Bartleby (1970)

Heading for central London, Bartleby (John McEnery) sits looking through the window of an Underground train.

Bartleby's train enters the platform at Euston station. This is the northbound platform on the City Branch of the Northern Line.

The very same platform. (PW)

A melancholy soundtrack accompanies the titles as Bartleby reaches the station concourse. The concourse at Euston station on Euston Road NW1. Various views of the station, new and old, are seen in many other films including 'No Place for Jennifer', 'No Love for Johnnie', 'Indiscreet', 'Night Train for Inverness', 'Treacle Jr,', 'Play It Cool', 'Schizo' and 'A Honeymoon Adventure'.

To have crouched down in front of a never ending stream of passengers for a more accurate shot may have caused uneasiness. (PW)

After placing his bag in a left luggage locker, Bartleby walks against the flow of commuters. This is a temporary footbridge leading from London Bridge station to London Bridge in SE1.

There's an awful lot of clutter about now. (PW)

Name . . . Address . . . Date of Birth . . . Nationality . . . Education . . . Social Security Number . . . Previous Employment . . . Give Two References . . . Position and Salary . . . Bartleby stands looking down at the Thames after phoning to apply for a job. Hungerford Bridge in London WC2.

Taken from the new Golden Jubilee Bridge on the north side of Hungerford Bridge. SJ

Remembering several other calls answered by seemingly uninterested secretaries, Bartleby turns from the railings. Hungerford Bridge with the Royal Festival Hall in the background.

The Golden Jubilee footbridge provides a different foreground. (RL)

The young man walks towards the north side of the river. Hungerford Bridge crossing from SE1 to WC2.

The new bridge is further away from the rail-lines. SJ

Bartleby continues his lonely journey. The steps lead down from Hungerford Bridge to Victoria Embankment.

The new steps for the Golden Jubilee but the background looks the same. SJ

After picking up a newspaper in a back street, Bartleby makes his way to London Wall in EC2.

The frequently changing London Wall appears in many productions including ‘The Strange Affair’, 'Crossplot', 'Three Hats for Lisa’, 'The London Nobody Knows', ‘Ladies Who Do’, 'The Italian Job', ‘The Sandwich Man’, 'Catch Us if You Can', 'The Ballad of Tam Lin', 'Blow Up', ‘Life at the Top’, 'Go to Blazes', 'Sebastian' and ‘A Matter of Choice’.

Bartleby walks up a pedestrian ramp. More of London Wall.

Stopping momentarily on St. Alphege Highwalk, Bartleby looks up from beside the ruins of St. Alphege church in London EC2 . . .

The older structures seem to outlast the newer ones. (PW)

. . . to the top of St. Alphage House. A jazz beat plays as Bartleby recalls a previous position in the GPO's dead letter section before moving on to attend an interview for a job as an audit clerk.

The replacement block doesn't quite have the height. (PW)

Completing a task set by the Accountant interviewing him, Bartleby is next seen standing beneath the Machine Gun Corps Memorial at Hyde Park Corner on the W1 / SW1 boundary. In the left distance stand the Royal Artillery Memorial and the Wellington Monument with St. George's Hospital as the backdrop.

A cloudier day. SJ

The shot cuts to another angle before returning to the office where Bartleby accepts the position, telling the Accountant that the salary is not important. The Machine Gun Corps Memorial with since demolished and replaced buildings at the corner of Park Lane and Piccadilly W1 in the right background. The buildings are also seen in 'Devil Doll'.

An intact foreground. SJ

After retrieving his belongings from the station and moving them into his office, Bartleby peers through a window at electronic office machines. Across Euston Road in NW1, F. J. Edwards stood at numbers, at the corner of Conway Street to the right. The background buildings still stand, unlike the one in which the camera is located.

Across the road, the buildings still stand. (PW)

Bartleby manages to move away from the distraction and returns to his desk. The window belongs to a building on the north side of Euston Road that was demolished to allow continued widening of the road that had started in the 1960s.

Nothing to see here. (PW)

Surprising the Accountant by telling him that he'd prefer not to go over the Preble account, Bartleby returns to his office and looks through the window. Dave Young recognised the area around Barbican while Dave Burns explains that this is Ropemaker Street in EC2 with Britannic House to the extreme left, the corner of Moor Lane and the steps to the High Walk in the centre, Milton Court to the top right and BP House on the extreme right.

At least the roadway itself appears to be the same. (PW)

Following a rebuke from Tucker for causing more work for his colleagues, Bartleby takes another solitary walk. This is in front of numbers 6 and 5 Piccadilly W1, adjacent to the London Pavilion Theatre, with the entrance to Piccadilly Circus Underground station in the centre.

The same station entrance with a different looking backdrop. (PW)

A walk through subways and along the concrete walkways of London Wall returns Bartleby to Leicester Square where thousands of birds fill the sky. The roof line of Queens House at the corner of Leicester Place in W1.

The roof of Queens House is behind the branches. (PW)

Moving on, Bartleby wanders past Vagrants as they shelter beneath a bridge.

The Accountant tells Bartleby that he will speak with him on Monday morning after, again, he refuses work. Looking downstream from Putney Bridge with Fulham Railway Bridge carrying the District Line over the Thames.

John Harwood stood on Putney Bridge.

Moving right, the shot finds the workshops of Putney Wharf and Douglas Wharf on the south side of the Thames.

Turning right, John Harwood found a different scene.

Bartleby strolls aimlessly through a market before returning to Leicester Square where he looks at the statue of William Shakespeare.

A bit of polishing has brought that dolphin up nicely. (PW)

The rooftops catch Bartleby's eye before birds start to take flight once again. Looking past Shakespeare's statue towards Queens House at the corner of Leicester Square and Leicester Place.

Shakespeare looking towards the Empire and Vue cinemas. (PW)

On Saturday, Bartleby passes a line of Men at prayer.

Sunday morning bells ring out as the Accountant arrives at the office. David Burns advises that this is the rear entrance of BP House on Chiswell Street in London EC2.

From ground level. (PW)

The Accountant (Paul Scofield) gets out of his car and enters the building to find Bartleby's belongings and food on his desk. Looking out from BP House on Chiswell Street with the still extant Longbow House across the road located by David Burns.

With the absence of a doorway, this was taken looking across the road from the pavement. (PW)

Realising that Bartleby is living in the office, when he appears, the Accountant leaves the building behind him when he walks away in silence. David Burns identifies this as Chiswell Street with Moor Lane in the centre and St. Pauls Tavern at the corner of Milton Street in the right distance adding that there's barely a building recognisable.

Another view from street level. (PW)

In his Austin Cambridge, the Accountant follows Bartleby when he boards a bus. Clark's Dining Rooms come into view as the car turns into Brick Lane E1 from Grimsby Street E2, a junction that also features in ‘Bartleby’. Location found by Phil Evans, Ian Dunkin and Tim Dore.

The dining rooms survive under different ownership. (PW)

The Accountant turns a corner. Brick Lane with the corner of Cheshire Street visible in the left background found by Ian Dunkin and Phil Evans. Ian adds that the red brick building in the centre background is Club Row Sports which was formerly The Hare public house.

Recognisable as the same location. (PW)

Bartleby also turns a corner. Grimsby Street in London E2

Well at least it's more colourful. (PW)

The Accountant catches up with his member of staff. Grimsby Street, Shoreditch which also appears in 'Run Fatboy Run', 'Good Time Girl', 'Tube Tales' and 'Shirley Valentine'.

The best angle possible with due regard to parked vehicles behind. (PW)

Getting out of his car, the Accountant approaches Bartleby. Facing east on Grimsby Street in Shoreditch E2.

From street level. (PW)

Although inconvenient for him to leave right now, Bartleby is fired from his post. The frontage of BP House on Ropemaker Street located by David Burns. The section of the street can also be seen in 'Ready Player One'.

Looking up at the replacement building, Ropemaker Place. (PW)

Wandering the streets again, as he crosses a road, Bartleby peers into the back of a dust cart. Rupert Street in W1 with the Globe Theatre to the left and Shaftesbury Avenue to the top. The Globe was renamed as the Gielgud Theatre in 1994.

Still a collection point for refuse. (PW)

The shot zooms out. Facing south on Rupert Street with Tisbury Court and Winnett Street first and second on the left. The street features in a number of films including 'Seance on a Wet Afternoon', 'The Look of Love', 'What’s Up Superdoc!', 'Say Hello to Yesterday' and 'The Tall Guy'.

Roadworks have free reign on the street. (PW)

Resting hikers and tourists are perused in Piccadilly Circus.

And this is what the steps beneath the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain look like. (PW)

While the Accountant is away on business for the remainder of the week, Bartleby completes his notice period. Tetramesh advises that this is looking west towards the Barbican estate and David Burns enlarges on the description adding that this is the view along Ropemaker Street towards Shakespeare and Cromwell Towers.

Facing the same way. (PW)

The Friday evening rush hour begins. The three lane footbridge allowed access to London Bridge station from London Bridge crossing Tooley Street and Duke Street Hill during roadway reconstruction work.

Looking out from beneath the railway bridge towards the same background buildings. (PW)

Returning to work after the weekend, the Accountant finds that he's been locked out of his office by Bartleby who advises "Not yet, I'm not quite ready yet".

Another rush hour gets under way after the Accountant moves his business to new premises in King Street, leaving Bartleby in the vacant office. The temporary footbridge starting on Railway Approach outside London Bridge station, crossing Duke Street Hill to London Bridge in SE1.

The aforementioned street clutter and continuing roadworks makes a more accurate comparison impossible. (PW)

Called back to his former office, a Tenant's Representative (Charles Kinross) and the Landlord (Raymond Mason) explain that Bartleby is still in the building. Outside the rear entrance of BP House on Chiswell Street, looking east towards Finsbury Square located by David Burns.

Taken from a similar position. (PW)

Police arrive on the scene after being called to evict the unwanted squatter. David Burns advises that this is the corner of Chiswell Street and Finsbury Street with City Wall House to the left and BP House on the right.

The same corner. (PW)

The Accountant watches as Bartleby is assisted into the Police car. Chiswell Street EC1 with the Barbican’s Ben Jonson House in EC2 in the right distance found by David Burns.

A quiet Chiswell Street. (PW)

Learning that his former employee has been taken to a mental hospital, the Accountant arrives to visit. Outside Inverforth House Hospital on North End Way in London NW3.

A Doctor directs the Accountant to where he can find Bartleby. Inverforth House Hospital, previously known as The Hill.

A flight of steps . . .

Since being converted into apartments Paul Lincoln did well to capture these steps, even off angle. (RL)

. . . . leads to the garden where a Patient (Christine Dingle) stands next to the shelter in which Bartleby is sitting. The Hill Gardens at the rear of Inverforth House in Hampstead.

Leaving when Bartleby tells him that he has nothing to say to him, the Accountant returns on another day. The Grade II listed Inverforth House Hospital was bequeathed to the Manor House Hospital to be used as a convalescent home in 1955. The property also appears in 'Private Road' and 'First Man Into Space'.

This shot from Paul shows the reasons why his taking comparative shots here was so difficult. (RL)

A Doctor tells the Accountant that he is Bartleby's only visitor before he makes his way through the hospital grounds. The Hill Gardens to the rear of Inverforth House Hospital.

Bartleby is nowhere to be found. The colonnades in The Hill Gardens.

Owned by the City of London Corporation, The Hill Gardens are open to the public so Paul had no difficulty with access. (RL)

Heading for a flight of steps, the Accountant checks a lower level of the garden. Owned by the City of London Corporation, The Hill Gardens are open to the public.

Paul found this to be a pleasant location for comparative shots. (RL)

Returning to the colonnade, the search continues. The Hill Gardens, Hampstead.

Paul found that some gates had been erected since 1970. (RL)

The Accountant comes across Bartleby and discovers that he has died. The Hill Gardens in London NW3.

Hurrying back to the main building, the Accountant tells tow Nurses about Bartleby. Inverforth House Hospital closed and was converted into luxury apartments in the 1990s.

Another difficult shot for Paul but he did well. (RL)

The Accountant leaves the hospital. Inverforth House Hospital in Hampstead NW3.

Paul tells us that the required staircase is hidden by that conical bush on the right. (RL)