Contraband – Spain

The opening credits. Very interesting, that this pretty well-made B-feature was filmed in beautiful Eastmancolor. But obviously for Franco's Spain a welcome tourism commercial, especially for Barcelona of course and here, a mention for Dover which is seen later.

Credited as the French town of Urdos close to the Spanish border. But the location shown during the opening credits cannot be the real one, as in fact Urdos is a small commune in the narrow Aspe Valley beneath the Somport pass (1640 m).

Of course, not the clock tower of Urdos, but an unknown church somewhere in Spain around Barcelona or Girona.

The steps in front of the so far unknown church.

One of the darkened streets in the rural town.

The arcades on the main square.

After the robbery in the Dubois factory, the security guard alerts the police, who immediately set out to investigate.

The 1946 Buick Super belonging to the robbers crosses the river in the outskirts of the Spanish rural town which stands in for Urdos, and races towards the frontier.

While the heavy car broke through the French border barrier at full speed, the 1948 Citroën 11 BL of the French police has to stop at the Spanish customs station where they cease pursuing the criminals.

Immediately after the bridge, the Buick turns and the driver sinks the US limousine into the river, which initially goes unnoticed by the Guardia Civil patrol during the pursuit.

As an uncredited Christopher Lee narrates, the next day and still on French soil, the police discover the body of one of the gang members near the main road to the border. A railway embankment can be seen in the background.

When it turns out that the murdered man was a US citizen, the investigation report ends up at the Sûreté nationale in Paris. Therefore an establishing shot of the entrance to 32 Quai des Orfèvres can be seen.

It seems that in this corner hasn't changed that much over the years, as this comparison shot provides. Image copyright Google.

Another establishing shot, this time of the American Embassy in Paris, located at 2 Avenue Gabriel, where US Treasury agent Lee Scott (Richard Greene) is informed by the Head of Administration (Robert Ayres) about Martin Scott's death. Lee tells him, that his brother stayed in France after the war and most recently worked for an Export firm in Barcelona because of his fluent French and Spanish speaking. However, the later meeting with Inspector LeGrand (Richard Warner) from the Sûreté indicates that Martin was the member of an international Counterfeiting ring, operating between Spain, France and England.

With all the necessary official permits, Lee Scott flies to Barcelona to investigate against the Counterfeit gang, which also uses faked US-Dollar bills. The first establishing shot shows the Paseo de Gracia with a streetcar of Tranvías de Barcelona (TB), passing by the fountain in the center of the intersection with the Gran Vía de las Cortes catalanas.

The comparison shot shows that the tramways have been gone for a long time, at least in this area. Image copyright Google.

The next establishing shot was made at the Jardines de la Reina Victoria (Queen Victoria Gardens), looking towards the Paseo de Gracia.

The Guardia Urbana marks also his presence on the Rambla de las Flores, officially called Rambla de San José.

Coming from El Prat airport, the 1953 Peugeot 203 cab turns into the Plaza de Adriano. The partly visible fountain in the foreground, then called "La lección", was an important clue to find this spot at all.

The comparison shot shows the fountain completely, now called "Fuente de los Estudiantes". Image copyright Google.

"Robin Hood" star Richard Greene, as the US Special agent, gets out the taxi in front of the then courtyard entrance to his brother's apartment. Behind a TB-tram is passing by on Calle Muntaner and in the very background the greenery of the Parque de Monterols can be recognised.

Thanks to this comparison shot, it becomes clear that the courtyard entrance has been overbuilt later. Image copyright Google.

While sitting in the street cafe onto Plaza de Adriano, Lee keeps an eye on the entrance to Martin's apartment. But actually, there exists no street cafe or Restaurante Bar "Nebraska" at this location.

This view proves that the then "Nebraska" street cafe was actually located in the Avenida de Pablo Casals, but has disappeared over the years. Image copyright Google.

Later that evening, one of the contraband Henchmen shows up and hopes to meet Martin's fiancé in the apartment, but leaves the place when no one opens the door.

The shot shows that the property actually is located at 14, Avenida de Pablo Casals, diagonal opposite to the former "Nebraska" Bar. Image copyright Google.

The Henchman gets out the taxi at the Plaza Real, paying the driver.

But Lee has shadowed the villain who has now disappeared into a doorway in the nearby Madoz passage. The long lost Cervecería pub stands in the background.

Lee is watching the apartments around the inner courtyard above to see where the lights are turned on in the next moment, then makes his way upstairs.

From now, Lee Scott works together with Ricky Metcalfe from British Customs, who already tries to infiltrate the counterfeiting gang. According to Metcalfe (Michael Denison), his flat is located at the Paseo de Gracia. However, in fact we look from upstairs across the Avenida de Pablo Casals towards the then street cafe of Restaurante Bar "Nebraska", already seen earlier.

Again, this is at the real Paseo de Gracia with Lee on the way to his meeting with Ricky Metcalfe.

The view trough the windows of Ricky's apartment still shows the short but wide Avenida de Pablo Casals, standing in for the Paseo de Gracia. The impressive and in those days isolated standing building in the left distance is located at Calle Bori i Fontestá, where Calle Francisco Pérez-Cabrero, along the Turó Parc, branches off.

This is a comparison shot along Calle Bori i Fontestá with the greenery of the Turó Parc. Image copyright Google.

Together with Martin's fiancé, nightclub singer Elena Vargas (Anouk Aimée), Lee makes his way to the Province of Huesca, where they reaches soon the eponymous capital town, about 85 kilometres away from the French border.

Lee and Elena arrive at the previously unknown hotel at the foot of the Pyrenees to investigate in the surrounding area.

Coming from the enormous Plaza de Cataluña - generally considered to be the city centre - our hero makes his way along the Paseo de Gracia, where colleague Metcalfe is already shadowing two British tourists in a travel agency. It seems that the elderly couple is supposed to bring a specially prepared vehicle with the contraband from France into England.

Later, Lee extends his investigation beyond the Spanish border to find out where the counterfeiters temporarily storing their contraband. Elena accompanies him again and so their 1940 Mercury Eight Cabriolet approaches the outskirts of Urdos.

Somewhere nearby, they turn into the lane of a small hotel.

Lee and Elena pretend to be a Spanish tourist couple to explore the area without attracting attention. The hotel owner is only surprised that Lee insists on two separate rooms.

But the villains don't want to stand out either. At the main square two of them take the local coach on their way to the hideout with the contraband to prepare the next smuggling operation to England.

The lorry loaded with contraband makes its way towards Accous, about 10 kilometres to the north of Urdos, chased by Lee and Elena.

British Railways car ferry S.S. Lord Warden, built in 1951 by Denny of Dumbarton, lies on the ferry quay at Boulogne-Maritime. The vessel was damaged in the year after this filming by the collision with the French ship Tambre en route to Boulogne.

Looking towards the ferry terminal, which opened in 1952 with a modern redesign. Lee Scott is already aboard and watches from the promenade deck the two suspect vehicles embarking the ferry aft.

After arrival at Dover Eastern Docks, formaly opened on the 30 June 1953, the specially prepared 1938 Wolseley disembarks the vessel behind the 1949 Ford Prefect. One of the recently completed portals at the terminal stands to the left.

Already noted earlier, the facilities of Dover Harbour Board come into view with the 42000 square-feet Customs examination shed, allowed for 240 vehicles an hour. Various aspects of Dover's Eastern Docks appear in 'Calling All Cars', 'San Ferry Ann', 'Johnny English', 'Bond of Fear', 'Diamonds are Forever' and 'The Fourth Protocol'.

Only thanks to the support of the Dover Harbour Board (see capture 1) was it possible to film inside the hall and show how the wagon with the contraband is checked and then, supposedly, released.

During the pursuit of the Wolseley with the contraband (counterfeit luxury watches), the British Customs' 1951 Morris Oxford drives past the petrol station next to the passenger terminal of Dover Harbour Board.

Behind the wheel of the second car sits Pierre (José Nieto), the lead henchman of the counterfeiting gang. Coming from Eastern Docks he is driving the 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline De Luxe along Marine Parade in Dover, Kent.

Howard Baker provides the comparison shot looking towards the port of Dover. The bollards still have poles here but they are now white. (RL)

On the way to his replica-dealer in the town centre, Pierre is passing by the 60th Rifles Memorial at the junction of Waterloo Crescent, Camden Crescent and New Bridge Street and has since noticed that he is being shadowed. The junction also appears in 'Calling All Cars'.

The Rifles memorial taken by Howard, his location was governed by the fact that there is a 'tree lined avenue' where one should be standing that completely obscures the buildings. (RL)

Coming from Maison Dieu Road, the heavy US limousine turns into Castle Street.

"Coming from Maison Dieu Road", Howard captured the heavy Volvo Estate turning into Castle Street. (RL)

To shake off his pursuers, Pierre stops his Chevrolet directly in front of the then Alhambra Theatre, located at 62 Castle Street, goes inside and leaves the cinema immediately through the back door.

Howard captures the changes in Castle Street, the bank on the right is now an estate agent although the building is relatively unchanged. The 'Alhambra' is now just a ‘bomb-site’ boarded off from the road. He had to visit 'Action Carpets' on the right so was able "to kill two birds with one stone". (RL)

In the meantime, the distinguished British couple has reached their very impressive estate, where a short time later the men of British Customs also show up to arrest them. Filmed at Higham Park, located at Bridge, Kent. At that time named Higham Court and operated as the gynecology unit of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. By the way, the later Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Narrow Gauge Miniature Railway originally built by race car driver Count Zborowski was born at Higham Park and circled the landscape gardens.

After losing track of Pierre, British Customs focuses on the possibly replica-dealer and soon suspects the owner of a watches and jewellery shop, located at Biggin Street in Dover, now a pedestrian area.

The bear on its little shelf is still there between the two windows high up on the left. The bicycle shop is now a phone shop and yes, it is indeed now a pedestrian area, but Howard did not find many pedestrians around at 6.30 am. (RL)

Lee Scott and Ricky Metcalfe get out the 1953 Morris Oxford in front of the well-known Sir John Falstaff Inn, located at 6 Ladywell in Dover, Kent.

The 'John Falstaff' is now known as the 'Les Fleurs' after the owner who is now a Mr Flowers. Howard is a mine of information. (RL)

The pair look across at the premises that Elena has seen Pierre enter. Identified by Phil Drake, "Sportsadrome" is on the corner of Beach Street and King Street in Deal, Kent.

Suspecting that the name was fake, Phil returned to the building for this shot.

At 3am, Bryan (John Warwick), the proprietor of Sportsadrome leaves his premises. Facing south on Middle Street, Deal identified by Phil Drake.

The same doors captured by Phil.

Looking around, Bryan enters a telephone kiosk and make a call to Major Styles. The prop telephone box stands on Chapel Street at the corner with Middle Street in Deal, Kent which was recognised by Phil Drake.

Phil proves the location with this comparison.

Under pressure because of the investigations by British Customs, the replica-dealer makes his way across the sidings at Dover Western Docks to Pierre, who is hiding on a freighter bound for Spain. Finally, there comes to the showdown on the ship, where Lee can eliminate his brother's murderer with the help of Ricky.

Newly married, Lee and Elena return to Spain for their honeymoon. The striking mountain range in the background may provide a clue to the location of the hotel.