Petula Clark began as a child star and as early as 1946 had her own tv series Pet's Parlour.
soon after she appeared in a series of films featuring 'The Huggett Family' with Jack Warner and Kathleen Harrison as her parents
one of her most famous films was Dance Hall, a film from 1950 which also featured Donald Houston and Diana Dors
i'm not sure but her movie career might have been dying out when songwriter Tony Hatch wrote Downtown for her and the actress became a major international singing star overnight. other hits followed Round Every Corner, Don't Sleep Under The Subway, My Love, You'd Better Come Home and 77-yr-old Charlie Chaplin's composition Love This Is My Song
She impressed in both Finian's Rainbow and Goodbye Mr. Chips, but it would be unfair to compare her to Greer Garson, who was the original Katharine from GMC, because in Pet's musical version she's a showgirl, who causes outrage when she marries respected school teacher Chips, in a story set from the 1920s to the 60s, unlike 1870 to 1933 in the original
Pet has had some hits on stage both in the UK and America
Petula Clark
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tallulahfan
- Posts: 9
- Joined: October 2nd, 2007, 11:21 am
I always thought Petula could have had more of a career in films had she wanted it. I saw her in "Finians Rainbow" the other day and she was at her most enchanting. I guess the 60s was when she was concentrating on recording but one wonders what might have been if Pet had concentrated more on movies. She was evacuated to my small town in Wales during tha war and often comes back for visits as she has family in the area.
Wow,
You've sure got a knack for making a guy feel old! I was in the 6th grade of elementary school when "Downtown" was released and the class named it our"favorite song" for publication in the yearbook! And I never would have known that Charlie Chaplin penned "Love, This is My Song!" Thanks for the info. Only 9AM and I've already learned something! Thanks again.
As always,
Hollis
You've sure got a knack for making a guy feel old! I was in the 6th grade of elementary school when "Downtown" was released and the class named it our"favorite song" for publication in the yearbook! And I never would have known that Charlie Chaplin penned "Love, This is My Song!" Thanks for the info. Only 9AM and I've already learned something! Thanks again.
As always,
Hollis
Petula was on The Paul O'Grady Show. she shared his sofa with what appears to be the next big thing to come out of America, The Jonas Brothers. even though in her 70s Pet seemed to enjoy kissing the boys after she made her entrance.
there were 3 clips shown of Pet in action. in the first one she looked like a Brit Shirley Temple from her child star days, next was Downtown and finishing singing a song in French. she talked of meeting Piaf and how the still relatively young French Woman went on stage looking like a frail old woman, but when she started to sing she transformed herself into a beautiful woman again (I heard something similiar about a 70 something Dietrich, who needed crutches to walk, but once on stage she got her mobility back)
Pet, Paul and the Jonas boys were joined at the end by The Tiller Girls, a dancing troupe, who were at their pk in the 50s and 60s, famous for showing all their legs, while arm and arm and their high kicks. it was supposed to be a farewell performance for the girls, who must be 70 plus now and Pet and the others joined them for a high kicking dance routine. Pet for once looked her age as she struggled and failed to get her legs up to the height of everyone else
there were 3 clips shown of Pet in action. in the first one she looked like a Brit Shirley Temple from her child star days, next was Downtown and finishing singing a song in French. she talked of meeting Piaf and how the still relatively young French Woman went on stage looking like a frail old woman, but when she started to sing she transformed herself into a beautiful woman again (I heard something similiar about a 70 something Dietrich, who needed crutches to walk, but once on stage she got her mobility back)
Pet, Paul and the Jonas boys were joined at the end by The Tiller Girls, a dancing troupe, who were at their pk in the 50s and 60s, famous for showing all their legs, while arm and arm and their high kicks. it was supposed to be a farewell performance for the girls, who must be 70 plus now and Pet and the others joined them for a high kicking dance routine. Pet for once looked her age as she struggled and failed to get her legs up to the height of everyone else
Hey there, the lady is in her SEVENTIES, and she's never BEEN a dancer...If she has the moxie to get up AND TRY......good for her!!!!!!stuart.uk wrote: Pet for once looked her age as she struggled and failed to get her legs up to the height of everyone else
"Life is not the way it's supposed to be.. It's the way it is..
The way we cope with it, is what makes the difference." ~ Virginia Satir
""Most people pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." ~ Soren Kierkegaard
The way we cope with it, is what makes the difference." ~ Virginia Satir
""Most people pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." ~ Soren Kierkegaard
Thanks
that was legendary French singer Sacha Diestel at the begining of the clip. he knew the likes of Piaf early in his career. he came over to Britain and had a succesful recording career, begining with a British cover version of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and shortly before his death, he was Billy Flynn in a stage production of Chicago
that was legendary French singer Sacha Diestel at the begining of the clip. he knew the likes of Piaf early in his career. he came over to Britain and had a succesful recording career, begining with a British cover version of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head and shortly before his death, he was Billy Flynn in a stage production of Chicago