6 Evening Courier • Friday August 15 2008 www ... · Hall to film scenes for Emily Bronte’s...
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Evening Courier • Friday August 15 2008 www.halifaxcourier.co.uk 6 Tomorrow in your Living Today ● Full TV guide ● Eating out ● Gardening An encyclopedic new book by Tony Earnshaw charts Yorkshire’s glorious 120 years of red carpet moments UNLIKE many of its neighbour- ing districts, Calderdale is a little reticent about its association with the movies. But, in common with so many other parts of Yorkshire, it can boast some classic film associa- tions with a cast list that includes Ewan McGregor, Sir Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney, Laurence Harvey and Peter Finch. Finch and Harvey are consid- ered almost forgotten stars today, but in their time they were two of the biggest stars in British (and international) movies. It is Harvey, playing ruthless social climber Joe Lampton, who steps from a train as it arrives in Halifax station at the beginning of Room at the Top. Ninety min- utes later he emerges from All Souls’ Church, a reluctant bride- groom to adoring Heather Sears. In between, he loves and loses Simone Signoret, his partner in an illicit, ultimately tragic affair that scandalised 1950s Britain as John Braine’s best-selling novel became one of the raciest films of the decade. Thus Halifax, doubling for the fictional textile town of Warnley, bookends a film that tends to be associated primarily with Bradford. It was a smash hit, pro- pelling Harvey to stardom and garnering Oscars for Signoret and writer Neil Paterson along with nominations for the film, direc- tor Jack Clayton, Harvey and co- star Hermione Baddeley. The film is one of many pro- filed in Made in Yorkshire, a book by photographer Jim Moran and myself that looks anew at some well-known (and unfamiliar) Setting the scene: Juliet Binoche and Ralph Fiennes filming Wuthering Heights at Shibden Hall in 1991 and, above, Mark Herman directs Pete Postlethwaite at the Piece Hall in Brassed Off films that share one common aspect: all were produced in the “Broad Acres.” Yorkshire has been a magnet for film-makers since the invention of moving pictures in 1888. Now, 120 years later, it can lay claim to close on 200 separate titles good, bad and indifferent. Calderdale has played a significant part. Its image as a textile centre provided some movies with a distinc- tive, typically northern, backdrop. In 1948 A Boy, a Girl and a Bike used loca- tions across the Calder Valley – in Elland, Hebden Bridge, Halifax and Mytholmroyd – to tell the tale of a love tri- angle within a Yorkshire cycling club. The stars were Patrick Holt, Honor Blackman and John McCallum, with supporting roles going to Diana Dors, Thora Hird and Anthony Newley. A joy- ous celebration of inno- cence, it is dedicated to fresh air and open spaces – precisely what a 21-year-old former coalminer from Leeds was looking for. An avid cyclist who spent his spare time on his racing bike, he was delighted to be hired as an extra and to be paid for riding his bike. His name: Jimmy Savile. “It was the most amazing time in the world,” said Savile almost 60 years later. “I’ve done a million things since but that was the first film, which is what makes it important. I loved it then, and I love it now.” The Piece Hall has been used by several film and TV produc- tions. In The Dresser it bears silent witness to the mental collapse of “Sir”, the grandiloquent actor whose mind is as frayed as his shirttails. Albert Finney played the thespian modelled on Donald Wolfit, and Tom Courtenay was Norman, the effete dresser of the title. In Brassed Off writer/director Mark Herman whipped up a musical storm as Grimley Colliery Band played their hearts out. Alongside a hit parade of brass band classics the film delivered a potent political message that the cast, including Pete Postlethwaite, Ewan McGregor and Tara Fitzgerald, actively espoused. “Not only does it strike an emotional chord with me, it strikes a very angry chord,” said Postlethwaite. “My feelings are not very far away from what the basis of the story is.” Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche made a brief visit to Shibden Hall to film scenes for Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in 1991 – the first movie to attempt to tackle the AUGUST SPECIAL! PELLON LANE SAWMILLS, HALIFAX (Established 1908) Open: Mon Fri 7.30am - 5pm Sat 8am - 1pm. Tel: 01422 361251 Fax: 01422 321892 Delivery Service Available • Free Advice • Retail and Trade Welcome Email: [email protected] www.james-chambers.co.uk • Engineered Oak door • Cottage style design • 10 year manufacturers defect guarantee ONLY £85.00 plus VAT * Offer available on 27'', 30'' and 33'' doors. Various other sizes available but exclusive of current promotion. INTERNAL OAK SUFFOLK We are delighted to announce that The Maltings Independent School will be opening for the new academic year on September 3rd. Located in the open countryside of the Wheatley valley, the school has state-of-the-art facilities in an award-winning building. Our friendly, experienced teaching staff have an extensive range of learning resources while our curriculum included: Dance, Music, Art, Drama, Cookery, Languages and Horse riding. Large playground, Sports field, Nature trail and organic garden. Open days Saturday 16th and 23rd August by appointment only. Open evening Monday 6th October 4 - 6.30pm/Private visits by appointment. Significant discounted fee incentives are available up to 30th September 2008. Separate sibling discount. Monthly direct debit option (conditions apply). Further details, as well as prospectuses, registration forms and information on open days, are available from Diane Smith, School Secretary, on 01422 355555. Private tours of the school are also available by arrangement. The Maltings Independent School Maltings Road, Fountain Head Village, Wheatley Village, Halifax HX2 0TJ 01422 355555 HALIFAX’S NEW PRIVATE DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND BOYS AGED 3 TO 11 Head Teacher: Janet Arber BA “Everybody’s got a gift . . . ” © Grace Nicholls, Poet
Transcript of 6 Evening Courier • Friday August 15 2008 www ... · Hall to film scenes for Emily Bronte’s...
Evening Courier • Friday August 15 2008 www.halifaxcourier.co.uk6
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120 years of redcarpet momentsUNLIKE many of its neighbour-ing districts, Calderdale is a littlereticent about its associationwith the movies.
But, in common with so manyother parts of Yorkshire, it canboast some classic film associa-tions with a cast list that includesEwan McGregor, Sir TomCourtenay, Albert Finney,Laurence Harvey and PeterFinch.
Finch and Harvey are consid-ered almost forgotten stars today,but in their time they were twoof the biggest stars in British (andinternational) movies.
It is Harvey, playing ruthlesssocial climber Joe Lampton, whosteps from a train as it arrives inHalifax station at the beginningof Room at the Top. Ninety min-utes later he emerges from AllSouls’ Church, a reluctant bride-
groom to adoring Heather Sears.In between, he loves and loses
Simone Signoret, his partner inan illicit, ultimately tragic affairthat scandalised 1950s Britain asJohn Braine’s best-selling novelbecame one of the raciest films ofthe decade.
Thus Halifax, doubling for thefictional textile town of Warnley,bookends a film that tends to beassociated primarily withBradford. It was a smash hit, pro-pelling Harvey to stardom andgarnering Oscars for Signoret andwriter Neil Paterson along withnominations for the film, direc-tor Jack Clayton, Harvey and co-star Hermione Baddeley.
The film is one of many pro-filed in Made in Yorkshire, a bookby photographer Jim Moran andmyself that looks anew at somewell-known (and unfamiliar)
Setting the scene: Juliet Binoche and RalphFiennes filming Wuthering Heights at ShibdenHall in 1991 and, above, Mark Herman directsPete Postlethwaite at the Piece Hall in BrassedOff
films that share onecommon aspect: allwere produced in the“Broad Acres.”
Yorkshire has been amagnet for film-makerssince the invention ofmoving pictures in1888. Now, 120 yearslater, it can lay claim toclose on 200 separatetitles good, bad andindifferent. Calderdalehas played a significantpart.
Its image as a textilecentre provided somemovies with a distinc-tive, typically northern,backdrop.
In 1948 A Boy, a Girland a Bike used loca-tions across the CalderValley – in Elland,Hebden Bridge, Halifaxand Mytholmroyd – totell the tale of a love tri-angle within a Yorkshirecycling club.
The stars were PatrickHolt, Honor Blackmanand John McCallum,with supporting rolesgoing to Diana Dors,Thora Hird andAnthony Newley. A joy-ous celebration of inno-cence, it is dedicated tofresh air and openspaces – precisely what a21-year-old formercoalminer from Leedswas looking for.
An avid cyclist whospent his spare time onhis racing bike, he wasdelighted to be hired asan extra and to be paidfor riding his bike. Hisname: Jimmy Savile.
“It was the most
amazing time in theworld,” said Savilealmost 60 years later.“I’ve done a millionthings since but thatwas the first film,which is what makes itimportant. I loved it
then, and I love itnow.”
The Piece Hall hasbeen used by severalfilm and TV produc-tions. In The Dresser itbears silent witness tothe mental collapse of
“Sir”, the grandiloquentactor whose mind is asfrayed as his shirttails.Albert Finney playedthe thespian modelledon Donald Wolfit, andTom Courtenay wasNorman, the effetedresser of the title.
In Brassed Offwriter/director MarkHerman whipped up amusical storm asGrimley Colliery Bandplayed their hearts out.Alongside a hit paradeof brass band classicsthe film delivered apotent political messagethat the cast, includingPete Postlethwaite,Ewan McGregor andTara Fitzgerald, activelyespoused.
“Not only does itstrike an emotionalchord with me, it strikesa very angry chord,”said Postlethwaite. “Myfeelings are not very faraway from what thebasis of the story is.”
Ralph Fiennes andJuliette Binoche made abrief visit to ShibdenHall to film scenes forEmily Bronte’sWuthering Heights in1991 – the first movie toattempt to tackle the
AUGUSTSPECIAL!
PELLON LANE SAWMILLS, HALIFAX (Established 1908)Open: Mon Fri 7.30am - 5pm Sat 8am - 1pm.
Tel: 01422 361251 Fax: 01422 321892Delivery Service Available • Free Advice • Retail and Trade Welcome
Email: [email protected] www.james-chambers.co.uk
• EngineeredOak door
• Cottagestyle design
• 10 yearmanufacturers
defectguarantee
ONLY£85.00plus VAT
* Offer available on 27'', 30'' and 33'' doors. Various othersizes available but exclusive of current promotion.
INTERNAL OAK SUFFOLK
We are delighted to announce that The Maltings Independent School will be openingfor the new academic year on September 3rd. Located in the open countryside ofthe Wheatley valley, the school has state-of-the-art facilities in an award-winning
building. Our friendly, experienced teaching staff have an extensive range oflearning resources while our curriculum included:
Dance, Music, Art, Drama, Cookery, Languages and Horse riding.Large playground, Sports field, Nature trail and organic garden.
Open days Saturday 16th and 23rd August by appointment only.Open evening Monday 6th October 4 - 6.30pm/Private visits by appointment.Significant discounted fee incentives are available up to 30th September 2008.
Separate sibling discount. Monthly direct debit option (conditions apply).
Further details, as well as prospectuses, registration forms and information on opendays, are available from Diane Smith, School Secretary, on 01422 355555.
Private tours of the school are also available by arrangement.
The Maltings Independent SchoolMaltings Road, Fountain Head Village, Wheatley Village, Halifax HX2 0TJ
01422 355555
HALIFAX’S NEW PRIVATE DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND BOYS AGED 3 TO 11
Head Teacher: Janet Arber BA
“Everybody’s got a gift . . . ” © Grace Nicholls, Poet
7www.halifaxcourier.co.uk Evening Courier • Friday August 15 2008
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Perfectbackdrop:Jessica Bardenas MaryRatcliffe in MrsRatcliffe’sRevolutionfilming onHalifax’s SavilePark inSeptember2006
Below, JenniferPell, owner ofFred Wade’sbookshop witha display ofMade inYorkshirebooks
entirety of the novel.“I enjoyed the challenge of
playing a character as dark asHeathcliff – you have to bringyour own darkness to it,”revealed Fiennes. “I’d like tohave gone even further with it.”
One might expect thedetail surrounding such pro-ductions to have been lost inthe mists of time until oneembraces the ordinary folkwho found themselves gentlypress-ganged into taking part.
Thus it was the humblemovie extras that providedsome of the cornerstones inbuilding a composite pictureof Yorkshire’s film heritage,along with intriguing photo-graphs and snapshots of thefilms themselves.
With the support of variouseditors and archivists wetrawled through newspaperpicture libraries, unearthingimages that had not beenseen for more than half a cen-tury. Many of the imagesfrom Room at the Top wereprovided by the Courier,
along with an image ofFiennes and Binoche at Shib-den Hall surrounded by theparaphernalia of filmmaking.
Calderdale has played hostto several other films, someof which went on to becomesignificant hits (My Summer ofLove – Todmorden andBrighouse), popular classics(No Love for Johnnie, filmed inHalifax with Peter Finch),some critical successes (MySon the Fanatic – Halifax andBrighouse) and some flops(Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution –Halifax). And, every year, thelist grows longer.● Made in Yorkshire is official-ly launched on Friday August15 at the National MediaMuseum when playwrightRonald Harwood will discusshis film The Dresser.● On Monday at 7pm TonyEarnshaw will be at TheViaduct Cafe, Dean Clough,Halifax, for a talk-and-sign-ing session organised by FredWade Books, where Made InYorkshire is on sale.
An exciting new rangeof dining furniture on display
Over 70 beds on displayfrom leading manufacturers
Over 30 suites on displayMany hand crafted on the premises
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