Film Club Sky 328 Newsletter Freesat 306 AUGUST/SEPT 2021 Virgin 445
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Freeview 81 Film Club Sky 328 newsletter Freesat 306 AUGUST/SEPT 2021 Virgin 445 You can always call us V 0808 178 8212 Or 01923 290555 Dear Supporters of Film and TV History, We are looking forward to seeing many of you on the 9th and 10th October at The Stockport Plaza and The Savoy Picture House – still time to get tickets but be quick! We are delighted to announce that Melvyn Hayes will be one of our guests at the all day event on the Sunday. We have lots more guests now confirmed, see page 29. Why not make a weekend of it?! On the Saturday at the small original picture house, The Savoy, just around the corner, there’s a a chance to all enjoy a real-life ‘Saturday morning Pictures ’ with booing and popguns allowed! Also calling all film buff eggheads – come and have a go at the quiz on the Saturday afternoon – more details on pages 28-31 . To those of you who have purchased tickets, they are on the way! Good News - our 9th Festival of Film at St Albans on 20th March 2022 is now ‘in the works’ – please put the date in your diary, more info next month, those with transferred tickets will be sent new tickets in due course. We are proud to present our latest 3-DVD box set box set, The Beaconsfield Studios Collection, featuring films made at the historic studios, including The Big Day with Donald Pleasence and Harry H. Corbett; Snowball with Gordon Jackson and Dennis Waterman; October Moth with Lee Patterson; Strictly For The Birds with Tony Tanner, Joan Sims and Graham Stark and many more. This month’s offers include some treats for Diana Dors fans; a celebration of the wonderful Dorothy Squires; a CD of the beautiful voice of Sir Norman Wisdom OBE, including some rare tracks. Our Look at Life series of DVDs continues with Volume 5, Cultural Heritage. This set includes some iconic shorts, including the 1950s coffee bar and brilliant footage of an East End family on ‘holiday’ hop picking in Kent – they even took the lino from the spare room! British culture is further explored in Suburban Steps to Rockland, a DVD about Britain’s first rhythm & blues venue, The Ealing Club, where many 60s bands cut their teeth, including The Who and The Rolling Stones. With the current run of Public Eye just ended, those of us having Frank Marker withdrawal symptoms will enjoy an exclusive interview with him on DVD, a fascinating insight into the real Alfred and just a couple of guineas plus expenses! In this month’s premieres, look out for Googie Withers in Murder in Soho and Ann Todd in Ships With Wings. Peter Cushing stars in the film version of Dr Who and the Daleks and a young Harry Fowler appears in Painted Boats. There’s cross-channel romance in Johnny Frenchman with Patricia Roc and Albert defies Harold to get married inSteptoe and Son while Henry Fonda and Barbara Bel Geddes star in the moving story that is The Long Night. Caroline Munro and Mike Read were both in the TPTV cinema studio recently. Caroline introduces our new series of films, The Cellar Club on Friday nights, beginning on September 3rd at 9pm. Mike joins Noel on the hunt for lost films and footage in new series,The Footage Detectives which begins on Sunday 5th September at 12pm. Some of you who watch us on Sky or Freesat may have had to retune your boxes as we recently moved satellites – if you have any problems do contact Sky on 0333 759 0467 or Freesat 0345 313 0051 and all should be well. Those who watch us on Freeview or Virgin can ignore this message. We hope you find something of interest in this newsletter, we have scoured book and music publishers and DVD and film providers for items of interest for you all. As we always say, it helps to keep the projectionist’s reels spinning and the usherette’s torch lit! Best wishes, Sarah, Noel and Neill 1 RENOWN PICTURES NEW DVD RELEASE INCLUDES EVERYTHING ON THESE TWO PAGES. Strictly For The Birds (1964) A British comedy set in the East End of London. Directed by Vernon Sewell BEACONSFIELD STUDIOS it stars Tony Tanner, Joan Sims and Graham Stark, and follows Terry Blessing’s ‘lucky’ day of gambling, meeting COLLECTION friends, losing his job and finding an unknown son. The Big Day (1960) Directed by Peter Graham Scott EXCLUSIVE PRICE WITH this drama stars Donald Pleasence, Andrée Melly, Colin FREE UK Gordon, Harry H. Corbett and Susan Shaw. A business JUST £20 POSTAGE boss must choose between three prospective candidates. Blind Date (1959) This murder mystery was directed by A 3-DVD collection of Joseph Losey and stars Hardy Krüger, Stanley Baker and films made at the iconic Micheline Presle. Set in 1950s London, where a young Beaconsfield Studios painter has an affair with a wealthy woman. October Moth (1960) A psychological drama directed by WITH OPTIONAL SUBTITLES John Kruse and starring Lee Patterson, Robert Cawdron, Running Time: 631 mins. Peter Dyneley & Lana Morris. In an isolated Yorkshire Beaconsfield Studios opened in 1922, farmhouse, a deranged young man imagines a woman he producing films and TV shows until the has rescued from a car crash is his deceased mother. 1960s. Run by producer George Clark, Cat & Mouse (1958) This British crime drama directed with actor/director Guy Newall, the site by Paul Rotha stars Lee Patterson, Ann Sears and was chosen to escape the London smog yet Victor Maddern. An unscrupulous villain falls while remain within easy reach of the city, with trying to trick a young woman into revealing the location country locations for outdoor filming. of stolen diamonds, but did he die? During World War II, the studios were Guilty? (1956) Directed by Edmond T. Gréville, this home to the Crown Film Unit, with 51 wartime crime drama follows a solicitor (John Justin), who productions between 1940 and 1952, is convinced that a former French Resistance heroine is many of which were made at Beaconsfield. innocent of the murder charge of a lover whose betrayal The films in this collection are a cross section of the work produced at the studios, resulted in her incarceration in a concentration camp. with performances from actors as diverse as Donald Pleasence, Susan Shaw, Snowball (1960) Directed by Pat Jackson, this crime Harry H. Corbett, Hardy Krüger, Stanley Baker, Victor Maddern, drama stars Gordon Jackson, Kenneth Griffith, Gordon Jackson, Zena Walker, Zena Walker and Dennis Waterman. After forgetting his Jane Hylton and Dennis Waterman. ticket, a young boy causes trouble for a bus conductor. Public Nuisance No. 1 (1936) This British musical comedy directed by Marcel Varnel stars Frances Day, Arthur Riscoe and Muriel Aked. After a few drunken escapades in London, a young man is sent to work as a waiter at his uncle’s hotel. Burnt Evidence (1954) This emotional drama stars Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont and Donald Gray. A jealous husband suspects his wife of having an affair with his wartime comrade. Call Now On Freephone 0808 178 8212 2 Or 01923 290555 OUR PRICE £20 WITH FREE UK POSTAGE 3 Memories of a life in films BeaconsfieldThe new studios at Beaconsfield opened Studiosin Part 24: 1922, producing films and, later, TV shows, Film Transfer until the 1960s. The studios were run by We are always looking for producer George Clark, in collaboration lost films and shows to with actor/director Guy Newall. The site bring back for the public. Tim Emblem-English was chosen to escape from the London smog Once the cans have been retrieved from lofts, sheds, yet remain within easy reach of the city with private collections and other unusual places, the country locations for outdoor filming. Beaconsfield Studios contents have to be transferred from film to file. Following a promising start in 1922, by 1924 Archive film expert Tim Emblem-English prepares the studios and the British film industry and cleans the 35mm, 16mm, 9.5mm and 8mm prints. generally were hit by competition from It’s a fascinating process, which he describes below. America and film-making at Beaconsfield I’m Tim Emblem-English, proprietor of The Flying Spot ceased almost entirely. Eventually the studios Ltd. My time in broadcasting began 40 years ago as were sold to the British Lion Film a trainee engineer with BBC Television. Specialising in Corporation, which converted the facilities to telecine work I became an expert in all things “archive produce sound pictures and made a number film” – and I was the BBC’s last-ever telerecording of Edgar Wallace adaptations. engineer. In 2016 my department closed down and I acquired all the “old-school” telecine equipment. During the Second World War the studios Guy Newall & Ivy Duke in ‘Fox Farm’ 1922. A few years ago I made contact with Talking Pictures TV, were home to the Crown Film Unit, credited asking: “do you ever need an old-school telecine film with fifty-one productions between 1940 and transfer facility?” Sarah replied “yes please”, offered me 1952, many made at Beaconsfield. The last some titles as a test to see what I could provide and production company to be based at the studio, we haven’t looked back. Once a month I collect a Independent Artists, were responsible for wonderful assortment of film reels and inspect them some of the best British films from the 50s & carefully, making good any wear-and-tear and giving 60s, including Very Important Person, The Man in them a thorough clean before transfer.