Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the end

[Schnurrbart]

Hi, this one's been bugging me for yonks. It was a tv programme from the late 70s or early to mid 80's (most likely early 80s) about a young boy and girl who live with their tyrannical father (or foster parent), who was possibly played by Brian Blessed or in any case a large chap with dark hair and beard. Two key scenes stick in my mind. In one the girl is playing by the open fire with a doll's house given to her as a (birthday?) present. The brutish man comes in and tramples the doll's house to pieces, which he then throws into the fireplace. The other scene is the memorable ending. A young man (possibly a photographer or reporter) who has befriended the children and is aware of their situation goes out on a trip with them and the father/fosterparent and gets the latter to stand by the edge of a cliff or hill (or some teep drop) to have his photo taken. He then asks Mr Nasty to move back a little bit and Mr Nasty deservedly plummets to his doom after taking one step back too many. Not that it makes any difference to the programme's ID-ability, but I'm pretty sure that this was deliberate on the part of the guy with the camera. Maybe it was because I was young, maybe it was the production values, or maybe it's my nostalgia, but as I recall it was quite atmospheric with a tangible sense of gloom, repression and the absence of any love or joy in the children's lives (at least until they make friends with the young man).

Sorry if this one'd dead obvious (especially if the cruel man was played by Brain Blessed ) but I've looked on t'internet (including Brian Blessed's film/tv roles on IMDb) to no avail, so if anyone has any suggestions and/or knows about vhs or dvd availability, or has a copy they are willing to sell, swap or lend I would be very grateful.

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

Betcha thats the film 'Flight of the Doves' you're thinking of ...Great movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCGK2aBAKFw

[sixtyten]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

Well found Ann
I remember being dragged to the Cinema to see this when it was released, due to the fact my Godfather's brother (Roy Budd) did the music for it
Hated the film I have to say

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

We were showed this in school so it was a novelty, I enjoyed it at the time.. another one we were shown was 'The Belstone Fox', I haven't seen it since. Think the storyline is similar to Disney's 'The Fox and the Hound'.

[Schnurrbart]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

No, that's not it, I'm afraid. I'm sure it was a tv production, not a film. I watched the end of Flight Of The Doves on YouTube and saw no photographer causing the evil bloke to fall off a precipice. Thanks anyway, though.

Does anybody else have any suggestions?

[sixtyten]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

How bizarre.. I saw a chap with a camera fall off a cliff and the dolls house go into the fire when I watched it on Youtube

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

Yeah the dad stamps on the doll's house at the start and tells the wee girl to throw it into the fire and I think the evil uncle Hawk falls off a cliff later on in the film (I could be wrong here)but not at the very end. Very similar scenes. Maybe it was a serialised version of it you saw.

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

I just had a look, here's the bit where he falls off the cliff (dressed as a woman). It happens at about 1:10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhXGVZeReVE&NR=1

[Schnurrbart]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

Thanks for the YouTube link, ann22. That was part 9 of 11; I saw parts 10 and 11 so missed that scene. But where was the photographer? The programme I saw definitely had a guy with a camera telling the cruel father/stepfather/foster parent to step back - that's how the latter fell, not from having his hand bitten by the boy. No, it's not what I'm looking for, but the similarities are intriguing and I am starting to wonder if two different programmes/films have merged into one in my (admittedly ****) memory. Or, as you suggest, maybe I saw some adaptation of it (presumably set in more modern times, since the type of camera in the programme I saw would have been anachronistic in the time in which Flight Of The Doves appears to be set). Can you tell me which part on YouTube contains the doll's house in the fire scene?

Thanks again for your help.

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

It's part 1 Schnurrbart. The first scene.

[moonvisage]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

Thank you for clearing this up Ann.I have never seen it personally,but i spent ages on google trying to find out what it is,with no success.

[ann22]

Re: Please ID - late 70s/early 80s programme - cruel father falls off cliff at the en

No bother Moonvisage, don't think Schnurrbart feels it's the one that he remembers though. I was so sure.