The One That Got Away

Hi John

The pix of The One That Got Away are much better than mine which leads me to ask, in curiosity, did you find a copy of the movie and grab them yourself?

..............yes. I've plugged in the VHS recorder to the computer, on which I have a very old copy of Pinnacle, a TV playing programme with a "frame grabbing" ability. But many of the free phoo/video enhancement/editing progs have a frame grabbing ability built in , I believe.

I then open the pics in Photoshop, hit Mode / greyscale to make them black and white, then image/size to make the width 420, and then enhance the brightness/contrast so that there is just a white, and just a black somewhere in the picture, and the rest of the tones then fall into place.

Did you use your obviously much better editing equipment to enhance them as they look great?

...........no, no fancy equipment, an old computer and only an old copy of Photoshop.

On another matter, I still have the films I promised you but will try to get them off soon. They include so far:
ON THE FIDDLE ( WITH A NICE 40S TRAVELOGUE AT THE END "THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.")
SABOTAGE AGENT
I THANK YOU (A Askey)
IDOL ON PARADE AND
MIRANDA.

.............Thanks Roy, I am waiting with bated breath

John

Cheers
Roy

Kes

Some of the film KES was shot in our house in Burton Road, Barnsley, this is/was on the outskirts of Barnsley on the road to Cudworth.

How do I know?

My mother Helga Reynolds, was the then secretary of the Yorkshire branch of Equity (I still have headed paper to prove this) and she was an actress and also a professional musician. There is a rumour that the baby in the pram (in the pub scene) is me as I was around one year old at the time, so I obviously don't remember anything about it. I do however know that when we moved to Old Mill Lane Brian Glover and many other, now famous people, would come around regularly. I vividly remember meeting Freddy parrot face, Ken Dodd, Kenny Baker (R2D2) and Bert Weedon, to name some people. So on that background and with what my mother told me I have no doubts that the location of the boy's house where he lived was indeed the end house in Burton Rd, which was our house. If you want more information, I have some old photographs from when we lived in Barnsley which may help, please contact me.

Ros

Doctor in the House

Hi John

Just found a very, very bad copy of Doctor In The House, and decided to view it once more before I toss it out.

.............yes, bad it is, so the still grab you sent is no good for our
site I'm afraid.

As I got to the chase in the movie between University students, I suddenly realized that the attached shot of St Johns Street, was not only of the old Northampton Poly, but of the church where my parents were married. The church has long gone of course.

............suddenly, after 50 years, and now you tell me!

But, heres the kicker, the reason I watched it again for old times sake is that I am in the crowd watching from the sidelines. I was a telegraph boy at the time and had to deliver a telegram to an address on Percival Street. Never could spot me though. And I never got a tip 'cos I was late with the delivery.

............fame, at long last.

I certainly dont expect you to publish my poor resolution of a grab.

..........that's a relief!

But I am surprised that it was not grabbed in the first place as its a
great then shot of St Johns Street -- and of course, my mum and dad's wedding church.

............but not half as suprised as I am that you didn't tell me about
it before. Still, now we can put your letter on the blog, and start to trawl
through all the piles of tapes to find the Doctor film, run it through, grab
the scene and.................tarrah!!!!!!!...........put the pic on site.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention

Best wishes

John

Cheers

Roy Barnacle

p.s. I mentioned Betty Box's autograph. She was a producer of the film.

Guilt Is My Shadow

Hello

This is in connection with information on the 'reelstreets.com' website with information about old films.

On your list "Guilt Is My Shadow/1950/Patrick Holt/Cornwall" - Cornwall is wrong. It was filmed in Ashburton, Devon. I was searching for this film as my 74 year old neighbour who grew up in Ashburton just told me that he, as a 14 year old, is in one of the scenes coming out of a bakery that was once on East Street, Ashburton.

Yours
Robert Moore

Foyle's War Series 7 Filming in Midhurst

Midhurst has once again been chosen as a film set - it was last used in 2006 by Greenlit for Foyle's War Series 5 - and it subs for Hastings.
Please take any pics or copy which appeals.
www.violetdesigns.co.uk/foyles_war_series7.htm
I think this really is the last series. What a shame.
Regards
John Trueman

Sabotage Agent

Discovered an interesting film in my collection. "Sabotage Agent" 1942, I think, with Robert Donat, Valerie Hobson and a very young Glynis Johns. What I found interesting is that it opens at the end of a blitz raid on a hospital. They actually used the St Thomas Hospital site, SE1 (Genevieve and Night and the City),opposite the Houses of Parliament. I reckon they could not have cleared away all the debris and were using it as the film set.

................wonderful. So, have you pulled the grabs yet!!!

Not a lot of UK 'then' scenes as the hero was shipped off to Czechoslovakia pretty quickly.

...............and l'll have those "grabs" as well please. I was in Prague recently. But, in 1942 Prague was occupied by the Nazis. So, where did they make the film?.

It was made in the old Gainsborough studios ("Millons Like Us" "Quartet" "Man in Grey" etc) near where I lived London.

............So, an Islington lad. I lived at one time in Camden Road, and my wife lived in Thornhill Road up past the Aggie Hall. And when I was a kid, in the latter part of the war; living in New Southgate; I was occasionally taken, on wednesday afternoons; half-day closing for my mother's dry-cleaning shop; to the Lyons Corner House for tea, which was at the Angel, Islinton. A quartet played suitable music, and we were served by "Nippies" the Joe Lyons waitresses. The Alistair Sims' film "Green for Danger" has a wonderful scene with a similar group of ladies.

As a fortunate 9 year old I was able to get the autograph of Betty Box.

..................have you still got it?

Roy Barnacle

Hi

Just doing my regular check on the site and have identified somewhere for you. It's on the Dentist On The Job page (ref doj003a/b). It's the King Edward VII hospital in Windsor - also featured in the opening titles of Nurse On Wheels (attached). Sorry, not managed to get a 'now' photo (but will.....)

Nick Williams