Films shot in Bermondsey.

hi rodebdon     your right about that film :the pool of london: i liked the bit where they get on the tram in tooley st an go right round by dockhead im sqinting out the window trying to see anyone i know an the long memory they are in shad thames right by tower bridge an d on the forshore there i think most of it was filmed in a very empty dartford and on the marshes near there  and of course the boy and the bridge whitch was filmed in tower bridge an at the angel pub an paradise st police station    cheers jim

Hello
Some of the street scenes in the "Battle of britain" film were filmed in bermondsey area. I remember me and my brother seeing the search lights shineing up in the sky.Allthough i dont know if the scenes were used.

Richard

Hello Richar
"The Battle of Britain" is one of my  favorite films, the scenes of Ian Mc Shane, who plays a Sgt Pilot returns home to his wife and children amongst the bombing, are perhaps the scenes shot then.
Rod

brilliant film with some great flying scenes

what a coincedence i've just watched battle of britain on wdr siegen german television ian mcshane was talking german its just finished this second

i live not far from where the royal air tattoo is held and have just had a spit fire and a Messhersmit 109 fly over my garden chaseing each other coming in low for the display,fantastic.

I know its not about bermondsey but i just had to mention it. Me and my mate from Lewisham sat out side in the garden and all of a sudden we both turned into kids again and tryed to shoot down the messhersmit with our imagenery guns, to the dismay of our loved ones.

Richard

Hello Richard  (sorry I missed the D out of your name before)
Such an evocotive sound The Spitfire makes and it has to be the most beautifull aircraft ever. I live in southend we have an airshow, and the Battle of Britain fly past is the highlight for me. A Spitfire, Huricane and Lancaster Bomber, fantastic.
 
With the dvd of the film they have a making of disc, with a lot about the flying scenes and most of it with real aircraft, and quite hairy a lot of it was to, not the computer generated stuff they do now.
 
Rod.
 

Hello Jim
I can't remember haveing seen "The Boy And The Bridge" - it doesn't seem to be available on dvd which is a great pity since reading reviews about it, it sounds like a good film. 
 "The Pool Of London" only went onto disk recently so perhaps it's in the pipeline. I watched "The Long Memory" again last night, as with all films, on each viewing there's allways a little bit one has'nt noticed before, Towards the end when the chase starts the police car is forced to stop by a traffic jam ( some things never change ) the thing is in the jam is a horse and cart, As often pop's up in Bermondseyboys we where allways seeing them, what a diferent world it was then.
Rod.

the boy on the bridge was on at the bfi on the south bank on the 17 july ya missed it

The last time I went to the bfi was to see "The Third Man" one of my favorite films. Apart from "Laurence Of Arabia" and "the Battle Of Britain" my personal top ten are black and white films.

I too love old films made in Bermondsey. The attached link is to a British Pathe newsreel item showing in 1962 the Atlas Express garage in Canon Beck Road. I lived in Beech House opposite the yard. It looks as though much of the film was shot from those flats.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=42902

George61

When replying to Fosey's topic on Trams in Bermondsey, I mentiond about the film "The Pool of London" most of it was shot in Bermondsey, The City and The Pool of London.There is also a chase in Rotherhith Tunnel, great stuff even on those stairs which we all must have used, I don think they can be used any more.
 It set me thinking about other film's which used Bermondsey, Today 15th Film 4 are Showing "The Long Memory" John Mills stars in it. There are scenes along the River And under the wharves, which I think are the Bermondsey area. "The Lavender Hil Mob" has great stuff filmed across the river in bombed out bits of the City.
 There must be others, I would be very interested to hear if any of you know of them
Rod.

-rodebdon

I worked at Mark Browns at the time of the shooting o the Pool of London.As an apprentice electrician i had the job of erecting the Cargo Lights beneath the crane Gantries for the night shooting.Met Bonar colleano and some of the othe cast on several occasions.The ship was the Jaroslav Dubrowski,and they used to paper the name Dunbar on it,before it came through the Bridge.Remonded me of just how dull and dingy Shad Thames and the wharehouses were in the 50's  .   loved it ....Bill killick

Hi Bill
Fancy being involved in the film that's great, and remembering that the ship was called the Jaroslav Dubrowski. London was badly beaten up by the bombing, and so much of it was still in a bad state in the 50's it was after all just a short time after the War. The strange thing is that I think it was much more attractive then than it is now, whatever they pull down and replace with modern stuff  it just does not look right.
  I loved the old Bermondsey dusty, damaged and a bit dingy but it was great, and I always think of it in black and white just like the films.

Rod

Hi Rob,that was in the days when you could walk where you liked,down the River,across bombed sites,sit on the Barges and eat your lunch,look in the wharehouses,watch the cranes unloading the Ships and Barges...That was when London was a Commercial City,the Hub of the Enpire,so to speak.Thriving,exciting and full of life....The Docks were in full flow,with all kinds of goods being imported and exported..I cant think of another more exciting tiime in my life than working at the Docks in Tooley Street,except getting Bombed for six Years  lol....In those days,London belonged to the Londoners...it was ours.ANd i loved it...From the Blue,to Tower Bridge Road,up the Trocette,Down to the Rialto,The Palace Cinema in Southwark Park Road,which was destroyed by German Bombs early in the War.The Smell of Peek Freans,Pearce and Duffs,Rolls Coffee,Crosse and Blackwells and Shuttleworths Chocolate......If you know of a more exciting and thriving place to have been born...i would like to hear of it...But i dont think you will    Bill Killick

Hi Rob...have you seen "Hue and Cry",that is a great film shot in `1947,all around the Bombed sites along the Thames.Great story with Harry Fowler and Jack Warner as the Arch Villain...available for peanuts from AMazon...

Hi Bill
Thank's for that, I must get a copy. I must have seen it at some time but I can't remember it, Dixon Of Dock Green an Arch Villain, I don't believe it.

Rod.

Chatting to my cousin John this morning about Films in Bermondsey, he told me about "The Limping Man," shot in 1953 with Lloyd Bridges and Moira Lister. There's a lovely bit where they arrive at the bottom of the steps which lead up to "The Mayflower" pub, the thing is though it's called "Spreadeagle and Crown" which was its proper name before they changed it. If you google it a link will take you to the film. The pub scene is about 28 min's into it.
 I just love thing's like that, thanks John. Just one more thing jimeka, John was at The B.F.I. for "The Boy and the Bridge"
Rod.

Hi Rod

Just thought I would put a picture of the Mayflower on site.
It Certainly has a lot of History behind it.

The Mayflower - 117 Rotherhithe Street

As far as I can find out, the Pub was first known as the Shippe (Approx. 1620)
Then the Shippe was rebuilt in the 18th Century and renamed the Spread Eagle & Crown
until 1957 when it was renamed The Mayflower.

Short Clip of the film THE LIMPING MAN, showing the Spread Eagle & Crown
I think you can watch the full film here