Control Yourselves

Titter ye not Dr Phibes ! The great Frankie Howerd visits the Phibes set, while shooting the movie Up Pompeii, one of several Hammer films shooting at the studio in 1970. One can only imagine the conversation.



Here's the opening title sequence and theme song sung by the man himself



Also starring Julie Ege as Voluptua and Madeleine Smith as Erotica , both of whom where shooting multiple pictures at the studio


To help them from getting lost

Vincent & Vulnavia

Last night I watched The Abominable Dr Phibes , a 1971 AIP release.
If I sit back for a moment and think of the craziness going on in borehamwood in the early 70's i am left wondering why the town wasn't the most happening place in the country. But then maybe it was, and no one knew. I blame the towns All Saints church, and its clock tower that had Borehamwood running on a 72 minute hour. This must have slowed the things down enough for no one to notice the evil Phibes going about his business killing people with brussel sprouts, ice machines etc.


While some speak of it as one of VIncent Price's greatest performances, the star is really the fabulous Vulnavia played by Virgina North.


Even more impressive is she speaks no lines throughout the film, just glides from scene to scene, costume changes at every moment creating one suggestive erotic image after another.




all this is performed to the music of Dr Phibes Clockwork Wizards from a fabulous score by Basil Kirchin


theres also a stella supporting cast with Terry Thomas, Joseph cotten, Caroline Munro & Peter Jeffrey, even the great John Laurie makes an appearance. It would seem that most of the film is shot on set, so here's a couple of great behind the scenes shots of the opening dance.




Check out the great House of Phibes yahoo group for more excellent pictures.

Still standing today Phibes mansion is just up the road from Elstree Studios in Bushey Heath, the village where i was born. This Huge gothic masterpiece originaly called Caldecote Towers was built sometime in the late 19th Century by the impressively sounding Captain William John Marjoribanks Loftus Otway of the 4th Light Dragoons.

View from the Village

Sometime in early 1960 a certain Patrick McGoohan came to borehamwood to star as John Drake in Danger Man. He would end up sticking around for the next 8 years or so, and go on to create TV history, of which we'll get to ...



This rather imposing image is of Amalgamated Studios in Borehamwood on Elstree Way, built in 1937 and to become the old MGM studios where the series was shot from 1960 to 1967. The First episode was A view from a Villa written by the legend that is Brian Clemens and shot in the town of Portmerion



And here is a closer look at the fabulous clock tower that stood empty for many years, and which i would walk past every day on the way to school. Left to fall into disrepair it was demolished in late '80's to be replaced by, well nothing. all that remains is a small brick wall along the footpath.



But happily it lives on, here you see John Drake at the entrance in an Episode of Danger Man. The deeper I look into my home town and all its strange comings and goings, I am most excited when i see one of the many studios used as a location or as a back drop for a quick publicity shot, so you'll have to forgive me if thats where i focus.
I have not seen this show for many years so will go back to it at a later date

who are you?

... a post is coming soon.

cliff

my dear old mum would have been 64 this week, so i think its fitting that on her birthday week, Sir Cliff Richard came to town for an unveiling of a plaque in his honour, he's joined here by Sir Tim Rice. "Cliff's still my favorite" is something she would say quite often, especially while watching top of the pops. I have to say i have a bit of a soft spot for him to, as i like small speakers, and i like tall speakers to !


Ciff first came to the wood back in 1959 for the film serious charge playing the character curly thompson, but it's for The Young Ones in '61 and summer holiday in'63, that cliff really came to town !


For The Young Ones a large town was built on the back lot of the studios that stayed for 15 years and was used on... well, ill tell you later - wouldnt want to spoil it. The choreography in both movies was by Herbert Ross - footloose anyone ? Happy birthday mum !

1965-1967

Nupondi & Queen kari
While Loana may have been the most famous cave girl to visit the town, she wouldn't be the last. Just up the road in 1963 on the Bond stages at Pinewood studios in Buckinghamshire, Zora the catfighting gypsy girl was strutting her stuff on the set of From Russia with Love



Zora was played by the excellent Martine Beswick, the first woman to appear in 3 Bond movies, firstly in the opening credits of Dr No and then going on to play Paula Caplan in Thunderball. In '66 she was Nupondi, and would fight it out with Loana in maybe prehistoric man's first cat fight !



This famous fight may have been filmed in Borehamwood, as although most of principal shooting was on location in Spain the sets where built in borehamwood, and this scene looks to me like its on a set.

Martine returned to the 'wood in 1967 for Hammer Films Prehistoric Women (Slave Girls), this time in the staring role as Queen kari


I haven't seen this film (yet) but it looks excellent and i cant wait to see it. I'll be writing a lot more on Martine as she is for sure a legend of elstree studios and Borehamwood! If you want to see more pictures and read a little bit more about her ( and cave girls for that matter ) check out the excellent blog
cave girls in fur bikinis


ending on a little bit of trivia - she came to town again in '65 for a small role in " such men are dangerous " and episode of Dangerman which was shot at MGM.

4000BC

even folks from the mesolithic period where stopping by to maybe chop some "wood".
back in 1984 my Aunt Ruby was having a tree stump removed from her back garden in delamere road when she came across this strange looking object ...



...Ruby took rather a shine to the thing and decided to put it on top of her fire place. Some time later while watching a tv show she noticed some similarities with the topic of discussion, further investigation revealed it to be a mesolithic axe, datable from 8500bc - 4000bc
Its now on proud display at Verulamium Museum in St. Albans.
Id like to thank the museum for sending me these great pictures !

one million years BC, circa 1966

Caveman Tumak is banished from his savage tribe... and ends up in the wood along with Loana, Ahot and Nupondi.

Hammer Films where located in Borehamwood for many years, and One million Years BC became their biggest hit, the movie created the iconic image of Raquel Welch in her furry bikini. I prefer this rather fancy crucifixion shot!


Was Loana crucified in borehamwood ?