Look Back In Anger

I don't have pictures, but I remember parts of the film being made in a street called Harvist Road, London N7. It has long since been redeveloped, but parts of the street follow the line of present day Citizen Road, N7. Harvist Road ran from Hornsey Road opposite Shelburne Road, following the same line as Shelburne Road, until it turned left and stretched to Tollington Road at the Globe pub (now also gone).

The church in the film was situated roughly where Citizen Road bends towards the north west.

The day shown as being very rainy was actually warm and sunny, and the Fire Brigade (a source of fascination for small boys of 4 or so!) were pumping hudreds of gallons of water over extras with umbrellas who scurried into the disused church.

The house that Jimmy Porter (Richard Burton)lived in and where he ranted about the bells was diagonally opposite.

Mike Griffin

Actor Richard Widmark dies at 93

Hollywood star Richard Widmark has died at the age of 93 after a long illness, his wife has announced.

The prolific actor, who often portrayed killers and gunslingers, made a memorable big-screen debut in 1947 as a giggling psychopath in Kiss of Death.
He went on to star in such 50s classics as Night and the City, Pickup on South Street and the western Broken Lance.



Widmark made more than 70 films between 1947 and 1992.

Hell is a City

You may be aware that there were more Stockport locations for this film! I
seem to think that some filming took place on Alpine Street, off New Zealand road. Perhaps the scene where Dora Bryan is doing a " Flit" with the birdcage!! The
houses are long gone, but Alpine Road may still exist. It was there in the 1980s!

One question, are you aware of any of the locations for " Hell Is A City"? I have tracked some down for my website "Levenshulme Then And Now", but I would love to find more.

Best wishes, George Nixon

Hell Drivers

Dear John

With reference to the film "Hell Drivers" featuring Stanley Baker, my mind is a bit on the foggy side and I might be making a mistake but I am sure I have seen a photo of Stanley Baker in the local Swansea evening post from years ago when he was making the film "Hell Drivers".

He was photographed alongside one of the vehicles from the film which was either hired or on loan from Rhyd-y-polon garage which was a transport company, I think from Frampton Road in Gorseinon, near Swansea where I think the photo was taken.

I believe the company is still going and now located in Swansea.

I might be totally of the track as you have got Bermondsey in London as the address but it might be worth checking it out just in case.

.............we've listed Bermondsey as the possible address of the only still we have taken from this film, the countryside may well be Wales.

Good luck with your website as I think it's brill.

.........Thankyou for this info, we'll blog it in the hope that someone else can throw some light on the subject.

...........Best wishes

.........John

Take care
Terry

The War Game

Hi.

Super website !

.................thankyou

Do you know 'The War Game', filmed by Peter Watkin in Dover in 1964 ?

................no

It's a frightening docu-drama about life during a nuclear strike. It was banned until 1985. It's a B&W film which turns to negative in parts as the balloon goes up, as they say.

..............sounds good

It doesn't fit into your 'must be 80 minute' and mainstream category but thought it might be interesting all the same.

..............RULE 1. I make the rules, and RULE 2. I can break 'em. Rules broken in favour of "The War Game".

It was shot at some derelict barracks in Dover and (I think) parts of Rochester.

..............wonderful, just the sort of thing we need

Do let me know if you would like some stills of 1964 & 2008 !

..................yes please, can you pull the stills? Can you copy the tape/disc?

............best wishes

..............John Tunstill

Regards.

Jeff Howe

Hell is a City

JOhn

Just informing you that my " Hell Is A City" website can now be found at:-
www.levyboy.com

................what a wonderful amount of material, congratulations.

Also feel free to use any of the photos or information on my site to add to yours.

...........thankyou, most kind.

Regards
George Nixon

A Taste of Honey

Hi John, I just thought that I should inform you of your mistake regarding Blackpool Tower and " The boy with Wi the 'orses 'ed andle". His name was actually Albert.

...............just testing!!! And was it Wilfred Pickles or Stanley Holloway who delivered the monologue?

And the lion " wot" devoured him was called Wallace!

.............into whose ear the child shoved the stick.............

Could that be where Nick Park got the name for Grommits dog?

...........mebbee.
Best wishes, keep up the good work on your most
interesting site, George Nixon

Melody

Re-run of forgotten South London movie gem


By Ben Clover


A STARSTRUCK historian is trying to track down children who had an early brush with fame as extras in a British film about schoolboy romance.
Stephen Bourne is trying to track down children who graced the silver screen in the British film Melody when it was filmed in South London.

The film, pictured, was made in and around Lambeth and Kennington Roads in 1970 and featured Jack Wild and Mark Lester, stars from the smash-hit Oliver!
It also featured dozens of South London youngsters who were recruited after word had got around the estates in the north of Lambeth during the school holidays that the pair were filming in the area and that extras were needed.
Now Mr Bourne has helped to organise a showing of the film at Tate Modern on Monday. Although he didn’t get to be in the film, he has his own memories of that summer.
"Word got out that Jack Wild played footie with the extras and local kids when he wasn’t needed on the set," he said.
"On one occasion I queued for about an hour for Jack Wild’s autograph. He happily chatted to everyone, and cheerfully signed their autograph books.
"As my turn came nearer, I realised to my horror that I didn’t have an autograph book, or anything else, for him to sign.
"So in great embarrassment I gave him my bus ticket, and he gave me a big wide grin as he signed the back of it."
The film follows the fortunes of two school friends whose lives change forever when they meet schoolmate Melody.
In spite of the intervening 38 years Stephen, 50, from Camberwell, still runs into extras from the film.
"I was talking to a Southwark police inspector who told me he grew up in the area and had been in it," he said.
Although produced by David, now Lord, Puttnam and written by Alan Parker, who later found fame as director of Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express, Melody wasn’t a hit.
But the film, which featured a musical score by the Bee Gees, was a massive hit in Japan.
Stephen said the film is not available on DVD and hasn’t been shown on television since the 1980s.
* The film club was launched following discussions with members of the Bankside Residents Forum.
It shows films made in and around South London and has expanded to include features shot around the capital.
Films are shown once a month and admission is free.

It Always Rains on Sundays

Hi John

I think the church in It Always Rains On Sunday (where John McCallum runs into the doorway out of the rain) in pix ia001 was in Kentish Town. You could see it clearly from the North London Line as it curved out of Camden Town.

Cheers
Roy

Blue Lamp

Hi John again

bp093 is an interesting picture. It is just beyond White City station where because of the Central Line depot configuration, the directions of the lines are reversed. If you watched the film, just before Jimmy Hanley steps on the track, a tube train comes at him from his left, i.e. travelling on the right track instead of the left. The tripcock for the signal also confirms the direction of the track. The tracks overcross each other further down. Not really reel streets stuff, but thought you like to know.

On bp95 and 95n, I am not sure its an entirely accurate then and now. I believe the bp95n is taken looking across the new Bishops bridge road facing south, with Paddington station proper on the left as you look over the bridge. (Towards Orsett Terrace.) Pix 95 itself is looking in the opposite direction north towards Paddington Green, hence the trolleybuses. (See bp96) The two large buildings in each picture are at opposite ends of the bridge - then, but only one now.

Picky, John, I know, but......

Cheers
Roy

Brannigan

Re pix bn013c d and e. Saw Brannigan quite a few times and always thought the final scenes were at Beckton Gas works at Gallions Reach. The piers extended right out into the Thames. Dont ever think Alfie was here. He was at a (then future) development called Kings X!!!

Cheers
Roy

Doctor in the House

John

Greetings again. I feel pretty certain that the scene from Doctor in the House pix dh005 is Tottenham Court Toad at Goodge Street Underground and that the street with the Express Dairy on the corner is Tottenham Street. As usual I am too far away to check it out for a NOW pix, but....perhaps in the summer when I visit my daughter in London.

I took some location snaps from Seance on a Wet Afternoon, but they're rather grainy and wonder if they would reproduce on your site.

Great site, keep up the good work.

Cheers
Roy