Billy Liar
Encyclopedia
Billy Liar is a 1959 novel
by Keith Waterhouse
, which was later adapted into a play
, a film
, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs.
The semi-comical story is about William Fisher, a working-class 19-year-old living with his parents in the fictional town of Stradhoughton in Yorkshire
. Bored by his job as a lowly clerk for an undertaker, Billy spends his time indulging in fantasies and dreams of life in the big city as a comedy writer.
Alice Fisher
Geoffrey Fisher
Florence Boothroyd
Arthur Crabtree
Barbara
Rita
Liz
with Willis Hall
. The action took place on a single set combining the living room, hallway and porch of the Fisher household. The first production opened in the West End
of London
with Albert Finney
in the title role. It has since been produced all over the world, and has become a favourite with amateur groups.
The play is set in one Saturday: Act 1 in the morning, Act 2 in the early evening and Act 3 at night.
and featured Tom Courtenay
(who had understudied Albert Finney
in the West End play) as Billy and Julie Christie
as Liz, one of his three girlfriends. Mona Washbourne
played Mrs Fisher, and Wilfred Pickles
played Mr Fisher. Rodney Bewes
, Finlay Currie
and Leonard Rossiter
also had roles.
made by London Weekend Television
in 1973-74, and starring Jeff Rawle
as Billy. It has never been rerun
, although the first series was released on Region 2 DVD in August 2006. The second series was released in March 2007.
The series was shown on the Seven Network in Australia
during the non-ratings season of 1975-76.
The series was shown on CBC Television
in Canada
in 1975-76.
The series was shown on RTE 2 in Ireland
in 1982.
The series was scripted by the play's writers, Waterhouse and Hall, and the action was updated to the 1970s. George A. Cooper
reprised his West End role as Billy's father. Other regular cast members included Pamela Vezey as Alice, Colin Jeavons
as Shadrack, May Warden
as Billy's grandmother and Sally Watts as Barbara. Several new girlfriends were also introduced.
An American
adaptation entitled Billy
and starring Steve Guttenberg
, Peggy Pope
, and James Gallery aired briefly on CBS
in 1979.
musical (entitled simply Billy
) starred Michael Crawford
and, in her West End debut, Elaine Paige
. Cast also included Gay Soper
, Avis Bunnage
, Bryan Pringle
and Lockwood West
.
The book was by well-known British sitcom writers Dick Clement
and Ian La Frenais
, where music and lyrics were by film composer John Barry
and Don Black respectively.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Keith Waterhouse
Keith Waterhouse
Keith Spencer Waterhouse CBE was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.-Biography:Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, which was later adapted into a play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, a film
Billy Liar (film)
Billy Liar is a 1963 film based on the novel by Keith Waterhouse. It was directed by John Schlesinger and stars Tom Courtenay as Billy and Julie Christie as Liz, one of his three girlfriends. Mona Washbourne plays Mrs. Fisher, and Wilfred Pickles played Mr. Fisher...
, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs.
The semi-comical story is about William Fisher, a working-class 19-year-old living with his parents in the fictional town of Stradhoughton in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Bored by his job as a lowly clerk for an undertaker, Billy spends his time indulging in fantasies and dreams of life in the big city as a comedy writer.
Characters
William "Billy" Fisher- Billy is 19, and living with parents Alice and Geoffrey, and his grandmother, Florence Boothroyd. Billy lies compulsively to everyone he comes across, whether it's the claim that his father is a retired naval captain/cobbler, or telling his parents that Arthur's mother has broken her leg. Billy works as a clerk for undertakers Shadrack & Duxbury. He is engaged to two girlfriends, and in love with a third and constantly refers to a vague job offer writing scripts in London for "Danny Boon", a comedian.
Alice Fisher
- Billy's mother. She rarely sits down in the play, constantly working hard to keep the house tidy and look after her husband, her mother and Billy.
Geoffrey Fisher
- Billy's father. Geoffrey uses the word "bloody" in his sentences so often it has lost all meaning. Geoffrey has been a successful garage owner and a man who works in the removal business so his family live middle classMiddle classThe middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
lives despite his working classWorking classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
background. Geoffrey has a short temper, but otherwise rarely shows emotion.
Florence Boothroyd
- Billy's grandmother, Alice's mother. She is ignored by her family and never seen a loved character until the end. Florence talks to the sideboard more than her own family, and is always drinking tea out of a pint pot. She keeps pots of condensed milkCondensed milkCondensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
upstairs. Florence falls ill in Act 2 and is taken upstairs. By Act 3 she has died.
Arthur Crabtree
- Billy's best friend. Arthur works at Shadrack & Duxbury with Billy. When we first see Arthur and Billy together in Act 1, they adopt thick northern accents and engage in buffoonery, imitating their elders. Despite this tomfoolery, Arthur's mood towards Billy changes in Act 3. He does not appear in Act 2.
Barbara
- One of Billy's fiancees. Barbara is prudish, always eating orangesOrange (fruit)An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
and harbours dreams of living with Billy in a cottage in Devon, with "little Billy and little Barbara". Finds out about other girlfriends later in the play.
Rita
- Rita is 17, is short, but comes across as a "hard lass". She is engaged to Billy, and has a habit of mimicking Billy every time he offers an excuse for her missing engagement ring. Unbeknown to her, it is on Barbara's finger. She appears in Acts 2 and 3.
Liz
- A scruffy girl in need of a new skirt, she is nevertheless the one who truly understands Billy, and the only one he really has a genuine interest in. Before her appearance, Billy pretends he doesn't have much interest in her, but it is clear when she appears that he is still smitten with her.
Play
In 1960, the novel's author, Keith Waterhouse, co-wrote a three-act stage versionThree act structure
The Three-Act Structure is a model used in writing and evaluating modern storytelling which divides a screenplay into a three parts called the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution.- Structure :...
with Willis Hall
Willis Hall
Willis Hall was an English playwright and radio and television writer who drew on his working class roots in Leeds for much of his writings....
. The action took place on a single set combining the living room, hallway and porch of the Fisher household. The first production opened in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
in the title role. It has since been produced all over the world, and has become a favourite with amateur groups.
The play is set in one Saturday: Act 1 in the morning, Act 2 in the early evening and Act 3 at night.
Film
The 1963 film was directed by John SchlesingerJohn Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger, CBE was an English film and stage director and actor.-Early life:Schlesinger was born in London into a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Winifred Henrietta and Bernard Edward Schlesinger, a physician...
and featured Tom Courtenay
Tom Courtenay
Sir Thomas Daniel "Tom" Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar , and Dr. Zhivago . Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre...
(who had understudied Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
in the West End play) as Billy and Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
as Liz, one of his three girlfriends. Mona Washbourne
Mona Washbourne
Mona Washbourne was an English actress of stage, film and television.Mona Washbourne began her entertaining career training as a concert pianist. While performing on stage in the early 1920s, she found that she liked acting and became an actress...
played Mrs Fisher, and Wilfred Pickles
Wilfred Pickles
Wilfred Pickles OBE was an English actor and radio presenter.Born in Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Pickles was a proud Yorkshireman, and having been selected by the BBC as an announcer for its North Regional radio service, went on to be an occasional newsreader on the BBC Home Service...
played Mr Fisher. Rodney Bewes
Rodney Bewes
Rodney Bewes is an English television actor and writer who is best known for playing Bob Ferris in the BBC television sitcom The Likely Lads and its colour sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , and in the various radio series based on them , and in the big screen film The Likely Lads...
, Finlay Currie
Finlay Currie
Finlay Jefferson Currie was a Scottish actor of stage, screen and television.Currie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1878. His acting career began on the stage. He and his wife Maude Courtney did a song and dance act in the US in the 1890s. He made his first film in 1931...
and Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
also had roles.
TV series
The novel was also used as the basis for a sitcomBritish sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
made by London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
in 1973-74, and starring Jeff Rawle
Jeff Rawle
Jeff Rawle is a British actor, perhaps best known for playing the long-suffering George in the news-gathering sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey...
as Billy. It has never been rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
, although the first series was released on Region 2 DVD in August 2006. The second series was released in March 2007.
The series was shown on the Seven Network in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during the non-ratings season of 1975-76.
The series was shown on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1975-76.
The series was shown on RTE 2 in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1982.
The series was scripted by the play's writers, Waterhouse and Hall, and the action was updated to the 1970s. George A. Cooper
George A. Cooper
George A. Cooper is an English actor.One of his best-known roles was as the caretaker Mr. Griffiths in the long-running children's TV series Grange Hill...
reprised his West End role as Billy's father. Other regular cast members included Pamela Vezey as Alice, Colin Jeavons
Colin Jeavons
Colin Jeavons is a Welsh television actor.-Career:Jeavons is best known as Inspector Lestrade in the Granada television serials The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or the part of the undertaker, Shadrack, in the television situation comedy written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall from...
as Shadrack, May Warden
May Warden
May Warden was an English actress and comedienne.Although she played in other films and TV shows, in Germany and Scandinavia she is best known for her role as Miss Sophie in the comedy sketch Dinner for One along with Freddie Frinton in a 1963 recording.She married comedian Silvester Stewart May...
as Billy's grandmother and Sally Watts as Barbara. Several new girlfriends were also introduced.
An American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
adaptation entitled Billy
Billy (1979 TV series)
Billy is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from February to April 1979. The series was based on Keith Waterhouse's 1960 British play Billy Liar.-Synopsis:...
and starring Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
, Peggy Pope
Peggy Pope
Peggy Pope is an American actress.She was born in Montclair, New Jersey. She has made her many acting appearances memorable—even in the smallest roles—beginning in 1966 with the television show The Trials of O'Brien, starring Peter Falk and Elaine Stritch.Pope is most recognizable as...
, and James Gallery aired briefly on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1979.
Musical
A successful West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musical (entitled simply Billy
Billy (musical)
Billy is a musical based on the novel and play Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The book was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the music is by John Barry, and the lyrics are by Don Black.-Production:...
) starred Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
and, in her West End debut, Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
. Cast also included Gay Soper
Gay Soper
Gay Soper is an English actress.She is perhaps best known for her performance in the musical Godspell with David Essex, Julie Covington and Jeremy Irons as well as Mme. Thenardier on the Complete Symphonic Recording of Les Misérables. She also performed all the voices for The Flumps, a famous...
, Avis Bunnage
Avis Bunnage
Avis Bunnage was a British actress of film, stage and television.She attended Manley Park Municipal School and Chorlton Central School in Manchester. She worked as a secretary and a nursery teacher before deciding to become an actress...
, Bryan Pringle
Bryan Pringle
Bryan Pringle was a British actor who appeared in television, film and theatre productions.Born in Tamworth, Staffordshire but raised in the Lancashire town of Bolton he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. In 1958, he married character actress Anne Jameson; together they had...
and Lockwood West
Lockwood West
Lockwood West was a British actor. He is the father of actor Timothy West and the grandfather of actor Samuel West....
.
The book was by well-known British sitcom writers Dick Clement
Dick Clement
Dick Clement, OBE is an English writer.Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and is best known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. Generally, Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone...
and Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
, where music and lyrics were by film composer John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
and Don Black respectively.
Others
- Waterhouse later wrote a sequel called Billy Liar on the Moon.
- There is also an acoustic folk/punk singer from Scotland called Billy LiarBilly Liar (band)Billy Liar is an acoustic punk/folk band, fronted by the solo singer of the same name. The group formed in 2007 and continue to perform together all over the UK.-Music and recordings:...
. - "Billy LiarBilly Liar (The Decemberists song)"Billy Liar" is the first single released by The Decemberists. Deriving its title from the English novel Billy Liar, the song also references "Nogood Boyo" of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood, and appears to generally talk about a young man's boredom during long summer days...
" is the title of the second track of Her Majesty the Decemberists by The DecemberistsThe DecemberistsThe Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
and the first track of their "Billy Liar" single. - Saint EtienneSaint EtienneSaint Étienne is French for Saint Stephen."Saint Etienne" may further refer to:- France :*Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, a church in Paris, FranceCommunes*Saint-Étienne, in the Loire department*Saint-Étienne-à-Arnes, in the Ardennes department...
sampled some lines from the movie in their song "You're in a Bad WayYou're in a Bad Way"You're in a Bad Way" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne. It appears on their 1992 album So Tough and was released as a single in 1993.The song is a deliberately old-fashioned throwback to 1960s pop music...
". - The "Billy Dreamer" character from The Kids in the HallThe Kids in the HallThe Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
television series, played by Kevin McDonaldKevin McDonaldKevin Hamilton McDonald is a Canadian comedian and actor, known as a member of the Canadian sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall.-Early life:...
, is an unambitious office worker with equally mediocre day dreams, such as owning a bean-bag chair and being ranked mid-pack in satisfaction among his office mates. - The music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "The Importance of Being IdleThe Importance of Being Idle (song)"The Importance of Being Idle" is a song by the English rock band Oasis from their sixth album, Don't Believe the Truth, written and sung by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It was the second single released from the album in the UK, on 22 August 2005, where it debuted at number one...
" by OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
contains scenes based on scenes from Billy Liar, although most of it is based on the video for the KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
' Dead End Street. - The band North of Cornwallis has a song entitled "Billy Liar".
- The title of the song "Twisterella" is also the title of a song that Billy co-writes in the novel.
- Yo La TengoYo La TengoYo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
make several references to the movie in particular in their song "Tom CourtenayTom CourtenaySir Thomas Daniel "Tom" Courtenay is an English actor who came to prominence in the early 1960s with a succession of films including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner , Billy Liar , and Dr. Zhivago . Since the mid-1960s he has been known primarily for his work in the theatre...
", which is the name of the actor who plays Billy. - One of the characters in Billy Liar, Arthur CrabtreeArthur CrabtreeArthur Crabtree was a British cinematographer and film director....
, was actually real person. He was a British cinematographer and film director in the 20th century.
External links
- Billy! the Musical (Broadway.com article)