This film is an accompaniment to The Devil God, which perhaps ought to be watched first.  It is rare for an amateur cine club to make a documentary type film showing the behind-the-scenes shooting of a film.  It therefore provides a very rare opportunity to glimpse them in action.  The fact that Mercury Movie Makers made this film about filming indicates their ambition and their expertise.  The Director and inspirational force behind The Devil God, Alan Sidi, looks as comfortable in front of...

This film is an accompaniment to The Devil God, which perhaps ought to be watched first.  It is rare for an amateur cine club to make a documentary type film showing the behind-the-scenes shooting of a film.  It therefore provides a very rare opportunity to glimpse them in action.  The fact that Mercury Movie Makers made this film about filming indicates their ambition and their expertise.  The Director and inspirational force behind The Devil God, Alan Sidi, looks as comfortable in front of the camera as he clearly was when directing from behind it.  It shows the seriousness, and the less seriousness, of the filmmakers, and their professional approach.  All those working on the film certainly wouldn’t have looked out of place in a professional crew, and the quality of the film bears comparison at least with certain TV sci-fi series of the period – think of Dr Who at that time, or the later Blake’s 7.  The Bond films aside, the British film industry was well behind their American counterparts in the special effects field.  The event was enough to get the Yorkshire Post to come along and write an article on it (‘Zooming in for action’, 11th October 1974, see Comments).  Some of those working on the film have been discussed elsewhere, see the Context for The Devil God.

It isn’t clear exactly what role the Yorkshire Arts Association played in the film.  They did help fund a number of titles in the YFA Collection in the 1970s and ‘80s.  However, John Murray, who filmed the crash sequence, and was the Chairman of the Film Panel of the YAA around this time, has no recollection of their involvement, so they may just have helped with distribution.  Nevertheless, it is worth noting the positive role that the YAA did play in helping small film productions.  The BFI catalogue lists 50 where they are credited either as the production company, or, more often, as sponsors – one of these, Owen Bit Bog Oil (it should be Ower), is erroneously credited to them and should be dated 1963/64, not 1972.  The YFA has a further seven films in its catalogue with the YAA credited not on the BFI list, including this one.  Keith Overend, who worked on this film, had one of his own films This Horrid Place, also made in 1974, funded by YAA.

The YAA can trace its origins back to an American philanthropist Edward Stephen Harkness, who established the Pilgrim Trust in 1930 to preserve English heritage.  This formed the Committee for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA) at the end of 1939, the forerunner of the Arts Council, which was established in 1946.  The Arts Council then went on to form regional arts associations between 1956 and 1971, including the Yorkshire one, which operated as a registered charity between 1970 and 1992.  In 1992 the twelve Regional Arts Associations become ten Regional Arts Boards, with Yorkshire merging with Humberside. 

This scene, filmed at Hawksworth Quarry, Guisely (on Moor Top), would certainly have cost a lot.  Of course, the members of the club, and doubtless others like John Murray, would have worked for free in their spare time.  But there would have been plenty of additional costs (not least Alan Sidi’s car!)   The special effects/stunt company Action Incorporated was responsible for stunt coordination.  Action Inc. was formed in 1971 by a group of amateur stunt and special effects enthusiasts offering their specialist services to non-professional film makers across the UK. Over the next 15 years the company worked on over 100 productions for film schools, film clubs and individual film-makers around the country. Their members provided explosions, bullet hit and arrow/spear effects, as well as performing stunts such as car crashes, saddle falls, high falls and body burns.  Although they were amateurs, they prided themselves on a fully professional service.

John Murray states that he obtained a copy of the crash scene off Alan Sidi for use in another film Khoon aur Paisa made by Indian Arts (also sponsored by the YAA).  As John relates: “This amateur Bollywood production needed an actor to come to a sticky end as he’d walked out of the production during the shooting- so a car chase was added in order to write him out of the story.  I got some of the ‘overs’ from Alan Sidi so the Indian film chase ended with the ‘villain’s car’ going over the quarry, but it meant that the producer, Gurcharan Singh Gossal, had to find a matching car for the scenes before the crash!”  At the time Gurcharan Singh was working at David Brown Tractors, and was a member of a Youth Club in Huddersfield.  He roped in all his friends to act (and sing) in Khoon aur Paisa (Blood or Money) which was shot in Hindi, in Huddersfield and Halifax.  If anyone knows where a copy of this film might be found, get in touch.

What the film also reveals is the collaborative nature of many of the films made by cine clubs in general, and MMM in particular, and the great satisfaction that gave to all those involved.

(With special thanks to John Murray).

References

The Arts Council and Regional Arts Associations

Dick Budgen, Action Inc.