In period drama serial Lipstick On Your Collar 1950’s national serviceman Private Mick Hopper (Ewan McGregor) is sent to work in a boring unit in the War Office whilst dreaming of making it as a rock ‘n’ roller, meanwhile one of his colleagues, Francis Francis (Giles Thomas) falls madly in love with Sylvia Barry (Louise Germaine), the wife of hated corporal Peter Berry (Douglas Henshall). Like Potters other works (Pennies from Heaven and The Singing Detective) the characters burst into song at the drop of a hat, miming to popular records of the day.
Lipstick On Your Collar was Dennis Potter’s first work for five years, his last drama Blackeyes had generated a massive amount of negative press over it’s treatment of the main female lead and Potter’s own lascivious narration. Sadly for Potter most of the press coverage focused on the figure of lead actress Louise Germaine who had worked as a glamour model early in her career. It wasn’t up to the standard of Potter’s previous work but still had plenty to recommend it, not least a breakthrough performance for Ewan McGregor.
Cast: EWAN McGREGOR as Pte Mick Hopper; GILES THOMAS as Pte Francis Francis; LOUISE GERMAINE as Sylvia Berry; DOUGLAS HENSHALL as Corporal Peter Berry; KIMBERLEY HUFFMAN as Lisa; BERNARD HILL as Uncle Fred; MAGGIE STEED as Aunt Vickie; PETER JEFFREY as Col Harry Barnwood; ROY HUDD as Harold Atterbow; CLIVE FRANCIS as Major Wallace Hedges; NICHOLAS FARRELL as Major Johnnie Church
Writer: Dennis Potter / Producers: Rosemarie Whitman, Alison Barnett / Director: Renny Rye
UK / Channel 4 – Whistling Gypsy / 6×60 minute episodes / 21 February – 28 March 1993
