GB 1950 1hr 14mins Dir: David MacKane Starring: Russell Hunter and Betty Henderson
A young artist is almost driven to murder as a result of the pressures of living in a Glasgow tenement
Although it will be of almost no interest to anyone, this piece of social realism performed by a left-wing Glasgow theatre group called The Glasgow Unity Players is still a curiosity. It’s just a shame that we’ll probably never know why such a parochial drama by a little-known playwright called Robert MacLeish was deemed worthy of filming. Although the production never leaves the studio several trams are visible during the opening shots of Glasgow that are used to set the scene. This sequence also includes a distant shot of the building belonging to St. Enoch Underground station.
This excellent shot of a Glasgow Corporation ‘Coronation’ tram was filmed on Sauchiehall Street with the Grand Hotel looming large in the background. The tram is working route 5, Clarkston – Hillhead (Byres Road).
Two trams can be seen here crossing Victoria Bridge. That on the left is another ‘Coronation’ car but the tram on the right is much older. Victoria Bridge was constructed in 1854 and is the oldest surviving bridge across the Clyde.
The ornate building standing on the left of this shot is of great interest. The view is looking south across St. Enoch Square and the building is that belonging to Glasgow District Subway Company. To be economical, they only used the upper floor of the building. The ground floor was used as the booking office and entrance to St. Enoch Underground station, a role it fulfilled until it was replaced during the 1970s modernisation programme. The building now serves as a coffee shop.
