GB 1958 1hr 39mins Dir: Lewis Gilbert Starring: Max Bygraves and Barbara Murray
A welfare worker becomes emotionally involved with her latest charges, a group of homeless orphans
This drama features a fantastic opening shot that pans from left to right across Holloway, north London. The freight yards at King’s Cross and Somers Town are visible and are jam packed with freight stock, whilst a train of bogie vans is passing on the main line out of King’s Cross. In the background, a freight mainly consisting of four wheel vans is passing on the embankment of the North London Line but although the tender locomotive at the head is clearly visible, it is too far off to accurately identify. The film also features a shot of St Pancras station with its prominent clock tower, and a scene filmed inside the old suburban station at King’s Cross. The film is based on the 1957 Elizabeth Coxhead novel The Friend in Need.
This is the opening shot of the film, taken from above the northern portal of Gasworks Tunnel, which can be seen in the immediate left hand corner. Plenty of rolling stock is in the foreground on the lines out of King’s Cross, whilst King’s Cross Goods can be seen in the background on the other side of the bridge that takes York Road across the scene.
As the camera continues to pan round, crossing the scene in the distance is a North London Line freight passing through the site of Maiden Lane station, which closed on New Year’s Day, 1917.
This is Rufford Street, London N1, and the smoke from a steam locomotive is visible centre left, standing at signals on the line out of King’s Cross. Rising in the left background is the Caledonian Clock Tower.
This is Euston Road with the unmistakable edifice of St. Pancras station to the left
‘British Railways Kings Cross Station’, but where exactly. This may be the entrance to the old Metropolitan Railway station off Pentonville Road. Eventually renamed King’s Cross Midland (City), it closed as King’s Cross Thameslink in 2007.
Meanwhile, Barbara Murray walks across the concourse of King’s Cross suburban station, which was basically platforms 9 to 15.
Her shadow falls across the floor as she continues to pass along the concourse
Carriage cleaners at King’s Cross. If we take the station scenes to be real, then this should be real as well.
Barbara Murray meets Kathleen Harrison in the deserted waiting room at the station
