Thought For The Day

     I like Will Hay films, 'Ask A Policeman,' 'Where's that fire?' 'Oh Mister Porter,' 'The Ghost of St. Micheal's,' and 'Old Bones of the River' of 1938 a film that enjoys a small parallel to do with 'the Prisoner' episode 'The Girl Who Was Death.'  

    You will recall how in the episode of ‘The Girl Who Was Death’ Mr.X went to the Magnum Record shop to gain instructions from the Chief via record. And if you remember that, you will recall that No.6 made a remark to the voice on the record, "Thanks very much" to which the voice said "What was that?" To which Mr. X replied "Nothing."

   Well in Old Bones of the River Will Hay plays Professor Benjamin Tibbets who goes to Africa to open a series of schools in order to educate the African natives. On the voyage to Africa Professor Tibbets busies himself learning the language of the Ocura tribe, this he does by the use of a record, it is whilst he is repeating a phrase spoken by the voice on the record the voice says "That's good" to which Professor Tibbets says "Thank you very much" to which the voice on the record replies "Don't mention it."

    I'm not saying that Patrick McGoohan, or script writer Terence Feely liked Will Hay films, or had even seen Old Bones of the River, so perhaps this played no influence upon the scene in the record booth of the Magnum Record shop. But its a nice parallel to be drawn between the two.

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