Friday, July 31, 2009

Harry Potter Film Location saves Gloucester Cathedral



Walt Disney knew it; Hollywood encouraged it and now Harry Potter has conjured up the latest interest in film induced tourism.

In a recent article Warner Bros were congratulated by manager of Gloucester Cathedral for the hoards that are now pounding their way to see this ancient building. It forms part of the location for the magical school Hogwarts in the multi-million pound franchise and the funds raised from the visitors assist greatly with the £5,000 per day, upkeep of the building.

A report by the New Zealand tourist board echoed this with its own results, followers of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, currently bring millions of tourist dollars into the country as a result of fans wanting to visit the film locations that made the films such a success.

Film websites like Reelstreets have understood this phenomenon for a while as well, here members are actively encouraged to discover movie locations and take the “now” photos to add alongside the sites “then” shots taken from classic British cinema. As the latest Harry Potter film hits the cinemas this month and the long awaited prequel to Lord of the Rings due for release in 2011 the trend of seeking out locations made famous by the movies looks set to continue.


Photo: Flickr, NotiX

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

No Trees in the Street

Dear John,

I was having a look at the ‘No Trees In the Street’ page on your website and realised that ntis001 and ntis002 are filmed next to Christian Street in Poplar. The building that you ask whether it’s a church was actually a school, which you can see in the screenshot taken from Google Maps.

In the aerial view ntis001, the rail lines in the background are now the DLR into Bank and Tower Hill along with the C2C National Rail. You get an excellent aerial view from the DLR, although I think that the only building that now remains from the photo is the school, and unfortunately that too is currently being demolished.

I hope that is of interest to you. I shall go and take some proper photos next week and upload them via your website. There are plenty of locations on your site that I also know of so I shall get my camera out and get submitting soon.

Kind Regards,

Oliver Herington

Monday, July 27, 2009

More films on site

Simon is looking for the record..................all ten recent films supplied by him alone!!!

Stop him someone................he's power mad!

He's currently in Roma snapping another dozen films, after spending a couple of days with me at www.lapreghiera.com, he also brought with him about 40 films that I needed, and, at the same time, Brother Brian sent in another dozen, and Roy has send off another batch from Canada. Whooppee!!! Christmas in July. Watch the Film List for changes.

John

Monday, July 20, 2009

Time Gentlemen Please

Hello

I have several movies on your wants list and I would be happy to trade for some on your available list. Please let me know if you're interested and I'll send you a list of films I have that you may be interested in.

..............Yes, John, always on the lookout for material we haven't yet found, thanks for your kind offer.

PS I have a film titled Time Gentleman Please, some of which was filmed near me in Thaxted, Essex.

................strangely Simon was there last week taking some of the "now" photos.

There is one shot where an actor (Sid James I seem to remember) is outside the pub at the top of the hill (in reality The Swan) He looks down the High Street and then turns to go into the pub. He goes through the doors but when the camera picks him up again it is obviously a film studio interior. It certainly isn't the interior of The Swan!!

I was an extra in the TV mini series War and Remembrance which was filmed partly in the UK. Some of it was filmed at Duxford Airport which was dressed up to look like British Army HQ in India??!! There was also filming at Bushey in Herts where a railway station was 'created' with the sound of a train whistle and puffs of steam from behind the old station which is now a private residence.

Best Regards
John Brooker

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Lodger/ Phantom fiend (1932)

Filmed in Twickenham?




The canvas sign says 'Kodak film'.

And St Margaret's is an area of Twickenham, Alfie's girlfriend's husband was waiting outside the St Margaret's station, al002 / al002n
So could this be nearby. Anyone out there with a Kelly's of 1932?

Victoria/ Pimlico/ Belgravia?



Another good'un. No actors, but possibly the same newsboy?

Sign says:
'P G Silver
Ladies and gents tailors'

Little Brother Brian strikes again.

Lady Godiva Rides Again

Just my fancy, but I think lg001 is Harbour Way Folkestone.




The chip shop building has gone and it does look like 'Harbour Way' on the street sign. The chimney set up seems about right and the land does drop away there, going down to the harbour.
Next time someone is visiting, a little looky is needed.

Yes, lg002 is probably the old central station,(the layout is right) but it has all been rebuilt. Mebee the library has an old pic?




LBB.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Girl With Pistol


GWP020 from Girl With Pistol

Yes, it's a matching pair..............BUT...........was this site the only place in the UK with two cooling towers, apart from Tinsley? Pearly Way, Croydon?

You've got a point and I can't find the pic I'm looking for... But I think this attached more modern pic is same area, albeit not from same angle! As I say it's changed a lot around there in recent years.

Good try, good lead, so we'll add it, thanks. Possible a local ornance survey map of the time would show what the large building on the right is, or was.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Bulldog Breed

About the movie "Bulldog Breed".

I have found information that this movie was filmed in Poole and Isle of Portland, in Dorset.
Here are links to 4 websites with the information:
1. "Poole Harbour and adjacent boating lake are seen in the 1960 Norman Wisdom comedy The Bulldog Breed."
http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/film-locations/2077-filmed-bournemouth-2.html
3. "Norman Wisdom's The Bulldog Breed uses both Portland and Poole locations"
http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/prodnhistory.htm
4. "The Bulldog Breed, starring Norman Wisdom was filmed mainly on and around Portland!"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2004/11/23/film_locations_feature.shtml

- Poole is only available in Multimap Bird's Eye option and is not available in Google Maps Street View option.
- Isle of Portland is not available both in Multimap Bird's Eye option and in Google Maps Street View option.
- Weymouth is only available in Multimap Bird's Eye option and is not available in Google Maps Street View option.

Excellent information from Greg.

Well, woodja believe it!?!

Have a look at Norm Wisdom approaching the Teignmouth Times offices in Press for Time, pft007, see the ballustrade above Norm's head, and the spire in the distance and in pft008, the cinema steps, and front columns, and the gap between buildings and the bollard.

Have a look at the girl, and her sister, Christina Clegg and Gillian Lind perhaps, walking along the street in Don't Talk to Strange Men, dtsm003c, look at the church spire in the distance, and dtsm003g with the internal steps of the cinema, and very similar, if not identical front columns............but is there a step too many?

And in Celia Johnson, her of the funny hats, in Brief Encounter, be012, see the ballustrade and small "Georgian" shop windows, and the lamps on the columns to the left, and be013 shows a gap between the buildings with a bollard.

Case proved I believe.

These three films are an example of one of the very few instances in more than 329 films where an ordinary street has ever been used three times. 1% of the films so far examined and processed. There are several instances where an "average" street was used twice, and, if you want to send in your findings we can start a list, but there is one street that has been used more than a dozen times, and which is now the subject of the screenplay "Cinema of Darkness", which tells the story of a film crew technician, a psychopath, who uses his position and his peripatetic life-style, to indulge in his murderous fantasies. Unhappily this story is probably true, and the circumstantial evidence surrounding more than a dozen disappearances of young women, in various parts of the country makes for disturbing reading. "H" certificate, and, if you'd like a taster, send in an email, and confirm that you are at least 18 years old.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Don't Talk to Strange Men

This is my all time fave film and I have visited the location. I have present day photos but they are polaroids and I do not know how to submit these as yet.

..................Take them into any copy shop and they should be able to
scan them and put them on a disc for you, they should also be able to send the scans directly to us by email. If not, you can do so from the disc.

Anyway, the film was made in Fulmer in South Bucks. Hawkswood Lane is the real name of the lane used in the film and was also featured in Genevieve in 1953. The pub is the Black Horse, called the Chequers in the film. It looks identical today even down to the black wooden handrail around the entrance!
It also featured in an episode of the Persuaders called Greensleeves. Roger Moore and Tony Curtis are seen entering it.

...............Good news, can't wait to see your pics, before someone else
races down there and takes some!

I do not know where the town centre street is with the cinema showing Pocketful of Miracles.

..............We told you on pics 003e, and also in the adverts on the right
of the page.

and I tried Gerrards Cross as it is the nearest town to Fulmer but I
couldn't find this street. If you would like to see my photos, please let me know how to submit them.

..........local internet shop could also offer the same service, scan, disc,
email.


Finally, I intend to visit Fulmer again this summer and will take more digital photos.

..........good

I will also go to Beaconsfield and see if I can recognise that high street.

Regards
Darren Gregory

.........I'm sure you'll recognise it, I did, from a thousand miles away!

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Press For Time

Pictures pft007 and ptf008 for the movie "Press for Time".

There is information in a movie forum that "the exterior location of the Tinmouth Times office is actually in Beaconsfield, close to the studios where all the interiors were shot". If this is true, probably the church in the picture pft007 is St Mary and All Saints Church. But, the church in the picture pft007 has one visible spire on the tower, unlike the tower of St Mary and All Saints Church which has four spires.

If this is the same church, the street in this scene must be either:
A. Aylesbury End, HP9 1LW, probably building at the number 26 (5 numbers north from United Reformed Church which is at the number 16 on the Aylesbury End eastern side).
B. 141 Station Road, HP9 1LG, the former Beaconsfield Studios, and now National Film & Television School, if all buildings from the left in these 2 pictures are gone.

The two spots (A and B) are available in Multimap Bird's Eye option; and are not available in Google Maps Street View option.
Another puzzle,

Regards Greg

Emergency Call

Picture emr001.

If this is real street (not a set) and if this street is in London, the only street now in London with the name "Collingwood Street" is in Whitechapel, E1 5DY.

I have checked in Google Maps Street View option and there is no evidence that this is the same street, because Collingwood Street is redeveloped.

I have found that Colombo Street in Southwark, SE1 8DP previous name was also Collingwood Street in this web site:
http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/southwark/borough/collingwood-street-1910.htm
but this street is too short to be the same street as this film. So.............???

Greg