Kent coast

Sulphur and White (2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Mark Stanley (David Tait) wearing a brown jacket and Emily Beecham (Vanessa Tait) wearing a blue floral dress, looking at each other with greenery and sky behind them.

Mark Stanley (David Tait) and Emily Beecham (Vanessa Tait) in Sulphur and White (2020)    Copyright: IMDb Photo: Nick Wall

Writer: Susie Farrell
Director: Julian Jarrold
Starring: Mark Stanley, Emily Beecham, Anna Friel, Dougray Scott, Aftab Shivdasani
Production Companies: AMG International, EMU Films
Kent Locations Used: Thanet (Joss Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Botany Bay)

Feature film Sulphur and White (2020) is inspired by the true story of David Tait (Mark Stanley), a city trader and mountaineer, who tries to forget his traumatic childhood as he climbs the corporate ladder in the City Of London. When he meets Vanessa (Emily Beecham), David’s life begins to change.

Sulphur and White is directed by the award winning Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots, Becoming Jane) and the screenplay was written by Susie Farrell (Dirty God). It stars Mark Stanley (Game of Thrones, Run) as David Tait and Emily Beechman (Daphne, Hail, Caesar!) as Vanessa. Co-stars also include Anna Friel (Marcella, Deep Water), Dougray Scott (EverAfter, Hitman) and Aftab Shivdasani (Mast, Kasoor).

Filming took place in Thanet, a district of Kent containing resort towns Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs with beautiful beaches.

The production visited Joss Bay in Broadstairs, a proclaimed surfer’s paradise, boasting a 200 metre-long stretch of sandy beach. Kingsgate Bay and Botany Bay afford incredible views of white cliffs and highly photographed white chalk stacks.

These coastal locations have attracted various film and TV productions over the years from French coming-of-age film À nous les petites Anglaises (1976), Mr Selfridge Series 4 (2016), Bhikari (2017) to most recently Dracula (2020).

Sulphur and White will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 6th March 2020.

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

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. 

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Series One (1973)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Michele Dotrice as Betty and Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer standing in front of a train on the platform

Michele Dotrice as Betty and Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer © BBC

Writer: Raymond Allen
Starring: Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Herne Bay

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973) is a BBC sitcom following the accident-prone Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) and his ill-fated attempts to hold down a job and look after his family.

There were three series and four Christmas Specials which ran between 1973 and 1978. The show was created and written by Raymond Allen and starred Michael Crawford (The Knack …and How to Get It, Hello, Dolly!) as Frank Spencer and Michele Dotrice (Vanity Fair, Not Now, Comrade) as his long-suffering wife, Betty.

Herne Bay was used as a location for two episodes of the programme’s first series. The High Street and William Street featured in the very first episode, The Job Interview, where Frank arrives at a shop for a job interview.

The Railway Station and the Carlton Hotel feature in the episode four Have a Break, Take a Husband for scenes on Frank and Betty’s ill-fated second honeymoon.

Herne Bay is located on the Kent coast and boasts a delightful beach with a bandstand and seafront gardens as well as many shops and eateries, amusement arcades and a windmill. Other productions which have filmed in Herne Bay include Boomers (2014), Little Britain Series One (2003) and Only Fools and Horses, the Jolly Boys’ Outing (1989).

Series 1 of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973) was originally broadcast between Thursday 15th February – Thursday 29th March 1973, and is now available to purchase on DVD.

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