Reach for the Ground - Jeffrey Bernard documentary

Jeffrey Bernard documentary. Filmed towards the end of his life. Says that he's 65 at the start which was his age at his death. Very sad as he's clearly a shadow of his former self.

Пікірлер: 67

  • @illuminant1129
    @illuminant11293 жыл бұрын

    Things had all caught up with Jeff by then. Marooned in his flat, his saving grace was a great view over Soho. But he obviously missed the Coach and Horses and his friends there. The documentary - 'A Day in the Life of Jeffrey Bernard' filmed in 1987 showed a Jeff still unravaged and active in his regular haunts. This is Jeff in injury time, waiting for final whistle. Even out of inspiration for his Low Life column. A painful and sad conclusion. I will raise a glass to him as I always do, next time I make it to the C&H.

  • @krishnamurtiism

    @krishnamurtiism

    3 жыл бұрын

    The C&H is the first pub I’m going to after lockdown. That and the French House.

  • @bean9seventy

    @bean9seventy

    2 жыл бұрын

    to think that unassuming old man was Jeffery Bernard, i guess its how they & others liked it , you were either a friend, or not, argue that people who actually knew who he was , as per say via his fame , were probably a bother , he explains to a point it was his relationship to soho that became his main joy & goal perhaps ingerset house being the hilton of great the peter street area of soho, soho, as it was during those times

  • @kevinwhelan9607

    @kevinwhelan9607

    Ай бұрын

    Check out my comment on that 1987 documentary.

  • @salvadormarley
    @salvadormarley3 жыл бұрын

    He lived his life on his own terms and also in a great era. I wonder what he'd make of these miserable times?

  • @lewreed1871
    @lewreed1871 Жыл бұрын

    His horror at the afterlife as something by Terence Conran has just made me give a round of applause and go out to get another drink. I can't feel my feet either, but I've still got two of them. Bless this man.

  • @paulphilipempey1
    @paulphilipempey13 жыл бұрын

    I did watch, "A Day In The Life Of Jeffrey Bernard (1987)", which I thought was very interesting and informative about Jeffrey and his lifestyle in Soho. He was 55-years-old and fairly active. However, watching this made me feel just a little sad because this hellraiser couldn't get up to his normal pursuits. Unfortunately, the booze has really destroyed him. Thank you for the upload.

  • @michaelmcginley7930

    @michaelmcginley7930

    3 жыл бұрын

    Poor bastard he would like to live the way he wanted ie getting kissed everyday but is a shame that he can't for the obvious reasons.other folks do.hillwaking and get away with it it's a shame that his lesuire pursuits are incompatible with a dress free life

  • @bootstrapperwilson7687

    @bootstrapperwilson7687

    Жыл бұрын

    When you say “dress free life,” do you mean naturism?

  • @steveellis9004
    @steveellis90049 ай бұрын

    The actor playing Jeff, poncing about and adjusting his wig, has clearly never had the shakes. He adds nothing and yet seems to want admiration.

  • @2msvalkyrie529

    @2msvalkyrie529

    3 ай бұрын

    The script didn't help.! Cringeworthy attempt at " wit "...

  • @zamiadams4343
    @zamiadams4343 Жыл бұрын

    What a great man, loves a smoke and drink, a dying breed in Soho these days. I still drink at The French House and The Coach and Horses, amazing pubs.

  • @tomheslington2993
    @tomheslington29933 жыл бұрын

    The bloke in the play is terrible.Makes me wince

  • @alleyesallsides
    @alleyesallsides2 жыл бұрын

    The actor doesn't understand the character at all.

  • @spatrick1277

    @spatrick1277

    2 жыл бұрын

    They're horrible. Who are they?

  • @richjohns8283

    @richjohns8283

    9 ай бұрын

    Yeah he can't see the sadness

  • @vincentwilliams8685

    @vincentwilliams8685

    6 ай бұрын

    Very true

  • @bookaufman9643

    @bookaufman9643

    6 ай бұрын

    That's exactly what I said. It's completely soulless and couldn't be farther off the mark. I'm guessing the actor in the play must have had some small role as a television detective or some other crap and that somehow got him the casting. Who plays the part as if he's never been drunk in his life and has no idea what it means to suffer. It's like bad dinner theater.

  • @adrianc1264
    @adrianc12643 жыл бұрын

    Great doc, thanks for uploading

  • @jamesbernie9465
    @jamesbernie94652 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for uploading. V interesting.

  • @benjakworth9486
    @benjakworth94863 жыл бұрын

    very sad. RIP Jeff.

  • @ryandudley3616
    @ryandudley36163 жыл бұрын

    well this was thoroughly depressing...

  • @JonJonJonJonJonJonJonJon

    @JonJonJonJonJonJonJonJon

    3 жыл бұрын

    He had a blast. Faced death well I thought. Brilliant writer.

  • @alexgroushko3142

    @alexgroushko3142

    3 жыл бұрын

    True, dat.

  • @kevinsenior8155
    @kevinsenior81556 ай бұрын

    Good to watch, thanks for uploading. I used to read Jeff's columns, and saw the play 3 times, with O'Toole, Bolam and Conti (O'Toole was best). Wish I had met the man himself, he was a legend. If only we could turn the clock back!

  • @2msvalkyrie529

    @2msvalkyrie529

    3 ай бұрын

    Conti !! As Jeffrey Bernard.?? Seriously.?? Can't imagine anyone less suited . His " rumpled charm " shtick is cringeworthy .!

  • @kevinsenior8155

    @kevinsenior8155

    3 ай бұрын

    @@2msvalkyrie529O'Toole was far and away the best. Just a total Pro, and he was of course a good mate of Jeff Bernard, so he knew the part well. Bolam a close-ish 2nd. No offence to Conti.... just not really his kind of play.

  • @lewisgreen1633
    @lewisgreen16333 жыл бұрын

    The Coach is still a great pub..pre COVID - I hope the watering holes survive. RIP Jeffrey..

  • @RataStuey

    @RataStuey

    3 жыл бұрын

    I’ve not been .. and I can’t wait to go. Normans has gone thought hasn’t it? I just want a great drink in a real pub

  • @stevenmorley1639

    @stevenmorley1639

    2 жыл бұрын

    Still survives and thriving....

  • @AndrewBrownM7BUK
    @AndrewBrownM7BUK3 жыл бұрын

    I’ve always admired the man for his writing, and have even envied his lifestyle, but I’m always pulled up sharp by the agony of his slow demise. It was cruel that Jeff couldn’t have gone I dare say the way he would have preferred. Suddenly, sat on his stool in the Coach with a large VAT in one hand and a Players in the other.

  • @vlloyd46
    @vlloyd462 жыл бұрын

    I’m not surprised he missed the Coach & Horses in Soho. It’s a lovely, easy going, be yourself BOOZER. So was he. By the sounds of it. There’s nothing like relaxing with people you know & love. Having a few ‘sherbets’. Pork pie & just talking ‘rubbish’ for a couple of hrs!!

  • @jacquelineharrod6386
    @jacquelineharrod63863 жыл бұрын

    Such a sad ending to a life.

  • @thesunandthemoon9995
    @thesunandthemoon99953 жыл бұрын

    One of my favourite anti-heroes. Thanks for uploading! Ive got the O’Toole play and another doc on my channel if interested .

  • @lukerothwell1474

    @lukerothwell1474

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. I've watched those videos on your channel a few times and they where what inspired me to post this one.

  • @danielnichols5632

    @danielnichols5632

    Жыл бұрын

    Now you’ve taken it down

  • @Richard-hv5hh
    @Richard-hv5hh3 жыл бұрын

    He seems relatively happy in his misery. I have always thought that instead of having a Happy Hour for drinking we should have a Miserable Hour where people will find contentment in pouring out their misery. I love his irony. I think he had a good laugh at life and himself and got satisfaction knowing he was a remarkably original writer. I only came across him today so it's presumptuous of me to comment but I won't ever know him so why not today?

  • @weskitten
    @weskitten6 ай бұрын

    Peter O'Toole playing Jeffrey Bernard would be the epitome of 'the pot calling the kettle black'!

  • @rapman5363
    @rapman5363 Жыл бұрын

    Luke Rothwell, at the beginning he says he is 63 years of age, not 65.

  • @morganfisherart
    @morganfisherart3 жыл бұрын

    11:25 The photos of his three wives were Gorgeous!

  • @Edward1312
    @Edward131218 күн бұрын

    I watched Bernard's face when his friend Bill (who was v perceptive btw) said Alcohol was a love affair, and Jeff said it was Love hate affair, first Bernard smiled then he looked desperate. it was one of the primary causes of the lost of the 3 loves of his life after all. Also, the black humour, its aversion therapy coming to see Jeff. Their discussion about England in decline since the 50's (post 95 when this was filmed it has speeded up IMHO) becomes ever more poignant. At the end I think we all share Jeff's "painless death" sentiment.

  • @Talentedtadpole
    @Talentedtadpole Жыл бұрын

    Accessibility for anyone disabled as bad now if not worse. I'll bet he'd have had more life had that not been as it is. This needs to change.

  • @Pikestnt
    @Pikestnt7 ай бұрын

    One school of thought says that there’s a fixed amount of fun to be had in a life and you can choose when to spend your allocation. He had a lot earlier on whilst others were pushing prams and paying down mortgages. Later, sadly, he had to balance the books so to speak, and died a lonely, sad man. Maybe that was a deal he was happy enough with.

  • @zamiadams4343
    @zamiadams4343 Жыл бұрын

    Last of the great drinkers, Jeff was an amazing man.

  • @AndreneMessersmith
    @AndreneMessersmith2 ай бұрын

    Saw Peter o'Toole in the play. A tour de force. More booze drunk in theatre that night than ever.

  • @michaelrobson3460
    @michaelrobson34607 ай бұрын

    A hero in my twenties. A parable in my late 50's ?

  • @bookaufman9643
    @bookaufman96436 ай бұрын

    I'm sorry but the actor playing Jeffrey Bernard in the play is just awful. He doesn't seem as if he's ever had a hangover in his life. You must be a biggest name or something because he definitely didn't get the part because he was convincing as Mr Bernard.

  • @Richard-hv5hh
    @Richard-hv5hh3 жыл бұрын

    Bet he and Christopher Hitchens got on well!

  • @stukafaust
    @stukafaust7 ай бұрын

    Are we looking at Christmas 1995 here?

  • @weskitten
    @weskittenАй бұрын

    Jeffrey Bernard 'as 'ad 'is leg orf!

  • @MontyCantsin5
    @MontyCantsin5Ай бұрын

    10:05: Ha!

  • @stevenmorley1639
    @stevenmorley16392 жыл бұрын

    Unfortunately unique people are always born to be sold , who actually cares for Jeffrey in real-time right now ????

  • @liammarshall1759

    @liammarshall1759

    2 жыл бұрын

    Me

  • @spatrick1277

    @spatrick1277

    2 жыл бұрын

    Myself, and one among many.

  • @jacquelineharrod6386

    @jacquelineharrod6386

    Жыл бұрын

    And l.

  • @steveellis9004

    @steveellis9004

    3 ай бұрын

    Withnail & I.

  • @michaelmcginley7930
    @michaelmcginley79303 жыл бұрын

    Poor masters out drinking was not as good for him as a six miles run.his drinking just sapped his energies for! Him..think his wife committed suicide due to his drinking unfortunately.it's a device occupation being an alcohol ic

  • @michaelmcginley7930

    @michaelmcginley7930

    3 жыл бұрын

    My spelling is symbolic of Jefferies life

  • @weskitten
    @weskitten6 ай бұрын

    Here in Australia, we'd call Jeffrey a 'character'. I'd liken him to the poet Charles Bukowski (1920-1994), who sort of gained fame unintentionally through booze, roughness, crudeness and a single focus on poetry. Again, low life: race tracks, cheap women, odd shoes, ill-dressed.

  • @kenw.simpson1007
    @kenw.simpson10072 жыл бұрын

    What an absolute waste of time

  • @geoffgeoffgeoff6149

    @geoffgeoffgeoff6149

    Жыл бұрын

    You sound exactly the sort of bore Jeff would have punched. Just like he told Ronnie Kray, shut up.

  • @andydixon2980

    @andydixon2980

    Жыл бұрын

    He made his unique contribution to 'the world' through his writing and wit, and he seemed to enjoy his bohemian friends. Unfulfilled potential, no doubt.