GB 1965 1hr 29mins Dir: John Boulting Starring: Anton Rodgers and Charlotte Rampling
A group of crooks plan an Army payroll robbery
This crime comedy features an elaborate heist towards the end of the film. The robbery of the payroll train was filmed on the Guildford-Christ’s Hospital line with Baynards and Christ’s Hospital stations both appearing, the former renamed ‘Longhampton Halt’ and the latter ‘Longhampton’. The train itself was hauled by a Class 33 diesel on a short rake of Southern coaches. Two Class 33 diesels were used in the film, No’s D6584 and D6550 with the latter temporarily renumbered D6584 for continuity purposes. The train was carrying the wages of German Army dignitaries and soldiers used in a NATO exercise and the Class 33 was fitted with a large circular headboard displaying both the flags of NATO and the UK. In addition to this, London Marylebone station provides the setting for the final scenes. There is an earlier sequence with Eric Sykes on the London Underground that involves 1959-built tube stock (one vehicle of which is No.2154). This was filmed at Aldwych station, which interestingly portrays Brompton Road, one of the deep-level Piccadilly Line stations that closed in the 1930s. Simon Bartlett of the Steyning Line Facebook group provides an interesting footnote that I feel must be included. Apart from the impressive list of stars, he quotes, the film also “featured” his late father, Station Master Ken Bartlett, who managed to get himself on film opening a carriage door, even though he doesn’t think Christs Hospital station featured in his own list of responsibilities. He seems to remember being told years later, that they rewarded him more for that five seconds of fame, than the railway paid him in a week!! His mother also remembers receiving calls from the continuity editor to ensure that he dressed the same each day they were filming, so the scenes at Christ’s Hospital were clearly shot over a few days. This information has been reproduced here by kind permission of Simon Bartlett.