MovieChat Forums > All Creatures Great & Small (1978) Discussion > Mrs. Hall

Mrs. Hall

posted 18 years ago by Areldee
17 replies | jump to latest

Many comments have been made regarding how the loss of Carol Drinkwater and the infrequent appearances of Peter Davison impacted on the later series. Certainly some of the "magic" was missing. However I believe that insufficient recognition has been given to Mrs. Hall's character in the first three series.
Unfortunately Mary Hignett died soon after completing the third series. There was a fleeting tribute from the cast in the 1983 special when they focussed on a photograph of her. We will all miss her.

[–] imagesoffrance 18 years ago

I agree - Mrs. Hall added a lot to the program - she was excellent in the role.

[–] adolfoch 18 years ago

I agree, Mrs Hall was simply GREAT, but; so were all of them, weren't they??!!
I LOVE each and every one of them starting with Siegfrid, James, Tris, Helen, and Mrs Hall. I love this show, it touches my soul, makes me lough and also brings tears to my eyes. What a show, WHAT A SHOW!!!! What about the customers they served?, great characters too, what about the other vets?, particularly the one that takes Farnon and Harriot to his place from the pub and serves them big sandwiches and lots of booze while waiting for his good looking wife to arrive for lunch and gets James kind of drunk.

A good show and a glass of wine, AHhhhhhhhh, that's life at its best!

[–] jutter45 18 years ago

You're absolutely right. Mary Hignett was superb! She will be missed.

[–] Tuppence123 18 years ago

Does anyone know how she died? Did it have anything to do with the fact she could barely stand throughout the whole of the third series?

[–] jutter45 18 years ago

On a forum at britmovie.co.uk someone wrote this:

'I first found out that Mary Hignett (Mrs. Hall) died in 1980 from complications due to double hip replacement surgery, which she had been advised not to do. They'd thought it best to do one at a time. Sadly, she elected to do both and it took her life.'

[–] Tuppence123 18 years ago

That's such a shame. Walking was obviously very painful for her in series 3. I missed her after she was gone! I always felt she was as much a part of the team as the James, Siegfried, Trissy and Helen. And then once Carol Drinkwater left if was all downhill from there really...

[–] jutter45 18 years ago

Yes, mrs. Hall indeed was as important as any person in Skeldale House. I think that the big plus of acgas was the casting. Every main character was charming, likable, lovable.
I don't agree with you that the series went all downhill after Carol Drinkwater left. The first three seasons (plus specials) were the best, I give you that, but I very much enjoy watching the last four seasons too.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jutter45 17 years ago

Really? Which version of the series 3 dvd's is that?

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[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jutter45 17 years ago

Yes, I meant to ask where you bought the series. American and European versions are different, in America the series contain more extra stuff.

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[–] Attillio 12 years ago

On the season 3 set of episodes, there are dvd commentaries by several of the cast members, including Robert Hardy, Carol Drinkwater and Peter Davison. During one of the episodes, Ms. Drinkwater mentions that you can easily see that Mary Hignett was limping, due to her severe hip problems.

I agree with everyone that Ms. Hignett was superb as Mrs. Hall. She was like the Rock of Gibraltar on the program, imo. I especially liked when Mrs. Hall would become slightly annoyed with Tristan and say in her wonderfully authoritative manner: "Now, Mr. TRISTAN!!!"

Requiem aeternam, Ms. Hignett.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (41638798) 11 years ago

And she died having her hips replaced. Today that's in and out surgery in a day and up and going in a few days with these modern less invasive methods.

So to think that she died simply having her hips done!!! What a tragedy.

[–] jutter45 8 years ago

Season two, episode 14, Merry gentlemen.
When mrs. Hall sees Siegfried's wine stock: 'Oh, my goodness gracious'.
Priceless! Overall one of my favourite episodes.

[–] tohu 17 years ago

Well said. There are more tributes on Mary Hignett's own pages on imdb.

_____________

"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.

[–] cloudyskye 17 years ago

Yes, isn't she priceless?
One of my favourite scenes of the whole series is the one where she enters her homemade jam (or whatever it is) in the Darrowby Show, and at the end of the episode, on the way home, we see first the car with James, Helen, Tristan and Siegfried, not altogether happy - James as duty vet made some enemies at the show, Tristan and Siegfried had a run-in with a jealous husband - and way behind them Mrs Hall, riding home on her bike, dignified as always, with the trophy in front of her. I just love the expression on her face.
So sad she is gone.

[–] whitecrane 16 years ago

God, I love this show.... I've read and reread the books so many times - becomes part of one's life. Actually, I was reading the books before I saw the program; when a friend alerted me to the BBC version, I was skeptical, and proven wrong. The actors are perfect, in particular, Sigfried. Mrs.Hall added much to the mix; thinking back to the time she got a bit tipsy at the W.I. kills me. She's missed in the latter {and inferior} episodes.