SCENE
TWO: London 1963/64.
I
like films that play around with time eg: an all-time favourite,
PROVIDENCE
by Alain Resnais.
Clive
(John Gielgud), a frequently drunk author in declining health, is busy working
on a new book at his Rhode Island home. The characters in his new story are
based on his actual family, which includes his wife, Sonia (Ellen Burstyn); his
illegitimate son, Kevin (David Warner) ; and his son, Claude (Dirk Bogarde).
Clive embellishes their personalities, adding heavy symbolism to create a dark,
surreal tale. When they all show up for a family meal, we learn about their
true natures.
and
DUNKIRK by Christopher Nolan,
so
this Blog follows that style with a lot of a film rattling through the Moviola
as
we jump cut from Preston in 1944 to London of the Swinging Sixties.
I
arrived at Victoria Station surrounded by hordes of Indians all intent on
opening corner shops and selling Pink Paraffin. A Horde is described as 'a
small loosely knit social group typically consisting of about five families' so
I think my use of the plural term is applicable. A friend who greeted me at
Victoria claimed, “My dear, it's just like Bhowani Junction!"
I
arrived also at the peak of the Profumo scandal,
The
Beatles, Rolling Stones,
Carnaby
Street.
By
now I was a fully-fledged Film Editor (more anon) and was fortunate enough to
find employment with a documentary producer, Stanley Schofield. The cutting
rooms were at 6-8 Old Bond Street around the corner from Burlington Arcade
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Burlington-Arcade-the-Burlington-Beadles/
and
across the road from Asprey,
so,
as I was sharing a flat in Kensington, I wasn't exactly slumming it.
Number
6 Old Bond Street
As
you can see it now reeks of Dolce & Gabbana but originally had in the
basement, The Embassy.
One
of the first London night clubs 1924.
1954:
‘One of the oldest-established clubs of its type in London…food and service
excellent and usually a very high standard of cabaret. Cheque-book.
Subscription: 1 guinea. Band: Billy Sproud.’
While
there I was introduced by Mr Schofield to Jane, a young woman who had come from
Africa with some film footage of chimpanzee.
Little
did I know the woman was Dame Jane
Morris Goodall, DBE, formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, an English
primatologist and anthropologist.
I
recently discovered that Jane Goodall had previously worked at Stanley Schofield
productions as an assistant and as an editor, so it seems logical that she
would have returned to Mr Scofield to produce her documentaries on the chimpz. Sadly, I never got to work on those doco’s as
I was about to return to Australia.
But
before I did, I left my mark on English cinema.
1964.
the year of THE PILL
Coming
(?), as it did by colliding with Swinging London, it gave way to the sexual
freedom that we now see on display in the Daily Mail and are left to ponder the
wonders or follies of past experimentation with human reproductivity.
Stanley Schofield’s
had been commissioned to make a documentary by the makers of the pill, to
explain it merits and usage. I was assigned to edit the film. All went well
until the final stages. A closing shot was required of a large group of women,
presumably to show that the pill was acceptable for all women.
The film was
complete except for that last shot. A call went out for some stock footage showing
the required action. Eventually one was received.
The film had been shot on
reversal Extachrome which was a positive film treated as a master from which negatives
could be made. I had no way to view the stock footage without damaging it, save with a quick
examination by hand.
Yes, it was a large group of women.
Looked ideal for our
requirements.
The shot was spliced in, and went off to the laboratory for an Answer
Print to be made (that is the first print struck to ensure everything is OK).
On viewing the film, everything was indeed OK – until the last shot - the stock
footage.
The
women were shown standing around in groups – so far so good - but the camera tracked back to reveal the
women were all standing in St Peter’s Square, Rome.
What
today, would be known as FAIL
The film, PEACE
OF MIND 1964 Stanley Schofield. Supervising editor. Robert Eaves. (He took all
the credits for Editing). Tee Hee. I doubt Robert had any peace of mind.
But
too late, for now I was hot-footing it across the Atlantic to New York to see
if Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s claims were true...I knew the Bronx was up...but?
CUT
TO the next scene...
