A couple of days ago Tony Martin announced on his new Get This slot that Alf Camilleri, the silent Late Show prop man extraordinare, has passed away aged just 54.
Forum member Steve recieved an email from a Late Show crew member who has given him permission to post some of it online.
“….Alfie was already on staff at Ripponlea when I arrived there……, he was a stage hand on Countdown, many, many dramas, and whatever else was going on.Alf had a funny high pitched voice, but nobody ever took the piss out of him as he was the most genuinely loved guy on the crew, a smart thinker, and many cast members he worked with always remembered and asked after him.
Ted Robinson, creator of ‘The Big Gig’ saw the possibility of using crew members as visual gags in phoney news breaks on the show and Alfie always obliged, these were the Jean Kittson reporting from the gulf war, Alfie was always in them. After that the Late Show started the team couldn’t resist using Alfie as Saddam, he always played it perfectly, deadpan, never breaking up on screen.
A few years later there was some downsizing at aunty, and Alf took a position at ten, working on Neighbours, but didn’t enjoy it too much I heard. He then took up a position in a car dealership on Brighton Rd, just down the road from the ABC studios…..”