The Walls Came Tumbling Down

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

1966 - United Kingdom

Harold Crombie (Robert Lang) is something of a nonentity - the sort of man who merges into the background so well that even his office colleagues barely notice he's there. 

For 25 unexceptional years Crombie has gone through the motions of his job-stamping "Seen and Approved" on various documents. At home, if anything, Crombie is even less chatty. Every evening and weekend he disappears, often carrying mysterious parcels into his room. Locked out in frustrated curiosity are his wife Esme (Joan Newell), their daughter Juliette (Anna Middleton) and their lodger, Captain Brickman (Ronald Fraser). 

Two happenings, however, are to have far-reaching effect. At home Captain Brickman storms Crombie's Citadel. 

And at the office Crombie strikes out, relieving his pent-up frustrations swiftly and unexpectedly by applying his "Seen and Approved" stamp to a pretty typist's knickers. 

The Walls Came Tumbling Down was a 60-minute comedy broadcast on 23 April 1966 at 10.15pm as an Armchair Theatre presentation. Also starring in the cast were Norman Bird, William Mervyn and Rita Webb. The play didn't meet with much critical approval, one critic calling the characters "supremely silly."     

Published on April 4th, 2020. Adapted from original TV Times (1966) article by Sarah Snow..

Read Next...

Having returned from a colonial life in Malaya to an England he longer recognised Basil Allenby-Johnson, "the Alf Garnett of the middle classes", takes a verbal swing at feminism; permissive and undisciplined youth; age prejudice by employers; student demos; the press; and the health service.

Also starring Ronald Fraser

After the Funeral

When Alun Owen's play 'After the Funeral' was read by Sydney Newman, head of drama for ABC Television, and William Kotcheff, the television director, they were so taken by his conception of Wales and the Welsh, they decided to see for themselves.

Also tagged Single Play

The Brahmin Widow

A soldier returns to India to find the girl he loved but had to leave.

Also starring Ronald Fraser

The Master

150 year old villain plans to take over the world.

Also released in 1966

Freedom in September

A Soviet musician is missing from his hotel. He wanders through 1962 London trying to contact people he has met and known in Russia. Who are these people? What lies behind his desperate search?

Also tagged Single Play

Fenella Fielding as Izeena

Izeena lives in her magic tree house in a world of animal friends.

Also released in 1966

The Borrowers

The 1992 BBC television adaptation of Mary Norton’s beloved children’s books remains a triumph of family storytelling and visual ingenuity, told with warmth, imagination and remarkable attention to detail

Also starring Robert Lang

Dumb Martian

Earthman Duncan Weaver on a solo tour of duty on one of Jupiter's moons buys a Martian woman as a companion. He mistreats her, assuming her to be just a "dumb Martian." He learns, to his cost, that she has more intelligence than he gives her credit for.

Also tagged Single Play

The Green Hornet

Created for the radio in 1936 by 'Lone Ranger' inventor George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the Green Hornet aka Britt Reid was originally introduced as the son of Dan Reid, the masked man's nephew.

Also released in 1966