Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
a brief biography
the producers who steered the programme's success
Sunday Mail 20 April 1958
THE stage was all set for tomorrow night's big BBC television show THIS IS YOUR LIFE...
The surprise "victim" was former taxi-driver Mr Alex Samuels, chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
BUT NOW IT'S ALL OFF - FOR MR SAMUELS HAS "LOST" HIS "LIFE"
He will not, after all, be appearing before the cameras with Eamonn Andrews, surprised with incidents and people which have crowded his 52 years.
For "Mr Traffic" disobeyed the golden rule of the programme - HE FOUND OUT!
Doesn't know
And as a BBC spokesman said:
"The essence of the programme is surprise. The 'victim' doesn't know he is going to be presented with people who have known him all his life."
"We have put in a lot of work on Mr Samuel's life, and we don't know whether we shall have time to present another life in time. We may have to substitute another programme."
This is the second time a "life" has been lost. First leakage was in the case of football wizard Stanley Matthews two years ago.
Daily Sketch 21 April 1958
By MICHAEL KEMP
THE man who upset to-night's This Is Your Life BBC-TV show said yesterday: "I dare say millions think I'm a cad."
"Well, I'm not – even if I HAVE spoiled a lot of people's fun."
Mr Percy Faulkner, 50-year old deputy secretary of the Transport Ministry, tipped off to-night's subject – and the BBC had to cancel the programme.
AID ASKED
It would have been the "Life" of 51-year-old taxi king Alexander Samuels, chairman of the Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
The BBC wanted Mr Faulkner to help them get him to the show by pretending he was to appear in "Panorama"
Why did he give the game away?
Said Mr Faulkner at his home in Watford Road, Northwood, Middlesex:
A PRINCIPLE
"There was a principle at stake concerning the relationship between our Ministry and its advisors."
I found Mr Faulkner, a Companion of the Bath, in a boiler suit, clearing a blocked drain – "saving my builder a job."
He placed two deck chairs in the sun and asked his wife to bring the port.
Then he talked about that show...
"I don't think the department should allow itself to be used, even in the smallest degree, in a pretext to get one of its advisors into a programme of this sort, which he may take amiss."
"If Mr Samuels had objected when he found himself in the programme, an important official relationship would have been jeopardised."
"Have I seen This Is Your Life? No! Got no set. That aerial up there was on the house when I moved in."
Over to the BBC, and a flat spin as producer T Leslie Jackson strove to arrange a stop-gap show.
"I bear Mr Faulkner no ill-will," he told me.
Daily Telegraph 21 April 1958
BROADCAST OFF
BY A RADIO CORRESPONDENT
The BBC Television's This Is Your Life is likely to be cancelled to-night. The identity of the subject has leaked out.
A BBC spokesman said yesterday that although the Corporation was trying to compile another This Is Your Life programme, it was doubtful whether there would be time.
If there was not, viewers would probably see a variety show or a tele-recording of another life, which was kept in reserve.
The producer of the programme, Mr T Leslie Jackson, was 48 yesterday. He spent his birthday in a race against the clock trying to compile another programme in time for to-night.
His wife said that since the secret leaked out last Thursday she had hardly seen anything of him. One of the main difficulties was getting in touch with the people necessary for a substitute programme.
FINE WEATHER DIFFICULTY
Even the elements were against him. The fine weather enticed people out of doors, making it more difficult to find them.
To-night's subject was to have been Mr Alexander Samuels, chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee. Surprise is the essence of the programme but Mr Samuels learned he was to be the subject when he telephoned a Government office.
Only once before has the secret leaked out and that was in the first programme of the series which began in 1955. Stanley Matthews was to have been the subject but instead the life of Eamonn Andrews, who has been the compere ever since, was substituted.
Daily Mirror 22 April 1958
CASSANDRA
OF all the blush-making, embarrassing, tear-jerking programmes that the BBC puts on, This Is Your Life is the most shame-making.
I have no time for it with its glycerine grief and cloying happiness. And Mr Eamonn Andrews' unnatural booster-enthusiasm (which I hope is against his better judgement) gives me the colly-wobbles.
But see what happens.
The cataract of slob-happiness for last night's performance was suddenly dried up on the projected appearance of Mr Alexander Samuels, who is known as "the taxi king of London" and is chairman of the Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
The gaff was blown by Mr Percy Faulkner, a deputy secretary of the Ministry of Transport, who pompously said that there was a principle at stake and that, "The Department" would not allow itself to be used even in the smallest degree.
So thus we get a bad programme censored by a tip-off from an over fussy official.
I think that This Is Your Life should be murdered in the interests of good sense and taste.
But I don't think it should be scrubbed out by the activities of officious busy-bodies.
Daily Mirror 21 April 1958
Twelve million televiewers should have seen Eamonn Andrews of the BBC face a former East End cab driver tonight and say: "This is your life ... Alex Samuels."
But over the weekend, Mr Samuels, 51, got to know that he was to be featured on the programme. And, since surprise is the essence of the show, the BBC cancelled his appearance. So here are the highlights from the programme that millions of televiewers will never see... with CLIFFORD DAVIS saying: "Mr Samuels - this is your life."
ALEX, you are the wealthy owner of a fleet of 150 taxis. You are one of the world's traffic experts, chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, and widely known as London's "Mr Traffic."
But it wasn't always like that, was it Alex?
You are one of a family of six children, born in a poor Jewish home in Stepney. Your father was a cab driver.
The first job you had was as a schoolboy - getting up at 4.30 every morning to help on a milk round.
At fourteen, Alex, you were apprenticed to an engineer for 4s a week.
That didn't last. You left engineering to drive a van for a shoe firm.
DREAMS...
YOU had your dreams in those days, Alex. You used to tell the boss's daughter that you didn't intend to stay with the firm.
Remember the boss's daughter, Alex? Here she is - Mrs Jockunt, of Cropthorne Court, Maida Vale, London.
You and your elder brother Joe decided to become taxi drivers like your father.
THE BIKE...
REMEMBER how you saved up and bought a bicycle, so that you could pedal round the streets and get the necessary knowledge of London to qualify for a licence?
Your brother drove one cab, you drove another, sharing it with someone else.
You and that someone else used to work 20 hours a day, taking it in turn to sleep half the day.
We know you haven't forgotten the man who used to sleep in YOUR bed while you were out at the wheel, Alex.
Here he is - Abe Block of Amhurst Road, Hackney.
EVENTUALLY, you and your brother bought your own cab.
Your business prospered, possibly because you didn't take a holiday for seven years. You worked hard and opened a garage.
In 1933, Alex, you started going to night classes to improve your education. After eight years you became a qualified engineer.
Remember the man with whom you made friends at this time... who taught you English, French and philosophy?
Here he is - Dr Bradley of Southdean Gardens, Wimbledon.
PROSPERITY...
NOW, Alex, you are a prosperous businessman. But away from business you are known for your work on traffic problems - an unpaid post.
Meet the man who let you drive HIS cab when you were in America for a traffic conference.
Here he is, all the way from Chicago - JOHN TROUPPA.
A pity the TV programme had to be cancelled, Alex... but I'm sure this has given the disappointed viewers some chance to share in this, YOUR life.
Mr Samuels - it was HIS life
How he got to know...
THIS is how Mr Samuels got to hear that he was due to appear in This Is Your Life.
In order to get him to the studio tonight without suspecting anything, the BBC asked him to speak in Panorama on traffic problems.
Mr Samuels said he would like to get Ministry of Transport approval. The BBC asked the Ministry to co-operate - but in conversation with a Ministry official Mr Samuels realised the truth.
The official's explanation: "My department could not be party to a subterfuge. I did not tell Mr Samuels directly that he was to appear in This Is Your Life, but he understood."
The Birmingham Post and Gazette 21 April 1958
The surprise "victim" of tonight's BBC television show This Is Your Life was to have been Mr Alexander Samuels, the former taxi driver who is chairman of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
But Mr Samuels learned the secret and will not appear.
He said on Saturday: "I found out on Thursday night and felt that it would be dishonourable to appear in the programme."
The BBC said that the only other "life" leakage was in the case of Stanley Matthews, the footballer, two years ago. A newspaper report disclosed his identity.