiz and talent-show host [[Hughie Green]], the globe-trotting journalist [[Alan Whicker]], and the undersea explorers [[Hans Hass|Hans and Lotte Hass]].<ref name=":0" />

Freeman was teamed with Hill from the second series, in 1956, and also appeared on screen when the star made one-off shows for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] (1957–60) under a special contract with [[Bernard Delfont]]. He was later responsible for most of the scripts when Hill starred in three series of a [[BBC]] sitcom titled simply ''Benny Hill'' (1962–63), featuring the comedian in a different role each week in self-contained playlets.<ref name=":0" />

=== Television, Film and Radio ===
Alongside his success with [[Benny Hill]], he contributed to sketch-based programmes such as ''The Ted Ray Show'' (1955–59), and ''[[Great Scott - It's Maynard!]]'' (starring the comedy duo [[Terry Scott]] and [[Bill Maynard]], 1955–56). In 1955 he joined [[Associated London Scripts]], an agency representing the leading comedy and television writers of the 1950s and 1960s.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Terry Nation: The Man Who Invented the Daleks|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kMEEAwAAQBAJ|publisher = Aurum Press|date = 1 April 2013|isbn = 9781845136871|first = Alwyn W.|last = Turner}}</ref> There he teamed up with [[John Junkin]] and [[Terry Nation]] to write two series for [[Gert and Daisy|Elsie and Doris Waters]], [[Gert and Daisy (TV series)|Gert and Daisy]]. He then went on to contribute sketches to [[Spike Milligan]]'s ''[[The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d]]'' (1956) starring [[Peter Sellers]], the first successful attempt to transform the comedy of ''[[The Goon Show]]'' from radio to television.<ref name=":0" />

Television became Freeman's medium. Moving back and forth between [[BBC]] and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], Freeman wrote the sitcoms ''Charlie Drake in . . .'' (co-scripted with [[Charlie Drake]], who played a different character each week, 1958–59) and both ''[[Arthur's Treasured Volumes]]'' (1960) and ''[[The Arthur Askey Show]]'' (1961).<ref name=":0" />

He also created and wrote sitcoms for [[Roy Kinnear]] and [[Jimmy Edwards]]. In ''[[A World of His Own (TV series)|A World of His Own]]'' (1964–65), Kinnear played the daydreaming Stanley Blake, an outwardly ordinary husband lost in his own fantasies. ''The Fossett Saga'' (1969) was a spoof on ''The Forsyte Saga'' and starred Edwards as an author of penny-dreadfuls, bon viveur and patron of the arts in Victorian London.<ref name=":0" />

Freeman wrote the fantasy serial ''Knock Three Times'' (1968), starring [[Hattie Jacques]] and based on the children's book by [[Marion St John Webb]].<ref name=":0" />

In 1968 he wrote the screenplay to ''[[Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon]]''. He also scripted episodes for ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' ''(1968)''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title = Dave Freeman|url = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293350/|publisher = IMDb|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref> and ''It's Tommy Cooper'' (1970).<ref name=":1" /> After contributing to "[[Carry On (franchise)|Carry On]]" television specials, Freeman also wrote the feature film ''[[Carry On Behind]]'' (1975) and ''[[Carry On Columbus]]'' (1992).<ref name=":0" />

Much of his subsequent career was spent contributing episodes to some of television's most popular sitcoms, including ''[[Bless This House (British TV series)|Bless This House]]'' (1971–76), ''Robin's Nest'' (1977–81) and ''Keep It in the Family'', writing nine episodes with his scriptwriter son [[Greg Freeman]], between 1980 and 1983.<ref name=":0" />

He wrote, too, for ''[[Terry and June]]'' (1979–87), which starred [[Terry Scott]] and [[June Whitfield]] as husband and wife, a pairing that had begun on the sketch show ''[[Scott On]] . . .'', for which Freeman wrote the entire third and fourth series in 1970–71.<ref name=":0" />

=== Theatre ===
A theatrical collaboration between [[Benny Hill]] and Freeman, ''Fine Fettle''<ref name=":0" /> opened at the [[Palace Theatre, London|Palace Theatre]] in 1959. Freeman's stage farce ''[[A Bedfull of Foreigners]]'' opened at the [[Victoria Palace Theatre|Victoria Palace]] in 1973, starring [[Terry Scott]] and [[June Whitfield]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1974, it transferred to the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] starring [[David Jason]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Week Ending.... – BBC Radio 4 FM – 3 June 1977 – BBC Genome|url = http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8a223839442743818c8396fc14f7b35e|publisher = BBC|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

In 1982, ''Key For Two''<ref>{{Cite web|title = Key for Two {{!}} Samuel French|url = http://www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk/p/1462/key-for-two|website = www.samuelfrench-london.co.uk|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref> co-written with [[John Chapman (screenwriter)|John Chapman]] was nominated for the [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy]] after opening at the [[Vaudeville Theatre]] starring [[Moira Lister]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Key Fot Two|url = http://www.chaseside.org.uk/theatre_casts/1981/key.html|publisher = chaseside.org.uk|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref> His third play ''Kindly Keep It Covered'' opened in 1987 at the Churchill Theatre starring [[Terry Scott]] and [[Amanda Barrie]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA – Other Plays 1980–89|url = http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/08plays/plays8089.htm|website = phyllis.demon.co.uk|accessdate = 18 November 2015}}</ref>

All three plays have since been performed all over the world.<ref name=":0" />

=== Commercials ===
Freeman wrote over 50 advertisements in a series of television commercials for the soft-drinks company [[Schweppes]] starring [[Benny Hill]]. The commercials became the first from Britain to win the Grand Prix de la Télévision at the 1961 [[Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity|Cannes International Festival of Publicity Films]].<ref name=":0" />

Following the success of the [[Schweppes]] adverts, Freeman was asked to write a series of television commercials for the [[Egg Marketing Board]] starring [[Tony Hancock]] and [[Patricia Hayes]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.carryonline.com/carryonline/reframe.html?http://www.carryonline.com/carryonline/davefreeman.html Carryonline.com article about Dave Freeman]
*[http://www.davefreeman.co.uk Dave Freeman`s official website]
*[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dave-freeman-531156.html The Independent obituary on Dave Freeman]
*{{IMDb name|id=0293350|name=Dave Freeman}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before= [[Talbot Rothwell]] |
title=[[Carry On (film series)|Carry On]] films scriptwriter |
years= 1975 |
after=[[David Pursall]]<br>[[Jack Seddon]]
}}
{{succession box |
before= [[Lance Peters]] |
title=[[Carry On (film series)|Carry On]] films scriptwriter |
years= 1992 |
after= ''Final (to date)''
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Dave}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:English comedy writers]]
[[Category:Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:20th-century English male writers]]