'Scallop', Maggi Hambling (2003)

Aldeburgh in Suffolk has long been a special place for me. The home of Benjamin Britten and of Adnams bitter (well, almost - it is brewed just down the coast in Southwold, where my grandmother had a house, which was more or less next door to the brewery), it sits squat against the North Sea coast, huddling bravely against the wind and the sea that batters and erodes this resilient but ever shifting stretch of shore. The sound of the shingle being dragged constantly backwards and forwards in the undertow of the breaking waves characterises the beach at Aldeburgh and provides it with its own peculiar kind of music. Britten's 'Four Sea Interludes', from his opera Peter Grimes, are seen by many as one of the most perfect musical evocations of this moody, cold and often grey expanse of water. Although Aldeburgh is a wonderful place to holiday during the summer months when one can often experience a more benign sea, blue and bathed in sunlight, it is the darker, autumnal and winter Aldeburgh that has stayed with me; the town as last stand against the watery invader that seeks to grasp it and pull it into the sea as it did with the medieval port of Dunwich a few miles away. I haven't been to Aldeburgh for some time and so had not yet had a chance to see Maggi Hambling's surprisingly controversial sculpture, 'Scallop', which sits on Aldeburgh beach, mid way between the town and its neighbour, Thorpeness. Apparently the scallop has been daubed with graffiti on a regular basis with many locals objecting not so much to the artefact itself but to its positioning on an open and unspoilt section of beach, designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty (read about this here). While the sculpture does have a rather strange silhouette as one approaches it along the beach from Aldeburgh, once close up it does impress. For me, its shape and colour reflects the swell and hue of the sea, while associations with sound are manifest too, as the tubular ridges evoke the hollow sections of brass musical instruments. The text that is etched into the steel - 'I hear those voices that will not be drowned' - comes directly from Peter Grimes and serves as a powerful reminder that the sea along this coast has claimed many lives over the centuries, just as the ever present Aldeburgh Lifeboat reminds us of the precariousness of the fisherman's profession and the dangers of the sea. Unfortunately, Adnams doesn't travel well (it really is a wonderful beer when drunk sitting on the Aldeburgh sea wall) and perhaps this scallop, not found naturally on this stretch of coast, has ultimately travelled rather too far for some...

Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein 2007)

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival in 2007 and winning the Special Jury Prize for Jess Weixler's performance as Dawn, Teeth is a little horror film that evidently knows its film theory... Steven Shaviro argues (here) that the film is 'gruseome, campy and affecting in more or less equal measure - though the affectingness ultimately wins out'. Having read a number of positive reviews of the film and being particularly interested in psychoanalysis and cinema, I felt certain that I would find much in this film to enjoy; however, the film's knowledge of film theory - the psychoanalytic in particular - runs the risk of reducing the film itself to nothing more than an exposition of the kinds of psychoanalytic readings applied to countless horror films that take teen transformation and body anxiety as their subject matter. The film, for me at least, is strangely unaffecting, operating as something of an academic exercise - an undergraduate student film essay that has Carol Clover's Men, Women and Chainsaws clearly flagged in its bibliography. Weixler's performance, however, is undeniably impressive and it does capture the affect and the inherent comedy of her inner 'dentata' rather well - there are some great lines in the film, delivered with perfect pitch and timing. Ultimately, though, I had hoped for more from the film than was actually delivered...

End of an era...

I have decided to sell my beloved Fazer 'Thou', after four years of ownership. Without question the best motorcycle that I have ever owned, it has proved adept at everything asked of it. Used as a commuting tool day in day out, all year round, it has also worked as a hugely exciting sports bike as well as an excellent tourer. I will be very sorry to see it go but the roads have just got too dangerous. When you cover high mileages on a bike I suppose that there is a certain statistical inevitability to the occasional spill but with so many car drivers distracted by their mobile phones, MP3 players and sat. navs (and a recent RAC survey just highlights this), it just feels more likely than ever a more serious accident will eventually happen. So, I have decided, after biking for most of my life, to move back to four wheels for the commute to work; however, my new vehicle will need to be something more than just a tin box, especially as I am now going to be spending more time sitting in traffic. Watch this space as I track down an appropriate car...

BTCC, Rockingham, 20th September 2009

Last Sunday I took my son and his best friend from school to see the penultimate round of the British Touring Cars Championship at Rockingham. This was our first visit to the circuit and I found it a novel experience. Laid out in a gently banked oval, the track was built to cater for the type of racing associated with the famous Indianapolis 500, often called 'Indy Car' racing. The infield contains the corners and chicanes, which means that the spectator can only view the racing from the grandstands that form a crescent around the outside edge of one side of the oval. It is possible to access a viewing area above the pits and this does offer an exciting perspective; however, this is standing room only and is limited in terms of numbers. There is no chance then, to move around the circuit positioning oneself at interesting sections of the circuit throughout the day. Despite this we did manage to find a position in the stands by the afternoon that gave a good overview of the racing but still allowed for some sense of the formidable speed of the cars as they exited the straight and entered a long left-hander, called simply 'Turn 1', before negotiating the hairpin at Deane into the infield. What makes BTCC so exciting for fans of the series is that the pit lane is opened between races, allowing access to the drivers and a close-up glimpse of the cars. For my son and his friend, autograph hunting and freebie collecting (caps, posters, etc.) is all part of the fun. The first touring cars race of the day (there are three per meeting) was won by Stephen Jelley in the Team RAC BMW320si. The second was won by the ever popular Jason Plato in a Chevrolet Lacetti, while the third saw Jelley on the top of the podium once more, achieving his first two wins in BTCC. Mat Jackson was third and second respectively and looked to be heading for victory in the final race when he was shunted off the track by Giovanardi in his Vauxhall Vectra VXR. The racing in BTCC is always close and exciting and makes for a great day's motor racing. Also competing in their respective championships were Porsche Carreras, Formula Renault and my favourites, the G50 Ginettas. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable day, very much helped by the late September sunshine…

Interviewing Jem Marsh

Yesterday I spent the day in the company of 'Mr Marcos', the indefatigable Jem Marsh. As part of a documentary on Marcos, Jem had agreed to be interviewed by John Sutton, an important figure in the early history of the marque who helped to put the car on the (racing) map. Of course there is only one way to travel to Jem's house in Bradford on Avon and that is in a Marcos, so my dad and I made the journey in his recently restored 1969 wooden chassis 3 litre V6 (pictured). We shouted at each other all the way down - this is what passes for conversation when you are trying to make yourself heard over the barely silenced and rather rorty V6. Restoring a Marcos can be fraught with difficulty - as owners are no doubt all too aware - and so Dad's first word on our arrival at Jem's was 'Marcos!', which he explained to Jem was a newly discovered English language expletive. Luckily, Jem and my father go back a long way and thankfully Jem's sense of humour is especially keen... After interviewing Jem on the history of Marcos - fresh in his mind after the production of his wonderful and lavishly illustrated book, Making my Marque - my father and I were treated to a truly excellent lunch, cooked by Lyn Marsh. Apparently Lyn runs the house as a B and B and on the basis of the food, the beauty of Bradford on Avon, the wonderful hospitality and the chance to meet the founder of Marcos, I would highly recommend a visit. Jem and Lyn are lovely company and my father and I enjoyed a great day with them. To talk all things Marcos with the marque's founder was a real privilege and pleasure. As for the documentary that I am making on Marcos, the plan is to sell DVDs with copies of Jem's book, so watch this space - and, of course, Jem's website!

Bo'ness Motor Museum

While on holiday, I visited this tiny but delightful classic car museum. Bo'ness is a short drive from the old fishing town of South Queensferry, which nestles between the huge expanses of the Forth road and rail bridges. The museum combines the twin passions of this blog, as the bulk of its exhibits are cars and memorabilia associated with film, specifically those featuring James Bond. Perhaps the most interesting of the cars in this respect is the road going white Lotus Esprit S1 that was used on set in The Spy who Loved Me (Lewis Gilbert 1977). Crammed full of film props and costumes, the museum houses, cheek by jowl, approximately twenty-five cars: various Aston Martin's - a DB6, a DBS and a V8 Vantage - as well as the series 3 Jaguar XJ6 used in the film The 51st State (Ronny Yu 2001) and a De Lorean, a Mini Cooper, a Sunbeam Alpine and 1940s Studebaker. Chatting with Colin Anderson, the museum's founder and owner, I discovered that he is also involved in the recent resurrection of the Bo'ness Hill Climb, last run in 1966 and revived in 2008. This hill climb has a wonderful history having hosted a number of celebrated racing drivers and cars, including Jim Clark in 1959 driving the famous Border Reivers D Type Jaguar and his Le Mans Lotus Elite. Details on the climb's history and dates for this year's event are available here.

Marcos 50th Anniversary, Prescott

I'm about to go off on holiday, having just returned from an absolutely fantastic weekend celebrating fifty years of Marcos. I will post a full report in due course but having experienced my first run up the Prescott Hill as a passenger in my father's recently restored 1969 3 litre V6 wooden chassis Marcos, I wanted to share the in-cockpit experience. Although the runs up the hill weren't meant to be competitive and were not timed, most drivers still pushed quite hard (a couple even lost it through Ettore and ended up in the gravel). I shot nearly five hours of video of the event - highlights include interviews with Jem Marsh, Tim Abbott, Stephen Minoprio and footage of over 140 Marcos cars - and once edited this will be made available...

Danny MacAskill: 'Inspired Bicycles'

This short video (see it here) has become very popular since it was first posted and with good reason. The stunts are incredible - obviously - but this amateur film has also been pretty well shot (by Dave Sowerby) and effectively edited. The soundtrack uses the single 'The Funeral', courtesy of US indie group Band of Horses (from the album Everything All of the Time). As an accompaniment to the stunts on display, this track works perfectly. Of course, it is also great to see the Edinburgh locations, many of which are familiar to me and my children from regular visits to our cousins who live not so far from MacAskill's stomping (or stunting) ground. A good deal of the appeal of the video for me is the way in which the city's streets become the space in which MacAskill shows off his skill, much like parkourt or street running, which transforms the cityscape into an extension of the body or conjoins the body with the architecture that surrounds it in a fluid and aesthetic fashion. My children love the video and so do I...
For MacAskill's interview with Scottish TV in April 2009 see here.

The kid's are not alright... Eden Lake (James Watkins 2008)

I've finally got around to seeing this compelling but gruelling film, described by The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw as 'seriously bloody horrible' but also as 'the best British horror film in years' (see here for his excellent review). It is one of those rare films that had me literally squirming in my seat in discomfort, exacerbated by the fact that it offers none of the usual palliatives associated with the genre, instead remaining horrifyingly grim right up to the final credits. The film's protagonists Steve (the brilliant Michael Fassbender) and Jenny (Kelly Reilly) escape the city for a camping weekend beside a nostalgically remembered wooded lake (although the fact that it is an ex-quarry signals a note of incipient darkness). They arrive to find that developers are turning it into 'Eden Lake', a gated community of expensive lakeside properties; however, they find a gap in the imposing security fence and drive down to the lakeshore in Steve's 4x4 Jeep. As they relax by the water their idyll is undermined by the presence of a group of rowdy youths whose loud music and aggressive dog provoke Steve into remonstrating with them. This rapidly turns into a confrontation that escalates as the film progresses, setting in motion the chain of events that lead to its bleak denoument. Bradshaw argues that 'the confrontation here isn't about race and not even exclusively about class; it's not about townies and hillbillies, or blacks and whites, or yuppies and chavs. At bottom, it's about older people and the young: a gang of feral children who are as powerful as adults'. I'm not entirely sure that I agree. Yes, there is no doubt that the film is about the power of children but class, as Bradshaw acknowledges, does play an important role here. Steve and Jenny are resolutely middle class while the children (and their parents) are portrayed as wealthy 'chavs' (see Imogen Tyler's article 'Chav Scum: The Politics of Social Class in Contemporary Britain' here). These parents are the ones that we hear being blamed for the behaviour of their children as we listen to a Radio 4 broadcast (itself a marker of class) over the opening credits, as Steve and Jenny drive down to 'Eden Lake'. Jenny, as an infant school teacher is figured as their polar opposite, which of course makes events later in the film all the more powerful and shocking. As Bradshaw notes, Eden Lake is not a film that one can 'claim to like in any normal sense' (it is after all incredibly violent and graphic) but it is a visually accomplished film and it maintains an unremitting level of tension throughout. If you are planing a 'staycation' this summer, camping out in some English beauty spot, then maybe wait until you get back before you see this movie..!

Classics on the Common

After the beautiful weather last year and the heat of the Walled Garden earlier this year, it was perhaps hoping too much that the weather would remain clement and so, as forecast, this year's Classics on the Common was a very wet affair. The rain didn't dampen spirits entirely but there were fewer cars than last year, although numbers still appeared to be high, and most of the picnics and picnickers were looking somewhat bedraggled as the afternoon wore on. As ever there was a fascinating and eclectic array of cars to look at, ranging from modern Ferraris (various types), Lamborghinis and back from the future De Lorean's (sorry but given the twin interests of my blog, I couldn't resist) to all sorts of Austin Sevens, Morgans, MGs, Rileys and other classic and vintage marques. As ever it was good to chat with old friends and interested onlookers but this year by 7.00pm cars were already beginning to make their exit... Thankfully, given the rain, the organisation was excellent, as was the police traffic control and the marshalling on the common itself. It was a shame that the weather wasn't what might have been hoped for but the thousands of spectators seemed to be enjoying themselves nonetheless. Here's to a warmer and drier Classics on the Common in 2010...

Outpost (Steve Barker 2008 UK)

I watched this low-budget British horror film last night on DVD and rather enjoyed it, despite the occasional plot lapses and inexplicable logic. Set in the depths of an Eastern European war zone the film pits a group of mercenaries, led by DC (Ray Stevenson) and questing 'company' scientist Hunt (Julian Wadham), against a platoon of re-animated (or rather dimension-shifting) Nazi soldiers. The object of Hunt's quest is a device, hidden deep in an SS bunker, that supposedly allows for the merging of the four dimensions of matter (Einstein is checklisted in Hunt's exposition); once the antiquated machine is discovered he duly reports back to his financial masters who prepare to send in a team to recover it. As the mercenaries become aware of the presence of the Nazi soldiers they are slowly picked off until only DC, Hunt, Jordan (Paul Blair) and Prior (Richard Brake) remain. In a sequence reminiscent of David Fincher's Alien 3 (1992), Jordan, Prior and DC lure the Nazi 'zombies' into the range of the machine just as Hunt manages to re-start it. Firing a pulse that works to 'contain' the Nazis within their original dimension they appear to have an opportunity to escape; however, power to the machine fails and with it, apparently, their chance of survival... The strength of this film lies in the atmosphere created in the subterranean space of the bunker, which benefits from the sparing use of digital special effects. The Nazi soldiers are particularly effective given their visual simplicity, the filmmakers relying on showing less rather than more. The performances are all pretty decent although the accents have a tendency to wander somewhat with DC covering a broad range of nationalities. The actors convey the sense of threat and fear effectively with the 'Breather' (Johnny Meres) suitably eerie and chilling. This isn't the most original claustrophobic horror and the debt to movies like Alien (Ridley Scott 1979), The Fog (John Carpenter 1980) and The Keep (Michael Mann 1983) is clear, as is the potential comparison with a film like Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002) or his more recent The Descent (2005); nonetheless it works. If it is true that horror films have a tendency to reflect the concerns and anxieties of the period in which they are produced, what do these 'threat' films say about the contemporary moment? Certainly, the 'other' appears, as ever in horror, as the more or less invisible and un-knowable, the omnipresent source of danger and terror but are these films, as has been suggested, reflections of a post 9/11 world (as viewed from a Western perspective)? The fear of the dark, the hidden, the unknown, remains, whatever the political context; ultimately, these primordial fears long precede the current 'war on terrror'...

Marcos 50th Anniversary Rally

Only a couple of weeks to go now until what looks like being one of the largest and most exciting gatherings of Marcos cars for some time. Taking place over three days in mid August (14th - 16th), the event will culminate with the sight of various types of Marcos - from the early wooden chassis models to the beefy LM500 - speeding up the celebrated Prescott hill climb. A number of famous names are expected to be in attendance including Jem Marsh (the 'Mar' of Marcos), the Formula 1 driver and Arrows founder Jackie Oliver, the 1961 Autosport Championship winner John Sutton and possibly Jackie Stewart, whose early motor racing career saw him borrowing one of the first seven Gullwing cars, famously nicknamed the 'Ugly Duckling'. For a full account of this early period in the Marcos story see 'The Wooden Wonder' here. To ensure that this memorable event is properly recorded for posterity I will be on hand with a Sony Z7 to capture the cars in action and to record interviews with those happy to reminisce about their association with Marcos over the years. Watch this space...

Watching 'Watchmen'

I have fond memories of reading Alan Moore's Watchmen while working in a popular London bookshop in the late 1980s. In the quiet periods I would surreptitiously pull this graphic novel from beneath the till and speed read a few pages before being required to serve yet another tourist looking for a London guide or an appropriately British literary classic to take home - this in the days before the Internet... So finally, the film adaptation has emerged after 22 years and a number of false starts. I didn't catch the film at the cinema but I have now seen it, tonight, on DVD. I was lucky enough to watch it at a friend's on a 60 inch screen so it was rather more of a 'cinematic' experience than much of my viewing, which tends to happen these days on my 24 inch iMac. So, 20 odd years after the graphic novel and it was clear that my memory had failed me - much of the early action was unfamiliar; perhaps I should have re-read Moore's novel first... The film certainly begins slowly and it has to work hard to set up the characters, the situation, etc. Once it settles and a pattern is established, in particular the relationships between the various protagonists, then the film begins to get going and it becomes the action film that Zack Snyder, it's director, has clearly wanted it to be all along. There are shades of 300 (Snyder 2006) in many of the fight sequences with liberal use of slow-motion footage to allow the audience to linger over the sonic spectacle that is a punch or a kick... Sound effects are significant in the film and are used to both punctuate sequences but also to provide a rhythm to the action itself. The music used in the film is also particularly evident, foregrounded because of its frequent incongruity - sometimes conscious, for comic effect but at other times I'm not sure whether Snyder and his team simply got it wrong. Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelulah' intrudes - for ironic effect, no doubt - and Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower', the Hendrix version, just had to be in there somewhere..! As the pace picks up so the film becomes familiar as a graphic novel adaptation, pitting heroes against villains in a race to save the world and humanity with it. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it but the film does contain some quite striking and unexpected images as it moves towards its denouement, shots that are more reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick 1968) than other graphic novel films. That said other Moore adaptations such as V for Vendetta (James McTeigue 2005) are also visually exciting. Anyway, I enjoyed this film although at a mammoth 160 minutes it requires a significant investment of time. It has made me want to go back to Moore's graphic novel and I will no doubt watch it again afterwards...

Veteran Film Director Roy Ward Baker visits Roehampton University

After a drinks reception to mark his appointment as an Honorary Visiting Professor at Roehampton University, Roy Ward Baker entertained students and staff with his memories of over sixty years spent working with many of cinema’s most famous actors, actresses, producers and directors. After a screening of his 1952 film Don’t Bother to Knock, professor Baker responded to questions from a fascinated and appreciative audience, describing his recollections of working with screen legends Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft, as well as recounting his early career apprenticeship to directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed. Professor Baker clearly enjoyed meeting students on Roehampton’s BA (Hons) Film programme, describing the experience as ‘absolutely wonderful’. For his next seminar, prompted by his conversations with Roehampton’s film students, Professor Baker plans to tackle the subject of directing…

Classics on the Common

Starting out as a small gathering of classic and vintage car enthusiasts on Harpenden Common, this event has grown year on year to become an important fixture in the classic car calendar. Last year there were over 1,000 cars and approximately ten times as many spectators. This year the event kicks off at 4.00pm on the 29th July 2009.

47th National Austin Seven Rally

Sunday 28th June 2009, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

After spending Saturday preparing my father’s Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ for the two hundred and sixty mile round trip to Beaulieu, I set off early Sunday morning with fellow car enthusiast and friend, Martin Williams. After a number of inadvertent diversions from the carefully mapped out route provided by the North Herts Centre of the 750 Motor Club, it was decided that I should cede my position at the head of our two vehicle convoy and that Martin should take over the role of navigator in his ‘modern’ (this clearly in the interests of maintaing our friendship!). This worked well, primarily because Martin has a far more developed sense of direction but also because it allowed me to concentrate on driving the ‘Ulster’ rather than worrying about where we were going. This upped our pace considerably and I really enjoyed the drive down to Beaulieu, much of which took us along the B4009. The weather was warm, the sun was shining and the scenery was stunning; the villages and towns that we passed through were gloriously picturesque and the road itself suited the little Austin perfectly, allowing me to get the best from it. It really is perfectly suited to country 'B' roads where outright speed is not the issue. Somewhat embarrassingly, despite the apparently rapid progress, it still took Martin and I the best part of five hours to arrive at the National Motor Museum and take our place among the array of Austins on display. We were delayed for some time just outside Lyndhurst where traffic jams are notorious and regular but even so...

Once at Beaulieu I had a chance to inspect the one hundred and eighty Austins that had driven from all over the United Kingdom to attend the national rally in this the 70th anniversary year of the famous Seven Fifty Motor Club. There were some stunning cars, including a number of special guest vehicles. Notable among these were a stunning 1957 Works Lotus Eleven Coventry Climax and a beautiful 1923 Duzmo Motorcycle built by Harold Biggs. Colin Chapman’s Lotus Elevens were raced with great success, winning all of the three classes they entered at Le Mans in 1957. The late Frank Costin, one half of Marcos, designed the car’s bodywork; the other half of the famous partnership, Jem Marsh, was spotted amongst the Austins, clearly enjoying the sunshine and the fabulous cars on display.

For many Austin Seven owners the pleasures of ownership are in the driving and this was certainly abundantly in evidence as a number of drivers put their cars through their paces in the driving tests. Once or twice it even looked as if exuberance and enthusiasm might end in cars rolling but thankfully everyone remained upright… As usual there was a decent autojumble for those looking for parts, bargains or just the chance to discuss Austin restoration. During the latter half of the morning and the early afternoon the various categories of car were inspected and judged with Lord Montagu himself awarding the prizes that marked the end of the meeting.

Martin and I, having taken the scenic route on the way down to Beaulieu were forced to return to Hertfordshire via the rather less interesting A34 and A41 if we were to stand any chance of arriving back before nightfall. After a tiring and loud four-hour drive, peppered with rain showers, I arrived home, tired, stiff and aching but happy to have supported the annual rally of this wonderful marque and the anniversary of a truly historic car club…

Classics in the Walled Garden, Luton Hoo

Wednesday 1st July 2009

On what has been possibly the hottest day of the year so far, approximately 400 classic, vintage and veteran cars assembled at Luton Hoo for the first ever ‘Classics in the Walled Garden’. Organised by Peter Madden, who stood down recently from the hugely successful ‘Classics on the Common’ in Harpenden (Hertfordshire), the event was a great success. Cars began to arrive at 4.00pm, some inevitably struggling in the heat as the queue to enter the walled garden began to grow; however, the excellent marshalling meant that there were no actual problems. Attending in John Sutton’s 1930 Austin 7 ‘Ulster’ I had to really rev the car to negotiate the rather long grass of the ‘garden’ but eventually parked up perfectly courtesy of the marshals. What makes an event of this type so pleasurable is the array of cars on display, from over one hundred years of motoring; even more pleasing is the fact that they had all arrived under their own steam. Alongside a 1900 Daimler one could see an Enzo Ferrari, an immaculate Morris Minor Traveller, a C Type Jaguar, various Vauxhalls including a 30-98 and a 20-63 as well as a very interesting T Type Hurlingham with a beautiful upturned boat tail, MGs from the 1930s to the 1970s and any number of more modern ‘classics’. The event organisers had provided a good-sized beer tent with a good selection of well-priced local beers – an absolute godsend given the heat. Food was also available, although many, like me, brought their own picnics. A band played suitably vintage music, which added to what was an already perfectly period atmosphere. Hats off to Peter and his team for such an excellent event; I’m already looking forward to next year…

Roy Ward Baker

Roehampton University

CRFAC RESEARCH SEMINAR
Wednesday 25th March 2009

Professor Roy Ward Baker

To inaugurate his appointment as Honorary Visiting Professor of Film, the Centre for Research in Film and Audiovisual Cultures (CRFAC) at Roehampton University is delighted to welcome Roy Ward Baker to a screening and discussion of his 1952 film Don’t Bother to Knock, starring Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark and Ann Bancroft.

Roy Ward Baker is a British film director of considerable distinction whose career in film and television spans more than 50 years. Born in Hornsey in 1916, he began his career as a production runner at Gainsborough Islington Studios in 1934. After spending 1943-1946 in the Army Kinematograph Service directing documentary and training films, he went on to direct 32 films, including The October Man (1946), Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), Inferno (1953), A Night to Remember (1958), Flame In the Streets (1961), Quatermass and the Pit (1967), Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971), and more than 100 one hour television dramas for seminal series such as The Saint, The Avengers, and Minder.

The evening will begin with a drinks reception at 5.00pm in Duchesne Du.001. The screening will start at 5.45pm in Du.004 (Crucible Lecture Theatre) and will be followed by a discussion of the film with Professor Baker.

This event is free; however, booking is essential as numbers are limited. Please email p.sutton@roehampton.ac.uk to confirm your attendance.