Dorset Themed Films

[HUGHJAMPTON]

name='Santonix']The scenes where Gibson and Wallace watch the bombs being tested were filmed at Gibralter Point near Skegness in Lincolnshire.

Not according to the BBC



BBC - Dorset - History - Dorset in the movies

[CC1]

name='HUGHJAMPTON']Not according to the BBC



BBC - Dorset - History - Dorset in the movies

Some of the confusion may be because some real bomb tests were carried out off of Swanage during the Second World War and Barnes Wallace filmed the results. Filimg for the tests also took place at Fleet Lagoon - off of Chesil Bank (near to Portland)

[HUGHJAMPTON]

name='CC1']Some of the confusion may be because some real bomb tests were carried out off of Swanage during the Second World War and Barnes Wallace filmed the results. Filimg for the tests also took place at Fleet Lagoon - off of Chesil Bank (near to Portland)

Thanks for that, CC1



Which leads to the question, what, if anything was filmed at Dorset?

[jonpsych]

No mention yet of The French Lieutenant's Woman with Jeremy Irons and Merryl Streep

[Steve Crook]

name='jonpsych']No mention yet of The French Lieutenant's Woman with Jeremy Irons and Merryl Streep

Did Meryl go to Dorset?



The Cobb is the old harbour wall at Lyme Regis, Dorset, where we see "that scene" as she stands on the harbour wall as the waves crash around her.



But on a TV documentary (Countrywise on ITV London) they were visiting various places on the Dorset coast. When they visited Lyme Regis they spoke to someone who was there when they filmed The French Lieutenant's Woman who said that it was deemed too dangerous for Meryl to get up onto the Cobb. So any distance shots actually have one of the art directors standing in for her. The close ups were done in the safety of the studio.



Could there be any truth to this? Or is it just a local legend?



Steve

[Santonix]

name='HUGHJAMPTON']Not according to the BBC



BBC - Dorset - History - Dorset in the movies

In Jonathan Falconer's excellent book "Filming The Dambusters" It shows photos of and clearly states that the scenes in which Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave watch the testing of the bomb was filmed at Gibralter Point near Skegness. Last year I made the trip to Gibralter Point and I can assure you that is where it was filmed. I am afraid The BBC have got this one wrong.

[HUGHJAMPTON]

name='Santonix']In Jonathan Falconer's excellent book "Filming The Dambusters" It shows photos of and clearly states that the scenes in which Richard Todd and Michael Redgrave watch the testing of the bomb was filmed at Gibralter Point near Skegness. Last year I made the trip to Gibralter Point and I can assure you that is where it was filmed. I am afraid The BBC have got this one wrong.

Cheers, Santonix. Is there any mention of filming being done at all in Dorset in the book?



Because IMDB, mention Fleet as a location, too. Probably originally sourced from the Beeb.

[jonpsych]

name='Steve Crook']Did Meryl go to Dorset?



The Cobb is the old harbour wall at Lyme Regis, Dorset, where we see "that scene" as she stands on the harbour wall as the waves crash around her.



But on a TV documentary (Countrywise on ITV London) they were visiting various places on the Dorset coast. When they visited Lyme Regis they spoke to someone who was there when they filmed The French Lieutenant's Woman who said that it was deemed too dangerous for Meryl to get up onto the Cobb. So any distance shots actually have one of the art directors standing in for her. The close ups were done in the safety of the studio.



Could there be any truth to this? Or is it just a local legend?



Steve

I have to be honest and I only put this up as a Dorset themed film, some of it was clearly filmed in Lyme but whether principla actors ever got as far as there I don't know. Still a bloody good film

[Santonix]

name='HUGHJAMPTON']Cheers, Santonix. Is there any mention of filming being done at all in Dorset in the book?



Because IMDB, mention Fleet as a location, too. Probably originally sourced from the Beeb.

Hi Hugh, no there is no mention of filming in Dorset.



A Quote from the book is as follows.



"Scenes showing the early tests of the bouncing bomb at Reculver were shot off the shoreline at Skegness in Lincolnshire because it was near to the main filming activity at Hemswell and Scampton.......etc". Later in the book the actual location is given as Gibralter Point near to Skegness. Acting on this infomation I visited Gibralter Point and sure enough there it was. Hope this helps. if you require any other info on filming locations used in the film I will be glad to help.