This drama film was photographed by Mr A. H. Garland between 1948-49 in association with the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) which has been making cine stories and capturing the north east on film for nearly a century. It is the sole survivor of the five original ACA organisations in Britain, first set up in 1927. Newcastle & District ACA were storytellers, entertainers and documentarians – recording simple or sophisticated drama and comedies,...

This drama film was photographed by Mr A. H. Garland between 1948-49 in association with the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association (ACA) which has been making cine stories and capturing the north east on film for nearly a century. It is the sole survivor of the five original ACA organisations in Britain, first set up in 1927. Newcastle & District ACA were storytellers, entertainers and documentarians – recording simple or sophisticated drama and comedies, travelogues and home movies, of which this is a charming example. The House in Docherty Square received a special commendation in the annual Amateur Cine World (ACW) magazine’s ‘Ten Best’ competition, considered the Oscars of the amateur film world.

The film was shot on a Paillard Bolex camera, widely used in the production of nature films, documentaries and by the experimental or avant-garde, and they are still the camera of choice for many animators. Bolex is a registered trade mark dating back to 1924 for Charles Haccius and Jacques Bogopolsky. Now known as Bolex International S. A. of Yverdon, the trade mark was sold to a Swiss manufacturer of motion picture cameras in 1930, specialising in the 16 mm and Super 16 mm formats. While some later models of the Paillard are electrically powered, the majority manufactured since the 1930s use a spring-wound clockwork power system. (1)

The standardisation of 16mm film in 1923 opened up the world of filmmaking for the first time to non-professionals. Eastman Kodak first developed this film format and pioneered accessible and affordable film technology during the early 20th century. Kodak had vastly improved the safety of its products too, with new-fire resistant rolls of film meaning that amateur filmmakers could enjoy a cigarette whilst projecting their home movies without fear of causing an inferno. By the mid-1930s, a German observer estimated that the British amateur cine scene had around 250,000 hobby filmmakers and about 3000 to 4000 of those people were a member of an amateur cine club; the home movie craze had taken hold of Britain.

Filmmaking for many amateurs during World War II was curtailed. The War Office issued orders regulating where filming could occur, and restricted the availability of film stock. Petrol was rationed and non-essential travel by public transport was discouraged. Despite the relative affluence of most amateurs at this time, Kodachrome colour film was especially hard to come by, and the services still had first call in 1945. An extract from this film appeared in the 50th Newcastle ACA Story production with a commentary that stated “amateur film stock once again became available, and the club ventured into colour.”

Despite being set in ‘Old Shields’, the film was shot in various locations across Newcastle and Gateshead, mostly in the Sandhill area, the oldest part of the Newcastle. Sandhill is a street near the Newcastle riverfront that has been used as a quayside since Roman times. The street was named Sandhill as it was originally just a hill of sand when the tide was out. There was a thriving market at Sandhill and by the 16th century many wealthy merchants owned property on the street. In the late 18th century the suburbs became more fashionable for the wealthy classes and the area saw a slow decline until the regeneration of what is now known as the Quayside in modern times. There are many historic buildings on Sandhill, including the Guildhall and Bessie Surtees' House, the latter making an appearance in the film where the daughter continues to lure men to their fate. (2)

The two buildings now known as Bessie Surtees House were originally numbers 41 and 44 Sandhill, known respectively as Surtees House and Milbank House. Other houses further east along Sandhill date from the same period. The earliest reference to a house on the site of Surtees House is from 1465. Carvings on a fireplace in the surviving house record the 1657 wedding of Thomas Davison and the daughter of Ralph Cock, mayor of Newcastle in 1634. The house was owned by the couple's family until 1770, when it was sold to local merchant, Snow Clayton. The house name derives from one of Clayton’s tenants, Aubone Surtees, whose daughter Bessie was alleged to have eloped to Scotland in 1772 with John Scott, who became a successful lawyer and, as Lord Eldon, Lord Chancellor of England. Milbank House was owned by Mark Milbank who married another of Ralph Cock’s daughters, Dorothy.

Surtees House and Milbank House were united by John Clayton in 1880. In 1930 they were bought by SR Vereker, later Lord Gort, who employed the engineer, RF Wilkinson to restore the houses using 17th century period fittings salvaged from buildings registered for demolition. Bessie Surtees House, as they both became known, was bought by Newcastle City Council in 1978 and leased to Historic England in 1989. Now open to the public, the buildings provide a rare example of Jacobean timber-framed architecture. The original timber-framed structure of Milbank House is concealed behind a Georgian facade which boasts fashionable sash windows and shutters, however Surtees House has retained its original façade of plasterwork decorated with classical details. (3)

The ship scenes were filmed on board a sailing vessel on the River Tyne at Dunston, Gateshead, an area associated with the wooden coal staiths, which first opened in 1893 for loading coal from the North Durham coalfield onto ships.

As our female protagonist walks her first victim to the boarding house, they pass a pub called Ye Old George Inn. Now known simply as the Old George Inn, the pub dates back to the 16th century and is the oldest surviving ale house in Newcastle. Located on the Cloth Market, just off the infamous Bigg Market, the Old George boasts royal links, with King Charles being a regular visitor while in an open prison nearby.  

References:

(1) H-16 16 mm camera 1935 http://www.bolexcollector.com/cameras/h16.html

(2) Sandhill  https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/sandhill/

(3) Bessie Surtees House  https://historicengland.org.uk/get-involved/visit/bessie-surtees-house/