The Spy in Black

[Wee Sonny MacGregor]

Discovered in a 1939 newspaper that some of the scenes were filmed at Northchurch Common, Berkhamsted. According to the report, three scenes were filmed there: where a mysterious crippled man is seen walking towards the Common, another of a motor cyclist (understudy for Conrad Veidt) riding through the bracken on to the road; and a third of the motor cyclist and a naval officer walking along the road to the Common.

[Steve Crook]

Discovered in a 1939 newspaper that some of the scenes were filmed at Northchurch Common, Berkhamsted. According to the report, three scenes were filmed there: where a mysterious crippled man is seen walking towards the Common, another of a motor cyclist (understudy for Conrad Veidt) riding through the bracken on to the road; and a third of the motor cyclist and a naval officer walking along the road to the Common.

Always quite possible. If they had a few fill-in scenes to do (probably a job for the 2nd unit) there's no point in going back up to Orkney for them. Although Berkhamstead still seems quite a long way to go for them. It's 20 miles from Denham which was the main studio used. Unless they were already doing some 2nd unit work at another studio nearer to Berkhamstead.



Do you still have the details of the newspaper?



The crippled man is probably Grant Sutherland (or a double for him) who played Bob Bratt, the local policeman. ISTR he was kept out of the services (in the film) because of his bad leg.



Steve

[Bobj]

I was born in Northchurch less than a quarter of a mile from the Common. I'm now 46 and didn't realise that the Spy in Black was filmed there until a story appeared in our local paper the Berkhamsted Gazette last year. I will try and dig out the article which I'm sure i kept somewhere or else I will approach the paper to try and get a copy. Will keep you posted. I don't have a copy of The Spy in black so can't look and check at present to see if I recognise the locatiuons. Strange no one in my family ever mentioned this toi me knowing how mad about films I am.

[Steve Crook]

I was born in Northchurch less than a quarter of a mile from the Common. I'm now 46 and didn't realise that the Spy in Black was filmed there until a story appeared in our local paper the Berkhamsted Gazette last year. I will try and dig out the article which I'm sure i kept somewhere or else I will approach the paper to try and get a copy. Will keep you posted. I don't have a copy of The Spy in black so can't look and check at present to see if I recognise the locatiuons. Strange no one in my family ever mentioned this toi me knowing how mad about films I am.

Wee Sonny MacGregor has already sent me a copy of the article thanks. It's transcribed online at Contemporary Location Report - The Spy in Black (1939)



Steve

[Wee Sonny MacGregor]

Steve,



It's not the same article. The one I discovered by chance was pre-war and in the Bucks Examiner. Bobj's is last year and in the Berko Gazette.



Sonny

[Steve Crook]

Steve,

It's not the same article. The one I discovered by chance was pre-war and in the Bucks Examiner. Bobj's is last year and in the Berko Gazette.

Sonny

In that case I'd be obliged if you could dig out the article somehow, somewhere Bobj



Bucks, Berks, it's difficult for us southerners in Surrey to distinguish between these Northern counties (well, north of London anyway)



Thanks



Steve

[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]

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]

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]

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

[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