The Profumo Affair, a Blog by Alan Ewing

THE PROFUMO AFFAIR

A Blog by Alan Ewing

In 1963, the Tory MacMillan government was rocked by the affair of John Profumo and his affair with Christine Keeler.  Though the real story lies in the challenge to the old order and the establishment towards the emerging promiscuous 1960s culture. There is also the hypocrisy of the then establishment and its condemnation of the new swinging, free-love era. What the old school were doing in private with sexual practice suddenly became more open with the new generation emerging.

Christine Keeler, an aspiring model, and Mandy Rice-Davies, an aspiring singer, were two young girls who found themselves caught up in the secret world of the then political order. Through their friendship with Dr Stephen Ward, a osteopath, they would find themselves introduced to high people of power. For the girls this was an adventure, a way of living the glamour life, with presents from the rich, and then being able to live comfortably off the earnings of Dr Ward, who adored them. For the rich political class it represented an easy way to have a sexual affair away from their wives and families.

The scandal of the Profumo/Keeler affair exposed the goings-on of the said political class. The response to this was the persecution of Dr Stephen Ward by the police under government instruction. The judiciary also became involved as Ward was accused of living off the earnings of the prostitution  of Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies. The trail was fixed in that Keeler and Rice-Davies, and others, were pressurized by the authorities to testify their activities in court. 

Based on hearsay, and trick inducements by the prosecution, Dr Ward was found guilty. This being in his absence as he had decided to end his life, not due to facing prison, rather through the loss of his reputation. In truth, he had been made a scapegoat by the government for the Profumo affair.  Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies were branded prostitutes, with Keeler being tried for perjury in cross-relation to another case.

The whole episode revealed the nature of absolute power and how it corrupts those who seek to hold on to it. Ward’s friends deserted him at the trial, while Profumo was allowed to disappear into the shadows. Though it is the hypocrisy of the establishment that came most to the fore, in its own sexual behaviour, and in its lack of judicial fairness, together with a lack if integrity by politicians interfering with police practices. Dr Stephen Ward and the girls were innocent of any legal wrongdoing. The old order decided differently. 

Link below to BBC I-Player "The Trial of Christine Keeler"

The Trial of Christine Keeler 

Blog copyright dewayswriter 2020 

I Fell In Love With My TV, a witty aside by Alan Ewing

I Fell In Love With My TV

a witty aside by Alan Ewing

I fell in love with my tv
She gave it all to me
She gives some music
I dance in my tunic

I fell in love with my TV
She's full of sex
She breaks the levee
All forgotten is the ex

I fell in love with my TV
Supper on the lap for me
Bring on Vindaloo too
Before I hot the loo

I fell in love with my TV
She gave me company
Takes over my mind
In her is all I find

I fell in love with my TV
She gives me a garden
She's so Daisy Lee
I beg your pardon!


copyright dewyswriter 2020

"Love On The Dole" (1941), a film blog by Alan Ewing

LOVE ON THE DOLE

a film blog by Alan Ewing

“Love On The Dole” is a 1941 British film which features Deborah Kerr in the lead role. Based in Northern climes the film portrays the lot of the working class and the poverty stricken conditions that they had to endure in the 1930s. The film is a masterpiece, and its backing came from all layers of British society as the war effort at the time brought people together like never before. After World War Two a Labour socialist government would emerge 1945-51 which reflected the socially inclusive intent of the United Kingdom.

The purpose here is not so much as to give a plot rundown of the film, as that would ruin the viewing experience for anyone seeing it for the first time. Rather it is to reflect on the issues that the work raises and also how they relate to to Deborah Kerr’s character, Sally, has a boyfriend who talks in public about socialism, which was a rising star at the time. Within this, he has to stave off militants who wish to take more extreme paths. The film also raises questions about what the poor and afflicted are often forced to do by poverty. This is sybolised by the pursuit of Sally by the local spiv, who tells her she can have anything she wants if she gives in to his advances.

Overall, this film is well worth checking out. Based on the novel by Walter Greenwood, it has also been performed as a play … 

copyright dewyswriter 2020

The Love Triangle, a script for a Playlet Comedy, by Alan Ewing

The Love Triangle

Cast

actors/musicians

carnival players

BARDICUS:    Why is it that people fall in love?

                          Is it so that we can write lines and feed our pens?

                          Shall I fly on high with wings of a dove?

                         Will I write of heartbreak or of happier times?

                         This thing called love it comes from above

                         It can enlighten the darkest soul

                         While it is coy it can also destroy 

                         Those who dare to eat from its bowl

                         I shall write a tale of male rivals who meet

                         Within the confines of a female heart

                         Neither shall be shy or in any way discreet

                         As they compete for this woman from the start

                         Bold Pontonius shall be made of serious romance

                         While Fervious with counter with humourous ire

                         Astute Porticia will give romance an even chance

                         One may catch fire with the other in the mire 

[theme music plays]

SCENE:   A narrator takes to the stage

NARRATOR :        Life is a carnival I say

                                 So come and join the fun

                                 Lots of things for everyone

                                 Lots of things to be done

                             Bring all of your friends

                             To join with the games

                             Bring the family along too

                             Entertainment here for you

                             Today we have a tale of Chester

                             A tale of burning love

                             Pontonius and Fervious dance

                             Struck by arrows from Cupid above

                             So let’s make haste and view the scene

                             As these fools rush in for Porticia’s love

                             We’ll have some fun as we go along

                             And sing some songs forlorn

SCENE                  Enter Pontonious, Fervious and Porticia

PONTONIOUS:    What say you my fair Lady?

                             Will you be my love?

                             Give to me your hand for life

                             Accept as a token my glove

FERVIOUS:           Listen not to this mistaken fool

                             For I am the one for you

                             Come this way and walk with me

                             Because my heart is true

PORTICIA:           What do you expect me to do?

                             When given such a choice

                                 It is hard for me to decide

                             And so it is I will set a test

                             An entertainment feast for free

                             And  whosoever shall be the best

                             He shall be the one for me

[two clowns rush on to scene holding huge flowers and throw them out to audience while saying “she loves me …”she loves me not” to each other]                                                   

                                  

                              

NARRATOR:          Move on daft ones [chasing away clowns]

                              Let us move matters on

                              For now the competition begins

                              With the heart of the lady to win

                              [next follows two bouts of competition staged by the rivals]    

PONTONIUS:        To prove my love I present a dance

                              Which will put your heart in a trance

                              For you shall be the one for me

                              As in this dance you soon shall see

[the dance takes place to a samba beat, and has the theme of a woman being wooed by a man]

FERVIOUS:            This fool is too serious for his own good

                              He does not make you laugh as a good lover should

                              And so I present to you for your delight

                              Clowns, jugglers and acts for an uplifting sigh

[enter various forms of tomfoolery and juggling, with music]

PORTICIA:            My choice you both have made now much harder

                              You have given me so much pause for thought

                              I need more time to make some decision

                              You will need to bring more acts forth

                              I propose that there should be a song contest

                              And then whosoever shall write the finest words

                              Shall come and stand here by my side

                              And my heart and love shall be theirs

[the scene is broken by the entry on to the stage of two figures in black, one of them is filming with a camera phone]   

THEO:                    FREEZE!

[all the characters on the set become frozen figures]

THEO:                   Get filming this now Dippy!

[Thug 1 proceeds to strike the characters in the play so that they each fall to the ground in turn]

THEO:                   Flowers for power! Ha! What a bunch of pouncy nerds. Real     

                                  men let women chase after them. What do you say Dippy?

Dippy:                   Sure thing Theo.

[a loud voice shouts from the wings]

WRITER:               LEAVE THE STAGE AT ONCE!

[Theo and Dippy leave the stage in response to the command of the writer’s voice]

[the Writer enters on to the stage]

WRITER:             Hello, I’m the writer of this play.  Please excuse the intrusion 

                               brought about in the middle of “The Love Triangle.”  This was 

                               done with the intention of showing how uncouth and 

                               uncultured happy slapping is.  This trend is negative in the 

                               extreme and is a form of destructive bullying that is designed 

                               to humiliate and crush its victims. Look at my poor characters 

                               who have been smashed in the midst of romance. Now, the 

                               power of writing enables me to restore my characters to full 

                               flow and they will know nothing about what just happened. But 

                               sadly this is not the case for those in schoolyards and on the 

                               streets who have been victims of such crime.  Often they will 

                               have to see the images played over to other people again and 

                               again.  This is an abhorrent crime and one that must be stamped 

                               out. It causes hurt and misery for many.

                              I shall now return you to “The Love Triangle” … CHARATERS 

                              RESUME!

[all of the players stand up and resume their previous positions… the narrator enters as the writer exits]

NARRATOR:          On with the show we now shall go

                              As our love hearts compete in song

                              How? We wonder, will the competition go?

                              Which one will get it right and which one wrong

                              Who will win the heart of our dear maiden?

                              And who will be the one left crying on the floor?

                              For both of our heroes have had their hearts played with

                              But soon one of them must be shown the door

                              So now we present to you

                              The Roman Chester Song Contest

                              Put your hearts on a string

                              For true love it may bring

[the next section contains additional music and song}

NARRATOR:          Bring on the first song by Pontonius!

PONTONIOUS:     Here I present my song for you

                              Which tells of my love for you so true

                              Porticia you are the one for me

                              I shall give to you my heart so gladly

                              

                              So come and live life by my side

                              And my love for you will fly and fly

                              You will be my big prize capture

                              And we will ascend into love’s rapture

NARRATOR           And now Fervious will present his song!

FERVIOUS:            Come on my lady let’s have some fun

                              Because we all need to laugh when the day is done

                              I’ll be your fool, I’ll be your court jester

                              I’ll make you laugh right here in Chester

                              Come on my lady we’ll dance for free

                              Into the small hours, maybe till three

                              Throw off your cares and kick off your shoes

                              Give your heart to me, you’ve got nothing to lose

[the songs being over, Porticia returns to centre stage]

PORTICIA:            Now my head and heart are in a spin

                              As these two increase their efforts to win

                              I just want to run and hide away

                              And return to this on another day

                              

[clowns enter the stage singing silly songs]

CLOWN:                Ooooo, my love is true

                              I’ll fall over for you (falls over)

NARRATOR:          Away, away you fools, let us press on for I do believe

                              That each of our heroes is to have an audience with Porticia.

                              [Porticia enters and is followed by Pontonius]

PORTICIA:            How now good Pontonius?

PONTONIUS:        All the better for seeing you my precious one.

                              

PORTICIA:            And what greetings do you bear me?

PONTONIUS:        I bear you greetings of love and companionship.

PORTICIA:            And how can you say this when you know another offers 

                              likewise?

PONTONIUS:        I can tell you that my emotions howl like the wind

                              And my mind swirls like rain in a storm

                              How can I endure live without you much longer

                              For without you I would rather not have been born

                              I have watched you from afar with a sigh

                              I have wished on all of the stars to be by your side

                              I have prayed to the goddess of love on high

                              For Venus to hear my sweet partition I have cried

PORTICIA:            Good Pontonius you do embarrass me so.

PONTONIUS:        I mean not to. But I find you spellbinding

PORTICIA:            I think that I hear the approach of Fervious.

PONTONIUS:        Then he shall have his audience. I shall return.

[Pontonius departs as Fervious enters]

PORTICIA:            Greetings Fervious!

FERVIOUS:            Thank you my lady.

PORTICIA:            Have you come to petition me with further amusement?

FERVIOUS:            My lady, I have undertaken to be your loving clown

                              I have sung song and brought you entertainment

                              I have striven to remove even the slightest frown

                              So that your beauty may be seen in happiest rainment

                              This humour is bourne of the sweetest love for you

                              That I may bring cheer to one that deserves it so

                              And I would strive to take your hand in marriage too

                              And for that to any length of humour I would go

PORTICIA:            So the hand that you present is a serious one?

FERVIOUS:            As serious as my humour will allow.

PORTICIA:            You must give me more time. This decision is hard.

[they depart the stage]

[Bardicus enters]

BARDICUS:           It seems that I must bring this play to an end

                              But how shall I send my characters into the wings?

                              For to their fate my scroll and pen I must lend

                              As the ending my writing must bring

                              [characters enter to act out duel]

                              

                              Two hot swords could in battle meet

                              Each as a lover the other to unseat

                              But each of our heroes to the other would not bend

                              And so it could be that both of them meet a rusty end

                              Perhaps Porticia could run off with a third suitor

                              [all characters enter to act out scenario]

                              And as their swords destroyed each other

                              From the shadows came another

                              And took our Porticia in his arms

                              And she at once fell for his charms

                              

                              [characters leave the stage]

                              This seems a route for the play

                              Though we have sung many a song today

                              And sweet Porticia must have her tune

                              And let this be under a silvery moon

                              She will sing her song of choice

                              And all will listen to her voice

                              Her melody will carry into the air

                              And we will find the answer there

                              [Porticia enters]

PORTICIA:            And so I sing my song of choice

                              As you wonder who my man will be

                              Well I there is yet another voice

                              And so I choose not from two but three

                              A love of mine from long ago has now returned

                              The power of Aphrodite has restored him to me

                              And so it is that both of your hearts must be spurned

                              And as I head off hand in hand then I am happy

                              [exit Porticia leaving Pontonius and Fervious crestfallen]

                        [clowns enter the fray shouting “she’s off with number three” as they dance and laugh, the narrator enters]

NARRATOR:          Quiet! That’s enough of your silly chiding. Let us not end this play as a farce.

                              [narrator proceeds to utter summary of the play in song, as a dance takes place]

                              

                                                                 copyright dewyswriter 2020