SLAM COMEDY STILL A GRAND OLD TALE
IT’S gone down in Welsh folklore as a classic. Last night, Wales took on France for the 101st time, with Alun Wyn Jones’ boys just failing to secure their fifth Six Nations Grand Slam title.
It marked the first time since 1977 that the battle for the trophy between the two rivals took place in Paris, a moment that was immortalised forever in the iconic BBC Wales film Grand Slam.
It first aired 43 years ago this week. To mark the historic occasion, we delved into the archives to find some classic interviews with Grand Slam’s cast and crew.
JOHN HEFIN (DIRECTOR)
You may remember the first scene of the film where a council road sweeper in a yellow safety jacket is busily brushing a pavement somewhere in South Wales. He looks up and sees an oncoming hearse and in a spontaneous, fumbling manner, he stops working, removes his bobble cap and assumes a position of commiseration.
The intention was to see the hearse, followed by a considerable cortege of black mourners’ cars, snaking down a Valleys road. Sadly, however, the hearse had swallowed most of what was laughingly called a budget.
So I saw the yellow-jacketed sweeper, and in a flash of panic, asked this bemused council employee (who was minding his own business) to imagine a hearse purring alongside his pavement, to stop brushing and look sad.
Praise be! He did all three splendidly and I think he was paid a fiver on the spot – big money in 1976, for five minutes brushing and imagining.
DEWI PWS MORRIS (GLYN LLOYDEVANS)
It was 7 o’clock in the morning and there, waiting in the middle of the set, was Mr Griffith (I never dared to call him Huw), stooped over a large, official-looking, attaché case made of the finest leather.
He opened the hallowed leather case and lo! There in front of my amazed eyes was a full cocktail cabinet.
“What are you having, boy?”
“Er, well, Mr Griffith, I don’t usually drink alcohol this early.”
Storm clouds started brewing above the ferocious black eyebrows, so I quickly added, “But seeing as you asked, I’ll have a large brandy.” His eyes softened, grew wider and finally lit up like furnaces.
“I think we’re going to get on all right, boy bach!” And we did, thankfully, and for the next month I was as professional as a newt.
WINDSOR DAVIES (MOG EVANS)
The film called for me to jog through Paris in a red vest and rather skimpy pair of boxer shorts.
Outside the Parc des Princes stadium though was a very large crowd of police, business-like and bristling with side arms and not a few submachine guns. Simultaneously, I recalled that the President of France would be attending the match.
I suddenly had visions of one of those coppers mowing me down, or maybe John the director having a seizure and being unable to say, “Cut.”
SHARON MORGAN (ODETTE)
When John offered me the part, I leapt at it, nudity or no nudity, and I am still amazed at the faith he had in me.
As for the sex scene, it didn’t worry me, although it did worry my then boyfriend as we walked around Llyn Cwellyn, arguing about it.
SION PROBERT (MALDWYN NOVELLO-PUGHE)
My main concern was that I would have to make such a flamboyant gay character sufficiently “acceptable to the boys” for them to even consider allowing him to join them on the Paris trip.
Thanks to the reactions of the cast, whose general attitude was “Take no notice of ’im, it’s only Maldwyn” - after all, he “only wanted to see the shops”.
To my great relief, it worked.
There was an immediate rapport between Dewi and myself and we are friends to this day, despite him grabbing me by my privates unexpectedly in one scene.
“Wait till you’re asked, will you?” was Maldwyn’s dismissive yet eager response.