mancunian films history, photographs and film clips

Here is a list of Mancunian Films, with clips to view, scripts to read, synopses to study and more. If anybody out there can provide any additional information to the Mancunian Film Corporation's output - particularly on the missing films - please email CP Lee so that the history can be updated ...

Click here to see the section on the Mancunian Silent Years

Click here to see the section on the "Shorts" of the Mancunian Studios

Mancunian is Born - the Films

Film Clips to view ... presently SIX QuickTime MOVIE clips for you to feast your eyes on, as follows:

Bella's Birthday (1) in Shorts, Boots Boots (1), Cuptie Honeymoon (1), Over the Garden Wall (1) AND School For Randle (2)

FIND THE FILMS BELOW, CLICK & ENJOY!

Two Little Drummer Boys (1928)
Production Company – Blakeley’s Productions Ltd
Producer – John E Blakeley
Director – GB Samuelson
Studio – Southall Studios (London)

Cast – Wee Georgie Wood, Derek de Marney, Alec McDonigle, Alma Taylor, Alf Goddard, Walter Butler, Julie Suedo, Paul Cavanagh, Frank Atkinson
Synopsis – Eric (Wee Georgie Wood) and Jack (Derek de Marney), the two drummer boys are posted overseas with their regiment. There ensue a trail of accusations following the theft of some military plans. Suspicion falls on an innocent soldier and the truth only comes out after one of the boys saves the other from drowning.
Status - Lost

Two Little Drummer Boys premiered in the Piccadilly Cinema in Manchester to great reviews in October 1928. There then follows a hiatus of six years before John E Blakeley actively produced any films. We know that in 1932 he met up with Laurel and Hardy through a mutual friend called Bert Tracey. Tracey, a Mancunian had spent several years in Hollywood working with Stan Laurel, both in front and behind the camera. It’s been suggested that Laurel and Tracey persuaded John E to return to film production. Another mutual friend of Tracey’s and Blakeley’s, Arthur Mertz Senior introduced them to George Formby, with whom he’s written a script –

Boots! Boots! (1934) See George and Beryl Formby - BABY! - Film Clip

Production Company – Blakeley’s Productions Ltd
Producer – John E Blakeley
Director – Bert Tracey
Studio – Albany Studios, London

Cast – George Formby, Beryl Formby, Arthur Kingsley, Tonie Ford, Harr Hudson & His Band, Betty Driver, Bert Tracey, Dan Young
Synopsis – Formby plays John Willie, a boot boy in a posh London Hotel. He’s in love with ‘Snooky’, played by Beryl Formby. When it’s discovered that she’s an heiress John Willie can’t believe she’ll still love him, but it all turns out right at the end.
Status – Held at NWFA, NFTA, Blakeley’s Films.

Formby essentially reprises his father’s stage persona of John Willie and as such it’s very different from the gormless Northerner of his later work with Basil Dean. Beryl manages a bit of clog dancing (on top of a lit stove!) and a very young Betty Driver (Coronation Street’s Betty Turpin) performs an ear splitting yodeling routine which popular legend has it was removed from the final cut by a jealous Beryl Formby. The scene fortunately exists in the restored print.
The movie was shot in a studio situated above a taxi garage and a bell system had to be rung when they wanted to do a take so that the cabs wouldn’t be heard on screen.
The film cost Blakeley’s approximately £7000 to make and took over £30,000 at the box office despite being slammed by the critics.
Frustration at filming in London fuelled John E Blakeley’s desire to build a studio in Manchester, but it would be a few years and a World War before his dream would come true.

Love, Mirth & Melody (1934)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Producer – John E Blakeley
Director – Bert Tracey
Studio – Albany Studios, London

Featuring – Graham Payne, The Royal Merry Four, Little Teddy Grey, Arthur Pond, The Lionel Claff band, Duggie Ascot’s Dancing Girls
Synopsis – A very flimsy narrative written by Arthur Mertz Senior, connects a series of Music Hall acts
Status – Lost

Musical Medley (1934)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Albany Studios, London

Featuring – Lillian Keyes, Webster Booth, Master Leslie Day, Graham Payne, Arthur Pond, Santoni and Roma Clarke
Synopsis – A musical review
Status – Held by NFTA

Off The Dole (1935)
A Merry Musical Burlesque
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd -1935
Producer John E Blakeley
Director – Arthur Mertz Senior
Studio – Albany Studios, London

Cast – George Formby, Dan Young, Constance Shotter, Clifford McLaglen, Beryl Formby, Tully Comber, Wally Patch, Stan Pell, Stan Little, The 16 Choristers, The 12 London Babes, The Twilight blondes, The 24 bathing Belles, Arthur L Ward & His Band
Synopsis – Formby again reprises his father’s stage persona, this time as a work shy young man who’s put in charge of a detective agency
Status – Held by NFTA, NWFA, Blakeley’s Films

The second and final Formby film for Mancunian was a smash hit around the country. George went off to greater fame and glory with Basil Dean. Notable for Dan Young’s performance, sans moustache, of his 1920s Music Hall song and dance number The Nearer the Bone, The Sweeter the Meat.
Trivia - Stan Pell was manager of the Newcastle Palace Theatre for a time after his role as 'The Most Inoffensive Parson'. (Info Chroma Video Productions 2/3/10)

Dodging The Dole (1936)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Producer & Director – John E Blakeley
Studio – Highbury Studio, London

Cast– Roy Barbour, Dan Young, Barry Barnes, Fred Walmsley, Jenny Howard, Bertha Ricardo, Hatton and Manners, The Barry Twins, The Two Jays, Steffani’s Silver Songsters, Artchie’s Juvenile Band, Bertini & The Blackpool Tower Band
Synopsis – Dole office supervisor Dan Young is continually thwarted in his attempts to find a job for work-shy pair Barnes and Walmsley. Basically a very thin plot threaded around a succession of musical acts.

Status – Lost

The Penny Pool (1937)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Producer – John E Blakeley
Director - George Black
Studio – Southall Studio, London

Cast – Duggie Wakefield, Billy Nelson, Tommy Fields, Charles Sewell, Jack Butler, Ruanne Shaw, Chuck O’Neill, Jenny Gregson, Macari & His Dutch Serenaders, The Marie Louise Sisters, Mascot & Morice, Jack Lewis’s Singing Scholars
Synopsis – Duggie Wakefield and his ‘gang’ work in a garage. They help out a young girl whose winning football coupon has been stolen by a local bully.
Status – Held by NWFA, NFTA, Blakeley’s Films

Duggie Wakefield was Gracie Field’s brother-in-law and was a highly successful stage comic. He and his regular ‘gang’ Jack Butler, Billy Nelson and Chuck O’Neill were a knockabout Northern version of the Crazy gang. Like their Southern counterparts they also appeared on the bill for the Royal Variety Show. This film may be one of the earliest examples of product placement. One of their routines was to blow up a car tire till it exploded and in the garage scenes it’s hard to avoid the adverts for the India Tyre Company.

Calling All Crooks (1938)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Producer – John E Blakeley
Director – George Black
Studio – Stoll Studio, Cricklewood

Cast – Duggie Wakefield, Billy Nelson, Jack Butler, Chuck O’Neill, Helen Barnes, Dan Young, The Seven Royal Hindustanis, Velda & Vann, Hal Wright & His Circus, Sixty Sherman Fisher Girls, Ten Master Singers, Thirty Gypsy Revellers
Synopsis – To stop her dentist father from being swindled Joan, played by Helen Barnes, goes to Duggie Wakefield’s detective agency. The usual mayhem, punctuated by bouts of music, ventriloquism and acrobatic dancing ensues
Status – Lost

Kine Weekly, a trade magazine wrote “Laughter was seldom absent from the screen… a cast-iron two feature programme booking for the masses; particularly those in Northern areas…”

Somewhere In England (1940) - See full Synopsis from original Mancunian Films archive p1 p2
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Walton-on Thames

Cast – Harry Korris, Frank Randle, Robbie Vincent, Harry Kemble, Dan Young, Sidney Monkton, Anna Turner, 8 Master Singers, Percival Mackey’s Orchestra
Synopsis – Radio star Harry Korris of ‘Happidrome’ fame plays the army sergeant having to deal with newly recruited Randle. A sub-plot involving a boy soldier and a stolen cigarette case leads the way into the reason for the film – a chance to stage a concert party.
Status – Held by NWFA, NFTA, Blakeley’s Films

The first time Frank Randle was to appear in a Mancunian film. It was a massive successs and was periodically revived throughout Mancunian’s history. It’s also of great value to historians and lovers of comedy containing as it does, the only time Randle appeared in a movie as ‘the old hiker’ one of his best known and well loved stage characters, albeit in a much censored form.

Somewhere In Camp (1942)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Riverside Studios, London

Cast – Frank Randle, Harry Korris, Robbie Vincent, Dan Young, Tonie Lupino, Gus Aubrey, The Wilton Brothers
Synopsis – Another military caper which has Sergeant Korris struggling to control the antics of Privates Randle, Young and Vincent. Somewhere in the middle of it a love affair between a nurse and a boy soldier takes place amidst unexploded bombs!
Status – Held by NWFA, BBC, Blakeley’s Films

Filming was interrupted by a strike when Randle tried to bind the actors to his contract rather than Mancunian’s! Randle also plays ukulele, possibly to have a go at George Formby, possibly to have a go at the audience – The high point of the film is a reprise of a Randle’s Scandals stage routine called ‘Hiring A Housekeeper’ where Randle appears as an 82 year old lothario.

Somewhere On Leave (1942)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Riverside Studios, London

Cast – Frank Randle, Harry Korris, Robbie Vincent, Dan Young, Gus Aubrey, Peggy Novak
Synopsis – The third ‘Somewhere’ to be produced during the War basically following the same formula as the others. Harry Korris tries to rein in the manic antics of Randle and co as a love story nobody’s really interested in goes on in the background. Also climaxes with a camp concert (no pun intended) when we get to see another Randle’s Scandals favourite – ‘Putting up the bans’ in which a lecherous old man (Randle) is told he’ll have to wait to get married until “The second Sunday after Pontefract”
Status – Held by NWFA, BBC, Blakeley’s Films

Research into movie attendances at a Macclesfield cinema during the Second War showed the ‘Somewhere’ movies to be consistently popular with movie-goers. ‘Leave’ was no exception being the second most popular film of 1943 after Bing Crosby’s ‘Holiday Inn’ – Cameraman, Geoffrey Faithfull would later become principal cameraman on ‘Zulu”

Demobbed (1944)
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Riverside Studios, London

Cast – Norman Evans, Nat Jackley, Dan Young, Betty Jumel, Ann Firth, Tony Dalton, Webster Booth & Anne Ziegler, Felix Mendelssohn’s Hawaiian Serenaders.
Synopsis – Demobbed from the army Jackley, Evans and Young get jobs in a firm, an occupation that leads them to solve a crime and stage a concert party.
Status – Held by NWFA, BBC, NFTA, Blakeley’s Films

A typically optimistic title from Mancunian seeing as how the War was not yet over. The first screen outing for Norman Evans who gets to do his famous ‘Over The Garden Wall’ sketch which would lead to the movie of the same name a few years later. Particularly suited for fans of Nat Jackley’s eccentric ‘rubber necked’ dancing.

Home Sweet Home (1945) - See full Synopsis from original Mancunian Films archive - p1 p2
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Riverside Studios, London

Cast – Frank Randle, Donovan and Byl, Nicolette Roeg, Stan Little, Bunty Meadows, HF Maltby, Percival Mackey Orchestra.
Synopsis – Randle’s wife has quads, his lodger is in love with her boss’s son. She runs away to be a singer in Pagoli’s Nightclub. Randle aided by Donovan and Byl rescue her from the clutches of the lounge lizard nightclub owner – everybody goes home and gets married.
Status – Held by NWFA, BBC, Blakeley’s Films

Problems with hiring London studios finally gave John E Blakeley the impetus to find a studio in Manchester. This post-war outing for Mancunian is full of optimistic spirit and assurances that pre-war class barriers will never rise again. Randle and his cohorts routines are in fine fettle, particularly his patter with the diminutive Stan Little as his son.

Under New Management (1945) - Later re-released as Honeymoon Hotel (1948) - Synopsis from original Mancunian archive p1 p2 - Also see distributor promo material in the Cinemas Gallery
Production Company – The Mancunian Film Corporation Ltd
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Riverside Studios, London

Cast - Norman Evans, Dan Young, Nat Jackley, Betty Jumel, Cavan O’Connor, Lily Lapidus, The Donovan Octette, Mendel’s Female Sextette.
Synopsis - Norman Evans inherits a run-down hotel which, with the help of his chums he begins to turn around. A couple of unscrupulous property developers try and persuade him to sell it to them knowing that the land is scheduled for redevelopment. His daughter’s boyfriend, an accountant, saves the day!
Status – Thought to have been lost. A copy of 'Under New Management' was found in the archives of the UCLA Film School in America. Unfortunately the last reel had deteriorated so much that it was beyond restoration and this is now held by NFTA, Blakeley’s Films, NWFA. There are no known copies of 'Honeymoon Hotel'.

Under new management Honeymoon Hotel

Fascinating as much for the story of how it got to Los Angeles, as for its content – It seems most likely that Bert Tracey took a copy to the States to use as a kind of CV, and from there …?
The standard Mancunian concert sequence is priceless because it contains the only known film record of Norman Evan’s stage routine – ‘A Visit To The Dentist’

Cup-Tie Honeymoon (1948) See Film Clip of Betty Jumel with Bernard Youens, Dan Young with Alec Pleon

Production Company – Film Studios (Manchester) Ltd – (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Sandy Powell, Dan Young, Betty Jumel, Joyanne Bracewell, Frank Groves, Pat Pilkington, Bernard ‘Bunny’ Graham / Popley (later Youens), Alec Pleon, Harold Walden
Synopsis – A rich man’s son gives up the chance to play football for England when his local team become a man down. Delighted with his son’s soccer skills, his father gives permission for him to marry his girlfriend. While this is going on, Sandy, Dan and Betty run amok in a variety of sub-plots. Former champion footballer Harold Walden reprises his music-hall act wearing his Bradford City shirt - see Harold's act here - Hotun Youtube clip.
Status – Held by NWFA, NFTA, Blakeley’s Films

The first film to be shot at the Rusholme Studio, with exteriors filmed at Maine Road Football Ground and Abney Hall in Cheadle. In the film veteran comedian Sandy Powell performed one of his stage sketches, ‘The Soldier’s Return Home’, with a young actress, Pat Pilkington. She later became more famous as Pat Phoenix in Granada TVs ‘Coronation Street’ – ‘Bunny’ Graham, who later became better known as Bernard Youens, went on to play Stan Ogden in ‘Coronation Street’
Despite dreadful reviews the film was a huge success in the North West.

International Circus Review (1948)
Production Company – Film Studios (Manchester) Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by Tom Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester & On location Belle Vue Circus, Manchester

Cast – Patrina Bowman, Sonny Burke, ‘Bunny’ Graham (now Bernard Youens), The Three Austins (clowns), The Amazing Tagora (fire eater), Aimee Fonteney & Rozec, Sam Lingfield & His Comedy Midgets, The Les Rays Skating Typhoons
Synopsis – This was the second film made in Manchester but actually the third to be released. A thin plot has been draped around footage of Belle Vue Circus – The entertainments manager is off sick and his job is taken over by a young man. The opening night is a triumph, he gets the job permanently and proposes to his girlfriend.
Status – Held by NWFA.

The Belle Vue footage was a ‘nice little earner’ for Mancunian. It was released in various combinations over the years as five different movies!

Holidays With Pay (1948)
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester and on location in Blackpool and the Isle of Man.

Cast – Frank Randle, Tessie O’Shea, Dan Young, Josef Locke, Joyanne Bracewell, Sally Barnes
Synopsis – The Rogers family head off by car to Blackpool where, after a musical interlude and fun on the prom, they have an adventure in a haunted house.
Status – Held by NWFA, Blakeley’s Films

Like many of the Mancunian movies this film celebrates the new optimism of the Welfare State. Tessie O’Shea handles the manic mugging of Young and Randle quite well – If Randle annoyed her she would jump on his feet! – Their youngest daughter was played by child actress Joyanne Bracewell (1934 to 2007) who gave up acting for a legal career and became one of the country’s leading Law Lords.

Showground of the North (1948)
Production Campany – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by Tom Blakeley
Studio – On location at Belle Vue Pleasure Gardens, Manchester

Narrator – Lionel Marsden
While you’re at Belle Vue Circus why not shoot lots of footage of the surrounding pleasure garden? Then you can have lots of potential stock footage for any movie you may make in the future!
Status – Lost

Somewhere In Politics (1948) - Synopsis from original Mancunian archive - p1 p2 & See Blakeley Gallery for stills, etc
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Frank Randle, Tessie O’Shea, Syd & Max Harrison, Josef Locke, Jimmy Clitheroe, Bunty Meadows, Bernard Youens, Sally Barnes, Anthony Oakley, Kay Compston.
Synopsis - The Smarts find they have to share their house with the Parkers. The two women, Martha and Daisy both belong to the Womens Freedom League.
Joe (Randle) stands for election to his local council in opposition to his boss. Hilarity ensues.
Status – Lost

First Mancunian appearance of Jimmy Clitheroe as Randle’s ‘son’. Anthony Oakley will forever be remembered for a tragic incidentat Oldham Rep when he accidently stabbed another actor to death during a performance of Macbeth – the ‘unlucky play’

What A Carry On (1949)
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Jimmy Jewel & Ben Warris, Josef Locke, Terry Randall, Anthony Oakley, Shirley Quenten, Kitty Bluett
Synopsis – Jewell and Warris join the army and under the watchful, friendly eye of Sergeant Locke somehow manage to get promoted despite causing maximum havoc along the way.
Status – Held by NWFA, Blakeley’s Films.

When you learn that its original title was going to be ‘Somewhere On Parade’ it’s no surprise to see Jewell and Warris reprising the roles of Frank Randle and Dan Young. Apparently they were at loggerheads with John E Blakeley throughout the making of the film as they wanted to put more of an individual stamp on it. Blakeley won.

School For Randle (1949) - See Frank Randle with Jimmy Clitheroe - Film Clip1 - See Frank Randle with Dan Young - Film Clip2
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Frank Randle, Maudie Edwards, Jimmy Clitheroe, Alec Pleon, Ian Fleming, Hilda Bayley. Terry Randall. The Kordites
Synopsis – School caretaker ‘Flatfoot’ (Randle) has a secret. He has a daughter who was adopted when his wife died. She’s a pupil at the school and when she runs off to be in showbiz Flatfoot and his pals go and rescue her. Afterwards, she and her boyfriend win the school swimming competition and all’s well.
Status – Held by Blakeley’s Films, NWFA

The obligatory nightclub sequence featured Randle and co as the The Three Hu Flungs, Chinese magicians. The movie also spawned a short, ‘Bella’s Birthday’ featuring Maudie Edwards. After filming at Mancunian she went off to join a Frank Sinatra show at the London Palladium The final sequence was shot at Sale Lido swimming baths and nearly resulted in a mass electrocution when a lighting rig fell into the pool!

Over The Garden Wall (1950) See "Teddy" - Norman Evans - the original "Sooty"!
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Norman Evans, Jimmy James, Dan Young, Alec Pleon, Sonya O’Shea, Agnes Bernelle, John Wynn, Neville Brook, Eli Wood
Synopsis – Joe and Fanny Lawton (Norman Evans and Jimmy James) are visited by their daughter and her American husband. Joe’s boss’s son tries to start an affair but all turns out fine at the work’s concert.
Status – Held by NWFA, Blakeley’s Films, NFTA

Another outing for Evan’s female character which inspired Les Dawson’s routine years later. Also starring the ‘comedian’s comedian’ Jimmy James. The mixture of Variety sketches and narrative works a lot better than some other Mancunian offerings. James and Eli Woods make a hilarious guest appearance in Mancunian’s Jack Warner vehicle ‘Those People Next Door’ (1952)

Let’s Have A Murder (1950) - Synopsis from original Mancunian archive - p1 p2
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Jimmy Jewell, Ben Warris, David Greene, June Elvin, Agnes Burrelle, Michael Ripper, Kitty Bluett, Claude Dampier
Synopsis – Jewell and Warris are an unlikely pair of private eyes who are hired to clear a friend wrongly accused of murder and robbery. The trail leads to Paris and where, after a fight in a nightclub, the mis-matched detectives prove their client’s innocence.
Status – Full-length version (95mins) lost – a shortened (49 mins) version exists under the title ‘It's A Stick Up’

Probably most famous for its fight sequence when most, if not all, Manchester’s professional wrestlers engage in a knockabout bar-room brawl. Jewell and Warris look slightly more comfortable than they did in their previous Mancunian offering.

The photo on the far right shows Appleby Lodge, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, taken during summer of 1950 when filming was taking place for 'Let's Have a Murder'. The vehicle and people are crew from the studio.

Love’s A Luxury (1952)
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Producer – Tom Blakeley
Director – Francis Searle
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Hugh Wakefield, Derek Bond, Michael Medwin, Helen Shingler, Zena Marshall, Patricia Rayne, Bill Shine, Grace Arnold.

Synopsis - A theatre producer and an actor try and have a quiet week in a country cottage. Their efforts are thwarted by the arrival of a variety of wives, girlfriends and scoutmasters!

Status – Held by the NFTA, NWFA, Blakeley’s Films.

Originally a successful stage play written by Guy Paxton and Edward V Hoile, this was the direction that Tom Blakeley envisaged the studio going in – light romantic comedy. It works reasonably well due to a strong cast and professional production standards, and was a moderate success at the cinema.

Poster opposite sent to us by Michael Bloomfield of

MEM: Music & Cinema Memorabilia

www.vinylandfilmposters.co.uk

Thank you - much appreciated.

Those People Next Door (1952)
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Producer – Tom Blakeley
Director – John Harlow
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Jack Warner, Marjorie Rhodes, Charles Victor, Garry Marsh, Patricia Cutts, Peter Forbes-Robertson, Anthony Newley, Jimmy James, Eli Woods
Synopsis – Set during the blitz the film concerns the story of the Twigg family. Jack Warner plays the father and young Anthony Newley is his teenage son. Mr Twigg’s eldest daughter is in love with an aristocratic RAF officer. His parents object to the relationship, but after he’s shot down and wounded everybody pulls together and all’s well that ends well.
Status – Held by NFTA, NWFA.

Adapted from the stage play ‘Wearing The Pants’ by Zelda Davees, this was Tom Blakeley’s second foray into rom-com. Warner is too heavily associated with the ‘Huggetts’ series of films for it escape from the pack, but on the whole it works. A guest appearance by Jimmy James and Eli Woods as a pair of drunken buffoons adds a suitably surreal touch to the film.

It’s A Grand Life (1953)
Production Company – Film Studios Manchester Ltd (Mancunian Film Corporation)
Produced & Directed by John E Blakeley
Studio – Rusholme Studios Manchester

Cast – Frank Randle, Diana Dors, Dan Young, Michael Brennan, Jennifer Jayne, John Bythe, Arthur White, Jack Pye, Winifred Atwell
Synopsis – Randle is a work-shy soldier whose leisure is interrupted by the arrival of WRAC Corporal Diana Dors. The dastardly Sergeant played by Michael Brennan tries to have his evil way with her but Randle saves the day.
Status – Held by NWFA, Blakeley’s Films

The swan song for both Randle and John E Blakeley. The idea of a fifty year old army private is pushing the limits of credulity a bit too far. On the whole it works and several of Randle’s sketches, such as impersonating an officer, hit the mark. Britain’s blonde bombshell, Diana Dors copes with a part that must have seemed at the time to be the equivalent of being sent to Siberia. Watch out for the night time sequence when she’s thrown off a bridge – her stunt double was Pat Phoenix!

In 1954 the Dickenson Road studios were sold to the BBC and became the first BBC regional TV centre. Over the years up until its closure in 1973 it was the birthplace of ‘Top of the Pops’, ‘Grandstand’ and ‘The Simon Dee Show’.

Film Studios Manchester carried on producing films using studios outside Manchester, Shepperton, Walton and Pinewood being three of them. The company’s name changed as well becoming Blakeley’s Films and later reverting back to Mancunian again before becoming ‘Planet’.

Here is a selection of their output from 1960 onwards –

The Trouble With Eve (1959)
Production Company – Blakeley’s Films (Manchester) Ltd
Producer – Tom Blakeley
Director – Francis Searle
Studio – Walton Studios, London

Cast – Robert Urquhart, Hy Hazell, Garry Marsh, Vera Day, Sally Smith, Tony Quinn, Brenda Hogan