Freeview 81 Film Club Sky 328 newsletter Freesat 306 JUNE/JULY 2020 Virgin 445 Dear Supporters of Film and TV History, As always hoping you are all well in these troubled times. We are still all locked in the projectionists box at The Bijou but fairing well. Firstly a big THANK YOU to all of you who have kept on spreading the word about the channel, we’ve seen articles in everything from The Scotsman to The Northern Echo, we’ve had people ringing LBC, BBC, people writing to all their clubs and society newsletters about us and a wonderful two page spread about us in The Observer a few weeks ago. If we could give you all a free choc ice and an ABC Minors badge and get you up on stage for your birthdays – we would! It is so very important and means a great deal to us, thank you. An excellent new DVD release for true British film industry lovers this month as we celebrate Nettlefold Studios and the British film making pioneer, Cecil Hepworth. This new DVD box set features a number of films made at Nettlefold Studios including the lost filmThe Turners of Prospect Road, all with optional subtitles. We have also included a short film of highlights of the day we held at Nettlefold Studios some years ago with Mike Read, William Russell (Sir Lancelot), and Dr Simon Brown, celebrating the history of the studios and the unveiling of a blue plaque dedicated to Cecil Hepworth. Just £20 for three discs full it’s a bargain! Speaking of Sir Lancelot, we are delighted that the days of TV heroes and villains are now back on British TV Screens. Starting this June we bring you at 9am weekday mornings, Robin Hood with Richard Greene, Sir Francis Drake with Terence Morgan, William Tell with Conrad Phillips and Sir Lancelot with William Russell. All four series start on Monday June 15th and continue with a repeat at 5.30pm tea times on Saturday and Sundays. Exciting news on the archive front this month - Noel has located an episode of the LOST TV series No Hiding Place! This will air on Thursday 25th June 7:10pm – a real find for TV nostalgia fans! It’s another gripping month on the channel for premieres with: Smashing Time starring Lynn Redgrave, Rita Tushingham and Michael York, the British TV Premiere of Girl with a Pistol, starring Monica Vitti and Stanley Baker, Boom In the Moon with Buster Keaton, Out of Season starring Vanessa Redgrave, Susan George and Cliff Robertson, The Country Girl starring Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in a very different role from her usual glamorous parts, plus many more – see our Premiere pages towards the back for more information. Also BUDGIE will be airing on the channel from Tuesday 16th June at 9pm. We are delighted to be carrying two exclusive brand new book releases for you all this month, including a fascinating book on the MGM British Studios called Hollywood in Hertfordshire on page 7; this is a must for film buffs and those interested in film history with 400 photos, many never seen before, behind the scenes shots taken during filming, an overview of the lot and its various locations for films and lots of information about the studios and their history, even after they were closed. Also inspired by the world of film,Jig-Word Movies Edition by Talking Pictures TV regular viewer, Mal Boyle, will keep you occupied with plenty of film related puzzles, find it on page 23. Until next month, Stay Tuned and Stay Safe! Very best wishes, Sarah, Noel & Neill 1 You will receive everything on both pages A collection of Films made at Nettlefold Studios, Exclusive Walton. Including a special celebration of British Pioneer Filmmaker Cecil Hepworth New From and the studios. Running Time: 663 minutes on 3 DVDS. WITH OPTIONAL SUBTITLES Renown Disc One The Turners Of Prospect Road (1947) Running Time: 62 mins. Directed by: Maurice J Wilson. Cast: Wilfrid Lawson, Helena Pickard, Maureen Glynne, Amy Veness, Jeanne De Casalis, Shamus NETTLEFOLD Locke, Desmond Tester, Christopher Steele, Giselle Morlais. Previously thought lost from the National Film Archive, the tale of a greyhound puppy STUDIOS found in the back of a Black Cab in London, and its shot at racing glory. Private Information (1952) Running Time: 63 mins. Directed by: With Free UK Postage Fergus McDonell. Cast: Jill Esmond, Jack Watling, Carol Marsh, Gerard Heinz, Mercy Haystead, Norman Shelley. Charlotte suspects that the local council is corrupt and mounts a battle against the defective drains that could cause public health issues. A fine performance from the wonderful Jill Esmond. Tom Brown’s Schooldays Original Trailer Running time: 3mins. The original Theatrical Trailer for this iconic film. Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1951) Running time: 91 mins. Directed by: Gordon Parry. Cast: John Howard Davies, Robert Newton, James Hayter, John Charlesworth, John Forrest, Michael Hordern, Max Bygraves, Francis De Wolff, Amy Veness. This faithful rendition of the Thomas Hughes book portrays life at Rugby School for Boys, shot on location at the school itself. Disc Two A Celebration of Nettlefold Studios and Cecil Hepworth Running time: 17 mins. Join Dr Simon Brown (Associate Professor of Film and Television, Kingston University), Mike Read, William Russell (Sir Lancelot) and Patricia Dainton to celebrate the famous Nettlefold Studios. We explore the history of Nettlefold, reflecting on the work of Cecil Hepworth, director, film producer and screenwriter. Sheepdog Of The Hills (1941) Running time: 72mins. Directed by: Germain Burger. Cast: David Farrar, Philip Friend, Helen Perry, Dennis Wyndham, Jack Vyvyan, Arthur Denton, Philip Godfrey, Johnnie Schofield. Collington is troubled with sheep-stealing and the local preacher is in love with a girl who 2 wants to marry another. This story will keep you hooked until the end. You will receive everything on both pages Exclusive Disc Two continued Park Plaza 605 (1953) Running time: 75 mins. New From Directed by: Bernard Knowles. Cast: Tom Conway, Eva Bartok, Renown 3 dvd Set Joy Shelton, Sidney James, Richard Wattis, Carl Jaffe, Frederick Schiller. Tom Conway, (The Falcon), stars as a private detective wrongly accused of NETTLEFOLD murder. Can he prove his innocence and track down the Volume 1 jewel thieves? Featuring Sid STUDIOS OPTIONAL SUBTITLES James and Richard Wattis, this is a film to remember. The Delavine Affair (1955) Running time: 62 mins. Directed by: Douglas Peirce. Cast: Peter Reynolds, JUST £20 Honor Blackman, Gordon Jackson, Valerie Veron, Michael Balfour, Peter Neil, Laurie Main, Peter Swanwick, With Free UK Postage Katie Johnson, Mark Daly. Journalist Rex Banner, (Peter Reynolds), Call Now On Freephone with the aid of his wife Maxine, (Honor Blackman), attempts to solve a jewel robbery, but the criminals frame Rex for the murder 0808 178 8212 of a witness. Or 01923 290555 Disc Three The Blue Parrot (1953) Running time: 67 mins. Directed by: John Harlow. Cast: Dermot Walsh, Jacqueline Hill, John Le Mesurier, Ferdy Mayne, June Ashley, Ballard Berkeley, Richard Pearson and Valerie White. A classic British film noir with John Le Mesurier giving a superbly under-stated performance as a Soho nightclub owner, whose club is being investigated after the murder of a small time crook. The film debut for Jacqueline Hill, who later played Barbara Wright, companion of the first Dr Who. Three Silent Men (1940) Running time: 67 mins. Directed by: Thomas Bentley. Cast: Sebastian Shaw, Derrick De Marney, Patricia Roc, Arthur Hambling, Cameron Hall, John Turnbull, Peter Gawthorne, André Morell, Jack Vyvyan, Meinhart Maur. A pacifist surgeon, (Sebastian Shaw), operates to save the life of the inventor of a deadly weapon to be used against the allies in war. When the inventor dies, the surgeon becomes the prime suspect. Meet Mr Callaghan (1954) Running time: 87 mins. Directed by: Charles Saunders. Cast: Derrick De Marney, Harriette Johns, Peter Neil, Adrienne Corri, Delphi Lawrence, Belinda Lee, Larry Burns, Trevor Reid, John Longden. Private Detective Slim Callaghan, (Derrick De Marney), is hired by young socialite Cynthis Meraulton, (Harriette Johns), when her rich stepfather changes his will in her favour and is then murdered. Can Slim Callaghan save the damsel and the day? 3 Memories of a life in films Part 10, by Noel Cronin I was always pretty quick in learning how things work in TV distribution, but being thrust into American sales at the sharp end was quite daunting! From selling old series and documentaries, I was suddenly presenting the latest TV pilots to ITV and BBC head buyers. The USA had a fascinating system, where the production company, (New World in my case), made a pilot episode which the networks played. If it rated well on the transmission it was “picked up” – which meant the network ordered more episodes. If the ratings were good, more episodes were ordered and the production company had a hit on their hands – and we the distributors had more to sell. You hoped a series would run for ever; as long as the series was doing well in the UK you could renew the series with either the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5. The Wonder Years was our longest running series, which played on Channel 4. We also had other reasonably successful series, Crime Story, Tour of Duty and soaps including The Bold and the Beautiful and Santa Barbara, as well as large feature packages. My company was enjoying great success, which meant other production companies and distributors were keen to use our services, so Dandelion just grew and grew. Life was fun, with lots of entertaining, all of which was paid for by New World.