feature film

The Medusa Touch (1978)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

The Medusa Touch Movie Poster- image of a man's face in black and white facing the camera. Telekinesis written in white with The Medusa Touch written in purple

The Medusa Touch Movie Poster © Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Directed By: Jack Gold

Written By: Peter Van Greenaway (novel), John Briley (screenplay)

Starring: Richard Burton, Lee Remick and Lino Ventura

Production Company: Coatesgold, Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Kent Filming Locations Used: Herne Bay & Reculver

The Medusa Touch is the chilling tale of a man with a gift for disaster. Richard Burton (Cleopatra, Where Eagles Dare) is John Morlar, a man with astonishing powers of telekinesis. When French detective Brunel (Lino Ventura-Army of Shadows) is tasked with investigating John Morlar’s murder whilst on assignment with Scotland Yard, he discovers that the victim is not as dead as he first appears. Working with Morlar’s psychiatrist Doctor Zonfeld (Lee Remick- The Omen), the detective reconstructs Morlar’s mysterious life.

It is in the childhood memories of John Morlar that Kent makes its debut. The “Welcome Hotel”, where Morlar and his parents spend their holidays, stands in the coastal town of Herne Bay. Although the Hotel may have been fictional, the building remains the same. Spanning numbers 37-40 Central Parade in Herne Bay, the building is now a row of residential properties next to the Royal British Legion Headquarters.

On their holiday the family also visit the nearby Reculver Towers for a seaside picnic. It is in this scene that Morlar first makes use of his powerful telekinetic abilities.

Although the film was released in 1978, the Reculver Towers have stayed unchanged and are. a distinctive landmark on the Kent Coast They are the  remains of a 12th Century church that once stood there among the ruins of a Roman Saxon Shore fort and a Saxon monastery,  and part of  Reculver Country Park which is a Special Protection area due to its rare cliff top meadows and the yearly migrating birds.

The nearby coastal town of Herne Bay offers two miles of seafront lined with café’s, amusement arcades and fish and chip shops,  all overlooked by  stunning examples of Victorian Architecture. In true spirit of an English seaside town, brightly coloured huts line the beach and the location is popular with tourists every summer. The town is home to several antique shops and hosts one of Kent’s biggest markets every Saturday. Productions that have filmed in the area include  Got To Dance (2012), Things I Haven’t Told You (2008) and French Dressing (1964).

The Medusa Touch is now available to buy on DVD.

 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

The Big Sleep (1978)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The Big Sleep film poster- a man pointing a gun at the camera, with a women looking at his behind. Smokey red background with Big sleep written in white

The Big Sleep film poster © Incorporated Television Company (ITC)/Winkast Film Productions

Director: Michael Winner
Writers: Raymond Chandler (novel), Michael Winner (screenplay)
Starring: Sarah Miles, John Mills, Oliver Reed, Edward Fox, James Stewart, Joan Collins
Production Company: ITC Films, Winkast Film Productions
Kent Locations Used: The Royal Harbour in Ramsgate

The Big Sleep (1978) is a film adaption of Raymond Chandler‘s 1939 novel of the same name. Set in 1970’s London, private eye Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) is asked by a retired general (James Stewart) to investigate who is blackmailing his family.

The detective mystery film is directed and written by Michael Winner (Death Wish, The Sentinel) and stars an array of acting talent including Sarah Miles (Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Blow-Up), John Mills (Dunkirk (1958), The Long Memory), Oliver Reed (The Shuttered Room (1967), Gladiator), Edward Fox (The Mirror Crack’d (1980), A Bridge Too Far), James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life, Vertigo) and Joan Collins (Dynasty, Esther and the King).

A black classic car parked at Ramsgate Harbour with cast members walking towards it, Boats and sea can be seen behind

The Big Sleep screenshot at Ramsgate Harbour © Incorporated Television Company (ITC)/Winkast Film Productions

a car being pulled out of the water at Ramsgate Harbour- a boat is in the water behind

The Big Sleep screenshot at Ramsgate Harbour © Incorporated Television Company (ITC)/Winkast Film Productions

The production visited The Royal Harbour in Ramsgate to film the scenes where General Sternwood’s chauffeur (Martin Potter) drives his car into the sea.

Ramsgate is a historic coastal town with England’s only Royal Harbour, stunning Victorian architecture, a sandy beach, amusements, arcades as well as shops and eateries. Ramsgate has previously been used as a film location in Big Bad World (2013), True Love (2012) and Gypo (2006).

The Big Sleep (1978) was released on Monday 13th March 1978 and is now available on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

 

À nous les petites Anglaises (1976)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Movie Poster - cartoon character of woman wearing swimming costume. A Nous Les Petites Anglaises! written on top

Movie Poster © Les Films Galaxie

Director / Writer: Michel Lang
Starring: Rémi Laurent, Stéphane Hillel, Véronique Delbourg
Production Company: Les Films Galaxie
Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate, Kingsgate Bay, Botany Bay, Port of Dover

À nous les petites Anglaises (1976) is a French coming-of-age film set in England in the summer of 1959. Two French boys Alain (Rémi Laurent) and Jean-Pierre (Stéphane Hillel) who have failed their English exams are sent to the South of England, in the hope to improve their English. However, the boys find it is easier to flirt with the other French schoolgirls.

The film is directed by Michel Lang (Tous vedettes, On n’est pas des anges… elles non plus) and stars Rémi Laurent (La Cage aux Folles, Les Plouffe), Stéphane Hillel (Le nouveau protocole, Á chacun son enfer) and Véronique Delbourg.

The film was filmed mainly in Ramsgate, the arcades, the Foy Boat, Royal Harbour and the main sands feature throughout the film. King George VI park in Ramsgate is used for the scenes where the boys take their dates to the park. Botany Bay and Kingsgate Bay features as the beach where the students and their dates have parties and go swimming. The Port of Dover is the place of arrival at the start of the film when Alain and Jean-Pierre arrive in the UK.

Ramsgate is a historic coastal town with beautiful beaches, cliff top walks, the only British Royal Harbour as well as a port. The town has been used as a film location for projects including Restoring Britain’s Landmarks (2015), True Love (2012) and Contraband (1940).

Kingsgate is a sandy bay surrounded by chalk cliffs that connects at low tide through Whiteness cliff arch to the beautiful Botany Bay. The beaches have featured in many different productions such as Mr. Selfridge Series 4 (2016) Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites (2015) and Whistle and I’ll Come To You (2010).

The Port of Dover is one of the UK’s busiest Port, with cruise-liners, fright and cargo. This location has featured in Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011), Albert’s Memorial (2010) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

À nous les petites Anglaises (1976) was released on Wednesday 7th January 1976 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

The Black Windmill (1974)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Production poster- Michael Cane with his hands on his stomach in front of a purple background, Michael Cane The Black Windmill written in white

The Black Windmill poster © Universal Pictures

Director: Don Siegel
Writer: Leigh Vance (screenplay), Clive Egleton (novel)
Starring: Michael Caine, Donald Pleasence, Delphine Seyrig
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Ramsgate Hover port, Pegwell Bay

The Black Windmill (1974) is a thriller about British agent Tarrant (Michael Caine) whose son has been kidnapped and is being held ransom for diamonds. Tarrant finds out that the people he thought he could trust are no longer on his side to help his son and desperately works to do all he can to get him home safely.

 

The screenplay was adapted by Leigh Vance (The Saint – Season 5 (1967), Switch), based on Clive Egleton‘s novel, ‘Seven Days to a Killing’.

The film is directed by Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, Escape from Alcatraz) with Michael Caine (Battle of Britain (1969), Last Orders (2002)) taking the lead role along Donald Pleasence (Halloween, The Great Escape) and Delphine Seyrig (The Day of the Jackal, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles).

The production visited Ramsgate Hover port at Pegwell Bay to film the scene where Tarrant makes his way across the channel and sneaks onto a bus on board the hovercraft.

Formerly the home of Ramsgate Hover Port, Pegwell Bay is now a National Nature Reserve offering distinctive sea cliffs, parking, toilets, a cafe/restaurant and picnic areas.

The Thanet area has featured in a variety of productions such as EastEnders (2015), True Love (2012) and The Big Sleep (1978).

The Black Windmill (1974) was released on Friday 2nd of August 1974 and is now available on DVD and online.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Someone Behind the Door (1972)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Someone Behind the Door film poster- image of a mans face, underneath is a smoking gun. Someone Behind the Door written in white on a black background

Someone Behind the Door © GSF

Director: Nicholas Gessner
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Charles Bronson & Jill Ireland
Production Company: Comacico, Lira Films, Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)
Kent Locations Used: Folkestone

Someone Behind the Door (1972) stars Charles Bronson (Death Wish, Once Upon a Time in the West) as the Stranger, a violent amnesiac caught in a dysfunctional relationship between husband and wife. Anthony Perkins (Psycho, The Black Hole) stars as Laurence, the cuckolded husband to cheating wife Frances (Jill Ireland (The Streetfighter, Assassination)). When the Stranger is found on the beach next to the body of a murdered girl, Laurence sees the perfect opportunity to wreak revenge by conditioning the Stranger to believe that Laurence’s wife is his own and that her supposed betrayal should be punished.

A chilling crime drama, Someone Behind the Door was shot almost entirely on location in Folkestone. The stunning vista of Folkestone’s beaches and sea views are the perfect backdrop to this dramatic tale. A residential property overlooking the sea from The Leas became home to cast and crew and featured as perkins’ home. The Folkestone beach features as the scene of the Stranger’s grisly crime and his inevitable capture by local police.

Folkestone and surrounding areas have been used by productions such as Sky Atlantic drama The Tunnel (2013), Is Anybody There? (2009) and Battle of Britain (1969).

Someone Behind the Door (1972) was released in cinemas on Friday 17th March 1972 and can now be purchased on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Diamonds Are Forever Movie Poster- James bond standing on a metal claw with two women perched beside him, Cartoon diamond behind. Diamonds Are Forever written in yellow

Diamonds Are Forever © movieposterDB

Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood
Production Company: Eon Productions, Danjaq
Kent Locations Used: The Port of Dover

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was directed by Guy Hamilton (Battle of Britain (1969), Live and Let Die) and features the legendary Sean Connery as James Bond for the very last time. The seventh spy film in the popular series sees Bond impersonating a diamond smuggler to uncover a plot to destroy a city. Will he be able to keep one step ahead of his nemesis and save the day?

Based on Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name, this thrilling film is about Bond’s battle with his old nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, after discovering he isn’t just a diamond smuggler but is using the diamonds to build a giant laser to destroy Washington DC.

Starring alongside Sean Connery (Dr. No, The Untouchables) is Jill St. John (The Oscar, Who’s Minding the Store?) as Tiffany Casethe, Charles Gray (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, You Only Live Twice) as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Lana Wood (The Searchers, Best Years Gone) as Plenty O’Toole.

The Port of Dover was used for the scene where Bond swaps identities with Diamond smuggler Peter Franks (Joe Robinson) and makes his escape to France. The Port of Dover has also been used for filming by Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011), Albert’s Memorial (2010) and Missing (2009).

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) premiered in UK cinemas on Thursday 30th December 1971 and can now be purchased on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Anne of The Thousand Days (1969)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Anne standing by the fountain at Penshurst Place, Penshurst place can be seen in the background

Anne by the fountain at Penshurst Place © Universal Pictures

Director: Charles Jarrott
Writer:  Maxwell Anderson (Play), Bridget Boland, John Hale, Richard Sokolove
Starring: Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Anthony Quayle, John Colicos, Irene Papas
Production Company: Hal Wallis Productions
Kent Locations Used:  Hever Castle, Penshurst Place
Geneviève Bujold as Anne walking down steps on a garden path, her hand is raised

Geneviève Bujold as Anne © Universal Pictures

Based on the Broadway play by Maxwell Anderson, Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) is an account of the rise and fall of the beautiful and ambitious Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold), second wife of the tyrannical Henry VIII (Richard Burton).

The film was nominated for 10 Oscars in 1970, including best picture and won best costume design.  It also won Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress and Best Director.

Hever Castle was an obvious choice for Anne Boleyn’s home, as it was her real-life home. It was used for the scenes where King Henry VIII visits the Boleyn household to pursue Anne Boleyn.

The stunning Kentish scenery of both Hever Castle and Penshurst Place bought this Oscar winning tale to life with Hever Castle being an obvious choice to double as Anne Boleyn’s home, as it was her real-life home and was used for the scenes where King Henry VIII visits the Boleyn household to pursue Anne Boleyn. Hever Castle is now a visitor attraction and includes many 16th century Tudor portraits, furniture and tapestries. The castle also displays two prayer books, signed and inscribed by Anne Boleyn.  The castle has been used for other film projects such as Inkheart (2008), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Lady Jane (1987).

Exteriors of Penshurst Place were used to double as the King’s court and the stunning formal Tudor gardens were used for the scenes where King Henry VIII is shooting targets when Anne Boleyn joins him as well as  where she announces her pregnancy. The Gardens, arranged into “garden rooms” each with a different style and character are also open to visitors between March and November. Penshurst Place has been seen on screen in projects such as The Hollow Crown – Henry V (2012) and Merlin (2008).

Anne of The Thousand Days also features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail which celebrates Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) was released on Wednesday 18th December 1969 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Battle of Britain (1969)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Battle of Britain movie poster- montage of characters from the film in square boxes, Battle of Britain written in red on top with a sun set scene of a town skyline above

Battle of Britain © United Artists

Director: Guy Hamilton
Writer: James Kennaway, Wilfred Greatorex, Derek Dempster, Derek Wood.
Starring: Michael Caine, Trevor Howard , Harry Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Production Company: Spitfire Productions
Kent Locations Used: Denton, The Jackdaw Inn (Denton), Chilham, RAF Hawkinge

Set in 1940, Battle of Britain (1969) film tells the tale of the epic battle of Britain. Nazi Germany is attacking the airfields of the south east as part of Operation Sea Lion, and in order to stop the enemy from achieving their goals for invasion, the British Royal Air force must fight a desperate battle for control of the skies.

With death defying aerial acrobatics, this historical re-enactment takes the audience to the heart of World War II. With the Luftwaffe advancing onto London, the RAF must gather their destroyed resources and launch a critical attack.

Starring Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, The Prestige), this feature was not to be his last visit to the county: the actor returned in Is Anybody There? (2009), the touching story of the friendship between a young boy and a retired magician, which was filmed in Folkestone and Hythe.

Battle of Britain featured some of the best of Kent’s locations. The village of Chilham was mentioned on fictional signs at the control centre at the end of the film. A popular filming location in the county, Chilham is most famous for appearing in Agatha Christie adaptations. Miss Marple: The Moving Finger (2005) was filmed almost entirely in the village and it was also home for a special Christmas episode of Poirot (1995).

Another Kent Village, Denton, appeared in the film. The local pub, The Jackdaw Inn, had a cameo as the scene for Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music, Beginners) and his on-screen wife, giving the audience an insight into the personal effects of war. The Jackdaw Inn has a room devoted to RAF World War II memorabilia and is a must see for any history buff.

RAF Hawkinge was the obvious choice as a location for the film. With a rich military history, the site is now a museum with the largest collection of Battle of Britain artefacts on show in the country.

Battle of Britain (1969) was released on Monday 15th September 1969 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

Half A Sixpence (1967)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
a car driving along a road outside the Pantiles, people are walking along the side of the road

Screenshot from Half a Sixpence at The Pantiles © Paramount Pictures

Director: George Sidney
Starring: Tommy Steele, Julia Foster, Cyril Ritchard
Production Company: Ameran Films
Kent Locations Used: The Pantiles – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Aylesford

Based on the novel, Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul by H.G. Wells, Half a Sixpence (1967) 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) directs the film which stars Tommy Steele (The Happiest Millionaire, Tommy the Toreador), Julia Foster (Dad’s Army, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner) and Cyril Ritchard (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).

A shot of Aylesford Bridge, with the river and village in the background

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.

Half a Sixpence (1967) was released on Thursday 21st December 1967 and is available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.

 

Grand Prix (1966)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Grand Prix image of two race cars on the side of a track. loads of people are surrounding them

Grand Prix © MGM

Director: John Frankenheimer
Starring: James Garner, Yves Montand, Antonio Sabato, Eva Marie Saint
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Douglas & Lewis Productions, Joel Productions, John Frankenheimer Productions Inc, Cherokee Productions
Kent Locations Used: Brands Hatch

Grand Prix (1966) is a film that follows four Formula One drivers through a fictional 1966 Grand Prix and charts their tough and dangerous races, as well as their accidents, losses and love affairs.

At the 39th Academy Awards held in 1967, Grand Prix won three Oscars for Best Sound Effects, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

Directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, The Island of Dr. Moreau), Grand Prix stars James Garner (The Rockford Files, The Great Escape), Yves Montand (The Wages of Fear, Z), Antonio Sabato (Escape from the Bronx, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids) and Eva Marie Saint (North by Northwest, On the Waterfront)­.

Brands Hatch is the locations used for the UK race in the championship.

Brands Hatch is in the Sevenoaks district of Kent and is a popular motorsport race track which has also been used as a film location for Rush (2013).

Grand Prix (1966) was released on Wednesday 21st December 1966 and is available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.