Johnny Morris: The Magic Memoirs (2008)
1h 0min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
In the mid to late 90's documentary and children's programmer maker Simon Weitzman was fortunate to work with Animal Magic and children's TV legend Johnny Morris. Following a period where they worked together on support programming for Disney's Lion King, the pair set about making two programmes that Johnny had never got a chance to make with the BBC. Johnny's love of music is reflected in The Magic Keeper, a short music based film that Johnny had always been denied the pleasure of making. Thanks to Weitzman and his colleagues at Icon Films, EMI and Matchframe, the film finally got support and was made at Bristol Zoo, with Johnny cast as the magical zoo keeper, dancing and talking to the animals. The film enjoyed many outings on Channel 4, where it became the stable base of Christmas day morning programming for children for three years. As Johnny's health took a turn for the worse in the late 90's he was still determined to make one final independent Animal Magic style movie in the wilds of Kenya. With the kind help of the UTC touring company, Matchframe and Terry Nutkins, the project was filmed and completed before Johnny passed away in 1999. The film, The Kenya Diary is a very personal piece by Johnny and has remained unseen by the general public until this time but it encapsulates the warm and funny mind of a man who meant so much to so many children over the years. - Actors:
- Terry Nutkins
- Directors:
- Simon Weitzman
- Studio:
- Alten8
- Genres:
- Children & Family, TV Documentaries
