Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
From a private collection
Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre, initially donated by Margaret Sinden.
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I remember that many students from SussexUniversity got end of term jobs as extras on the film when they filmed the Christmas “Football” scene at SheepcoteValley. They had to wear thick army greatcoats in the heat of the summer and in the evening arrived at the pub in pools of perspiration. I also recall Richard Attenborough sitting nonchalantly in his Rolls at the traffic lights at the bottom of Wilson Avenue, probably on the way to his brother’s house in Rottingdean. He lost face a little when the lights changed because he accidentally found reverse rather than drive and went back towards the car behind him.
I was caddying at East Brighton golf course and was astounded to see row upon row of headstones where they filmed the scene for the film. It was a glorious clear summer day and the contrast of the green grass, blue sky and white headstones has stuck in my memory for the past 50 odd years.
What memories the postcard at the top of this page rekindles. As a school boy, I was an extra in this film. Indeed, I was in the very scene the postcard shows. In the actual film, I was one of two boys who had to skip around in front of that very band, as it marched into the entrance of the West Pier. At the beginning of the film. I have a copy of the film on DVDs which my children bought me as a present. It certainly made them chuckle To see their dad on screen. My best friend at the time was the other boy in the scene, and my father was also an extra. I remember just messing around a lot of the time on swing boats on the pier and occasionally riding a bicycle and huge amounts of food and drink. I think managed to get the week off school, as they thought it would be a good experience for me. The money I was paid was blown on a model plane from the model shop in West street. Great memories.
1968 Memorable for the time I spent as an extra…one beach scene, in itchy bathing costume was shot in March, I think, and Dickie had us do take after take. Absolutely freezing, and then it was cut !! Music hall scene was great fun, and queuing outside the West Pier entrance one night in the pouring rain (fire brigade’s hoses!). Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
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