Jim

Just watched Pool of London again. I was curious about Bonar Colleno as I had heard that he died in a car accident in the late 50s. According to IMDb the accident occured in the north of England after coming back to London from a theatre engagement.

Saddest of all is that his wife, Susan Shaw, a lovely blonde lady from the Rank School, never got over his death and she died broke in 1978 of a liver complaint, brought on by drinking. What a terrible story

Life sometimes gives you a real kick in the soft parts doesn't it?

Good morning boys.

MrDrakesDuck

"I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"

Jim

What else is there to say? Thank you MDD - a lovely picture.

Good morning boys.

Bobj

Pool of London is one of my favourite British movies.
Saw it at the National Film Theatre in London a couple of years ago and there was also an on-stage interview with Earl Cameron.
The movie is so under-rated in many ways. The acting is excellent (not sure about Leslie Phillips as a sailor mind). Bonar Colleano is first class and Susan Shaw and Earl Cameron play out their tentative romance beautifully. This film should be remembered as ground-breaking in the way it dealt with an interracial romance. Though many would argue it didn't go far enough it did at least raise the issue.
The locations of post-war London are fascinating too.
I get fed up with the fact that generally (this website excluded of course) films like this go unappreciated by the media and the public at large.
At the screening of the film I attended at the NFT I heard several people say as they left that it was the first time they'd seen it or had never heard of it but had thoroughly enjoyed it.
With regard to Susan Shaw, she was truly beautiful and a sad loss. I remember seeing a great b&w picture of her and Bonar Colleano on a motorbike or scooter.
As for Bonar Colleano his name of course appears in the lyrics of that great Ian Dury song "Reasons to be Cheerful Part3."
I would argue that Pool of London and its fine cast and crew give many Reasons to be Cheerful.

Jim

Yes, Tony and Bobj, an excellent film. I was 10 when that film was made and it reflects the drab place that Britain was after the war; and those appalling clothes we wore!! In any BritMovie detective film, the 'tecs all wore those crumpled trench coats with belts tied, rather than buckled!

I LOVE 'EM!!

Good morning boys.

Adrian Perry

I agree - I was first drawn to the film as I lived in modern Bermondsey and loved the 1940 film of that area - including a working Borough Market and a death chase in Rotherhithe Tunnel. Then I appreciated the story - not just the discussion of race and romance - a bit condescending now, but very advanced for the time - but also the experience in living in the austerity of the post-war economy. Question - can we get a DVD of it ?

julian_craster

Don't foget the visit to the music hall in POOL OF LONDON....
So many aspects of London life were captured in this film that were
soon to vanish - trolleybuses, the docks, being two more examples!

hoggers

This is a scene from Sleeping Car to Trieste with Bonar & Michael Ward. According to Michael (who was a good friend of Bonars) the actor Michael Balfour was also in the car when the accident happened and suffered terrible injuries.

He and Susan Shaw had a son called Mark. He played Andy in the famous "Hand Gliding" episode of Only Fools & Horses..

Still acting I think..

Hoggers[attachmentid=104]

hoggers

Just found this on the "On This Day" section at bbc.co.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/s...000/3245079.stm

It reports on a charity football match to raise money for Bonar's family a few months after his death. He'd been declared bankrupt a few months before he died so left nothing. Again, a very sad story but it's an interesting report and also has a clip of James Mason and other stars taking part.

Hoggers

Ascoyne D'Ascoyne

Michael Ward, of course, makes a fleeting appearance in "Pool of London". As with so many of this actor's cameos in countless Britmovies it's one of the scenes which tends to linger most strongly in the memory - what a characters