Lorna McDonald
Encyclopedia
Lorna McDonald was a blonde fashion model
from the Lucy Clayton agency who, in the 1960s, became famous, though anonymously, as the young woman who jumped into Simon Dee
’s white open-top E-type Jaguar car at the end of each edition of BBC
television's chat show, Dee Time (1967-9).
, McDonald’s image was seen every Saturday evening by as many as 14 million people as she was driven away by Dee Times host, the sports jacketed Simon Dee:
, the location of Dee Time before it moved to London
in September 1967. It was McDonald's own idea to jump over the door after being asked by Henebery if she could get into the car more quickly. The cameraman was in the boot, from where he continued to film as Dee drove McDonald around the city. At one point, McDonald appeared to be emitting a "cry of ecstasy", but, as Henebery recalled many years later, she was actually in pain because she had caught her leg under the dashboard
.
(DJ) to be heard on the "pirate
" station Radio Caroline
. Though his period of fame was relatively short and his subsequent move from the BBC to London Weekend Television
catastrophic for his career, Dee typfied in many ways the spirit and "look" of the "swinging" sixties. Journalist and DJ Anne Nightingale has referred to him as the "James Bond
of DJs". In that sense, rather like Tania Mallet
, a Lucy Clayton alumna whose only film role was as Shirley Eaton
's sister, Tilly Masterson, in the Bond movie Goldfinger
(1964), McDonald fulfilled admirably the role of "Bond girl
" manqué
e.
). Indeed, Dee's biographer Richard Wiseman, who was associate producer of a "one-off" revival of Dee Time for Channel 4
in 2003, considered that the scene was what "most people who lived in Britain during the Sixties will remember him for". Fellow DJ Tony Blackburn
illustrated this when he recalled that, having been being advised by the head of BBC's Radio 1
(which opened a week after Dee Time moved to London) to drive a car more in keeping with his status as a "star", he chose an E-type "partly inspired by the famous Dee Time titles".
of the 1960s. Other examples included films, such as those of James Bond and, in 1969, The Italian Job
, with its famous "getaway" scene; television series, including The Avengers
and The Saint
; and advertisements for petrol (gasoline), notably those for National and Regent (featuring, in 1966-7, the Regent "cowgirl", Caroline Saunders ). The 1965 film Catch Us If You Can
, an outlet for the rock group the Dave Clark Five, featured a scene similar to that of Dee and McDonald in which Dave Clark
drove Barbara Ferris
around London in an E-type.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
from the Lucy Clayton agency who, in the 1960s, became famous, though anonymously, as the young woman who jumped into Simon Dee
Simon Dee
Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd , better known by his stage name Simon Dee, was a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey who hosted a twice-weekly BBC TV chat show, Dee Time in the late 1960s...
’s white open-top E-type Jaguar car at the end of each edition of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television's chat show, Dee Time (1967-9).
Dee Time closing credits
Dressed in a mini-skirt and “kinky”-style bootsKinky boots
Kinky boots are boots with extreme characteristics which are intended to present a dramatic sexy appearance, such as by a prostitute or dominatrix. Extreme characteristics might include very high heels, thigh- or crotch-high length, or unusual colors or materials. They can be related to boot...
, McDonald’s image was seen every Saturday evening by as many as 14 million people as she was driven away by Dee Times host, the sports jacketed Simon Dee:
Dee was introduced by the announcer Len Martin ... There would follow interviews with actors, comedians and pop stars ... and the show would end with footage of Dee driving off in an E-type Janguar with a leggy blonde.
Filming
The sequence, which was overseen by the show's producer, Terry Henebery, was filmed at the entrance to the Piccadilly Plaza hotel in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, the location of Dee Time before it moved to London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
in September 1967. It was McDonald's own idea to jump over the door after being asked by Henebery if she could get into the car more quickly. The cameraman was in the boot, from where he continued to film as Dee drove McDonald around the city. At one point, McDonald appeared to be emitting a "cry of ecstasy", but, as Henebery recalled many years later, she was actually in pain because she had caught her leg under the dashboard
Dashboard
A dashboard is a control panel placed in front of the driver of an automobile, housing instrumentation and controls for operation of the vehicle....
.
"Bond girl" manquée
Simon Dee had initially risen to public attention in 1964 as the first disc jockeyDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
(DJ) to be heard on the "pirate
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
" station Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
. Though his period of fame was relatively short and his subsequent move from the BBC to 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...
catastrophic for his career, Dee typfied in many ways the spirit and "look" of the "swinging" sixties. Journalist and DJ Anne Nightingale has referred to him as the "James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
of DJs". In that sense, rather like Tania Mallet
Tania Mallet
Tania Mallet, born on 19 May 1941 in Blackpool, England, is an English model who is best known for her appearance as Tilly Masterson in the James Bond movie Goldfinger ....
, a Lucy Clayton alumna whose only film role was as Shirley Eaton
Shirley Eaton
Shirley Eaton is an English actress.Eaton appeared regularly in British films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and achieved notability for her performance as Bond Girl Jill Masterson in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger...
's sister, Tilly Masterson, in the Bond movie Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
(1964), McDonald fulfilled admirably the role of "Bond girl
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
" manqué
Manqué
Manqué is a term used in reference to a person who has failed to live up to a specific expectation or ambition. It is usually used in combination with a profession: for example, a career civil servant with political prowess who nonetheless never attained political office might be described as a...
e.
Impact and context of the Dee/McDonald sequence
McDonald's Dee Time sequence has been described as both “iconic” of the times and a "visual cliché" that lent itself to parody (for example, by comedian Benny HillBenny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
). Indeed, Dee's biographer Richard Wiseman, who was associate producer of a "one-off" revival of Dee Time for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2003, considered that the scene was what "most people who lived in Britain during the Sixties will remember him for". Fellow DJ Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
illustrated this when he recalled that, having been being advised by the head of BBC's Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
(which opened a week after Dee Time moved to London) to drive a car more in keeping with his status as a "star", he chose an E-type "partly inspired by the famous Dee Time titles".
Wider context
The sequence was illustrative of the wider use of stylish cars, especially sports cars, in the British mass mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
of the 1960s. Other examples included films, such as those of James Bond and, in 1969, The Italian Job
The Italian Job
The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
, with its famous "getaway" scene; television series, including The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
and The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
; and advertisements for petrol (gasoline), notably those for National and Regent (featuring, in 1966-7, the Regent "cowgirl", Caroline Saunders ). The 1965 film Catch Us If You Can
Catch Us If You Can (film)
Catch Us If You Can was the feature-film debut of director John Boorman...
, an outlet for the rock group the Dave Clark Five, featured a scene similar to that of Dee and McDonald in which Dave Clark
Dave Clark (musician)
David 'Dave' Clark is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the leader and drummer of the 1960s beat group The Dave Clark Five, the first big British Invasion band to follow The Beatles to America in 1964....
drove Barbara Ferris
Barbara Ferris
Barbara Gillian Ferris is an English actress and former fashion model.She appeared in a number of films and productions for television and is possibly best remembered as Dinah, the young woman who eloped with Dave Clark in the 1965 film Catch Us If You Can...
around London in an E-type.