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Bill wrote to director Val Guest. And out of the blue Val telephoned from
the USA. At 93, Val spoke with great clarity but could only recall the one
Just William film he made at Southall Studios in 1947 -1948. Val’s
autobiography has the director pictured (top right) on the set of Just
William's Luck with future wife Yolande Donlan. Sadly Val passed away on
10th May 2006 at his home in Palm Springs, California. |
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Terence Alexander phoned. Many will remember him as Charlie Hungerford from "Bergerac" on TV. Little Southall memory remains with
Terence but nevertheless was very interesting to chat to. The still is from "The Runaway Bus".
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We receive a reply from Virginia McKenna. From her scrapbook she sent us
some reviews of "The Oracle". ‘Most of the film was shot on location
with only the interiors done at Southall’ Virginia concludes.
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News of John Bentley came from
his wife. At 88, John is bedridden with arthritis and any Southall
recollections have entirely disappeared from the actor’s memory.
Policing the East African territory of Kenya was the theme and setting
for "The African Patrol" series which starred John Bentley. |
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Although it was more than fifty years ago, Rona Anderson recollects the
films, "Double Exposure" and "The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery", both
with Robert Beatty.
"You must remember those B films were usually made in three weeks - here
and gone pretty quickly".
Rona searched her archives but unfortunately could not provide us with
any further information.
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’As a jobbing actor I often had bit parts requiring one day’s shooting.
The only Southall film I can recall was "Time Gentlemen Please" from
1952’. The letter was signed Ian Carmichael.
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William Tell, aka Conrad Phillips, wrote from France where
he now lives. Most of Southall had slipped Conrad’s memory except"The
Last Man to Hang?"from 1956 with actor John
Schlesinger before he became a famous director.
Conrad Phillips went on to star in the black-and-white ITV series
"William Tell". |
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Not long after, actor John Horsley rang bringing to life reminiscences
about "The Runaway Bus" starring Margaret Rutherford and Frankie Howerd;
one of five films he made at Southall.
Viewers will recognise John as "Doc" from the 1976 BBC series "The Rise
and Fall of Reginald Perrin" which also starred Leonard Rossiter.
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In July 2008 we had
correspondence from Reg Varney/Jeanne Marley. |
