GB 1963 1hr 33mins Dir: Michael Winner Starring: Alfred Lynch and Kathleen Breck
A man down on his luck is recruited into crime by a local conman
This crime film was based on the Laura del Rivo play The Furnished Room and was set in West London, taking its title from the W11 postcode (Notting Hill). There are some good railway scenes in the film, some of which take place at London Paddington station, but no trains are seen. Paddington station, incidentally, is in postcode W2. Meanwhile, there is a brief shot of Plymouth station with a Class 118 DMU in the background showing headcode 2C74, and a later scene filmed at Bournemouth Central station with Southern Region coaching stock in the platform. The Bournemouth scenes include a rare scene that was filmed inside a Bulleid coach. The final railway scenes use Waterloo station, though as it was filmed at night very little can actually be recognised.
Alfred Lynch at Plymouth with a Class 118 DMU in the background
The unmistakable roof line above Eric Portman is that of Paddington station
Paddington station again, but from a less than orthodox angle
A final glimpse of Paddington station as Eric Portman speeds off up the Praed Street ramp in his Jaguar XK
Football fans board a special at Bournemouth Central. Note the carriage roofboard to the right of the totem sign. This is seen in the film to read ‘Waterloo-Southampton-Bournemouth’. If you look closely at the totem sign, however, the Bournemouth Central writing is wonky and the wording is not the usual Gill Sans. These are clues to this sign being nothing more than a good prop as Bournemouth Central never had totems applied in BR days.
The ‘Welcome to Bournemouth’ poster may well be a prop but the station roof does indeed confirm this to be Bournemouth Central station, with Bulleid designed coaching stock in the platform
This is the interior of a Southern Region Bulleid coach. OVS Bulleid may well have been a maverick when it came to designing locos but his coaching stock was superb, and a real step upwards in comfort compared to previous designs. It was not really bettered until BR built the Mk.2, which was introduced from 1964. Note the end glazing of Bournemouth’s station roof just visible through the windows.
