Stephen Jones

Watching "The Malta Story" recently, I began to wonder how extras were recruited 60 years ago and what their working conditions were like.Any info on this ?

Steve Crook

Malta Story was made in 1952/53. That presumably wouldn't have had the problems that they had with films made during the war. Then it was a case of struggling to find anyone available at all, because they were all in the services.

It wasn't too bad if you had the approval of the various Ministries. But if you didn't then things could be tricky.

For The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) there's a crowd scene where Clive goes to see Theo in the POW camp at the end of WWI. They couldn't find enough people to use for extras so in the long and medium shots many of them are actually shop window dummies! Have a close look at it when you next get a chance.

For A Matter of Life and Death (1946) a lot of people were still in the services but Powell & Pressburger had the blessing of the Ministries so were able to populate their courtroom and other scenes with large crowds of people. There was no CGI back in 1945/6 so there really are a lot of people there in those crowd scenes.

Steve

MrT

The film Snowbound (1949) with Robert Newton and Dennis Price starts with Dennis Price's character working as an extra in a film studio. This is probably a pretty realistic portrayal of how things were at that time. They seem to have been recruited on an almost daily basis, did their bit, got their money and that was it. Not much of a career.

Mike (MrT)

smudge

Sometimes jobs for extras were posted in labour exchanges, or just done by word of mouth when a crew arrived on location. It wasn't always as sophisticated as it is now. Often a sort of 'foreman' extra would be allocated and he would accept responsibility for marshalling the extras and advising who was needed on whatever days.

They'd usually get a flat daily rate, along with meal allowances or catering truck chits as appropriate. Not a bad way to earn a living...

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

D Cairns

A friend was an AD on CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA. He reported that many extras were injured during the battle scene, as they had been armed with real swords and told to attack each other! Years later he met a one-eared man who spoke fondly of the experience and the money he'd been given as compensation for his injury. "When are you doing another one? I've still got one ear left!"

Steve Crook

Especially during and just after the war when rationing was still in effect
Anything that included access to a catering truck or canteen in the studio was probably most welcome.

Steve

JamesM

Who is your AD friend, Pat Kelly? John Oldknow or Bernard Lambert?

penfold

There's a really nice Picture Post article from 1939 on A Day In The Life of a Film Extra...this one being at Denham, IIRC, for The Spy In Black. Do you have this one Steve, or have I got myself another typing job for the PnP site... :)

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Steve Crook

Looks like another typing job - I don't have that one

Thanks

Steve

Moor Larkin

I knew a chap socially, whom we all called Fred. He must have been over 50 when I knew him in the mid-Eighties. He did loads of TV work and movies. He said he was in Roger Moore Bonds. He had an amazingly skeletal look about him, terribly bony face. I often spot him on old TV shows but I've never identified him in a Bond.

I don't think he had any acting pretensions. He lived in Peckham/sarf Landon and had just 'got into that line of work' somehow. I suspect he got a lot of backhanders because he always had a wedge of cash about his person........

When I got seriously (back) into Patrick McGoohan three or four years ago I was delighted to spot Fred in a Danger Man!!......

In the episode "Don't Nail Him Yet", when Drake is at the football match Fred is behind him talking to another 'extra'. He's the really boney-faced bloke. Once you've seen him you may recall him from other films/TV. If you're 'in the biz' you may even know him.....

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

D Cairns

My AD friend was the late Lawrie Knight. CAESAR was his first film, and he was an uncredited 3rd AD on that, as well as BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RED SHOES, AMOLAD, BLANCHE FURY, THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS and GREEN FOR DANGER. The only printed reference I've found to his work in this era is a little book on Launder and Gilliat which lists him as 4TH AD. There's no such title really, but the authors were struggling with the fact that the film had several 3RD ADs.

penfold

I've got some time off after next week, I'll do it then. It's a nice bit of PR.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

harryfielder

Hello Moor,
Glad to see you talking about one of the ''Extra'' legends of the film biz.
Fred Woods was his name RIP.
Burn The Witch Fred we called him and he was one of the only extras that didn't need make up on a Horror film.
Fred liked a pint (or three) and as you say he was like a rake. (I've seen more meat on Lester Piggots whip)

I think he might have a bit on IMDB...

''You're still talked about Fred.....well done''
I wrote about him on my web,I'll try to find it and post it.

Aitch,

http://www.turnipnet.com/aitch/aitch/gallery.htm

Moor Larkin

Thanks, Mr. Aitch!
I came across your web-pages after I had made that Post and I remember thinking: 'If this chap sees my Post he's bound to know who I'm talking about'..................

I used to know Fred from my days managing Bingo Halls. He was a 'regular' at the big old 'Top Rank' on Peckham Rye, which was a converted Gaumont cinema (it is now known as Gaumont House and has been redeveloped as apartments.). On the nights he came in he used to live at the bar with two regular 'mates' whose names I cannot recall without undergoing hypnosis. One was a big heavyset guy who used to get aggressively drunk and break things, whilst the other guy was West Indian and sported a cowboy hat! The three of them were invariably stood together at the end of the bar.

I used to spend time with them at the end of the night sometimes and of course by then they were all happily incoherent for the most part.

I couldn't identify Fred in imdb. I found your reference to him however..........
an added extra to your site...... :

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

harryfielder

I had a look on IMDB and found Fred Woods (1) and a lonely credit for Star Wars 1977....(No make up)

Aitch,

http://www.turnipnet.com/aitch/aitch/gallery.htm