There Was A Crooked Man (1960)

[Rob Compton]

I'm still trying to see a copy of this film (mentioned before on these forums).



Steve - I looked it up on IMDB and I notice you've done a note about it. Have you seen it?



It was made in 1959/1960 and I'm particularly interested in it because I believe it was partly filmed in Oxfordshire, a mile or so from where I live.



However it seems not ever to have been released on video or DVD.



Does anyone know anything about it, or could obtain a copy?



Many thanks

Rob

[Ronald John Saunders]

If more than one copy appears let me know too.

Ronald John Saunders

[Tony Pendrey]

I believe this film is now classified as officially "lost". Like many, it is the only NW film I have never seen.



Can anyone shed any further light on this?

[smudge]

(Tony Pendrey @ Oct 4 2005, 08:09 PM)

I believe this film is now classified as officially "lost". Like many, it is the only NW film I have never seen.



Can anyone shed any further light on this ?

I am aware that a copy exists ; I do believe a copy exists in the BFI archive as well. I know somebody who has it - a while ago he was talking about looking into resolving the rights issues towards a commercial release, but I've heard nothing since.



His copy was gifted to him as a reward for working on a significant NW project, but he isn't open to offers. Having discussed this in some detail, I fully appreciate his position. Who knows though, he might sort things out and persuade someone to let him release it...fingers crossed.



SMUDGE

[Rob Compton]

Thanks smudge, understood. Fingers crossed then.



rgds

Rob

[ican]

Many of the location scenes were filmed in Darwen, Lancashire. I've been trying to locate a copy for years as my house was used for a sequence where Norman rides a bike through it.

I contacted the North West Film Archive a while ago as I was trying to arrange a local showing. They put me in contact with the BFI who informed me that a copy exists but isn't available for showing even at the NFT. In the early 90's I came across a 16mm hire catalogue dated 1979. They had a copy but the company had long gone.

[Mr Pastry Time]

Might anyone be able to help me locate a dvd of the Norman Wisdom film THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN please.

Heres hoping.

[Rob Compton]

Me too please - have posted this a number of times in the past



Thank you



Rob

[smudge]

Any other miracles you have in mind chaps ?



This one's even rarer than the proverbial hen's teeth...



I know someone who has a copy - he was given it for working on an NW project - but he's never let it out. There was talk of a DVD release being negotiated a while back, but I've heard nowt since....



SMUDGE

[Mr Pastry Time]

I heard last night that the FBI, sorry BFI has the X 16mm library print so thats the last we will see of it!

[Tony Pendrey]

name='Mr Pastry Time']I heard last night that the FBI, sorry BFI has the X 16mm library print so thats the last we will see of it!

Yeah, but doesn't that make you feel good knowing that it there, archived and safe, for ever and ever and ever.

[Mr Pastry Time]

And I thought films were made to be seen.... Lets put all films with the BFI...AH THE POWER THEY HAVE!!

[Steve Crook]

name='Mr Pastry Time']I heard last night that the FBI, sorry BFI has the X 16mm library print so thats the last we will see of it!

In technical jargon they have what appears to be a write only storage system (c.f. read only and read/write). You can store information in it, but you can never get it out again



Steve

[Mr Pastry Time]

Even more on this injustice.

I went to see a friend last night who is recovering from Cancer, and he used to have a Cinema. The lad (now 80) and a friend appeared in the film in Darwen, and as he had a Cinema a few years back he tried to see it. After many feelers going out and research from another film buff they found that a well known archive had a 16mm copy. His friend reported they would not help him to see it, and even worse, at that time Norman Wisdom wanted to see it. My view of archives is dim. For what its worth I work in media and go to a few business events where these archive folk turn up and spout. I often wonder if its all about keeping them in a job, or are they interested in film ? What a caper..... In years past 16mm film collectors who rescued films from skips for personal archiving were outlawed. These days the BBC and others are pleading for help from them as they have swiped tapes etc. What about Dads Army for instance? Its all a bit of a sham, but for goodness sake lets keep the films seen on the big or small screens and not locked away under watchful eye of big brother.. We should be proud of British film, so lets have them on show for all to see.

[penfold]

The BFI have a Viewing Copy according to the British Cinema Source Book. This means you can book up a Steenbeck in London and watch it in a small room, or if there are a few of you interested, hire a viewing theatre and have it played in a mini-cinema environment. If you have a friendly local artshouse cinema, they would be able to hire the print out for showing.

What you would not be able to do is to get them to copy it for you, on tape or DVD...because that would violate copyright, on top of it being an exorbitant cost. Not the fault of the BFI.

I have to say that in my opinion there is an abysmal amount of ill-informed b******s spouted here and elsewhere about the BFI; it has flaws, but when an institution is so pitifully underfunded compared to the rest of the arts institutions, it will always be flawed, in a nutshell they don't have the cash to do what they would like to. It's a national scandal that they have to rely on donations in order to get any films restored at all. They should be directly funded from the DCMS, but they aren't. As a result, they have working in Stephen Street people with multiple degrees and doctorates who could earn more cashiering at Tescos, but do it because they love the subject. They know their stuff, and they do what they can, within the law, and to their budget.

[penfold]

name='Steve Crook']In technical jargon they have what appears to be a write only storage system (c.f. read only and read/write). You can store information in it, but you can never get it out again



Steve

With all due respect, Steve, it's the National Archive, not a lending library. The British Library have a copy of the Domesday Book, but I doubt they'd let me take it home....

[sippog]

I thought for a minute . . . but,no, the version I have is the Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda movie. (But then I never could stand gormless Norman to be honest)

[Steve Crook]

name='penfold']With all due respect, Steve, it's the National Archive, not a lending library. The British Library have a copy of the Domesday Book, but I doubt they'd let me take it home....

No special respect necessary :

It is a National Archive, but it's not supposed to be the sealed vault that it sometimes appears to be.



Steve

[Rob Compton]

Just out of interest, the special reason I want to see the film is that a part of it was filmed near where I live in Oxfordshire - I know Darwen in Lancashire was also used as a location.



Re the BFI, what would make me think I'd gone to heaven would be a web based download service from them of all the stuff they have in their vaults: which I would be happy to pay for, before anyone says I'm after something for nothing! I guess they haven't the cash to set such a thing up (quite apart from the copyright negotiations they'd need). However, that would really use the technology now available to best advantage



rgds

Rob

[penfold]

name='Steve Crook']No special respect necessary :

It is a National Archive, but it's not supposed to be the sealed vault that it sometimes appears to be.



Steve

I do think part of that is down to misunderstandings propagated in forums like this...basically, if the NFTVA have a viewing copy of the film (ie, not just the archival copy that's being preserved for the future generations) you - anyone actually - can book up and see it in a variety of ways.