Michael J Bird

News from the Michael J Bird Website 319 subscribers June 2009 Read the Biography of Michael J Bird (follow link for details)
HAMMER HOUSE OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE In the last newsletter I mentioned a guy on e-Bay who was selling items he said came … from the files of a journalist who began covering Hollywood in 1945. The sources were many and varied -- studios, networks, production companies, agencies, photographers and sometimes himself -- and were used to illustrate his articles. These have just lately been rescued from badly deteriorating plastic sleeves and placed in archival quality poly. He was also offering a booklet containing the storylines of all the episodes from the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense series. The title on the cover page reads FOX MYSTERY THEATRE -- the title for the US broadcast. I have added scans of the first three pages of the booklet, which cover Bird's contribution, to the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense page of the website. You can also download a PDF file of the entire 34 page booklet covering all the episodes.	TAGGED Apologies to all those who received a message saying I had photographs to share with you on "Tagged". The outfit is little more than a spam machine. I was suckered into it because the person who apparently "had photographs to share with me" was actually someone I was expecting to send me photographs. Once you register it helpfully sends invitations to all your contacts to join you on Tagged. If this warning is not too late then please DELETE the message and if you get similar messages purporting to come from any of your other contacts then I advise you to delete them also. I have added them to my spam filter so any future messages will not get through but I am so annoyed that I got suckered!!!
MURDER Early in his career Michael Bird sold a "one off" play, titled The Blood Relation, to Granada television for inclusion in a series of dramas under the generic title of MURDER. I remember watching it at the time (though since it predated The Lotus Eaters the name of the writer meant nothing to me) and being mystified by the ending - which leaves the viewer hanging in the air. I doubt we will ever get the chance to see it again - the tape probably no longer exists - but Olive Bird has kindly let me scan Michael's script and I have added it to the Murder page on the website.
PAUL TEMPLE I am pleased to see that Paul Temple is finally to be released on DVD. (Due for release on 06/07/2009). Sadly it is unlikely to include Michael Bird's episode "Night Train" since last I heard the BBC still have it officially listed as wiped - even though the episode exists with the soundtrack dubbed in German (I actually have a copy). Paul Temple DVD cover artwork To mark the event I have been working on the Paul Temple page on the website adding cuttings (with appropriate translations) from a German TV listings magazine featuring 'Night Train' and Bird's uncredited script 'Cue Murder', and production details for the latter. Cuttings, translations etc. courtesy of Werner Schmitz of the Media Gems website.