GB 1961 1hr 40mins Dir: Tony Richardson Starring: Rita Tushingham and Murray Melvin
A Salford teenager becomes pregnant by her black sailor lover, who then abandons her
This gritty social drama was an adaptation of the play of the same name by Shelagh Delaney. Most of the film is set in Salford and there are some scenes that take place around the docks. In one of these, railway wagons on the Manchester Ship Canal system are visible. There are several scenes filmed on the banks of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal in Salford and in one of these, a Cravens DMU speeds past just as the shot closes. The canal is now largely abandoned but the railway line still exists and is the route from Salford Crescent to Bolton. The scenes in Blackpool feature some middle distant shots of passing trams, all of which are of the single-deck variety, and there is a later scene filmed beneath the arches of the imposing Stockport Viaduct.
Rita Tushingham checks her tights as the Tewkesbury forms the backdrop. Although an exact location has yet to be ascertained this is believed to be somewhere on the Manchester Ship Canal and some open wagons piled high with fresh timber can be seen behind Rita.
As Paul Danquah and Rita Tushingham leave the canal a train passes by in the background, with rather unfortunate timing as the scene is just about to close. This is the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal in Salford, and the train is a relatively new Cravens DMU.
In this shot on Blackpool Promenade a Brush Railcoach passes by in the background between Dora Bryan and Robert Stephens.
In this view from Central Pier another Brush tram can be seen on the promenade to the left of Rita Tushingham’s head
Robert Stephens has now joined in on proceedings and what may be a Coronation tram is visible to his left. A couple of other trams can be made out in the far distance of several other scenes but they are too indistinct really to recapture here.
‘Meet me under the arches’. There is a fairly lengthy scene filmed here, beneath Stockport Viaduct. Visible in the haze through the arch is Hollywood Park.
