Gordon Harker

[hornej34]

Hello, I am new to this Forum, I came across this forum when I was looking for this film, I have been looking in Amazon, Ebay and various other outlets on the INternet, but I'm afraid no joy, does anyone know where I can buy The Phantom Light 1935 film with Gordon Harker on or if it is available on DVD or Video, as I am keen to buy it or a recording, as I haven't seen the film for 10 years, if anyone can help, I would be most grateful, Thank you, can I say, Great forum by the way.



John Horne, Kent.

[Steve Crook]

(Johnnyfilmbuff @ Oct 22 2005, 10:03 PM)

Hello, I am new to this Forum, I came across this forum when I was looking for this film, I have been looking in Amazon, Ebay and various other outlets on the INternet, but I'm afraid no joy, does anyone know where I can buy The Phantom Light 1935 film with Gordon Harker on or if it is available on DVD or Video, as I am keen to buy it or a recording, as I haven't seen the film for 10 years, if anyone can help, I would be most grateful, Thank you, can I say, Great forum by the way.



John Horne, Kent.

Directed by that great "Man of Kent", Michael Powell.

It's available on video (NTSC, but they play OK in most UK video players) from Nostalgia Family Video.



One of the "Quota Quickies" he directed while he was learning his trade, but it has much to recommend it.



Steve

[phil_sheffield]

Hi,

I think I have a copy of that Nostalgia video version. I am selling all my VHS so would be quite happy to sell this one cheaper than buying it from the US! Ive o nly watched it a couple of times so it is in good condition. Let me know if you are interested.

[Joenoir]

I am interested in two Gordon Harker titles Blondes for Danger (1938) and Saloon Bar (1940).

[aphra]

name='Joenoir']I am interested in two Gordon Harker titles Blondes for Danger (1938) and Saloon Bar (1940).

I have a good recording of SALOON BAR. Send me a PM if you are interested.

[Elliot J Huntley]

Talking of Gordon, does anyone have a copy of No Parking (1938)?

[Moor Larkin]

I've never got round to seeing this film but it has been of particular interest to me since I discovered it 'opened' a cinema I knew well:







More recently that interest has been compounded by the realisation the screenplay for the movie was written by an unfairly ignored talent: Ralph Smart



As discussed in another Thread this guy has been 'blanked' by memoirs. Michael Powell seems to have ignored him in his memoirs, Lew Grade did so too, Patrick McGoohan has never mentioned him in interviews either.



Anyhow, so far as Phantom Light is concerned: the presentation of that cinema hopefully does the movie more justice than the throwaway dismissal of the term: Quickie.

[Steve Crook]

name='Moor Larkin']I've never got round to seeing this film but it has been of particular interest to me since I discovered it 'opened' a cinema I knew well:



More recently that interest has been compounded by the realisation the screenplay for the movie was written by an unfairly ignored talent: Ralph Smart



As discussed in another Thread this guy has been 'blanked' by memoirs. Michael Powell seems to have ignored him in his memoirs, Lew Grade did so too, Patrick McGoohan has never mentioned him in interviews either.



Anyhow, so far as Phantom Light is concerned: the presentation of that cinema hopefully does the movie more justice than the throwaway dismissal of the term: Quickie.

The Phantom Light was a Quota Quickie. But that's no reason to dismiss it. They weren't all as bad as they're often painted. They are often so dismissed by people who haven't actually seen any but have heard that they aren't very good



Steve Chibnall of De Montfort University has written a very good book Quota Quickies: The Birth of the British 'B' Film which goes a long way toward reviving their reputation (where justified)



They were made comparatively quickly and to a limited budget. Michael Powell used them as a way to experiment with different styles and methods, as did some others.



Steve

[Nick Dando]

A good little film and features our old friend Herbert Lomas. Was he ever known to smile in a film?



Nick

[Steve Wigan]

Talking to a speedway rider from the 1960s last night and he asked me about an old Gordon Harker film about speedway. I can't find this in GHs filmography...anyone any ideas, and better still a copy ? Lots to trade.

[CaptainWaggett]

It's Britannia of Billingsgate - John Mills is the speedway racer. PM me if you want a copy

[Steve Crook]

name='Steve Wigan' timestamp='1284376480' post='473839']

Talking to a speedway rider from the 1960s last night and he asked me about an old Gordon Harker film about speedway. I can't find this in GHs filmography...anyone any ideas, and better still a copy ? Lots to trade.

Who was the rider? Speedway (that is motorcycle speedway for our American friends) is one of the few sports I've got any time for. I used to go to Wimbledon regularly before the stock cars took it over.



So when we got Swindon Speedway (The Robins) as a client I just had to go and visit them, on a race night of course



A great evening's racing. And the guest of honour (apart from me) was someone who used to ride for Swindon (and Wimbledon) when speedway was one of the most popular sports in the country. Four times individual world champion, Barry Briggs



I only had the camera in my phone. But I asked the great man nicely and he posed for a (slightly blurred) photo and we had a nice chat about the old days at Wimbledon when he used to ride there with Ronnie Moore







Steve

[Nick Dando]

I never visited the ground at Blunsdon, but we could hear the roar of the bikes going around the course, if the wind was in the right direction. In fact, it was damned noisy in Stanton Fitzwarren in the 1970s! Concorde flying round and round in circles from RAF Fairford, full flaps, undercarriage down, hour after hour whilst it was undergoing airworthiness testing. And then there were the engine tests. And once it was in service you could still hear the double boom as it went through each Mach number.



Then it got even worse when the Americans took over Fairford and started flying the KC135 tankers based on the old civilian 707 and B52s. The KC135s struggled to get off the ground and the whole house shook as they flew overhead, belching out black trails and an amazing crackling sound from the exhaust.



Nick

[Steve Wigan]

name='Steve Crook' timestamp='1284418080' post='474044']

Who was the rider? Speedway (that is motorcycle speedway for our American friends) is one of the few sports I've got any time for. I used to go to Wimbledon regularly before the stock cars took it over.



So when we got Swindon Speedway (The Robins) as a client I just had to go and visit them, on a race night of course



A great evening's racing. And the guest of honour (apart from me) was someone who used to ride for Swindon (and Wimbledon) when speedway was one of the most popular sports in the country. Four times individual world champion, Barry Briggs



I only had the camera in my phone. But I asked the great man nicely and he posed for a (slightly blurred) photo and we had a nice chat about the old days at Wimbledon when he used to ride there with Ronnie Moore







Steve

The guys name is Roy Chappell, although this may be a stage name. He rode at Belle Vue, I think, that would be his local track and he told me his father was the team manager. I've known him for many years because of his main occupation as an entertainer(he sang with Sid Phillips' Band on live shows) He did a show for me last Sunday(at 76!) and the speedway thing came up in conversation afterwards. He still messes about with bikes and he asked me about the Gordon Harker film. Lovely guy as well.

[Steve Crook]

name='Steve Wigan' timestamp='1284449314' post='474075']

The guys name is Roy Chappell, although this may be a stage name. He rode at Belle Vue, I think, that would be his local track and he told me his father was the team manager. I've known him for many years because of his main occupation as an entertainer(he sang with Sid Phillips' Band on live shows) He did a show for me last Sunday(at 76!) and the speedway thing came up in conversation afterwards. He still messes about with bikes and he asked me about the Gordon Harker film. Lovely guy as well.

Speedway riders usually are lovely guys. It always did attract a wide range of very nice people and there was never any crowd trouble between rival fans. At a speedway meeting you're liable to see a big hairy biker going up to a little old lady and politely asking if she managed to get the time of the winner of the last race



I don't recall a rider called Roy Chappell. But looking him up on the Bell Vue Aces site he does seem to have raced under that name. He does seem to collect old bikes. There are a few reports about him buying bikes used by the more famous old riders.



If he likes films with speedway in them then he should check out Once a Jolly Swagman (1949) with Dirk Bogarde & Bonar Colleano. Also, if he can find it, the TV series "King Cinder" (1977)





Nick, yes, speedway does tend to be a bit noisy. When we used to go to Wimbledon Speedway when we were little children my Mum used to put cotton wool in our ears. But it was exciting





For those that don't know it, motorcycle speedway is quite a simple sport.

You take a 500cc motorbike and strip it of all non-essentials, like brakes and gears

Then find some reckless fool to hang on to it as it hurtles round an oval track in a race against 3 other equally reckless fools.



The bikes are actually custom made, not modified street bikes. But they do have to meet quite stringent standards so that there's very little advantage gained by the bike itself. It's mainly down to the skill, and the daring, of the rider. The bikes run on a methanol fuel and don't bother with silencers to keep the weight down. They don't have gears so each rider, and his mechanic, select a fixed gearing for each race depending on conditions.



The track is only about the size of an athletics track but they can reach speeds of 70mph and when you're jostling for position with 3 other guys, that is plenty fast enough. The big advantage for the spectators is that you see all of the action all of the time. It's not like Formula 1 or superbikes where it's just Zoom as they flash past ... then wait 5 minutes ... then Zoom as they flash past again



As they have no brakes they riders go into each corner in a controlled skid, powered by the back wheel and with the front wheel pointing what seems to be the wrong way



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOqnXQykGc



Steve

[Nick Dando]

Am I correct in thinking that most bikes used Jawa engines from, what was then, Czechoslovakia? It used to surprise me that this simple, hopelessly out-of-date engine from behind the Iron Curtain could so dominate a sport when there were supposedly better engines available from the West.



Nick

[Harbottle]

Always found Speedway pretty tedious viewing myself but it reminded me that it used to be shown on BBC Sportsnight possibly as late as the 1980's, but has vanished from our screens. It might be shown via Sky etc but as a pretty cheap sport to cover (requiring only a few camera positions) I'm surprised it is not on the BBC or ITV.

[Steve Crook]

name='Harbottle' timestamp='1284470534' post='474161']

Always found Speedway pretty tedious viewing myself but it reminded me that it used to be shown on BBC Sportsnight possibly as late as the 1980's, but has vanished from our screens. It might be shown via Sky etc but as a pretty cheap sport to cover (requiring only a few camera positions) I'm surprised it is not on the BBC or ITV.

Speedway on TV is done as well as it can be nowadays, but it's never as good as being at the meeting.

You don't get all the banter with the friendly crowd (from sweet little old ladies to big hairy bikers) when you watch it on TV. Speedway fans always were a very varied crowd and they give a better commentary than even the best TV commentators.



But most of all, on TV you don't get the noise, from the bikes and from the crowd, you don't get a shower of cinders thrown up as they go round the corner and most important, you don't get the smell of methanol fuel and hot cinders



Steve

[Steve Crook]

name='Nick Dando' timestamp='1284468455' post='474149']

Am I correct in thinking that most bikes used Jawa engines from, what was then, Czechoslovakia? It used to surprise me that this simple, hopelessly out-of-date engine from behind the Iron Curtain could so dominate a sport when there were supposedly better engines available from the West.



Nick

Yes, it's speedway around the world (it's very popular in Australia, NZ and the Nordic countries) that has been keeping most of Czechoslovakia going for years



Since the break up of the old Czechoslovakia, the Jawa factories are now in the Czech Republic. They've split out the manufacture of speedway bikes (still successful) from the manufacture of other bikes and of cars (struggling)



It is a simple engine, but it has been continuously developed and it's ideal for speedway racing. Just because it's been around for a long time doesn't mean that it's out-of-date or not very good. A speedway bike is basic, but very effective in skilled hands



Steve

[penfold]

name='Steve Crook' timestamp='1284473394' post='474169']



But most of all, on TV you don't get the noise, from the bikes and from the crowd, you don't get a shower of cinders thrown up as they go round the corner and most important, you don't get the smell of methanol fuel and hot cinders



Steve

I don't think that's the methanol you're smelling....that would be the distinctive, er, herbal whiff of hot Castrol R or M(R for Racing, M for Methanol fuelled), vegetable-based lubricants; in fact, Castor Oil based...hence the Castrol name......it's been used for racing engines that long.