450:. At the time, Allen said, "Without any undue humility, I'm saying this is the most lethal attack on Zionism ever written, because it touches at the heart of the greatest abiding myth of modern history, the Holocaust... privileged Jewish leaders collaborated in the extermination of their own kind in order to help bring about a Zionist state, Israel." The play was due to open at the
267:, and Allen was a prominent campaigner for the SLL. In 1962, the Labour Party declared the SLL a "proscribed organisation", leading to Allen's expulsion from the party. He subsequently resigned his membership of the SLL, but did not join any other party.
234:
During his military service, Allen was imprisoned for assault and a fellow inmate introduced him to the ideals of socialism. Allen was a passionate socialist for the rest of his life, although he detested
584:(7 episodes; "The Extremist (Parts 1-3)" (1975), "Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil (Part 1)" (1975), "Ends and Means (Part 1)" (1975), "Incorrigible Rogue" (1976), "Those in Peril (Part 1)" (1976))
283:
system of the time, made it impossible for him to find work in the mining or building trades, and he decided to adopt writing as a full-time profession. In 1964, he submitted a script to
214:, and served with the British occupation forces in Germany. After leaving the Army in 1947, he worked at a variety of jobs, including a builder's labourer, a fireman in the
464:
on 23 January 1987: "Mr Jim Allen's description of the
Holocaust can claim a high place in the table of classic anti-Semitism." The script was read in public at the
889:
929:
899:
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264:
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in 1939, Allen left school at the age of 13 to work in a wire factory. He had various jobs during the war, before being called up into the
914:
446:. Presented as a courtroom drama, the play dealt with an allegation of collaboration between Hungarian Zionists and the Nazis during the
297:(1969), recounts the experience of a talented writer driven to a nervous breakdown by the pressure of "episode delivery dates".
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of 1926. The series' depiction of the
British Army was the subject of much hostile criticism in the press at the time.
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112:
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493:(1995), telling the story of an idealistic young Communist from Liverpool who joins the Government forces in the
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docker against the wishes of the established union; the strike is violently broken by the army and police.
275:
Allen began to write during his time as a miner. In 1958, he was involved in the launch and publication of
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the following August, but was not produced as a stage play until 1999 in a much revised form.
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drama anthology series. Both plays were based on his experiences in the building trade, and
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Joffee, L. (23 February 1987). A play no theater will play. The
Christian Science Monitor
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1995 Winner, International
Critics Prize, Ecumenical Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival –
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328:
279:, which actively recruited for the SLL. The proscription of the SLL, together with the
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864:
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With Loach as director, Allen wrote the screenplays for three feature-length films:
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477:(1990), which portrays the murder of an American civil rights activist in Belfast,
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524:(36 episodes, 2 episodes co-written with John Finch 22 March 1965 – 15 May 1967)
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of four episodes, it tells the story of the
British Labour movement between the
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Allen was diagnosed with cancer in
February 1999, and died the following June.
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in
January 1987, but was cancelled 36 hours before the opening night.
326:, who had begun his career on documentaries, and broadcast as part of
293:(1965–67), a series for which he had little sympathy. His later play,
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Playwright, builder's labourer, fireman (British
Merchant Navy), miner
834:
769:, Manchester & New York: Manchester University Press, 2007, p. 62
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Allen and Loach's most controversial project was Allen's stage play,
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263:. The SLL objected to the close association between the CPGB and the
236:
175:
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813:"Jim Allen: A lifetime's commitment to historical truth (Obituary)"
530:(2 episodes; "The Hard Word" (1966), "The Punchy and Fairy" (1973))
256:
315:
570:" (1978), "United Kingdom" (1981), "Willie's Last Stand" (1982))
198:, on 7 October 1926, the second child of Kitty and Jack Allen,
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in 1967 by Loach's regular collaborator at the time, producer
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In 1975, Allen wrote, Garnett produced, and Loach directed
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drama series, and several episodes of the
Granada series
359:. The first of Allen's plays to be directed by Loach was
684:
1993 Winner, Special Jury Prize, Cannes Film
Festival –
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1990 Winner, Special Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival –
287:, and was taken on as a scriptwriter for the soap opera
536:(2 episodes; "The Lump" (1967), "The Big Flame" (1969))
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series. The play depicts a strike among the dockers of
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1978 Prix Italia, British Broadcasting Corporation –
487:, near Manchester, and, Allen's final dramatic work,
336:features an activist worker who frequently quotes
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890:20th-century English dramatists and playwrights
792:– Reaction and comments on the play, 1987-2001"
167:(7 October 1926 – 24 June 1999) was an English
851:An interview with Jim Allen conducted in 1995
322:(1967), the first fictional work directed by
678:1993 Evening Standard British Film Award –
483:(1993), a kitchen-sink tragicomedy set in
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174:, best known for his collaborations with
930:Workers Revolutionary Party (UK) members
900:English male dramatists and playwrights
722:
720:
566:" (1971), "A Choice of Evils" (1977), "
895:British Army personnel of World War II
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853:by Barbara Slaughter and Vicky Short.
554:(1 episode, "The Talking Head" (1969))
239:and refused to be associated with the
811:Slaughter, Barbara (11 August 1999).
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548:(1 episode, "The Pub Fighter" (1968))
542:(1 episode, "The Man Beneath" (1967))
202:of Irish descent. At the outbreak of
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915:Military personnel from Manchester
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666:1981 Broadcasting Press Guild –
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646:1975 Broadcasting Press Guild –
241:Communist Party of Great Britain
308:, was broadcast as part of the
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255:, a small group then pursuing
16:English playwright (1926–1999)
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925:Seaforth Highlanders soldiers
727:Trodd, Kenith (6 July 1999).
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401:Allen also wrote five plays (
386:, Allen's best-known work. A
265:National Union of Mineworkers
247:(SLL), the forerunner of the
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249:Workers' Revolutionary Party
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847:. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
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89:Drama, fiction, screenplays
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920:People from Miles Platting
815:. World Socialist Web Site
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590:(September – October 1983)
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243:. In 1958, he joined the
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552:ITV Sunday Night Theatre
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347:Allen was introduced to
729:"Obituaries: Jim Allen"
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245:Socialist Labour League
210:in 1944. He joined the
712:"Allen, Jim (1926–99)"
425:(1982)) for the BBC's
186:Allen was born in the
528:Thirty Minute Theatre
318:. It was followed by
311:Thirty-Minute Theatre
304:(1966), directed by
300:Allen's first play,
224:Bradford, Manchester
212:Seaforth Highlanders
839:Jim Allen. Obituary
452:Royal Court Theatre
423:Willie's Last Stand
355:, who had produced
259:tactics within the
910:English socialists
837:. (25 June 1999).
714:, BFI screenonline
588:The Gathering Seed
534:The Wednesday Play
466:Edinburgh Festival
367:The Wednesday Play
365:(1969), again for
329:The Wednesday Play
285:Granada Television
71:Greater Manchester
857:, 11 August 1999.
564:The Rank and File
521:Coronation Street
495:Spanish Civil War
409:A Choice of Evils
404:The Rank and File
290:Coronation Street
220:Bradford Colliery
218:, and a miner at
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559:Play For Today
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817:. Retrieved
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754:Lacey, p. 63
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738:. Retrieved
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662:The Spongers
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655:The Spongers
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648:Days of Hope
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575:Days of Hope
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568:The Spongers
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540:The Gamblers
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456:Lord Goodman
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383:Days of Hope
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120:Days of Hope
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62:(1999-06-24)
60:24 June 1999
18:
885:1999 deaths
880:1926 births
582:Crown Court
509:Filmography
437:(1975–76).
434:Crown Court
421:(1981) and
373:, led by a
342:Jack London
281:closed shop
253:Gerry Healy
165:James Allen
34:James Allen
874:Categories
835:Loach, Ken
698:References
514:Television
375:Trotskyite
314:series on
196:Lancashire
192:Manchester
182:Early life
172:playwright
78:Occupation
50:Manchester
39:1926-10-07
861:Jim Allen
819:15 August
790:Perdition
740:15 August
633:Perdition
485:Middleton
448:Holocaust
443:Perdition
392:Great War
371:Liverpool
349:Ken Loach
324:Jack Gold
277:The Miner
237:Stalinism
176:Ken Loach
169:socialist
134:Perdition
102:(1965–67)
73:, England
67:Middleton
52:, England
25:Jim Allen
417:(1978),
411:(1977),
407:(1971),
357:The Lump
334:The Lump
320:The Lump
257:entryist
230:Politics
190:area of
805:Sources
109:(1969),
641:Awards
636:(1987)
621:(1995)
613:(1993)
605:(1990)
388:serial
158:(1995)
151:(1993)
144:(1990)
137:(1987)
130:(1978)
123:(1975)
116:(1971)
796:Flame
626:Stage
501:Death
338:Lenin
316:BBC 2
86:Genre
865:IMDb
821:2021
742:2021
595:Film
340:and
208:Army
57:Died
31:Born
863:at
222:in
876::
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731:.
719:^
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226:.
194:,
178:.
69:,
48:,
841:,
823:.
788:"
744:.
41:)
37:(
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