1966 finders keepers
1967 to sir with love
1967 you only live twice
So it seems, from the dates of the above films’ release(?) that LIn and I were invited to visit PInewood Studios in1966. This being a guesstimate that all three films above were being filmed at the studio in 1966, assuming the last two needed more editing time than ‘Finders Keepers.’
Lin’s uncle, Ted Sturgis……. (Bridge on the River Kwai, etc) was assistant director on the film, To Sir With Love and had arranged for LIn and I to visit the studios to watch some filming, and meet Cliff Richard on the set of ‘Finders Keepers.’ This happened. We arrived on the ‘stage’ and watched as the Shadows and Cliff had a run through of a number. I think the set was a mock railway, on flat-bed trucks, with people jumping off as music played. We were watching at the dark edges of the set as they did a repeat. Afterwards, Cliff came over, said hello, and the chat might have continued longer when Ted arrived and said we might like to move to another set where they were having a scene run-through on ‘To Sir, with Love.’ We made a move, with Cliff accompanying us.
Very quickly we walked through to another stage. The message we had received must have been filtered round other sets too because we were towards the front of quite a crowd filling the space around the highly lit scene. I seem to recall the set was of an office, raised on a small staging. Design or luck, this meant that we could see the two actors more easily. (Maybe I felt that, just because I was taller than average in those days).
On set were Sidney Poitier and Lulu. We watched quietly as they rehearsed a very short scene. It was likely no more than a minute. At that moment there was a movement to the right of my shoulder. I looked round and saw people parting and a man walking up to my side. ‘He’s very good, isn’t he,’ he whispered to me as he stopped and we watched the two actors rehearsing on stage.
So there we were, Lin and I, watching Lulu and Sidney Poitier on set, as we stood side by side with Cliff Richard and Sean Connery. Not exactly my moment of fame but a famous moment that I am very happy to relate.
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