Report by BFS member Diane Thomas
on the
The Talking Pictures TV 8th Festival of Film
celebrating British Film & TV History from the 1930s to the 1970s
Stockport – 10th October 2021
The Talking Pictures TV 8th Festival of Film, which was sponsored by Renown Pictures and Talking Pictures TV, took place in the art deco Stockport Plaza – an internationally acclaimed, Grade II listed Super Cinema and Variety Theatre, built in 1932 and the last of its kind operating in its original state.
Festival comperes, Frazer Hines and Jenny Hanley were on stage to interview Melvyn Hayes (famous for his key roles in Summer Holiday and It Ain’t half Hot, Mum), Amanda Barrie (who starred as Cleopatra in Carry On Cleo) and Anita Harris (who appeared in several Carry On Films, including her favourite, Follow that Camel, in which she starred alongside Phil Silvers).
To have seen the stars in such a setting, talking about their careers and sharing first-hand, ‘behind the scenes’ information, was as informative as it was entertaining.
Enter Inspector Duval, a British film noir starring Anton Diffring, was shown in addition to a recently discovered, 1964 episode of Ready Steady Go (incidentally, the film’s ending was so unexpected that many in the audience gasped).
This annual event can be recommended to all young and old lovers of vintage films and vintage TV.