The boy was played by christopher beeny who later became edward in uptairs downstairs. Melvyn bragg born 1939, british broadcaster and author. Melvyn gale born 1952, english cellist, former member of the electric. Produced by shaun sutton the serial featured melvyn hayes as the sickly edek. Wolff graham harper melvyn hayes as edek balicki frazer hines as jan. He also cofounded heinemanns new windmill series of childrens book with his wife anne margaret rogers. The characters could still be representatives of children in more recent and current wars. He has two siblings ruth, his older sister and bronia, his younger sister. The series was in seven episodes and was adapted from the book by.
The novels main characters include three childrenruth, edek, and bronia balickiwho are left to live as best they can in the streets of warsaw when their father is sent to a prison camp and their mother is. I remember one episode where they stopped a train by undoing a rod controlling a signal. The silver sword by ian serraillier opens with a description of the polish family at the heart of the story. The story of 3 polish children in world war 2 trying to reunite their family. The silver sword also known as escape from warsaw takes place in warsaw during world war ii. But, although he died 28 november 1994, the silver sword is the work into which he most engagingly pours his beliefs, and the book for which hell be long remembered. The story of the book is based on poland in the world war two. I have been haunted by this series the silver sword since i was a kid and.
When they meet jan they recognise the paperknife he is carrying as their fathers, and it becomes their symbol of hope as the four children make the dangerous journey to switzerland. But when they meet orphan jan, who treasures a paperknife in the shape of a silver sword that he was given by an escaped prisoner of war, it becomes a powerful symbol of hope. Is that where the great train robbery criminals got the idea. The silver sword tv series 1957 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The 7 episode series was broadcast in 1957 and starred melvyn hayes edek balaki, frazer hines jan,brenda dunrich mrs wolff and gwen watford magrit balaki to name but a few. The children realise that the escapee was their father, and the silver sword a message that he is alive and searching for them.
These children embark on an amazing journey to hunt for their parents. Revolver the silver sword benidorm potters picture palace operation amsterdam. I remember melvyn hayes being in the 1950s serial version of the silver sword. I also like when edek used a rifle to shoot a soldier, those were my favourite parts int he silver sword. The balicki family is a happy family and their fathers school is prosperous until, the nazis invade poland. The silver sword was a sort of mascot actually a paper knife, turning up at various key. Melvyn dubofsky born 1934, american professor of history and sociology. The silver sword episode 1 the escape from the nazis 1957. Oct 19, 2014 actor melvyn hayes, 79, began his showbiz career at 15 but is best remembered as gunner gloria beaumont in the seventies sitcom it aint half hot mum. The nazis force josephthe father to teach only german subjects in his school.
Melvyn hayes gebore 11 januarie 1935 is n engelse akteur. With the war raging around them, food and shelter are hard to come by. The silver sword is about 3 polish kids who with a few challenges and difficulties are trying to find their parents. Hayes had already featured in tvs quatermass ii 1955 and. The story is based upon fact, although fictional names are given to a few of the places mentioned. Season 1 of the silver sword premiered on november 24, 1957. May 24, 2019 the silver sword certainly stuck in my memory but i cant bring the theme tune to mind.
He has also worked as a voice actor in childrens cartoons. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Melvyn bragg, baron bragg, ch, frs, fba, frsl born 6 october 1939, is an english broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. Ruth was defined by the calm, unselfish way she dealt with the setbacks which befell them, her good humour in appalling circumstances, and her sure sense of right and wrong. This was a tv series with frazer hines and melvyn hayes in it.
In the mid 60s he played over a thousand performances of bill naughtons spring and port wine in londons west end. The silver sword by ian serraillier penguin books australia. Melvyn hayes s character was rather wimpy and i didnt have much sympathy for him. It was based in occupied poland and a family had found themselves separated. We read it in school and so it wasnt a book that id actually come across elsewhere. I have no criticism and looked forward to reading it at night. Melvyn hayes is an english actor known for playing the effeminate gunner gloria beaumont in the 1970s bbc sitcom it aint half. Melvyn hayes was born on january 11, 1935 in london, england as melvyn hyams. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. The 1957 bbc production silver sword starred melvyn hayes as edek.
Warsaw 1942 on a cold, dark night in warsaw in 1942, the balicki children watch in horror as nazi storm troopers arrest their mother. Serraillier was best known for his childrens books, especially the silver sword novel 1956, a wartime adventure story which was adapted for television by the bbc in 1957 and again in 1971. The silver sword is the story of all these years later i had vague memories of what the story was about, but very vivid memories of having loved it. It is a very moving account of a family separated by war and how they find inner strength to survive their wartime lot, always holding on to the hope that someday they may find all. Books similar to the silver sword oxford bookworms. Wolff graham harper melvyn hayes as edek balicki frazer hines as jan michael kent. The silver sword episode 1 the escape from the nazis 1957 bfi. He is best known for his work with itv as editor and presenter of the south bank show 19782010, and for the bbc radio 4 discussion series in our time. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But, although he died 28 november 1994, the silver sword is the work into which he most engagingly pours his beliefs, and. The silver sword unabridged the silver sword unabridged audiobook, by ian serraillier.
The book summary the silver sword the silver sword. Edek balicki is the son of joseph balicki in the story the silver sword by ian serraillier. He is the main character in a world war 2themed fiction book called the silver sword. English actor who played the role of gunner beaumont in the 1970s bbc sitcom it aint half hot mum. Wolff graham harper melvyn hayes as edek balicki frazer hines as. The silver sword certainly stuck in my memory but i cant bring the theme tune to mind. The silver sword episode 3 the burning of the city. Other parts were barry letts as joseph baliki, pat. The silver sword is one of those childhood memories that sticks. To his daughter, jane serraillier grossfeld, the book is about the triumph of hope over despair. The author of the book, ian serraillier, spent five years on the research.
The silver sword tv series 19571958 the movie database. The silver sword kindle edition by serraillier, ian. Warsaw 1942 on a cold, dark night in warsaw in 1942, the balicki children watch in horror. I am going to get the book by ian serraillier which is based on a true story. Sep 29, 2016 jan rising to the occasion, retaining the silver sword, but sacrificing his precious box to the waves in his striving to save them. As most people know, the character gloria is played by melvyn hayes. The 7 episode series was broadcast in 1957 and starred melvyn hayes edek balaki, frazer hines jan, brenda dunrich mrs wolff and gwen watford magrit balaki to name but a few. A visit to the bfi mediatheque is always well worth it, and this time i had a particular wednesday play in mind, horror of darkness.
The silver sword episode 1 the escape from the nazis 1957 tweet. The silver sword kindle edition by serraillier, ian, serraillier, jane. The silver sword is a little letter opener, but becomes a talisman, a link to which the three children are reunited with their parents. Escape from bavaria bbc television, 29 december 1957 17.
The silver sword this was a tv series with frazer hines and melvyn hayes in it. Melvyn hayes born melvyn hyams, 11 january 1935 is an english actor known for playing the effeminate gunner later bombardier gloria beaumont in the 1970s bbc sitcom it aint half hot mum, and the cliff richard musical films the young ones and summer holiday. Escape from warsaw by ian serraillier, originally titled the silver sword, is the adventure story of a family which was separated during the war. The silver sword livres en ligne gratuits livres audio a.
The silver sword episode 1 the escape from the nazis. As they travel through europe towards switzerland, where they believe they will be reunited with their parents, they encounter many hardships and dangers. Alone and fending for themselves in a poland devastated by world war two, jan and his three homeless friends cling to the silver sword as a symbol of hope. Edek, by melvyn hayes looking particularly consumptive and malnourished. Melvyn hayes friday, 11th january 1935 london england. The it aint half hot mum actor, 79, in the study of the family home on the isle of wight. It had also been published in the us under the title escape from warsaw. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the silver sword. Energetic british actor probably most recognizable for his drag prone bombardier gloria beaumont.
The classic tale of a journey through wartorn europe. A decisive act of commitment binding him to his newfound family. The father, joseph balicki, is a headmaster at a primary school on the outskirts of warsaw. Their father protests nazi germanys tyranny and is taken to a prison camp which he later escapes from. Jan was an orphan scavenger who had visited her old wrecked house and found a letteropener the silver sword of the title which he produced when the family coincidentally met him. Gwen watford played margrit balicki, jan was played by frazer hines, and ruths brother, edek, by melvyn hayes looking particularly consumptive and malnourished. As they travel through europe towards switzerland, where they believe they will be. The silver sword is a novel by ian serraillier, a childrens classic, first published in the uk in 1956 by jonathan cape and then by puffin books in 1960. What is the theme of the book the silver sword by ian. Find books like the silver sword oxford bookworms library stage 4 from the worlds largest community of readers. I can remember melvyn hayes in it and he looked the part because he. Silver sword the escape from the nazis edek balicki. When the nazis take their parents away, three children must learn to survive in wartorn warsaw by themselves. The silver sword livreen francais a telecharger pdf pdb en.
After all these years, this is still an absorbing story. Jan was an orphan scavenger who had visited her old wrecked house and found a letteropener the silver sword of the title which he produced when the family. As a reminiscence of their parents, it helps maintain connection with their family even though they got separated due to the war. It was based in occupied poland and a family had found themselves separated from their parents and they began to rediscover of each other. The silver sword movie plot outline, posters, trailer, photos. Summary of the silver sword the silver sword is a story set in ww2. Camila challapa grisley lucas maryori mamani grade. Ian serraillier september 24, 1912 november 28, 1994, was a british novelist and poet. The silver sword was a sort of mascot actually a paper knife, turning up at various key points and threading the story together. With melvyn hayes, pat pleasance, ingrid sylvester, frazer hines. The silver sword realistically presents the problems of war as seen through the eyes of a polish family torn apart by world war ii. Melvyn is a masculine given name which may refer to.