Australian radio and television personality Binny Lum worked in radio from 1934 to 1984, initially as an actor, accompanist, scriptwriter and compere of fashion shows, before becoming known for her children’s sessions (she co-hosted the 3KZ Children’s Session as ‘Cousin Binnie’) and magazine-format programs. She was also a pioneer of the small screen, host of the first daytime television program on Channel Nine in 1957, Thursday at One with Binnie Lum. Binny Lum was known for her friendly, conversational style, and her programs were popular for their interviews with diverse Australian and international personalities. These recordings are published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.


Binny Lum interviews and recordings

Alan Freeman, Australian born British disc jockey and radio personality, interviewed by Binny Lum in London, England in 1964.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.
NFSA Title No: 1108372


Transcript by Peta Cassar.
Courtesy of Peta Cassar, Geoff Charter and Sharon Terry.

BL:   Well, here's the man who's been my host and wonderful companion while I've been in London - Alan Freeman.  Hi, Al.
AF:   Hiya, Binny.
BL:   What is this I see here?  Prince of Wales Theatre.  Brian Epstein presents Pops Alive, introduced by Alan Freeman and way down on the bill, The Beatles.
(laughs)
BL:   How does this happen?
AF:   Well, I don't know.  You see, it's nice to have friends in the business. 
BL:   (laughs)
AF:    No, as a matter of fact, Binny, I'm very thrilled about this.  I think for a long time many people have thought about sponsoring pop concerts in the West End.  They happen all the time right throughout the country - I mean the pop groups and the pop stars are touring Great Britain every day and every night - but Mr Brian Epstein, who shall remain anonymous, because he's rather well-known anyway because of you-know-who---
BL:   (laughs)
AF:   ---has decided to promote these concerts and from the Prince of Wales Theatre, in the West End, and he's got a tremendous line-up of artists.  They're going to start on the 3rd May, every Sunday night, two houses - first house at 6.00, second house at half past 8.00 - and I am just absolutely stunned that I've been given the chance to compere them.
BL:   I think it's magnificent.
AF:   It's absolutely tremendous, isn't it?
BL:   But then, Alan, it's not unexpected.  Since I've come here I've realised and I daren't think that everybody in Australia realises just how you are held in such high regard here.
AF:   Well - I'm blushing (laughs)
BL:   (Laughs) You weren't blushing the other day when that cab driver was coming along the road, had his light off and when he spotted you, put it on and pulled over so that he could have the pleasure of your company in his cab.
AF:   But weren't we lucky to get that cab?
BL:   Oh, my goodness, were we ever.  There were milling crowds everywhere.
AF:   Have you ever seen such a crowd at an exhibition in all your life?
BL:   Never.  This was coming up from the Ideal Homes Exhibition everyone, on my first day in London and there were so many people.  There were no taxi cabs.
AF:   That's right.  Actually, I must deviate for a minute because I would like to tell the listeners, Binny, of an angle that absolutely "tickled" me and that is, ladies and gentlemen, that when one lives in London and one has visitors come from Australia, you usually get rather excited at the thought of showing them around London.  So I went out and met Binny at the airport and we hopped into this car and we came back to the West End and usually the one that's showing the people the landmarks, rather quietly, sort of says, "And that's St Paul's Cathedral and that is Buckingham Palace and that is Trafalgar Square", to which the reaction from the person being shown invariably always is, "Oh, really!  Isn't it marvellous?  Oh, that's Trafalgar Square!  Oh, that's St Paul's Cathedral!"  But it was quite strange because I was the one sitting in the car, terribly excited and saying to Binny, "Look, Binny.  That's Buckingham Palace."  And Binny was saying, "Oh, yes.  That's nice.  Now, what's over here?"
BL:   (laughs)
AF:   Absolutely, you are the most extraordinary woman I've ever met in my life (laughs).
BL:   You try doing 30 hours straight in a plane and see how enthusiastic you can be.
AF:   But you know, Binny, it was marvellous.  I was rather astounded by your stamina to think that you'd flown all the way from Australia and literally within three hours of being here in London - within two hours of being here in London  - you were in action with your tape recorder.
BL:   Well, I think one has to do this and you realise how little time there's been---
AF:   Mmm.
BL:   ---and yet how much material is available---
AF:   Must you - must you leave tomorrow?
BL:   I - yes, I must.  You see New York's calling now.
AF:   All I can say is that after you leave New York it's never going to be the same.
BL:   (Laughs)  Well, I like to think that I'm not going to ever quite be the same again because it's been a magnificent experience and I think unless you profit from experiences well you just don't develop.  You don't grow.
AF:   I know.  The thing is Binny, that now that you have come over and you've sampled this side and with the wealth of material that you're taking back I really think that somebody should do something very tangible.  Not for the furtherance of Binny Lum, but for the furtherance of material for people in Australia who genuinely want to hear this - this business you've gotten - and I'm hoping that somebody will really get down to tin-tacks and say, 'Let's send Binny Lum over more often.'  because as you know, Binny, you could be here for six months and work every day and never stop.
BL:   I hadn't realised just what a hub of activity it can be.  I didn't realise that there were the magnificent people everywhere and so happy to help and cooperate.
AF:   Mm.
BL:   I always imagined that they'd be a little bit ivory-tower-ish---
AF:   Mm.
BL:   ---but I hadn't struck this in one possible instance.
AF:   Oh, I might add, you interviewed Lionel Bart, didn't you?
BL:   Oh, he is a charming person.
AF:   I know.  Because half an hour after you left Lionel rang me and he said, "Binny's a doll, isn't she?"
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:  Can't be bad can it?  Hey?
BL:   Oh, isn't that great.  No, not really Alan.  Oh, that was a wonderful experience but then coming here and meeting Robert Clary.
AF:   Yeah.
BL:   Having phone calls at the hotel to say "Paul Gallico rang.  He'll ring back."
AF:   Mm.
BL:   You know, I just feel sometimes that if it weren't for the tapes I'd wake up---
AF:   Mm.
BL:   ---and believed I'd dreamed the lot.
AF:   I'm only sorry that you aren't in New York when Robert is back.
BL:   I wish I was going to be too.
AF:   At Jones' Beach doing the "Around the World in 80 Days", because this is the most incredible extravaganza you've ever seen in your life and Robert, I think, runs and walks about 130 million miles every night.  The set is so big I can't tell you and he loses weight, but of course he's French - he's very strange - the French are always strange you know?
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:   (Laughs)
BL:   I want to ask you about another phase of your activities which has developed since I was in touch with you Alan.  You're writing now?
AF:   Yes.  I've never sort of thought about being a writer, Binny, and I guess at the moment I'm a pretty bad one but Donald Wedge, one of our top editors over here in London, has started a new magazine called, "Rave".  It's a monthly magazine.  It costs two and sixpence, which is quite a lot for a teenager to pay out for, you know, but a lot of work goes into it and Don rang me up and said, "How would you feel about writing a column?"  And I thought that he meant a column of records, writing about latest releases and all that sort of thing.  And I said, 'Yes, it would be fun, Don."  He said, "Don't get the wrong idea - not about records", he said, "I think it will be great fun if you could collar the stars, get them home to your apartment, sit down, have a mad chat, turn on the tape recorder, dig deep and get the 'nice stuff'.  Because a lot of people, I find, in my experience like to dig deep and bring out the things that I really feel the public don't want to know about anyway."
BL:   Aren't you right?
AF:   You know?
BL:   This is something I've been against all my life.
AF:   I think so.
BL:   I see no reason why you have to get to the seamy side of things to have people be interested.  People aren't basically interested in this I think.
AF:   Well, of course, they aren't.
BL:   I think they're sold an idea by sensational newspapers.
AF:   Mm.
BL:   And sensational interviewers - that this is the thing to be interested in.  I've always found that people just love to hear about their favourites.
AF:   That's right.
BL:   And actually I don't think that they want anything dragged down about them.
AF:   I don't think so.  I think the world's full of enough sadness already.
BL:   Mm.
AF:   Don't you?
BL:   Absolutely.
AF:   Anyway, so I was delighted.  And I said to Don, "Well, if you're willing to try.  I'm certainly willing to have a go."
BL:   Oh, it's marvellous.
AF:  And we've - I've interviewed so far people like Dave Clark, Dusty Springfield - I might add that you're the luckiest person in the world.  I have been trying, Binny Lum, for three months to get hold of The Beatles but they're always dashing somewhere.  I'm always dashing somewhere.  You come here and inside 24 hours you get them.  Really, I think our friendship's just about had it.  
BL:   (Laughs) 
AF:   So anyway---
BL:   Well, it was a bit sensational.
AF:   It was, yeah - so, I've been writing this stuff and the editor has been watching me very closely and from the mail that's come in everybody seems to be very pleased with the articles.  And apparently the organisation that this magazine is within are watching me closely with the view to me writing perhaps further stuff for other magazines.  I don't know Binny because I love great journalism.  I'm not a journalist.  I write as I talk and perhaps that's human enough.  I don't quite know.
BL:   I think this is the way to be.  I was talking to, here we go now - Charlotte Bingham---
AF:   Mm.
BL:   ---the other day.  Now, this young girl had such a success with her first novel.
AF:   Mm.
BL:   "Coronet Among The Weeds."
AF:   Mm.
BL:   And telling me about how she came to write it.  She said that she writes as she thinks.
AF:   Yeah.
BL:   And she feels that a lot of people don't write well because they write what they think they think.
AF:   Yes.  Precisely.
BL:   And she feels that if only people would sit down, if they really want to write and just write as they really think.
AF:   Mm.  Mm.
BL:   That'll come out well.
AF:   So, of course, I sort of write reams and reams of stuff which the editor gets hold of and edits and cuts down and says, "I think that although you say it this way it reads a little better this way."
BL:   Fair enough.
AF:   Because he's the experienced person, you see?
BL:   No, well, of course.
AF:   And so I take direction from him.
BL:   Yes.
AF:   And, perhaps, in time I may develop some sort of a human writer - if you can call it a writer - I don't know.
BL:   Well, it's a marvellous step, isn't it?
AF:   It's wonderful Binny, yes.
BL:   My goodness.  The way things have developed since that dreary night that I waved you goodbye, clutching a streamer.
AF:   Yes, down at the ship.
BL:   You didn't ever know the funny thing that happened that night did you?
AF:   No, what happened?
BL:   Oh, I adored this.  I was standing there feeling very sad and sorry because you were leaving.
AF:   Yeah.
BL:   And I noticed a couple on my left and they were kissing passionately---
AF:   (laughs)
BL:   ---and I thought, "Well, I'm sorry Alan's leaving but after all I'm not going to suffer."
AF:   Mm.
BL:   But they're going to suffer because quite obviously this is a very, very big moment for them.
AF:   Mm.
BL:   And so from time to time I would look over and they'd still be kissing passionately.
AF:   Mm.
BL:   The ship left.  The streamers broke and as I turned to leave, I saw this couple get up off this bench and walk off the pier.  Nobody had said goodbye to anybody at all.
AF:   (Laughs)
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:   Hysterical.  That's a marvellous story, isn't it?
BL:   I always remembered that from when I said goodbye to you.
AF:   (Laughs)
BL:   Ah, dear.  Well, Alan, if you're going into the Prince of Wales soon to compere these concerts are you still continuing with all the radio and television work that you're doing?
AF:   Yes.  Yes, I'm continuing with the radio and television.  As a matter of fact, Binny, the program that I do on Sunday afternoon's here called Pick of the Pops.  That will finish at 5.00.  I will jump into a taxi.
BL:   And believe me there'll be one there.
AF:   We hope so and sort of dash to the Prince of Wales and put my pants on in transit.  And sort of just literally get there in time to walk up on the stage all perspiring and relaxed and saying, "Hello.  Here we go again."
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:   So it's going to be pretty busy.
BL:   Isn't it going to be fun though?
AF:   By the way I'm going to do a film for Milton Subotsky.
BL:   Oh, I see. 
AF:   It's a horror film.
BL:   You're starting to sound like Lionel Bart.
AF:   Oh, that man is so rich I hate him.
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:   (Laughs) I'm going to be in a horror film.
BL:   When's this happening?
AF:   Um - starts in June.  We start production in June and it's a story.  It's called "Dr Vine's Tales of Terror' and it's a story of - it's a theme containing six different horror themes - all sort of interwoven you see - and for me it's the first chance of getting right away from disc-jockeying or pop music or anything else.  And I'm cast as a sort of a husband.  I'm told that perhaps a very lovely British actress named Janette Scott might be playing my wife in this film.  And the theme that I am involved in or the story revolves around vines - creeping vines - that start to come out of the garden and entwine the house and come in the doors and through the windows and all this sort of thing, you see, but it's all very ghastly.  But what I think is so marvellous is the end of this story that I'm in because they eventually find that the way to get rid of the vines is to burn them you see?  They burn these vines and everything is all beautiful and lovely and the final scene shows me walking out of the front door, lighting a pipe and throwing away the match.  The match lands on a piece of earth, next to this burned vine where a new little green shoot has sprung up and this match lands beside this green shoot which just politely bends over and taps the light out.  And that's the end of the story that I'm in - which is terrifying, isn't it?
BL:   Ohh---
AF:   (Laughs)
BL:   ---I can see people queuing up for this one (laughs).
AF:   Oh, gosh.  I'm going to be a second Frankenstein.  It's marvellous.  (laughs)
BL:   (Laughs) But you always were.  What are you talking about?
AF:   (Laughs) Flattery will get you nowhere.
BL:   (Laughs) Alan, I want to give you my warmest thanks and love for what you've done for me here in London.  Much of what I've accomplished would not have been possible without your help and the tremendous regard in which people in show business here hold you.
AF:   You're a darling, Binny.  Thank you very much.  I think you've done a magnificent job.  You've got to come back because there is - there is so much here untouched that you can touch and give so much to the audiences back there in Australia and they will love it, I promise you.
BL:   Well, I think that people do.  I've heard Australians here saying that when I go back and I start saying that I've met Robert Clary and I've met Lionel Bart and other people - we won't mention The Beatles---
AF:   Yeah.
BL:   ---they're going to sort of say, "Oh, there she goes name-dropping"---
AF:   No.
BL:   ---but I don't feel this with the general public.  I really don't.  I think the people who listen to my programmes would love to meet all these folk.
AF:   I agree emphatically and I don't care what anybody says.  Everybody in the world is interested about something that they haven't experienced or somebody they haven't met.  And I'm sure that anybody back in Australia who hears the stuff that you've don't on tape, if they turn around and say, "Oh, there she goes name-dropping." I can only say to you, Binny, they are the people not to be concerned about.
BL:   I think that's a fair comment but, as I say, I don't think that that's a general line of thought.  I feel that people are going to enjoy this 'trip around the world' with me.
AF:   I'm sure they are.  Bon voyage, back to New York.
BL:   (Laughs)
AF:  Back to Australia and - no, I shan't say it - and I shan't say what I was going to say because I wasn't going to say anything.  Bye, bye.
BL:   (Laughs) Well, that's a promising finish, isn't it?
AF:   (Laughs)
BL:   You have just been listening to Alan Freeman.
 

Alan Freeman, interviewed by Binny Lum (1964)

Dorothy Hetty Fosbury (Andrea) Jenner, Australian columnist and radio commentator, interviewed by Binny Lum.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.
NFSA Title No: 1108378

Andrea, interviewed by Binny Lum (c. 1963)

Alex Griffiths, founder of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, interviewed by Binny Lum.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.
NFSA Title No: 1108399

Alex Griffiths, interviewed by Binny Lum (c. 1960)

Alice Constance Tisdall, Australian educationist, interviewed by Binny Lum in Melbourne in 1961.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.
NFSA Title No: 1108675

Alice Constance Tisdall, interviewed by Binny Lum (1961)

Alirio Díaz, Venezuelan classical guitarist, interviewed by Binny Lum.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter.
NFSA Title No: 1108395

Alirio Diaz, interviewed by Binny Lum (1966)

George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr of The Beatles interviewed by Binny Lum in London, England in 1964.

Published courtesy of Sharon Terry and Geoff Charter. 
NFSA Title No: 1108342
Photo by Geoff Charter NFSA Title No: 1219635

The Beatles, interviewed by Binny Lum (1964)

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