..then and now....

Film Brief Encounter
Station Parade Beaconsfield

Same Street Now

Dear, ………..hopefully, ………..nostalgic enthusiast,


Ref: ReelStreets, identifiable film/movie locations using……………… real streets


I am writing to advise you and your readers of the launch of a series of booklets which will have the following interesting properties;

Pocket size and inexpensive,

Nostalgic, personalised and/or localised film themes

Completely new, and relatively unexplored, or exploited, “genre”

These booklets will be produced from “then” still shots taken from old films/movies which have our favourite actors in shot, which will be compared to “now” shots showing the social and architectural changes that have been made in the intervening years.

The book subject could be one complete film and its locations, it could be one actor / director / author and all the locations used in their films, it could be one specific area / town or county concentrating on the films and movies made there, or it could be just historical eras.

There are thousands of films already made and hundreds of new films being made each year, attracting newer and younger audiences, who are the potentially ongoing customers for years to come.

Should you be seriously interested in this project you might like to spend time on our website www.reelstreets.com, and then if you have more questions email me on
jon@technet.it, or phone on 0039 075 930 2428

The Americanzation of Emily

Hi,

The Americanzation of Emily

Scene with James Garner and Julie Andrews is shot in Finsbury Circus, London EC2.

...............yes, the pics are on the subscriber's part of the site

Scene with James Garner visiting house (owned by Joyce Grenfell and Julie Andrews is, I think, by Alexandra Palace.

...............yes

However, there has always been some confusion as to how much of this film was shot in the UK and how much in America. For example, did Julie Andrews actually film here

.............it looks pretty realistic to me

or are her Finsbury Circus scenes down against a backdrop (unlikely).

..............don't think so

If the scene was done in the UK (interiors done both in Shepperton and at MGM in California) then this would be her only film work from the time shot in her own country.

...............an interesting observation. Thankyou

Do you have any thoughts/details of this?
Richard

..............only those above. But, we'll blog your letter and see if anyone else knows anything

Best wishes,

...........John

The Servant

Fantastic website! I'm an artist who has used images from old British films in my work, so I'll be signing up!

The stills from the Servant, numbers 7. and 8. were shot in Lowndes Street and I enclose two views taken today.

Thank you
Graham Hilleard

Graham
Well done
You should have signed up before you took the pics, they're already on the subscribers area!!!

However, your artistry might help me to formulate a series of booklets "ReelStreets Walabout Location Guides", for which I am contacting various publishers and distributors. Maybe I'll need some art work on the covers? Who knows.

We'll blog your efforts as a "warning" to others to sign up before they "snap".
Best wishes
John Tunstill

The Gelignite Gang

Dear John,

Thank you. I seem to remember we previously had some correspondence about 'The Gelignite Gang' scenes for which were shot at night in Kemp Town Brighton about 1955. imdb says it was released in 1956.

My mother took a photograph of St Mark's Church Kemp Town for the cover of the Parish Magazine about the same time that we all sat on the flint wall and watched this being filmed. They had the old fashioned arc lights set up on the bank behind this wall to light up the action which took place at one of the shops on the opposite side of Eastern Road to the right of the garage there. The garage is now a petrol station and the shops are all flats I think.

Regards,
TCS.

More or Less

Dear John,

I'm afraid all Kenny had to say in his book, 'More or Less', about the filming of 'Genevieve' is that... "much of the filming took place in a country lane leading to Moor Park Golf Club". He also mentions the surprised look on onlookers faces when they see the signpost that says, "Brighton 6 miles" ! I'm sure I have seen more (pun ?) about the making of 'Genevieve' somewhere else as well.

Kenny also does mention Robertson (Bunny) Hare. Bunny was a great friend of the Sargeant family for many years, my grandfather in particular, and I did go to see him in several London stage productions. He was also at my christening...somewhere there are photos... My father, (94) still has two ship's bells given to us by Bunny Hare inscribed with some very kind words about the Sargeant family and I have in our archive some letters from him and his wife. The bells were probably reminiscent of calling 'time' at one of my grandfather's hotels and pubs where Bunny would stay between engagements.

I am attaching a link to this address which gives directions for finding Moor Park Golf Club. I hope that this might be of some interest to you and your sleuths. (Can I be an honorary sleuth now ?)

All the best,

Yours,

Tim Sargeant
Goudhurst
Kent
http://www.moorparkgc.co.uk/applications/
BillboardManager/directions.asp

Reelstreets Summer Walkabout

We did a screening in Letchmore Heath of "Village of the Damned" a couple of years back. I remembered there was a poster! Loads of information!

Best wishes
Simon Wells

grandad

sorry to bother you but i believe my late granddad was a possible chauffeur to dirk bogard his name was benjamin mellard-mason if you have any info no matter how small to verify this please help as i am his granddaughter and would love to know thankyou so very much.

angie x

film locations

Americanization of Emily
Photos 1-9 Finsbury Circus
Photo 5 Building on the right was BP Brittanic House. Building left background part of Salisbury House.
Photos 10-13 Dukes Ave at rear of Alexandra Palace?

...............yes, all of these we have identified, and got the pics, thanks

Blind Date
Photo 14 Heathrow Control Tower ?

............yes, pics obtained, with difficulty, the place is full of police with machine guns!!!

Children of the Dammed
Photo 9 St Mary at Hill. Looking up the hill towards Gt Tower st.

............yes, aren't these on the subscriber's pages?

Horror hospital
Photos 2-4 Waterloo stn

............yes, done, with the old cartoon/news cinema in the background

Hue & Cry
Photos 22 &23 Cannon St railway stn.

.............Goddit, goddit

Lady Godiva rides again.
Photo 4 is a fake . Tower Bridge is back projected onto part of Victoria Embankment.

Regards I.Fuller

............Now that's a good one, thanks, it always did look phoney-ish, thanks for the confirmation

Many thanks and best wishes
John Tunstill

Blithe or Blythe Spirit

I think you'll find it should be BLITHE SPIRIT (not Blythe as on the website) ... I'm sure you'll be inundated with similar e-mails from other saddoes, but at least I'll be one of the first! Best wishes, Terry (& Sue) Quadbod media memorabilia

I was worried about this so checked up on it at the time - both spellings seem to be in common use and both acceptable, though I suppose we should use the one for the film release.. Most of the references to the original Noel Coward play appear to be 'Blythe'..

Whilst searching I also found this quote...

During a difficult rehearsal of Blithe Spirit one day, fellow thespians Claudette Colbert and Noel Coward found themselves embroiled in a violent disagreement. "If you're not very careful," Colbert screamed, "I may throw something at you!" "You might start," Coward replied, "with my cues!"

Mike Day