Man in the White Suit, The

The film opens with an establishing shot of the fictional Lancashire town of Wellsborough.

After losing his position at Corland's mill, the young Sidney Stratton gets a laborouring job at Birnley's mill.

Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) secretly takes his equipment to the mill's laboratories. Tim Drayton found evidence that filming may have taken place at Glen Mills in Colne, Lancashire which has since been demolished. The mill was once the bleaching and dyeing unit of Smith and Nephew Textiles Ltd. so it may have been used for interior shots.

The brilliant research chemist makes his way home. This is Ashfield Road in Burnley, Lancashire identified by Kieron Ridehalgh.

Kieron also provides this proof.

Sidney opens the front door to Mrs. Watson's house where he lodges with workmate Bertha. This may be on Ashfield Road, but nowadays the rear of a branch of Homebase occupies much of the street.

Peter Brown confirms that this is Ashfield Road as verified by Capture 4 and advises that the rear of 'The Range' store now occupies the site as 'Homebase' have vacated. (RL)

Daphne Birnley rushes to tell her father when she recognises Sidney from Corland's mill.

Sidney follows to intercept Daphne after spotting her.

Daphne starts her car and drives towards the factory gates.

Sidney tries to stop the owner's daughter but ends up climbing into her car.

When Sidney falls from the car, Daphne Birnley (Joan Greenwood) rushes to help and is told of his project. Facing south-west on Battersea Church Road in London SW11 with the Morgan Crucible factory to the right. Living on Battersea Church Road, and 12 years old at the time, George Dean recalls filming taking place and the stars treating the local kids and asking for ice cream from the nearby corner shop.

Factory gone as well as the flour mills behind the hidden St Mary's Church. SJ

Sidney's experiments continue.

As soon as Sidney produces an indestructible fibre, Alan Birnley tells his daughter's fiancé, Michael Corland. John Schaenkin advises that the upper part of this capture is a matte but the lower half is the east gate to the old Firestone factory on the A4 at Brentford. The railings and security post are still in place but the railway embankment and bridge are long gone. A 'Currys PC World' store currently occupies the site.

Taken from the safety of his car, Antony Blair captured this comparison.

Michael Corland (Michael Gough) meets Sir John Kierlaw's car at Birnley's mill after alerting him and other textile manufacturers to the threat of the fibre.

The new thread is made into a White Suit and Sidney shows it to Bertha (Vida Hope), Frank (Patric Doonan) and Harry (Duncan Lamont).

A convoy of cars follows the ambulance taking Sidney to Birnley's house an accident befalls him. We're back in the north for this shot and Greywanderer identifies this location as the junction of Albion Street and Piccadilly Road in Burnley, Lancashire.

Peter provides a comparative shot to replace Gary Parker's Google Earth View telling us that the corner shops on the left are now boarded up presenting a rather forlorn scene. As apparent, the many chimneys in the screen capture are no more. (RL)

Reports about the everlasting thread appear in the newspapers. Spotted by Scott Keir who provides this screen capture on the Daily Express building on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester 4.

Peter Brown confirms that, thankfully, the art deco Express Building has survived to become offices.

Hoping to catch a train for Manchester to speak to the press, Sidney hasn't enough change and attempts to get a lift from a cab driver. IMDB locates this as Brimsdown Station, Enfield in Middlesex.

Peter ventured north to the same location and confirms this as Brimsdown with Green Street crossing the railway by the level crossing.

Sidney heads back to his lodgings to get more money for the ticket. Henry Peacock advises that this is Ashfield Road in Burnley, again.

Peter returned to Ashfield Road for this shot noting that the viaduct carrying the railway from Accrington to Colne still dominates the scene. Sadly, the lodging house has been reduced to a nondescript piece of scrubland. (RL)

Sir John Kierlaw (Ernest Thesiger) is helped towards his Rolls Royce to join the chase.

When he returns to the station, Sidney sees Daphne and her father arrive with Corland and other mill owners. Brimsdown station on Green Street in Enfield.

With the footbridge no longer in place, Peter took this shot at ground level . . . from a safer position than the middle of the level crossing.

Frank and Bertha arrive with other workers and find Sidney fleeing from the mill owners.

Factory workers in fear of their livelihoods start to run after Sidney.

The shops at the end of the street belong to Chipperfield's and The Bridge Fish & Chip shop, but is this a studio set?

Sidney gets away as Sir John's Rolls is stopped by steps and bollards.

A Baker (Frank Atkinson) leaves the bakery to make his way home.

When he sees the mob running towards him, the Baker turns to escape.

Sidney looks both ways before emerging from an alleyway.

The Baker dodges into a garden as Sidney and his pursuers approach.

The chase nears Birnley's mill. Battersea Church Road with Bolingbroke Road, now Bolingbroke Walk, to the left. Living nearby and with his Sister-in-law's shop in view on the corner, George Dean recalls this scene being shot.

Looking north-east on Battersea Church Road with the Morgan Crucible factory on the left. The factory closed in the early 1970s and was replaced with the Morgan's Walk development in 1984.

The scene now. SJ

Daphne arrives as Wilson (John Rudling) appears holding reels of disintegrating fibre. The Morgan Crucible site is now occupied by housing on Whistler's Avenue.

Trees! SJ

The crowd stand in silence before dispersing as Sidney stands in his shirttails after the suit is destroyed. Battersea Church Road SW11.

Looking at Paveley Drive which may well be too far to the east of the entrance. SJ

The crisis over, Sidney is accompanied to the mill's gateway by Wilson. Looking out from Morgan Crucible's factory onto Battersea Church Road. The buildings across the street still stand.

This is the corner of Condray Place and Battersea Church Road but the match is hard to tell. SJ

Having referred back to his notes, the mistake that made the compound unstable is discovered. Outside Morgan Crucible's Battersea Works on Battersea Church Road in SW11.

The backs of houses on Whistler's Avenue. SJ

Sidney strides confidently away. Chris Pain identifies this as Lots Road in Chelsea SW10. The location was seen in other films including the opening titles of 'Quadrophenia' and 'Underground'.

Replacing Chris' Streetview from Sep 2014. The prominent roof on the right is still there behind the trees. SJ

As a post script, this image taken during the making of the film is from the book "British Cinema: the Lights That Failed" by James Park published by B T Batsford Ltd. (May 1991) ISBN-13: 978-0713466980. Steve Long advises that this is Battersea Church Road in SW11, probably outside number 71, one of six houses of which two survive.

John Harwood finds much accuracy with his drone here showing the surviving houses on the left. (SJ)