A musical film based on the well-known legend starring Van Johnson

When a mysterious piper rids the town of Hamelin of a plague of rats, the mayor and counsellors praise him but don't pay him. So he uses his magic to charm the children away. This old legend, immortalised in Robert Browning's poem, here becomes a gay and tuneful comedy film.
(Colour)
(to 16.25)

The Royal Institution, London Annual Christmas Lectures to Young People
by Professor Philip Morrison

We look at the present-day world through the eyes of a voyager from Lilliput and Brobdingnag. What large and small things can we find? In nature? In man-made things? How far was Jonathan Swift, when he wrote about Gulliver, right or wrong in his conception of science as he knew it?
Recorded at the Royal Institution this afternoon
Lecture 2: Tuesday at 6.0 p.m.
(Colour)
(to 19.00)

followed by The Weather
(Colour)

at Richmond Athletic Ground
Introduced by Cliff Morgan

The Harlequins, whose form this season (including their notable win over London Welsh in November) has restored them to a position of pre-eminence in British Club Rugby, today travel the short distance to Richmond to take on a side whose list of injuries this season compelled them to play no less than thirty-two players in first-team colours by early December.
Nevertheless, such a 'local derby' will certainly be well supported by a large holiday crowd willing to provide the right atmosphere for the 'competitive' Rugby that teams of this calibre are so eager to promote.

(Colour)

by Anne Bronte
Dramatised in four parts by Christopher Fry
Starring Janet Munro

The arrival of a young woman and her son at Wildfell Hall, accompanied by only one servant, causes much speculation in the village.
(Repeated on Thursday at 10.20 p.m.)
See page 5
(Colour)

Tonight on BBC-2 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
A new classic serial - a dramatisation of Anne Bronte's powerful novel - begins this evening at 8.15
Anne was the youngest of the Bronte sisters, and perhaps the least known. But like Charlotte and Emily she too found an outlet in writing and created, out of an isolated and sheltered life, a novel of remarkable power and intensity. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is set, like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, against the dark and brooding background of the Yorkshire Moors, and passion, violence, adultery, and drunkenness all play a part in Helen Graham's story.
Janet Munro who plays the part of Helen is full of admiration for her. 'She was unbelievably brave to act as she did - to do something about the state she found herself in, instead of sitting back like so many Victorian women. I was surprised by the tremendous insight Anne Bronte had into her heroine's character.' It is the first major appearance Janet Munro has made for about six years. After a series of starring roles in feature films, she abandoned her career to bring up her family. Now she's just about to start rehearsals for a new West End play.
Huntingdon, Lawrence, and Gilbert, the three men who enact important, if sometimes mysterious, roles in Helen's story, are played by Corin Redgrave, William Gaunt, and Bryan Marshall.
Christopher Fry has dramatised The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for TV, the first time he has undertaken such an enterprise. He is a great champion of the novel, and the suggestion that it should be included among the BBC classic serials was his. 'I think it has been wrongly neglected and underrated compared with the other Brontes' work. It is a fine novel and there are some really delightful and unexpected snatches of humour in it.' (Gay Search)

James Cameron's own series of documentary films

James Cameron probes behind the healthy surface of Hong Kong. In this astonishing film about the people of the colony he discovers anger, distrust, deep misgiving.
Four million people live in Hong Kong. Most of them are refugees from a regime they hate. We are responsible for their future. Most of them believe that within the next ten years we shall let them down.
(Colour)

starring Julie Felix
with special guests, Alan Price, Sabicas

Joining Alan Price tonight as Julie's guest will be the celebrated flamenco guitarist Sabicas
(Colour)

A review of the year in the arts as seen in Release

This end-of-the-year symposium includes contributions from some of the most distinguished of international artists including:
W.H. Auden, Jean-Louis Barrault, Basil Bunting, Cesar, Courreges, Judi Dench, Julie Driscoll, Lawrence Durrell, John Gielgud, Jean-Luc Godard, Barbara Hepworth, George Lamming, John Lennon, Norman Mailer, Andre Malraux, Iris Murdoch, Vladimir Nabokov, Rudolf Nureyev, Eric Porter, Simone Signoret, Irene Worth, Arthur Rimbaud
(Colour)

(Colour)

By special request a second showing of The Hollies

(Colour)

starring Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin
Written, produced and directed by Jules Dassin

A romantic comedy about an exuberant Athenian callgirl who has an unusual but attractive view of life.
The theme tune, cleverly used throughout the film, was a great hit the world over