The Curates Egg

Local Film History

Prologue

It is April 23^rd and I have just got in from walking Holly out in the fields around the eastern edge of the parish. I won't finish writing this now as it not due for weeks, and I only just submitted the May article, but I have been prompted to at least write this prologue by the death of Sir John Mills earlier today - because 25 years ago he was out filming in the very fields I have just walked through.

Dulcima   

John Mills was 97 when he died and was one of the most popular and beloved of English actors having appeared in over 120 films and TV movies in a career stretching through eight decades. Amongst many superb performances where those in such classic films as Great Expectations (1946), Ice Cold in Alex (1958), and Ryan's Daughter (1970) – for which he won his only Oscar. It was immediately after Ryan's Daughter that he came to South Gloucestershire to make Dulcima, which was released in 1971. Based on a story by H.E. Bates and co-starring Carol White it is about a widowed farmer (Mr Parker) living on his own in total squalor and his relationship with a girl (Dulcima) from a neighbouring farm. They meet when on they way home from the pub Parker clips the pram Dulcima has been pushing with his beaten up old Land rover and she initially becomes his housekeeper before eventually moving in. Filming was done in and around Tetbury, Stroud and Minchinhampton but for Parker's home they used a local farm which I often walk by.

The story itself is quite slight and I find the ending out of character with the rest of the film, but watching it again this week (I have a copy) I found it quite charming and its 98 minutes flew by. Two things particularly contributed to this for me; Firstly, the characterisation of Parker and Dulcima is on the whole well done and I was drawn into their relationship by a fine balance between humour and pathos and by good performances by both John Mills and Carol White (unfortunately her career faltered after Dulcima and she died in 1991 aged only 50). Secondly the cinematography wonderfully evokes post war rural England with its towns, villages and countryside. In particular the countryside looks sumptuous, with green fields, rolling hills and deep woods all filmed in dappled sunshine – and whilst towns and villages may have changed a fair amount, the countryside (at least in the Uley valley) is as beautiful as when John Mills was there 35 years ago.(For some photo's of the locations and other information about the film go here)

Victoria & Regal

While on the subject of local film history many thanks to David and Maureen Wood for lending me an article about the days when Dursley had two cinemas of its own - The Victoria in Silver Street and The Regal in Kingshill Road, which had been managed by Maureen's father. The Victoria, was originally opened as the "Victoria Coffee Tavern" and Temperance Hotel in 1879 but the building was converted for use as a cinema soon after the turn of the century. By 1917 "animated pictures" were shown every evening with two showings on Saturday evening and another in the afternoon. In 1932 came sound and by 1939 some films also had colour, but it stopped showing films in the 50's and by 1959 the building was up for sale. The Regal, was built in 1936 at the same time as the Kingshill Inn and the shops on Kingshill Road. It was a no-frills building of typical 1930's construction and although very popular at one time, like many other local cinemas it struggled in the 1950's and 1960's. The building itself survived into the 1990s after being converted into a Kwik-Save supermarket, before being subsequently demolished and replaced by the present shop.

Epilogue

It must have been wonderful to have had cinemas right on your doorstep, especially one right opposite the church; if they were still there I'd hardly have to leave Dursley at all! As it is I had to go to Cribbs Causeway last month to see the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and I have to admit to being a little disappointed. To be fair this was not the fault of the film makers who have actually done a good job in keeping the very British feel of the humour whilst injecting some big budget effects and slickness. It has more to do with my already having read the books, heard the radio show and seen the TV version so that I think I knew the story a bit too well. I'm glad I went though and I've been humming the opening song (So Long and thanks for all the Fish) ever since - so if you've seen enough to know you'll enjoy the humour but don't know the story word for word I can recommend seeing it. I hope I'm not also disappointed by Star Wars 3 which I'm going to see next week but the reviews so far have been very mixed.

Coming back locally, if any one has any information or memories about the making of Dulcima (or the Victoria and Regal) I would love to hear them.     

Tim