Franchise Affair, The
Date: 1951
Director: Lawrence Huntington
Production Company: Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)
Stars: Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Anthony Nicholls, Kenneth More, Peter Jones, Patrick Troughton
Location(s): Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire
Region(s): South East E-L, South West
Storyline:
Robert Blair, a local solicitor, is called on to defend two women, Marion Sharpe and her mother, who are accused of kidnapping and beating a fifteen-year-old war orphan named Betty Kane.
Additional Information:
Screen captures uploaded by Ray Edwards
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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
- 'Now' required
The movie opens with a young lady roaming country roads in pouring rain. She gets a lift from a passing lorry. We see here here having been dropped off. She is running towards her home.
- Capture 2
- 'Now' required
The story is based on a novel by Josephine Tey and is set in the village of Milford. In the film, the village is Melford. We see a local bus service heading down the hill . . . . .
- Capture 3
- 'Now' required
. . . winding its way downwards towards Melford.
- Capture 4
- 27 Sep 2022
The bus arrives in the village. High Street, Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire. (RL)
No bus, just parked cars in Jon Wennington's comparison.
- Capture 5
- 27 Sep 2022
The camera pans, following the bus. Market Hall, High Street in Chipping Campden. (RL)
Jon Wennington captured the scene now.
- Capture 6
- 'Now' required
Lawyer, Robert Blair (Michael Dennison) is seen walking to his office.
- Capture 7
- 27 Sep 2022
Robert pauses to say hello to a baby in a pram. How times change, no prams now let alone leaving a baby unattended in a street! High Street in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. (RL)
Recognisable as the same location in Jon Wennington's shot.
- Capture 8
- 'Now' required
Robert, having been allocated the job of defending Marion Sharpe (Dulcie Gray) and her mother, approaches their home, "The Franchise".
- Capture 9
- 'Now' required
Robert pulls up behind a Police car outside "the Franchise" house gates. Peter Finch points out this same Police Car. a Wolseley 18 reg no ST9960 also appears in "No Trace (1950)" [see Captures 7 & 8 of that movie]
- Capture 10
- 27 Sep 2022
Later on we again see Robert walking to his office. Lower High Street, Chipping Campden. (RL)
Jon Wennington found a few more parked vehicles.
- Capture 11
- 27 Sep 2022
Robert briefly chats to Detective Inspector Grant then walks on. Lower High Street, Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire. The Kings Hotel on the left. (RL)
Facing the same way, Jon Wennington took this view.
- Capture 12
- 27 Sep 2022
The camera looks back and we see Detective Inspector Grant (John Bailey) watching Robert walk away. Lower High Street, Chipping Campden. (RL)
Jon Wennington fought for a good position between the parked cars.
- Capture 13
- 11 Apr 2023
Robert is seen here heading to the offices of a Lawyer colleague.
Steve Randall suddenly realised he had seen this before in the movies, "A Pair of Briefs (1962)" and "Your Witness (1950)". It is the Old Hall, Lincoln's Inn, 16 Old Buildings, London WC2A 3UP. RE
- Capture 14
- 11 Apr 2023
Robert nearing the office of his colleague.
Having realised where the previous capture was located, Steve Randall, identified this location as the East Side of New Square, London, just to the east of the Old Hall, Lincoln's Inn. Also remembering he had seen it in the movies, "A Fish Called Wanda (1988)" and "Mr Holmes (2015). RE
- Capture 15
- 'Now' required
Following a lead regarding the local buses passing "The Franchise" house, Robert is seen outside Larborough & District Motor Company, the local bus owners. Steve Randall has identified this location as the LPTB Bus Garage at St Albans, designed by Frank Pick & Charles Holden and built in 1936. Despite its "Art Deco" appearance the depot was partly demolished in the 1980s and totally gone by 1998.
- Capture 16
- 27 Sep 2022
And again we see Robert walking to his office. Lower High Street, Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire with the bay window of The Kings Hotel on the left. (RL)
The location now by Jon Wennington.
- Capture 17
- 'Now' required
Robert and Detective Inspector Grant look out of the Rose & Crown pub at the cafe opposite. Looking towards Hook House on High Street, Chipping Campden. (RL)
- Capture 18
- 27 Sep 2022
With crowds gathering outside the cafe, Marion Sharpe and her mother (Marjorie Fielding)decide to leave. To the left of fraaf017, whatever it might have been it is now the Library, High Street in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. (RL)
Amazingly, Jon Wennington found no cars in the frame.
- Capture 19
- 'Now' required
Robert lends a helping hand to his clients. High Street, Chipping Campden with the Noel Arms Hotel centre background. (RL)
- Capture 20
- 'Now' required
After the court case, we see some of the people involved leave the court house.
- Capture 21
- 'Now' required
Here, one of the local police cars departs away from the court. The corner of St Albans Road and Hempstead Road in Watford, Hertfordshire. In the background stands Litttle Nascot House, which was in use as a maternity and infant welfare clinic until its demolition in 1959. (SR)
- Capture 22
- 07 Nov 2022
And finally we see people walking from the court house. Peter Finch provides the location, the top end of Watford High Street known as The Ponds and The Parade. The area is now pedestrianised, but the buildings are still present . . .
. . . as can be seen in Antony Blair's comparison taken 71 years on.