Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms 1950s films

I guess that this is inevitable given that, as you say, all the cars are loaned by generally careful and proud owners.
To see cars as they were, the only way is to view old films such as those mentioned in previous posts. Watching 'Gumshoe' (released 1971) last night with Albert Finney and Billie Whitelaw in a Lotus Europa brought home this point. Although much later than some of the periods featured in recent productions, most of the cars featured looked well worn and less than pristine. Having said that, most of the buildings and street scenes looked pretty grubby too. We have probably forgotten that even within our driving lifetimes (well, some of us at least) most aspects of our environment have changed visually. It was not until the 80s that city buildings started to be refurbished en masse and their thick coating of velvety soot cleaned off. Gumshoe was a colour film but it may well have been in black and white!

Yes I have too, the good lady calls me to have a look at Call the Midwife when they have some 50/60's cars and vans on and they are much too clean.

I expect some could come from the largest private collection in the UK that rents them out owned by Rodger Dudding at Studio 434, Motorpunk magazine ran a good feature on him a while back.
Studio 434

There was an XK120 in a show recently. It looked great in the exterior shots but when they went to the close-ups they switched to a dreadful back projection, which looked really dated. I had to assume that the owner wouldn't let them stick cameras on the car.

often comments about the older films and documentaries I watch. Yes to the old film channels and PBSAmerica channel often has some great stuff of many subjects.
Sky 160.....don’t know freeview freesat channels.

Only one I know is TCM.

Genevieve, the 1953 film about two friends completing on the London to Brighton rally, has been showing on Sky channels recently. Great film with loads of period road shots of London at that time.

That's my favourite period film Ray.

Especially the final scenes on the streets of London which still have tram lines in the ŕoad.

Ssshhh ... Spoiler alert!

Yes, Genevieve has some good 1950s London street scenes at the beginning and end, and some period shots of Brighton in the middle. You get to see some interesting roads in the rest of the film too, although being in Hertfordshire they're a little way off the normal London-Brighton route!

A hugely successful and well-loved film, almost certainly the movie I have watched most often. Unbelievably it very nearly didn't get released at all due to the studio boss hating it!

We watched it as well.

I was a little surprised to see the London to Brighton include signs for Slough!

‘School For Scoundrels’ is one of my favourite films of all time

Got it on Blu-Ray last year

It was filmed in 59 but released 1960 so technically I’ll add it to this thread

British comedy at its very best and plenty of driving and car scenes