Screenshot from Half a Sixpence at The Pantiles © Paramount Pictures
Director: George Sidney
Stars: Tommy Steele, Julia Foster, Cyril Ritchard
Production Company: Ameran Films
Kent Locations Used: The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Aylesford
Based on the novel, Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul by H.G. Wells, Half a Sixpence is a musical based on the themes of wealth and class. The film follows a draper’s assistant, Arthur Kipps (Tommy Steele), who falls in love with a chambermaid named Ann (Julia Foster). When Kipps inherits a fortune, he is torn between two worlds.
Golden Globe winning director George Sidney (Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, Annie Get Your Gun) directs the film which stars Tommy Steele (The Flintstones, Finian’s Rainbow, Quincy’s Quest) , Julia Foster (Dad’s Army, Alfie, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner) and Cyril Ritchard (The Hobbit, Peter Pan, Blackmail).
The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells is the set for Shalfords Emporium in the film, where Kipps apprenticed and the town of Aylesford was the setting of Kipps’ childhood home.
Situated in West Kent, Tunbridge Wells is a large town with a busy town centre and a period shopping area, The Pantiles, offering a fascinating variety of small specialist shops, antique shops, open-air cafés, restaurants and bars. Previous productions that have been filmed in Tunbridge Wells include Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015), Britain’s Best Bakery (2012), and How to Look Good Naked (2009).
Screenshot from Half a Sixpence of Aylesford Bridge © Paramount Pictures
Aylesford is a picturesque village located on the banks of the River Medway complete with a Norman Church and Victorian houses, pubs and open spaces.
The film was released on 21 December 1967 and is available to purchase on DVD.
Links:
For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk
For more information about the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061742/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
For more information about Aylesford: http://www.aylesfordparishcouncil.org.uk/
For more information about The Pantiles: http://www.pantilestraders.co.uk/
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/moviemap-live-2/
