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Post by Tyne Tees Colour on Aug 12, 2015 7:25:00 GMT
Lew Grade was quoted as saying it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic than make the film. The failure of this film (and Grade's memorable quote about it) probably sum up the downfall of ACC, the entertainment empire of Lew Grade.
It is quite a complex story, involving board members setting up their own subsidiaries to make TV & cinema films. One of these was 'The Long Good Friday', which when Grade found it would be X-rated, decided not to be involved in its release. He sold it to Handmade Films who had a hit with it and it has maintained its popularity since. Perhaps Lew should have kept it....?
Some of ACCs productions were successful, others less so. They were making films at a time when cinema audiences were declining rapidly. They also tended to cast people whose Hollywood prime had been a few years previously, e.g. Ernest Borgnine, Jason Robards, John Carradine, Henry Fonda.
The entire organisation was itself like a massive ship. And it needed a huge international box office success to keep afloat. 'Last Of A Kind; The Sinking of Lew Grade' (Quentin Falk, Dominic Prince) is a great insight into the whole situation. Lew Grade's autobiography 'Still Dancing' is also quite good on the subject.
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Post by Endeavour Morse on Oct 9, 2015 11:50:51 GMT
Raise the Titanic was a real favourite of mine and my best mate as kids. The sight of that ship bursting out of the water at long last was just incredible. We didn't care that the story and dialogue were complete rubbish back then as we talked all the way through it until the big moment (or just fast-forwarded the tape to the right point)! Ah, happy days...
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Post by Gene Hunt on Aug 21, 2016 15:26:06 GMT
On holiday last week, I couldn't help visiting a location used in this film. The scenes where Dirk Pitt (Richard Jordan) is talking with John Bigalow (Sir Alec Guinness) was shot on location in St Ives, Cornwall. They are seen walking around the harbour before nipping into a pub for a quick tincture.
The pub, called "The Sloop" has hardly changed since the 38 years since the film was shot in 1978 (released in 1980) and is a lovely place - well worth a visit.
I did these shots from memory as I didn't have any screen grabs in me shorts. Not too far out of sync though....
1978.
2016
Gene.
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Post by Steve Austin on Aug 21, 2016 15:41:06 GMT
Great shot from memory Gene, you have the aspect spot on IMO. Hope the beer was nice, be rude not to have at least one there
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Post by Gene Hunt on Aug 21, 2016 15:47:12 GMT
I did Steve. At least one...
Gene.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Aug 22, 2016 17:26:31 GMT
I did Steve. At least one...
Gene.
Good Man!
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