 Born in Leeds on 31 October 1926, James Wilson Vincent Savile was a coal miner at fourteen, with spells as a wrestler, before borrowing a friend's record player one night to DJ at a café in Otley for eleven shillings. By the early 60s he was a fixture on Radio Luxembourg. Besides his 'hep-speak' delivery, numerous catchphrases ('ow's about that then, guys and gals', 'Now then, now then') and trademark yodel, his eccentric appearance of platinum blond hair, enormous cigars, ostentatious jewellery and wacky wardrobe made him stand out at a time when most radio disc-jockeys wore a suit and tie. These visual gimmicks made him a natural for television and he was chosen to host the first edition of Top of the Pops (BBC, tx. 1/1/1964). He remained on the regular presenting roster until 1984. His joining Radio 1 in May 1968 made Savile a BBC 'face' with several personality vehicles attempted on television, including inter-town contest Quiz Bingo (BBC, 1969). Always in demand for lucrative public appearances and endorsements, a famous series of public information films saw Savile warn against the dangers of driving without a seatbelt, with the tagline 'Clunk-Click, every trip'. Oddly, the BBC thought this an ideal title for a Saturday teatime family show. Clunk-Click (BBC, tx. 1973-74) featured Olivia Newton John singing the Song For Europe entries, star guests and chat, but what caught on were a series of 'dreams come true' for viewers. Savile convinced Head of Entertainment Bill Cotton to develop this element and Jim'll Fix It (BBC, 1975-95) was born. Savile had found his hit TV format. As well known for his charitable exploits as for fix-its, Savile was 'Entertainments Officer' at Leeds Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Broadmoor Mental Hospital, raising millions by running several hundred marathons. He was awarded the OBE for this in 1971 and a knighthood in 1990. His charity work and the vox pop opinions of people in the street featured in Jimmy Savile's Speakeasy (BBC, tx. 26/8/1978), a TV version of his earlier Radio 1 show. His seemingly fabricated persona has led many to seek the real Jimmy Savile. He proved evasive on TV biography strand The Obituary Show (Channel 4, tx. 1991-97) while When Louis Met Jimmy (BBC, tx. 13/4/2000) saw Louis Theroux discover a wardrobe of dresses that belonged to Jimmy's dead mother ('The Duchess') but little else concrete. A hoax transcript supposedly from his 1999 appearance on Have I Got News For You (BBC, tx. 1990-) circulated on the internet and attempted to smear Savile with unfounded allegations. One of the ultimate 'TV personalities', Savile has used television as one vehicle among many to cultivate his celebrity. Alistair McGown
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FILM & TV CREDITS
