Michael Graham
'Marshall' Mike Lennox
1942 – 2020

Tributes Page 2

The Marshall's Film Career
(This item was posted in 'What's Happening' only one day before we received the sad news that Mike had died in Mexico.)

Jon Myer of The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame discovered the 1967 film 'Smashing Time' being aired on Talking Pictures TV and spotted that it has cameo appearances by Big L's Marshall Mike Lennox, as 'a disc jockey'! Penned by George Melly and starring Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave, the film is intended to be "a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of Swinging London".

Jon says: "I thought the film was very dated - but better than that other Talking Pictures stalwart, Dateline Diamonds!" (To which I would add that 'Smashing Time' is extremely camp and contains a lot of food fights and slapstick." – Mary)

The entire film has been posted on Youtube, where someone who really loved it commented, "This was the most delightful & amazing film I've ever seen about sixties youth culture. ADORE!!"

Jon did some further research and discovered that both Mike and Duncan Johnson appeared in a 1965 film called 'The Bedford Incident', with Duncan just an anonymous extra, but Mike given a credit (as Michael Graham).
 
Jon continues, "Mike played an alien (a Thal) in 'Dr Who and The Daleks' (1965) (with Peter Cushing as the Doctor).
 
As far as I know Mike's last film role was in 'The Best House In London' (1969) A comedy with a script by Dennis Norden. It has quite a cast, including David Hemmings, Willie Rushton, John Bird and 'Two Ton' Tessie O'Shea.
 
All of these look like the sort of films which might turn up on Talking Pictures. Stay tuned!" (Mike's illustrious cinematic career on IMDb).

Here he is! In this scene Mike is apparently accepting a 'payola' bribe to play the dire single, 'I'm So Young', recorded by Lynn Redgrave's character Yvonne
Thals. (They come from the planet Skaro, you know.) Could that be Mike at the back?
As Jon says: "For the actor, I guess it is probably better than playing a Dalek."

ADDITIONAL TRIBUTES

Stephen Chesney: "I was sorry to learn of the death of Mike Lennox.  I remember that he joined Big L in November 1965 on the same day as John Edward. I recall the announcement on air of their joint arrival. I liked both of them and there was a marked difference between their voices! Mike became established very quickly. He had a warm, cheerful presenting style but during his programmes was more restrained than some of his colleagues. He used to refer to himself as Michael when he occasionally read news bulletins. After a few months ashor,e I was so pleased he returned for Radio London`s last few weeks although he was not part of the final line-up."

John Edward: "I travelled on the train and the tender with Mike to Radio London from Harwich on our first day together.  It's a shame to see him go."

Keith Skues: "Sad news indeed about Mike Lennox  passing away in Mexico. He was a most professional disc jockey aboard the mv Galaxy and was on board when the ship went for a sail towards Clacton Pier in rough weather on  12 January 1966. I remember Mike appearing in the ITN TV programme Reporting '66.
 
Listener Mick Hazell of Ipswich wrote a letter saying that members of Big L could make good ministers in a new government. (Marshall) Mike would make a good Minister of Law and Order, with Tony Windsor as Prime Minister.

Mike, who was 6ft 2inches in height, appeared at the Racing Car Show at  Olympia, London in January 1967 and numerous disc nights around the country.

I remember Mike talking to me about the final day of Radio London on August 14th 1967; 'We arrived at Liverpool Street station in London, where we were mobbed by thousands of listeners. The story and pictures hit the headlines of the daily newspapers the following day."

A picture of Mike and myself trying to escape the crowds appeared in the Daily Mirror for 15 August 1967.

It's a sad loss, but hopefully Mike will meet up in Heaven FM with old colleague Duncan Johnson, whom he originally met in Bermuda, prior to the launch of Big L. 

Mike, we shall always treasure fond memories of your time in the UK, especially on Radio London."

We don't have the Mirror photo, but we have found a Daily Express August 15th clipping, about Mike's escape attempts from the mob.

We have also discovered this photo of Mike reading his mail in the Galaxy mess, with John Edward and Paul Kaye playing guitars and TW looking on.

Getty Images caption: (L-R) Disc jockeys John Edward, Paul Kaye, Tony Windsor & Mike Lennox, in the mess of pirate radio station Radio London's ship the MV Galaxy off the coast of England. (Photo by Terence Spencer/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

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Links to:

Mike's theme tune on YouTube

Our Brands Hatch feature

MP3 of 'Images of You'

Minimemories Page 10 Mike wrote a music paper column, 'The Day I had all of London town taped for Sound'

The Big L Bonfire Night, where The Marshall was 'moseying around a Roman candle'.

The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame tribute

Chris Edwards' Offshore Echoes tribute
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