Powell & Pressburger again

[stevie boy]

To Steve Crook and everybody, what P& P locations are we still looking for. I believe that there is a Blimp location that is still being investigated, any others???

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by stevie boy To Steve Crook and everybody, what P& P locations are we still looking for. I believe that there is a Blimp location that is still being investigated, any others???

I have all the known ones at Where were the films made?. Any that aren't listed there are still unknown - unless I missed a few from the list

For Blimp, we recently identified The Bull, where Spud's troops stop off on their way into London. And The ford that the despatch riders splash through.

In the Criterion commentary (from the laserdisc) Micky Powell says that the square that Clive is sitting in at the end is Berkley Square. It isn't. But it's bigger than the square outside "Clive's House" in Ovington Square so I'm still not quite sure about that one. It could be studio based on Berkley Square.

There are some difficult ones like the country lanes where Frank rides his motorbike in AMOLAD. But one country lane looks much like another country lane and there aren't many clues like distinctive buildings

Steve

[Alan F]

I’ve found a couple more locations for Colonel Blimp. I will add them to the original thread in the next day or two.

[stevie boy]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook I have all the known ones at Where were the films made?. Any that aren't listed there are still unknown - unless I missed a few from the list For Blimp, we recently identified The Bull, where Spud's troops stop off on their way into London. And The ford that the despatch riders splash through. In the Criterion commentary (from the laserdisc) Micky Powell says that the square that Clive is sitting in at the end is Berkley Square. It isn't. But it's bigger than the square outside "Clive's House" in Ovington Square so I'm still not quite sure about that one. It could be studio based on Berkley Square. There are some difficult ones like the country lanes where Frank rides his motorbike in AMOLAD. But one country lane looks much like another country lane and there aren't many clues like distinctive buildings Steve

Thanks for the reply Steve, cheers

[foulafan]

What about `THE SPY IN BLACK`?

I know it was made in the Orkney`s but where exactly? The shot of Conradt Veidt being dropped off with his motorbike shows he is near `The Old Man of Hoy` which is a stone stack off the South side of the Isle of Hoy, but refrences
are made to Sandwick Bay, but there is no Sandwick Bay to my knowledge in Orkney, there is a Sandwick but it has no Bay, however there is a location such as this in Shetland.

Also, he is said to be in Longhope which was once a seperate Island from Hoy but is now joined by a causeway, there is a big house that he stays in Where is this house?

There was a book written about the film but I don`t have this, I do visit the Orkney`s frequently (At least every year or so) and would love to visit the locations but don`t know exactly where they are. Does anyone have the book and can shed any light please?

Regards.
Dave.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by foulafan What about `THE SPY IN BLACK`? I know it was made in the Orkney`s but where exactly? The shot of Conradt Veidt being dropped off with his motorbike shows he is near `The Old Man of Hoy` which is a stone stack off the South side of the Isle of Hoy, but refrences are made to Sandwick Bay, but there is no Sandwick Bay to my knowledge in Orkney, there is a Sandwick but it has no Bay, however there is a location such as this in Shetland. Also, he is said to be in Longhope which was once a seperate Island from Hoy but is now joined by a causeway, there is a big house that he stays in Where is this house? There was a book written about the film but I don`t have this, I do visit the Orkney`s frequently (At least every year or so) and would love to visit the locations but don`t know exactly where they are. Does anyone have the book and can shed any light please? Regards. Dave.

There's a Sandwick Bay on South Ronaldsay - west coast about the mid point of the island.

[foulafan]

A quick look at the 1:50 000 O/S gives Sand Wick which is just a small cove west of Sandwick,South Ronaldsay, unless is says SANDWICK BAY on the larger 1:25,000 scale map? Is that what you have Fell?

Actually, looking over my map I see that the Old Man of Hoy is actually more on the West side of Hoy, only ever been passed on the ferry and just knew it was South West of Stromness.

Regards
Dave.

[foulafan]

Fell,

Re: Sandwick Bay, I looked at the film again and looks like you were right,the map in the film shows what looks to be South Ronaldsay.

Need to find that School house now. Possibly more on NW of Hoy rather than Longhope.

Thanks!
Dave.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by foulafan There was a book written about the film but I don`t have this, I do visit the Orkney`s frequently (At least every year or so) and would love to visit the locations but don`t know exactly where they are. Does anyone have the book and can shed any light please? Regards. Dave.

Don't you mean the other way around?
The film was a film of the book, by J. Storer Clouston.
London, Edinburgh: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1917

As much is made (by Powell) of how Emeric changed the story, I did an article comparing the book and the film


Oh, you mean the recent book.
That's mainly just a reprinting of the original novel with some additional articles about Clouston and some photos and articles about the locations.

It should be of interest to you Dave

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by foulafan What about `THE SPY IN BLACK`? I know it was made in the Orkney`s but where exactly? The shot of Conradt Veidt being dropped off with his motorbike shows he is near `The Old Man of Hoy` which is a stone stack off the South side of the Isle of Hoy, but refrences are made to Sandwick Bay, but there is no Sandwick Bay to my knowledge in Orkney, there is a Sandwick but it has no Bay, however there is a location such as this in Shetland. Also, he is said to be in Longhope which was once a seperate Island from Hoy but is now joined by a causeway, there is a big house that he stays in Where is this house?

Remember that Powell could be very sneaky and tricky
Even in his early films he was using a lot of tricks to make out that the film was shot in one place when it was really shot in the studio or in some other location.

When Conrad is dropped off it is at night and Powell could do a lot of trickery in the darkness. Just because you see The Old Man of Hoy on screen doesn't mean that they were anywhere near there. They might have filmed it in Folkstone - although we know that he did go to Orkney when he was making this film. Not for long but there are probably some shots which are real location shots. ISTR the main purpose of his visit was just to get a feel for the locations

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Remember that Powell could be very sneaky and tricky Even in his early films he was using a lot of tricks to make out that the film was shot in one place when it was really shot in the studio or in some other location. Steve

Most people don't realise that Edge of the World was actually shot at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington...

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett Most people don't realise that Edge of the World was actually shot at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington...

Isn't it still marked Here be dragons to the north of Islington on maps?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Fellwanderer Isn't it still marked Here be dragons to the north of Islington on maps?

Being a proud South Londoner, my Dad used to refer to anywhere north of the border (the Thames) as "It's all North Thames gas board up there". Even if he was referring to Yorkshire, or Scotland

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by CaptainWaggett Most people don't realise that Edge of the World was actually shot at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington...

That's meant to be our secret

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook Oh, you mean the recent book. That's mainly just a reprinting of the original novel with some additional articles about Clouston and some photos and articles about the locations. It should be of interest to you Dave Steve

From the blurb they sent me when it was first mooted:
(Dated around April 2007)


90 years on, spy novel's secrets are revealed
JOHN ROSS (jross@scotsman.com)

LIKE many a good espionage tale, it left a few puzzles for readers to
solve themselves. But now, 90 years after it was first published, the
secrets of The Spy in Black have been revealed.

Its author, J Storer Clouston, set his popular First World War novel in
Orkney but did not refer to the islands by name. Instead, he talked
about the "windy islands" and changed place names because it was wartime.

However, a new limited edition of the book is being produced which will
reveal the locations in the story, which was made into a hit film in
1939 as Britain headed into battle again.

And as part of next month's 90th anniversary events, a guided tour
retracing the steps of the book's main character is being organised.

Joseph Storer Clouston, who lived at Smogroo House in Orphir on the
Orkney mainland, was a novelist and historian who also served as a
councillor.

The Spy in Black tells of a daring German plot to cripple the British
fleet in Scapa Flow. Lieutenant von Belke, a U-boat officer, lands in
Orkney to rendezvous with a traitor willing to hand over secret
information that could spell disaster for the Royal Navy. The 1939 film
version, directed by Michael Powell, featured many Orcadians as extras.

The tour of Clouston's locations is part of the third annual Celebrating
Scapa Flow weekend on 4-6 May, organised by Another Orkney Production,
the voluntary organisation which is reprinting the book.

Research on the sites was carried out previously by archaeologist Daphne
Lorimer, but her findings were lost when she died. However, recent
detective work has been conducted by Elaine Clarke and Sandra Miller,
the island rangers funded by Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural
Heritage.

Ms Clarke said: "Lots of the action was set in parts of the island that
the author knew well, but he disguised them in various ways. But by
following the text, and knowing the landscape, we were able to work out
where they were."

They established from Clouston's descriptions that Lt von Belke comes
ashore at Birsay Bay in the north-west of the Orkney mainland. He later
passes a standing stone (Quoyboune, near the Loch of Boardhouse) and,
after his motorbike breaks down, retraces his steps to the Marwick area.
Heading south, he hides behind a wall (at Skaill Bay), then takes a
zig-zag road, scattering tacks to slow down pursuers. Finally, making
his way (through the parish of Orphir) to the south mainland, he
describes seeing his final target (Scapa Flow).

The author's mention of travelling 20 miles to his target narrowed down
his starting point. Before the Churchill Barriers were built during the
Second World War to connect other parts of Orkney to the mainland, there
were few places from which he could have travelled for 20 miles to reach
Scapa Flow.

Lt von Belke is the name of the submarine captain in the book

Steve