NEIL HORNICK/THE PHANTOM CAPTAIN FILMOGRAPHY
Including TV & Video appearances
1966-67
NH contributes a sketch (from his Bristol Drama Department Dadadidactics show) to a local TV programme produced by John Boorman (Bristol, 1966)
Me, Myself and I (Steve Dwoskin, 1967, 16”) Short film, with NH & Barbara Gladstone
[Tell Me Lies directed by Peter Brook (1967). Brook filmed a segment from NH’s The Gang Bang Show for inclusion, featuring Ron House and Cindy Oswin, but it failed to make the final cut.]
With Wherehouse la Mama (London), 1969-70
[The Leaning People devised by WLM and producer Michael Cole, BBC TV, August 1969), with WLM. NH may not have been involved in this production.]
[Betty Big Shoes by Cindy Oswin (Playschool, BBC TV, rec. 6/10/69, transm. 18/11/69) NH may not have been involved in this production.]
The Hilton Keen Blow Your Chances Top of the Heap Golden Personality Show of the Week, devised by NH, written and performed by WLM, shortened 40-minute version featured in James Mossman’s ‘Review’ Arts programme (BBC-2, rec. 6/10/69, trans. 13/12/69)
Programme, written and performed by WLM, produced by Anne Head, in ‘First Time Out’ series (BBC-1, recorded 2/2/70, transmitted 27 August 1971)
[Does Your Mother Know You’re Watching? revue for teenagers written and performed by WLM (BBC, rec. 22 April 1970). Not transmitted]
The Phantom Captain, etc. (from 1970)
The F. & H. Film (Michael Almaz, 16 mm., 1971, 27”) Short film, with NH as Sigmund Freud/Freud impersonator, and John Grillo as Hitler. Cast also includes Jean Michaelson and David Webster.
ABC (Kati Neiser, 1971) Animated short, voices by The Phantom Captain
I U She He (Kati Neiser, 1971) Animated short, voices by The Phantom Captain
Green Men, Yellow Woman (Thalma Goldman, 1973, 3”) Animated short, voices by The Phantom Captain
Repertory (Ian Breakwell, ACGB, 1973, 9”) Short film. ‘A series of imagined presentations in a locked and empty theatre.’ Commentary spoken by NH.
[Mata Hari (Michael Almaz, 1974) NH plays a German Chief of Police. Scenes were shot (NH’s in April) but film was not completed and only stills survive]
Amateur Night (Thalma Goldman, 7 mins., 35 mm. 1975, 7”) Animated short. NH is depicted and voices a character.
Night Call (Thalma Goldman, 1977, 5”) Animated short, voices by Peter Deman (aka Peter Godfrey)
Performance Art (dir. David Bruton, 1975, 29”) Documentary filmed at Bath Art Workshop’s Another Festival, 1973. Shot by Roger Deakins et al. Featuring John Bull Puncture Repair Kit, Lumiere & Son, Landscapes & Living Spaces and The Phantom Captain.
The Phantom Captain Appears… Documentary directed by Ian Johnson (Henge Films, 16 mm., 42 mins., 1978). Exclusively about the PC company, the film features extracts from Secretians, Somnambulart, Service Inclusive, The Investigation Bureau and The Narcissus Complex.
Bio’s Bahnhof (rec. 10/12/80, trans.1981, 46” segments of 87” programme) German TV live music programme, broadcast from Köln, featuring Benny Goodman, Gheorghe Zamfir, and The Penguin Café Orchestra with The Phantom Captain.
Ian Breakwell’s Continuous Diaries (Channel 4, May 1984) NH and several other PC players appear in a restaurant scene
Kids Can Say No (educational video produced and fronted by Rolf Harris (sic) (Skippon Video Associates, June 1985, 20”) NH and Ian Johnson appear as child abusers.
Commodities – Tea Fortunes (Firefret Productions, Channel 4 TV, 28 July 1986, 5” extract)) NH appears as a Victorian botanist. Jude Allen was in the production team.
Cindy Oswin interviews Neil Hornick at home in Golders Green, 9th June 2004. First of a projected series of fringe theatre interviews.
Unfinished Histories Interview with Neil Hornick Complete unedited video interview by Dr. Susan Croft 15 March & 26th April 2013, 6’53”) transferred by UH to 5 DVD discs.
Loaded Questions – rehearsed reading of linked extracts directed by NH, with Jude Allen, Louise Jones and Claudia Boulting, featured in ‘Camden Plays’, an evening of readings by alternative theatre companies based in Camden 1968-88, produced by UH, at Camden Local Studies & Archives Centre, Holborn Library (Jude Allen, Vimeo, Frog Films TV, 2014, 20”)
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JOEL CUTRARA appeared in several mainstream films and TV series, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Reds, Ragtime, Edge of Darkness, Reilly Ace of Spies and Insignificance. He also provided voices for animated films by Phil Mulloy.
IAN JOHNSON has also made films about Ken Campbell (No Problem: The Theatre of Ken Campbell, 1981) and Bruce Lacey (Bruce Lacey: The Original Performance Artist, 2008).
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VHS VIDEOS
Filmed on VHS, not intended for distribution.
Our Boys’ Town by NH & JC (King’s Head Theatre, London, December 1980-81, 1’16”). One-act stage play, filmed in its entirety on B/W VHS, transferred to DVD. Extremely poor technical quality.
The Phantom Captain Literary Lions presents Are You Reading Me? Project launch/preview. With NH and cast of 16 at Antiquarian Book Arcade, London (6th March 1997, 1’15” unedited). Transferred to DVD
Rough Trade by NH & Anna Chen (‘Bimbo Town’, Leipzig, 6th June 1997, 1’15” unedited). With NH and Anna Chen. Transferred to DVD
The Phantom Captain Literary Lions present The Type-Writer in Residence and The Footnotes – infiltration and street theatre (Cheltenham Literature Festival, 11th October 1997, 7”). With NH, Anna Chen and Anna Wynnyczyk. Transferred to DVD
Our Wedding Day Private wedding video (Justine & Neil Marshall), Latimer House, Bucks., including footage of The Phantom Captain’s Serviette Union waiter service (Special FX Video Productions, 27th August 2000, 81” unedited).
SONY VIDEOTAPES
Seven Sony Videotapes ‘for helical Scan Video Recorders’ have been donated to Unfinished Histories, in hope of eventual conversion into an accessibly viewable format. Those that are labelled include:
- ‘The Investigation Bureau’ (low density) Most likely shot during performances at Action Space Drill Hall, November 1977, though may date from the first production, at De Lantaren’s Festival of Crime, Rotterdam, in May 1975.
- ‘The Message’ – Bristol 1975
- ‘The Message’ – Bristol 1975 (low density transfer) May consist of video footage shot during Trippingly on the Tongue, performed in June during residential summer school workshop project run by NH at Bristol University Drama Department.
- De Efteling Street Theatre – ‘Artitypes’, ‘Nauticulture’, ‘Fairy Tale Figures’. Presumably shot in April 1977 during two days of infiltration events at De Efteling Theme Park in Holland.
- York – ‘World Silence Day’. Street theatre event performed during York Festival of Mystery Plays in June 1976
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