Face to Face (BBC 1959-1962, John Freeman)

Talk show Face to Face featured often quite intense one to one interviews by John Freeman with various prominent celebrities and high profile people , including the likes of Tony Hancock, Adam Faith and Gilbert Harding. Freeman asked pretty probing questions and during the interview with Harding he managed to reduce him to tears.

The first subject was Lord Birkett and the last was footballer Danny Blanchflower. In between there were likes of Sculptor Henry Moore, racing driver Stirlig Moss, Carl Gustav Jung, Simone Signoret and Martin Luther King. The series never had a regular run instead popping up every month or every couple of months.

Each edition’s opening credits also featured idiosyncratic caricatures of the celebrity in question by Felix Topolski.

The series was revived in 1989 (running until 1998) with Jeremy Isaacs as host.

production details
UK / BBC / 35×30 minute episodes / Broadcast 4 February 1959 – 18 March 1962

Producer: Hugh Barnett / Drawings: Felix Topolski

THE EPISODES
1. LORD BIRKETT (4 Feb 1959)
2. BERTRAND RUSSELL (4 Mar 1959)
3. DAME EDITH SITWELL (6 May 1959)
4. LORD BOOTHBY (27 May 1959)
5. NUBAR GULBENKIAN (15 Jul 1959)
6. ADLAI STEVENSON (22 Jul 1959)
7. JOHN HUSTON (1 Sep 1959)
8. CARL GUSTAV JUNG (22 Oct 1959)
9. LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETH (18 Dec 1959)
10. KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN (1 Jan 1960)
11. LORD SHAWCROSS (10 Jan 1960)
12. TONY HANCOCK (7 Feb 1960)
13. HENRY MOORE (21 Feb 1960)
14. DR HASTINGS BANDA (22 Apr 1960)
15. AUGUSTUS JOHN (15 May 1960)
16. SIR ROY WELENSKY (29 May 1960)
17. STIRLING MOSS (12 Jun 1960)
18. EVELYN WAUGH (26 Jun 1960)
19. GILBERT HARDING (18 Sep 1960)
20. GENERAL VON SENGER (2 Oct 1960)
21. LORD REITH (30 Oct 1960)
22. SIMONE SIGNORET (13 Nov 1960)
23. VICTOR GOLLANCZ (27 Nov 1960)
24. ADAM FAITH (11 Dec 1960)
25. OTTO KLEMPERER (8 Jan 1961)
26. FRANK COUSINS (15 Oct 1961)
27. REV DR MARTIN LUTHER KING (29 Oct 1961)
28. LORD HAILSHAM (12 Nov 1961)
29. JOMO KENYATTA (26 Nov 1961)
30. SIR COMPTON MACKENZIE (7 Jan 1962)
31. JOHN OSBORNE (21 Jan 1962)
32. ROY THOMSON (4 Feb 1962)
33. CECIL BEATON (18 Feb 1962)
34. ALBERT FINNEY (4 Mar 1962)
35. DANNY BLANCHFLOWER (18 Mar 1962)