Film Stars in Action

Denaby has never before received such painstaking attention as it did from a United Artists film crew on location there yesterday (Thursday).

From about 60 locations visited by United Artists, Denaby was chosen as ideal to film scenes for a screen version of D. H. Lawrence’s “Women in Love,” a technicolour film, due to “do the rounds” of cinemas next year.

Yesterday morning scenes were shot between rain showers, in back yards in Rossington Street. During the afternoon attention moved to the “Lucky Strike” Bingo Hall, which had been converted into the front of a 1920 cinema hall, showing “The Sheik of Heaven.”

The £2,000,000 production was in its third week as it moved to Denaby from shooting in Sheffield and Derbyshire.

Stars of the film, Alan Bates and Oliver Reed, accompanied a 100 strong film crew. After Denaby, they were scheduled to film in Derby, Gateshead, and the company’s London studios, before leaving for Switzerland for final shots. “The Director, Ken Russell, thought Denaby was just right for the feeling he wanted and great for the type of scenes he wanted to shoot,” said American press representative, Larry Belling.

Although the exterior of the Lucky Strike will be shown on the film what happens inside will be filmed at the London Studios later.

The Story

The film, a story of two Northern sisters (Jenny Linden and Glenda Jackson) and their loves, will be completed within 12 weeks. Producer Larry Kramer has a requirement to have the finished product by next May and it is expected that it will be on release before next September.

AIthough two streets in Derby, where filming will be centred, have been asked to remove television aerials to preserve the 1920 period, the film unit has had little trouble with Denaby. “It is just right,” said Mr. Belling.

“We have had no problems from the public,” he added. “A few have come around and by afternoon there are generally thousands, but the camera crew is used to dealing with them and keeping them out of range. A few extras have even been recruited from among local people, but not many. This is generally done before the crew arrive.”

Meanwhile, boom microphones swung over Rossington Street actors were made up with coal dust, and cameras focused on Miss Glenda Jackson as she rehearsed a brief scene, with two “miners” leaning on a back yard wall. As a megaphone appealed to accumulating Denaby folk to step back so their reflections could not be seen In windows, many imaginations contemplated their home village on celluloid.