SMASHING TIME

GB
1967
1hr 36mins
Dir: Desmond Davis
Starring: Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave

Two northern girls experience 1960s London

This comedy is a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of ‘Swinging London’. It features quite a good number of railway shots but does get rather wearisome. The opening scene shows Lynn Redgrave hanging out of a carriage window on the approach to London Marylebone, but the next shot is from the cab of a train on the approach to St Pancras and a Class 45 ‘Peak’ is visible. The coaching stock is made up of blue and grey-liveried BR Mk1’s, one of which is Corridor Brake Standard No.35343, a vehicle now preserved. This arrival scene is filmed on the platforms at Marylebone, only for the couple to then walk out of St Pancras!! Later in the film there is a photo shoot in the canal basin at St Pancras and in the background of one shot, a blue Class 45 and some four-wheel vans just creep into view. This sequence also sees Rita Tushingham tied to a mock up section of track in a style similar to the ‘Perils of Pauline’ movies and a green Class 45 ‘Peak’ passes behind on its way out of St Pancras on an express. Again, the coaching stock is made up of blue and grey Mk1s. In line with the ‘Perils’ movies, the screen shot has been somewhat speeded up for dramatic effect and the train is moving very quickly for one that is just departing. Finally, there are brief shots of the entrances to Great Portland Street Underground station and Euston BR station along with good shots of the frontage to St Pancras itself.

With the (almost) complete removal of drop down windows, and of course the ventilation that goes with it, window hanging can not be done anymore. Lynn Redgrave looks out of the window on the approach to Marylebone station. The bridge in the centre distance takes the line over the Grand Union Canal.
This, however, is the approach to St. Pancras. What appears to be a Class 45 is visible, stabled on the left.
Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham on the platform at Marylebone. Mk.1 Corridor Brake Standard No.35343 is visible on the right, a vehicle currently residing on the Churnet Valley Railway.
The girls emerge from St. Pancras
In this more conventional view from ground level, the station’s grand facade complete with PANCRAS lettering is behind them
Another familiar view of the station which hardly look busy!
This is in fact a shot of Euston station in the process of being rebuilt. Although the Doric Arch was removed amongst considerable protest, you can not shy away from the fact that the station is all the better for its redevelopment.
The entrance to Great Portland Street Underground station on the Marylebone Road
In this view of St. Pancras basin on the Regent’s Canal, a Class 45 diesel is visible on the far right with a couple of 4-wheeled vans adjacent to it. The building in the background is the St. Pancras Goods Depot which closed in 1968.
Rita Tushingham is tied to the track for a photo shoot as a tidy Class 45 diesel still in BR green passes by behind her