Born of the Sea
Date: 1949
Director: Anthony Mavrogadato
Production Company: Duchy of Cornwall
Stars: Dorothea Paul, Betty Williams, Georgie Carey, Alex Foreman, Cedric Staples, Archie Rowe, Frank Phillips, Howard Douglas.
Location(s): Cornwall
Region(s): South West
Storyline:
A baby is found in a boat in a fishing village, but no one can identify from where he came. He grows up among them, but is somehow destined to return to the sea.
Additional Information:
Screen captures and text uploaded by Richard Lovejoy.
This is a short film in which there are no speaking parts, the story is told by narrators Frank Phillips and Howard Douglas. All those on screen are native Coverack villagers.
Paul Williamson as drawn our attention to the fact that his grandfather Arthur Stanley Williamson was the author of the book or screenplay upon which this film was made.
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If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.
We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.
- Capture 1
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“I was standing on the harbour wall of a small village…. Coverack, Cornwall harbour.
- Capture 2
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“…..in Cornwall”. Coverack harbour.
- Capture 3
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“Every morning I had noticed a young girl standing on the jetty looking out to sea. ”Who was she? Why did she stand there every day?”. Coverack harbour.
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“T’were a Monday, like every other Monday, men and boys were going about their business, it was a fine morning and everybody was working, never giving a thought to what was going to happen”. Looking west across the Coverack Bay.
- Capture 5
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“Mary Pendray (Dorothea Paul) was a widow, her husband who had been a fisherman and a member of the lifeboat crew had been drowned going to a wreck off the 'Manacles', three years before the story opened.”. The films ‘Honeysuckle Cottage’, is I believe, the first cottage on the right along the pathway marked ‘Public Footpath’ almost opposite ‘Jubilee Cottage’ up School Hill.
- Capture 6
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“She was well liked in the village where she had lived all her life” Passing the lobster pot weaver on her right, now part of the Paris Hotel, she is about to turn left past what is now ‘Friendship Cellar’. The Cove, Coverack.
- Capture 7
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“In these small Cornish villages on the coast, all roads lead to the harbour…….”. Walking past the bottom of School Lane.
- Capture 8
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“….and where ever you are going, you must pass it”. The public toilets and ‘The Mariners’ have been built subsequently to her left.
- Capture 9
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“Standing up there Mary could see who’s home early and who’s still out”. Coverack harbour.
- Capture 10
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“To me, high tide and low tide just mean the level of the water, but to these fishermen they are more important than the 8.30 to town”. Coverack harbour.
- Capture 11
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“Gutting a nice piece of haddock for Mrs Dolphin who used to keep the post office”. Coverack harbour.
- Capture 12
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“Tom, coxswain of the lifeboat, he’d got a nice piece of skate for Mary”. Unidentified location.
- Capture 13
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“Mary turned to walk up to the churchyard, perhaps she had a presentiment as to what was going to happen”. The B3294 outside ‘Carndu’ cottage looking east.
- Capture 14
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“Ben Poadley(?) who was thatching his cottage with his son Adam…..” Mary walks past ‘Bank House’, The Cove.
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“….said she had a queer look about her, didn’t look up ……” The Cove.
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“…..and say good morning, that she did every day” She has reached ‘Corner Cottage’ The Cove.
- Capture 17
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“Off she goes up to valley farm….." Unidentified location.
- Capture 18
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“…where they were picking daffodils for the market.” I am opting for St Keverne church in the background with the house called ‘Pendennis’ with two roof top windows on the left horizon. Viewed from the south.
- Capture 19
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“Dead or alive she looked after them”. St Peter church.
- Capture 20
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A rocket goes off. “Mary’s presentiment was right, something had happened”. St Peter church cemetery looking back to the harbour.
- Capture 21
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“Everyone goes to see the launch [of the lifeboat]”. ‘Granville’ on the immediate left with School Hill going off to the left and the villagers on the B3294.
- Capture 22
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“Not a sound from the folks waiting for the launch”. A harbour wall but difficult to pinpoint from limited Google Earth View paths.
- Capture 23
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“Then Mary came along, worrying about Sam” Down towards the harbour with the lifeboat station to the right.
- Capture 24
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“Away down the slipway she goes”. 'The Three Sisters' (ON771) a 35ft motor Liverpool lifeboat stationed between 1934 and 1954, launched 26 times saving 61 lives.
- Capture 25
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"The coastguard had reported a column of smoke three miles west south west”. St Peter church Coverack.
- Capture 26
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“Tense times”. Unknown location.
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"Everything seemed just as quiet as before” on their arrival back in port.
- Capture 28
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"Sam was carrying a bundle, yes, it was a baby and put it into Mary’s arms. The one and only survivor of the ketch, Nancy Lee’." Coverack harbour steps.
- Capture 29
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No sooner was one out of ‘Honeysuckle Cottage’ than another was making for it” I believe, the first cottage on the right along the pathway marked ‘Public Footpath’ almost opposite ‘Jubilee Cottage’ up School Hill. It appears to have the same garden gate or a good copy.
- Capture 30
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Outside the church where Mary and Sam had just been married “Sid Hoggin had fixed up a little surprise along with the other boatmen”. St Peter church.
- Capture 31
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“And then there was Myrtle(?) prettiest bridesmaid ever saw and engineer Yeo(?) as best man”. St Peter church.
- Capture 32
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Some two years on and “Mary just took off in her sleep, as peaceful it could be.” A low level view across the waters of the harbour.
- Capture 33
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“Whatever Sam did, so did young George (Georgie Carey)” Unidentified location.
- Capture 34
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“If Sam was mending nets then young George would be doing same.” Unidentified location.
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“Sam, was George’s idol”. The lifeboat station is in the background, it closed 27 March 1980 and is now a restaurant.
- Capture 36
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"George …dearly liked to do the opposite of what he was told”. Lifeboat house in the background and it looks as if those steps remain.
- Capture 37
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"Despite all, George was allowed to go to the ‘tea treat’." The St. Keverne band lead the way. Harbour.
- Capture 38
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“We never had no proper band of our own here”. Unidentified location.
- Capture 39
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His sweetheart was waiting for George at the Helston Flora for him to give her the ring. They were miles apart.” In the background is No 1 Cross Street on the corner with Church Street, Helston. An interesting article on the house and its part in Helston’s annual Flora Day celebrations can be read at https://www.patrickcarroll.co.uk/helstonia-no-1-cross-street/
- Capture 40
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“They dance through the street from early morning”. Coinagehall Street, Helston Circa No1 looking west.
- Capture 41
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“How would you like to have this crowd dance trough your house?” The junction of Market Place, Church Street and Coinagehall St, Helston
- Capture 42
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“They have been doing this for 800 years, maybe 900”. Helston Guildhall, Market Place to the left and what was Lloyds Bank with the curved windows straight ahead.
- Capture 43
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George (Cedric Staples) insisted on attending to the lifeboat engine rather than go to The Flora with his sweetheart. Facing south from 33 Church Street, Helston. (SR)
- Capture 44
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She was in no mood to join in the festivities. Unidentified background property.
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“There were not many people about as George hurried along to the cottage where he and Sam lived”. ‘Carndu’, Seafront.
- Capture 46
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As George sets off from home for Helston with the ring, a rocket goes off. ‘Trevarrow Cottage’ to the left and ‘Polwithen’ to the right.
- Capture 47
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"He didn’t hesitate for a minute and ran down to the lifeboat house to be first aboard the boat”. Granville’ on the immediate left and the villagers on the B3294.
- Capture 48
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“It was the same sort of weather as when Sam had gone out in the lifeboat and found little Georgie.”
- Capture 49
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"His sweetheart was now waiting for the lifeboat to return with him on board”. Coverack viewed from harbour waters.
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“Slowly the lifeboat approached the town”
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“The very first thing I noticed was Sam walking up the slipway, alone”