GB 1950 1hr 20mins Dir: Michael Anderson Starring: Robert Newton and Kathleen Harrison
A sailor abandons his family in the Liverpool slums only to return years later to cause friction
This drama was filmed on location in Liverpool and was adapted from the 1934 novel of the same name by John Brophy. During the titles, an establishing shot of Liverpool’s docklands is seen with an overhead railway train running between Langton Dock and Alexandra Dock stations. There are also good clear shots of Liverpool Overhead Railway sets arriving at an unknown station, including original set No.44 and refurbished set No.16. In addition to this, there are shots of railway wagons in the docks and a glimpse of a distant steam-hauled freight train on the dockside, but it is far off and a little indistinct amongst the shadows of the surrounding warehouses. Some Liverpool trams are also on view in the later street scenes, mostly at night.
In this aerial shot an overhead railway train is running between Langton Dock and Alexandra Dock stations. There are also plenty of railway lines serving the warehouse on the left.
Liverpool Overhead Railway set No.16 in refurbished condition
And in a similar shot later in the film we see unrefurbished set No.44
In this busy dockside scene there is a steam locomotive in the centre distance doing a spot of shunting, but it is difficult to make out
In this cropped image from above we can see the puff of smoke and the light glinting off the locomotive’s saddle tank
An apparently deserted dockside setting full of mineral wagons
Just creeping into the top left hand corner of this shot of Derby Road in Liverpool is a tram working Route 17, Seaforth to Pier Head.
After a night out on the town, Liverpudlians scramble for their tram home. At least two can be seen here.
Two more trams are present here. That on the left looks to be a Priestly Bogie but that on the right is one of the lovely Bogie Streamliners.
In the scene where Kenneth Griffith takes Susan Shaw for a ride in his car a number of trams pass by as part of the back projection. Here is just one example, working route 8A, Garston to Pier Head via Smithdown Road
