There are just some adventures that are so much fun, it doesn’t matter how long ago we first discovered them, there is always something to enjoy with every repeat. This is the case with the Beiderbecke Tapes.
The second adventure of Trevor (James Bolam) and Jill (Barbara Flynn) is every bit as captivating as the original Beiderbecke Affair. Now on DVD, a whole new generation can enjoy the music, madness and mystery involving a charming couple who just can’t seem to avoid trouble.
Trevor Chaplin and Jill Swinburne are teachers at San Quentin High, in Yorkshire, England. After an exciting adventure two years previously, the two have been enjoying peaceful times and their developing relationship. As this adventure opens, Trevor’s house is about to be demolished to make way for a new road.
Jill gamely takes up the cause as chief protestor, but her efforts are not enough to save the house. Feeling bad, Jill invites Trevor to move in with her, and it is not long before she discovers a major problem. Trevor loves jazz, especially Bix Beiderbecke, and has acquired a huge collection of albums and there is no room for them in Jill’s house.
To make matters worse, the new barman at the local pub is another jazz fiend and is giving Trevor tapes adding to the clutter. On the work front, Mr. Wheeler the Headmaster of San Quentin is proposing a school trip to Amsterdam and insists that Trevor and Jill have to go as chaperones.
As if that wasn’t bothersome enough, one of the tapes is odd, with voices rather than music, talking about nuclear waste. Suddenly there are quite a few people who want to get their hands on that tape, and they start appearing on the doorstep with threats, and breaking in while the teachers are at school.
A mad adventure is set in motion, Trevor and Jill rush off to Holland with the school trip, hoping that they will be able to escape whomever it is pursuing them. Encounters with odd and amusing characters from the weird barman, to the town’s oldest suffragette (Beryl Reid) are just a taste of things to come once they are in Europe.
Part of the appeal to audiences is the fact that Trevor and Jill are so normal, it is easy to identify with them, recognizing their actions as the same things we would do under the circumstances. Written by playwright and screenwriter Alan Plater, the dialog is full of clever lines and the story is intriguing.
The action is accompanied by a jazz soundtrack composed by Frank Ricotti. This is a treat worth having for the British mystery fan, the lover of jazz, or anyone who enjoys a good story. Just wait until the Ancient Order of Elks appear on the scene!
The Beiderbecke Tapes is presented on two discs with a combined running time of 154 minutes. It is in full screen format, and in color.
The Beiderbecke Tapes is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
Your Talkback on this Story