the vintage corner f/m

[verscont]

"Knock Knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Yes"

Please don't ask for the Ultra High Definition version of this stuff - I know it's rubbish quality, but it's still the kind of thing that stirred interest in young boys like me at the time. Back in the 1960s, the BBC normally wiped their videos soon after broadcast so they could be re-used for the next show. And that means most of the surviving footage comes from cardboard boxes full of old tapes found in various people's attics.

So, on with the show. What we have here are the first couple of throws in a 'live' fight between the Doctor's female assistant at the time, and the episode's Big Bad. Well, I call it a fight but it's really a demolition. Our Alternative Universe Wrestling Champion soon finds out he's no match for a 100lb Earth girl's judo. And, as we can see, Wendy has kindly paid a visit to Mrs Peel's outfitters for us.

1, 2, 3, 4. Upset that the Dr. is being pushed around by this musclebound bully, our diminutive heroine shows what she's capable of with this first throw.
5, 6. To her enormous credit, we see throughout that the actress is doing all this herself - despite not being known to have had any previous self-defence accreditation. Contrast this with the normal use of stuntwomen (and sometimes, sadly, men) as action substitutes at the time, including in The Avengers.
7, 8. Our Batman impersonator is pretty peeved by that, so to show he means business he throws off his cape and threatens her with his moulded plastic abdomen muscles.

End of Part One (cue eerie theme music).

Added after 15 minutes:

"Knock Knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Doctor"
"Doctor Who?"
"Yes!"


Right, onto Part 2

9. Suitably angered, the Wrestling Champion attacks from the front.
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. As well as doing her own stunts, this sequence shows there are no modern Hollywood fast edits or cutaways here. No doubt the guy will be a trained stuntman, but she executes the move perfectly for an actress with no action background.
16. Oh Dear, this is getting humiliating now. Excited by her achievements, she jumps for joy like a Japanese anime schoolgirl. "I want to do it again! And Again!!"

And she does. But given the low quality I think that's enough to make most people's eyes bleed. That said, the continuation of the fight can be provided if needed.

[judolover]

As someone who grew up in the UK in the 60s, and first got turned on to this fetish watching the Avengers and the BMK ad and various 60s/70s spy and cop shows, I can say a heartfelt thank you to verscont for these screenshots. Yes, the quality is poor, but I can see enough...absolutely beautiful stuff.

[verscont]

Thanks for your supportive comments. I can probably dig up more of that fight if you feel it worthwhile.

In the meantime, the BBC kindly provided a few still photos from that episode -including a rare example in colour. And they're a bit clearer than my video captures. So you can see our shiny cat-suited teenage judo elf really was that tiny at the time.

[rapidjeff]

Originally Posted by verscont [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

So you can see our shiny cat-suited teenage judo elf really was that tiny at the time.

Elf-defense never looked so good.

[FootPower]

Originally Posted by verscont [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

5, 6. To her enormous credit, we see throughout that the actress is doing all this herself - despite not being known to have had any previous self-defence accreditation. Contrast this with the normal use of stuntwomen (and sometimes, sadly, men) as action substitutes at the time, including in The Avengers.

In terms of full disclosure, it's probably only fair to say that 99% of the fight is really down to Christopher Robbie as the Karkus literally throwing himself around. Towards the back end of the fight, it looks like he's going over just by the power of suggestion, with Zoe barely touching him at all. She does get him to submit to her at the end of the fight though, with what must be a very deceptively strong choke-hold!

It's an odd moment too, in that it's the only time in Zoe's entire run on the show that she displays any fighting skills at all. Fair play though, it's still a fantastic scene and just another example of how Zoe was arguably Doctor Who's first genuinely kick ass female companion. It's just a shame that apart from this one time, Zoe was more about the brains than the brawn.

And it all could have all been so different. When the show began in November 1963, Carole Ann Ford played the Doctor's first companion, his Granddaughter, Susan. Susan spent most of her time either scared, screaming, crying - or a combination of all three. But that wasn't the character which had been initially pitched to Ford, as she has revealed since. In an interview with the Telegraph, back in 2013, she said...

I was a very good dancer and had been an acrobat. They told me Susan was going to be an Avengers-type girl – with all the kapow of that – plus she would have telepathetic powers. She was going to be able to fly the Tardis as well as her grandfather and have the most extraordinary wardrobe. None of that happened.

I'm a big fan of Doctor Who (as this excessively detailed post has probably suggested!) and I do often wonder what would have happened if the first companion had been another Emma Peel? Would it have set a precedent, just as Cathy Gale did in the Avengers? Just imagine, we could have had 50 years of female companions kicking butt in the Tardis, instead of just Zoe (once), Leela and occasionally Ace.

If only....

Edited to Add:
Oh yeah, and just for a little more info, the catsuit was actual purple and is probably more infamous for the cliffhanger of episode one, which sees Zoe clinging to the Tardis console as the camera pans around and...

[verscont]

Interesting, thank you. I had no idea of the previous plans for Zoe's original predecessor to be kick-ass. But if you look back, I did credit the male opponent for his stuntman skills in making her look good in this scene.

Another odd thing is the colours. I wonder why your photos show the clothes in purple and everything else in monochrome. And if the catsuit was purple, why did they photoshop it to black & white in my image whilst leaving everything else in full colour? Strange.

[verscont]

This one is in colour, but at 56-years-old and counting that's vintage enough for me. Let's go....

1. Hey, that's Jerry Lewis! I'm guessing it's his first appearance in this forum. But what's he doing? Well, the backstory is something about him having to get close to a girl, and this is where he found himself after following her.
2, 3, 4, 5. The girl is played by the lovely Mary Ann Mobley, and here she is smashing boards with her fist.
6, 7. Hang on a minute. Why is the instructor looking so miserable, rather than being as pleased as she is with this achievement?
8. Well, here's a clue. It's one of his existing trusted students bowing meekly in front of her. Whatever has been going on?

Added after 15 minutes:

A bit more backstory might help. Mary Ann's character - however beautiful and petite, and with that glorious smile - is a total 'manhater' according to the script. And by the looks of it, that instructor isn't too fond of women either. He probably wants her out of his dojo and back in the kitchen where she belongs.

Anyhow, here' a quick refresh on what's been going on. Sadly, we didn't get to see who or what caused the student to fly through the air when Jerry walked in. But now it's obvious.

9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Having no sympathy for her victi.. I mean sparring partner, we get to see her next move in full, and it's perfectly executed to the astonishment of all the men watching.
14, 15. And, having followed this action frame by frame, I can confirm it definitely is the actress performing the move rather than a stuntwoman. No wonder she was originally slated to play 'The Girl From Uncle'.
16. But let's finish with a bit of fantasy. "No please, I beg you. I've had enough. Yes, of course I'll kiss your feet if you'll just leave me alone."

[Blobfish]

Originally Posted by bartos [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

Rudi Carell - Take your partner - 1958

repost with new encoding.
















Video

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LOVE this "dance", especially the outfit of girls and this final victory pose.

[bartos]

a very old & short video.
i don't think it's from Brittish Pathé.






VIDEO


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[Blobfish]

Originally Posted by bartos [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

a very old & short video.
i don't think it's from Brittish Pathé.






VIDEO


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It's Loretta Zygovich
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Looks like ideal girl of mine, being much taller and stronger. Her thighs are bigger than my head. If I had time machine...