1972
FRENZY
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
Arthur La Bern (novel)
Anthony Shaffer
(screenplay)
Cast
Jon Finch ... Richard
Blaney
Barry Foster ... Robert
Rusk
Barbara Leigh-Hunt ...
Brenda Blaney
Anna Massey ... Babs
Milligan
Alec McCowen ... Chief
Inspector Oxford
Vivien Merchant ... Mrs.
Oxford
Billie Whitelaw ... Hetty
Porter
Clive Swift ... Johnny
Porter
Bernard Cribbins ...
Felix Forsythe
Michael Bates ...
Sergeant Spearman
Jean Marsh ... Monica
Barling
John Boxer ... Sir George
Madge Ryan ... Mrs.
Davison
George Tovey ... Neville
Salt
Elsie Randolph ... Gladys
I am now
working with the Master
of filming.
Where I was born in
Islington London, there
was a huge warehouse type
building on the corner of
the Grand Union Canal in
New North Road. (Very
near the North Pole Pub)
It was in fact a film
studio. As a kid in the
forties I used to swim in
the canal as it cost
nothing entrance fee.
(You had to watch out for
the large Mocking birds
floating on top of the
water)
I think the studio was
called Gainsborough and
as a kid I remember
strangely dressed people
popping into the pub on
the corner of New North
Road and Elizabeth
Avenue. (Supporting
Artists of the past)
Anyway, that’s where
Alfred Hitchcock made
many of his films.
(I could have bumped into
him while I was going
swimming and he was
popping in for a swift
half. It’s a small
world)
ONTO THE FILM…
I was now the not so
proud owner of an old
Bedford van and was
booked by the 2nd A.D. on
Frenzy to report to
Covent Garden fruit
market for the start of a
weeks work...
There must have been
fifty supporting artists
working that week as
market porters.
It was thirty years ago
but some people still
come to mind, like Big Mo
Dunster who was stand/in
on films for Donald
Sutherland. Jimmy (the
crow) Hammilton, Eddie
Dillon And Bill (the
body) Hemmings.
I remember the day that
Donald Sutherland came
down to speak to Mo about
a private matter and got
into one of the
shots.(Everyone wants to
be in a Hitchcock movie)
Mo has done well for
himself and now lives in
the U.S.A. looking after
the Sutherland clan. Best
wishes Mo, love Boysie.
Mr. Hitchcock was not
very well while he was
directing this film and
would line up all the
shots he wanted and leave
the running around to his
1st A.D. (Colin Brewer, I
think)
We filmed all around the
market for the next week
or so loading vans and
unloading vans (Including
my old Bedford) but I was
more interested in
watching the Master at
work. Then near the end
of the shoot in the
market it happened.
The Master looked at me
then at the 1st A.D. and
said…
‘’Tell that man
to climb up on that lorry
and start unloading
it’’
(‘’That
man’’) he said
my name, I was being
directed by the great man
himself.
We shot a lot of the
inside of the film at
Pinewood. Then some stuff
with the Bedford
Following a potato lorry
up and down major roads
and that was it.
I was sorry to see the
end of the filming but
it’s one film I will
never forget.
If you’re looking
down from that great
studio in the sky Mr.
Hitchcock
‘’That
Man’’ will say
hello when he gets there.
Looking a bit
scruffy on Frenzy………
Now so far you have read
about all the fun
I’ve had on the film
sets. All about close ups
and mixing with the stars
and enjoying myself on a
day to day basis.
Well the film and TV game
is not all like that.
Turn the TV on and if a
film’s being shown
have a look at the crowd
scenes and look for the
person that’s
furthest away from the
front of the screen. Is
that me? I’ve done
plenty of them.
(Someone’s got to be
at the back)
Or when there’s a
queue for a summer
cricket match and
we’re wearing our
fine summer clothes. Only
we film it in winter.
I’ve been out of bed
by two thirty in the
morning to get to a
location by four so we
can get a sunrise shot,
then finish at ten at
night. (Hardly office
hours)
In this first part
I’ve picked out less
than half of a page of
Scott V. Palmers original
papers. (You should have
read all of them first)
If I were to write
something about every job
it could take me years
but if I manage to get
all of this on the net I
will gladly answer any
questions about any film.
(If I can remember them)
ONWARD AND
UPWARD IT’S STILL
ONLY 1972 AND
THERE’S FAR TO GO.
FEAR IS THE KEY…Director…Michael
Tuchner…
Cast Inc…Barry
Newman…John
Vernon…
Stood in for John Vernon
for a few days at
Shepperton Studios…
CRY OF THE PENGUINS…John
Hurt…Dudley Sutton..
I knew this film as
Forbush And The Penguins.
(It got a name change)
I’m stand/in for
Dudley again (I like it
when Dudley’s
working)
And I get to meet John
Hurt for the first time.
(What a rich voice that
man has)
We film at Elstree
studios and on location
around London.
The American Director was
a guy called Al Viola.
(You can’t forget a
name like that)
DUDLEY SUTTON IN
CRY OF THE PENGUINS
DRACULA A.D. 1972…Director
Alan Gibson…
Cast Inc…Peter
Cushing…Christopher
Lee…Christopher
Neame…
Standing in for Chris
Neame for a few
days…
Mr Peter Cushing…..
THE PIED PIPER…Director…Jacques
Demy…Lee
International…
Cast Inc…Donald
Pleasence…Diana
Dors…
Eddie Dillon, Johnny Hart
myself and a few others
playing Flunky’s to
Donald’s whims, and
having to hold a live rat
in each hand.
Johnny Hart couldn’t
bear to hold them.
Eddie died in a car crash
as a very young man and
was sorely missed by all.
I haven’t seen John
for over twenty five
years. (Where are you)
STEPTOE & SON RIDE
AGAIN…
Usual cast but
Mike Reid as a compare in
a club scene…
CARRY ON ABROAD…
Carry On
Team…Pinewood…
L/R. Tony Allan,
Aitch, Cisco, Barbara
Windsor and Bernard
Bresslaw.
SOME OF THE
‘’BROTHERS’’
HAVING A SMOKE
BREAK…BROTHERS???
THEY LOOK MORE LIKE THE
TRAIN ROBBERS…AITCH
FAR RIGHT.
I’d
done a few Carry
On’s and used to
chat to all the main cast
as they were a very
friendly team.
Sid, Bernard and myself
would play cards in
between set ups just to
pass the time.
Tony (the tailor) Alan
(dormouse) Cornflakes,
Cisco and even Smelly Bob
would join in sometimes.
(I wont tell you their
real names but they know
who they are)
‘’ Hello boys
‘’
Carry On Abroad ??? The
furthest we got to was
Slough. Five miles from
Pinewood.
In one scene we had to
pretend to be drunk. (me
and Tony)
It’s eight in the
morning and the props
hand us glasses of cold
tea.(It’s supposed
to look like beer) Well
after a few of those I
couldn’t wait to get
down to the Pinewood bar
and have a couple of
pints of the real thing.
(The black stuff)
It was always a good
laugh on the Carry On
films and with my old
pals Ricky Green And
David Bracknell 1st A.D.
on the firm things always
ran smoothly. (David is
the father of Leah
Bracknell who plays Zoe
Tate in Emmerdale)
Well done David. (I have
since heard that David
has died and my thoughts
are with his family. He
was a nice man)
MADAM SIN…Bette
Davis…Robert
Wagner…Pinewood…
Standing/in for Dudley.
He’s playing a crook
again. (I must have a
word with his Sunday
School teacher)
Ms Davis wearing a black
eye patch throughout the
film.
SAVAGE MESSIAH…Director
Ken Russell…
I meet a very young Helen
Mirren. (Later to top the
TV polls in Prime
Suspect)
We filmed at Blackfriars
Bridge.
MADIGAN…THE
LONDON BEAT…Richard
Widmark…
The scene is a huge
traffic jam on one of
London’s bridges and
Mr Richard Widmark Is
trying to sort it out. He
screams at me,
‘’Get that
thing out of here
Buddy’’
(Does he not know the
Bedford van I’m
still driving has been
Directed by Mr Alfred
Hitchcock himself) and he
calls it ‘’That
thing’’. I was
going to shout back
‘’Remember The
Alamo’’ but I
remember he died in that
film.
I do meet up with him in
ten years time, I’ll
have a word with him
then.
THE ADVENTURER…Gene
Barry…Producer Monty
Berman…
THE PROTECTORS…Episode:
The Dragon
Chase...Elstree.
Director:
Charles Crichton
Writer:
John Kruse (writer)
Cast
Robert Vaughn ... Harry
Rule
Nyree Dawn Porter ...
Contessa Caroline di
Contini
Tony Anholt ... Paul
Buchet
Donald Houston ...
Lockier
William Dexter ...
Nickolai
Kenneth Colley ... Devlin
Bruce Robinson ... Peter
Lockier
Mary Larkin ... Jenny
[student]
Jack Galloway ... Jasper
[student]
Gary Hamilton ... Mike
[student]
Richard Marner ...
Russian
Norman Atkyns ... Stage
Door Keeper
The
Bedford van comes into
play again in one of the
episodes.
It is used to try and
smuggle someone away. I
play the crooked driver.
It was directed by
Charles Crichton.
I took a picture with my
camera on the set one tea
break and ended up with a
lovely snap of Mr Vaughn
mouth wide open about to
devour a large cheese
roll. I might show it at
the end of my writing.
Robert Vaughn and
Tony Anholt relaxing on
The Protectors…
Trying to protect my dear
old van in the fight
scenes...
NEXT
- 1973
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