| |
Marvellous Mister Marc Maitland’s Magical Movie Memories Made Magnificently More Memorable
Part One
|
THE CONSTANT HUSBAND
Pic 18
Grosvenor Embankment: an additional pic is also included, taken slightly more to the left than the first one, since it shows the remaining coal-handling plants at Battersea Power Station, which are shown in original pic. 18, but are more to the left now, being on a track that is parallel to the river. In fact, I think they once ran the entire length of the embankment between the power station and railway bridge. They are now static, in front of the power station but, thankfully, still there! The railway bridge in the "now" picture, Grosvenor Bridge (leading from Victoria Station) is not the same bridge as shown in the film, since the bridge was replaced in 1967 (as can be seen in the opening shots of "Up the Junction". You will also note the proliferation of ugly apartment block obliterating the view of Battersea Park in the background. Nice to see that the tree is still there however! |
|
 |
VILLAIN
Pic 2
Prince of Wales Drive, looking east, with the Battersea gasometer in the background. This can't be seen in the "then" picture due to tree foliage, whereas my "now" shot is taken in winter! On the right can be seen the building line which forms York Mansions, more of which can be seen in the next 2 pictures. Battersea Park is on the left. I often used to park up here on the way home from work (having bought a sandwich at the petrol station on the roundabout at the East end of this road), and envied those living in York Mansions and the other blocks along here, with their lovely view of Battersea Park. |
|
 |
| Pic 3
This is taken slightly further back and swung to the right, showing more of York Mansions. A major change now is that the wall has been built up in front of the hedge on the extreme right. |
|
 |
| Pic 4
..The entrance to York Mansions. The only major difference is that the window glass above the door has obviously been changed or repainted, with a different style of lettering. Now, here is where truth and fiction part company: picture 3 has the actor apparently stepping onto the kerb about to enter York Mansions as can be seen in Pic 4. This cannot, however have been what actually happened, since if the actor in Pic 3 went straight ahead he would not meet the entrance to York Mansions but another mansion block Primrose Mansions, I think). York Mansions' entrance, shown in Pic 4 is actually the entrance that can be seen a few yards beyond the side-street in Pic 3, and not adjacent to where the actor is in Pic 4!The other main change from 1971 is that now there are something like 25 speed humps along the length of this road, which keeps traffic speed down but also makes for a very uncomfortable ride! |
|
 |
Schizophrenic Journeys
Isn't it interesting, for those of us that know London, the idiotic juxtapositioning of places in certain films. Also, in "Brannigan" if memory serves correctly, there is an extraordinary journey from Heathrow that has the car passing Buck House and then some other totally off-route places before eventually arriving at Piccadilly or wherever!
It's one of the good things about some of the Ealing films, like "The Blue Lamp" which is largely, as far as I can see, "logical" in its sequences. Others, though, like "The Ladykillers" is of course schizophrenic in that the house is meant to be on top of Copehagen Tunnel when viewing from the front - you can see the railway lines behind the house, but when looking out the front door you can see St. Pancras Station in front! That is all well documented on the site which led me to yours in the first place. That is, I think, my favourite film of all time and, if I may, I want to mention something about it. About 15 years ago, I read a Sunday newspaper article about how the London streetscape had changed since the making of that film - chimney stacks, steam trains etc., and I then desperately tried to get hold of a copy on video - my local Blockbusters hadn't even heard of it! Now they are ten a penny - but then "old" films were quite rare on VHS. Another irony - that same Blockbusters is shown just to the right of the Safeway - since changed to Waitrose! - store in the present-day "Poor Cow" picture 2a! The cafe from which that picture was taken is still there and it's right next door to my barber., |
2 shots from The Blue Lamp
|
 |
Smallest Show on Earth
Pic 2
I took (this “now” photo) on the way back from work this afternoon: what is now called the Hammersmith Carling Apollo - used to be Hammersmith Odeon. As you will see, Hammersmith Flyover now blights the area, and the central island area which used to house Hammersmith Riverside Bus Garage as well as Butterwick Bus Station is all long since gone under the redevelopment whose name I forget. St. Paul's Church, just 180 degrees from the photograph submitted, still stands isolated and with the flyover just feet away from it - but as an offshoot of Holy Trinity Brompton (happy clappy) it is thriving and regularly has, I am told, 4-figure congregations! My ex-girlfriend was unsuccessful in her attempt to tempt me in: I prefer something more traditional! Also behind the photographer is a lovely gothic concoction called College Court which, but for the flyover abutting it, would be a lovely building in which to live. |
|
 |
|
