43-451: Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear ; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Dearden was born at 5 Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea , Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and the former Florence Tripp. Dearden graduated from theatre direction to film, working as an assistant to Basil Dean . He later changed his own name to Dearden to avoid confusion with his mentor. He wrote This Man Is News (1938),
86-415: A Tudor porch constructed of red brick. The mediaeval structure of the church was added to and altered during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The chancel was extended at the east end in 1872 by C. F. Haywood; Ernest Geldart added the south aisle in 1897, and there were a number of alterations made by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1913 and 1919. The tower at the west end was a prominent landmark for shipping on
129-443: A Copper (1940). Dearden went over to Ealing Studios where he produced The Ghost of St. Michael's (1941) with Will Hay, then he produced Turned Out Nice Again (1941) with George Formby. He first began working as a director at Ealing Studios , co-directing comedy films with Will Hay , starting with Black Sheep of Whitehall (1942). This was followed by The Goose Steps Out (1942) and My Learned Friend (1943), which
172-467: A comedy with Benny Hill, Who Done It? (1956). Dearden did some uncredited directing on The Green Man (1956) then made an Ealing style comedy for British Lion The Smallest Show on Earth (1957). For Rank he made Violent Playground (1958) with Stanley Baker. He did some uncredited directing on one of Ealing's last films, Nowhere to Go (1958). He also produced Davy (1958), with Harry Secombe, for Ealing. Dearden and Michael Relph made
215-563: A crime film with a black lead, very rare for the time; and I Believe in You (1952), a drama which he also wrote and produced. Dearden made The Gentle Gunman (1952), an IRA thriller with Dirk Bogarde; The Square Ring (1953), a boxing film with Jack Warner; The Rainbow Jacket (1954), a horse racing drama; and Out of the Clouds (1955), set at an airport. He did a war film which he also wrote, The Ship That Died of Shame (1955) then
258-560: A hugely popular quota quickie and wrote and directed a film for TV Under Suspicion (1939). He was assistant director on Penny Paradise (1938), produced by Dean and directed by Carol Reed , and two George Formby comedies directed by Anthony Kimmins: George Takes the Air (1938), produced by Dean, and Come on George! (1939). Dearden was promoted to associate producer on two more George Formby films, which he also co-wrote: To Hell with Hitler (1940) aka Let George Do It and Spare
301-616: A population of 22,509. Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern side of the Thames Estuary , a few miles from the open waters of the North Sea to the east, and a similar distance from the Kent coast to the south. The coastal environs of the town feature a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally located beach adjacent to Bell Wharf. At low tide Leigh's foreshore has a wide expanse of mud flats and creeks , extending offshore towards
344-424: A public right of way, which replaced an existing cliff-top path called Chess Lane. Leigh Library was designated as a listed building at Grade II in 1974. In the 11th century Leigh was a marginal community of homesteads. The Domesday Book of 1086 records 'five smallholders above the water who do not hold land', who were probably engaged in fishing thus giving Leigh a claim to nearly a thousand years of activity in
387-528: A series of films on subjects generally not tackled by British cinema in this era starting with Sapphire (1959), a thriller about race relations that proved popular. Dearden and Relph helped set up Allied Film Makers for whom they made The League of Gentlemen (1960), a bank heist comedy that was very popular. Dearden directed episodes of The Four Just Men on TV and produced two films directed by Michael Relph: Mad Little Island (1958) and Desert Mice (1959). For Allied, Dearden directed Man in
430-491: A thriller not released for two years; and The Mind Benders (1963) a science fiction with Dirk Bogarde. Dearden and Relph then made two films for release by United Artists: Woman of Straw (1964) starring Sean Connery ; and Masquerade (1965) with Cliff Robertson . He was then hired to replace Lewis Gilbert as director of Khartoum (1966), with Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier . Two films were then made for release by Paramount: Only When I Larf (1968) and
473-592: Is a civil parish . It is represented in Parliament in the Southend West and Leigh constituency, by David Burton-Sampson . The population of the entire district taken at the 2011 Census was 38,931. Several annual events have become well established, including Leigh Regatta, Leigh Folk Festival and The Leigh Art Trail. The regatta is held over one weekend in September. Leigh Heritage Centre
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#1732788088362516-559: Is a fair representative of the British preference for bureaucratic cinema. It stands for the underlining of obvious meaning". More positively, for Brian McFarlane, the Australian writer on film: "Dearden's films offer, among other rewards, a fascinating barometer of public taste at its most nearly consensual over three decades". Regular Ealing cinematographer Douglas Slocombe enjoyed working with Dearden personally, describing him as
559-411: Is found by a young vacuum cleaner salesman called William Blake who calls there, and he first goes next door and accidentally alerts Hawkins, who has his assistant move the body. He then alerts the house owner Reginald's pretty fiancée, Ann. The two are terrified, and when Reginald returns home he finds them lying on the floor, hiding together under the bed. Reginald's second furious exit creates doubt over
602-600: Is located in the Old Smithy and serves as a museum for Old Leigh. It is run by the Leigh Society, who have also opened the next-door Plumbs Cottage, a restored and substantially rebuilt 1850s fisherman's cottage. Old Leigh Art Studios is a commercial gallery with artists studios. It was established by the artist Sheila Appleton and potter Richard Baxter in 1991. They have since been joined by painter Ian Smith and ceramicist Julie O’Sullivan. The studios participate in
645-510: Is situated near the western end of Old Leigh marina . Built in 1934, it replaced the original station, which was opposite Bell Wharf. Leigh-on-Sea is a district of Southend-on-Sea , and includes the electoral wards Belfairs, Blenheim Park, Eastwood Park, Leigh and West Leigh. The two latter Electoral Wards and one Poll District of Belfairs and Blenheim Park Wards are included in the Leigh-on-Sea Town Council area, which
688-560: The Edwardian era black comedy The Assassination Bureau (1969), again with Michael Relph; it was the 25th film they had made together. His last film was The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970), which he wrote and directed, starring Roger Moore , made for EMI Films . With Moore, Dearden made three episodes of the television series The Persuaders! : Overture , Powerswitch and To the Death, Baby . He had two sons, Torquil Dearden and
731-458: The Middle Ages until the turn of the 20th century, Old Leigh hosted the settlement's market square, and high street (known as Leigh Strand). Elizabethan historian William Camden (1551–1623) described Leigh as "a proper fine little towne and verie full of stout and adventurous sailers". By the 1740s however, Leigh's deep water access had become silted up (as attested to by John Wesley ) and
774-422: The 'most competent' of the directors he worked with at Ealing. Film Television Leigh-on-Sea 51°32′33″N 0°39′13″E / 51.5425°N 0.6535°E / 51.5425; 0.6535 Leigh-on-Sea ( / ˌ l iː -/ ), commonly referred to simply as Leigh , is a town and civil parish in the city of Southend-on-Sea , in the ceremonial county of Essex , England. In 2011 it had
817-445: The 1990s and the early 21st century Leigh-on-Sea went through more change: the growing dominance of out-of-town, 24-hour supermarkets and retail parks, as well as the arrival and popularity of retail online shopping , meant that much local business had to reinvent itself, either as venues for socialising, or to offer niche services and products to cater for the town's changing demographic. Leigh-on-Sea has frequently been cited as one of
860-496: The Catering Act. Hawkins arrives and sits in the lounge pretending to enjoy a violin concerto played by three mature ladies. The bomb is in a radio in his suitcase. Hawkins takes the three ladies for a drink in the bar just as Upshott and his secretary rise to take their meal. Not knowing what name Upshott will register under, Ann and William rush there and decide he will be alone and under a false name. They wrongly assume that
903-579: The Moon (1960), a science fiction comedy with Kenneth More that lost money. The Secret Partner (1961) was a thriller for MGM starring Stewart Granger . Dearden directed Victim (1961) with Dirk Bogarde for Allied; a thriller about homosexuality, it was a huge success. However, his next few movies were not popular: All Night Long (1961), an adaptation of Othello ; Life for Ruth (1962), for Allied, which dealt with religious objections to operations.; A Place to Go (1964), for Bryanston Films,
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#1732788088362946-584: The Thames Estuary, and the building contains a good selection of stained glass dating from between the 18th and 20th centuries. The building is Grade II* listed by Historic England , and a key factor for this rating was the sympathetic nature of the 19th and 20th century additions. Leigh Hall, a medieval manor house for the parish that was demolished in 1907, was once situated near the ancient eastern manorial boundary of Leigh and Prittlewell . Robert Eden, who became rector of Leigh in 1837, demolished
989-401: The annual Leigh Art Trail. The Green Man (film) The Green Man is a 1956 black and white British black comedy film directed by Robert Day and starring Alastair Sim , George Cole , Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams . The screenplay was by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat , based on the play Meet a Body . In the film, a professional contract killer and his assistant plan
1032-507: The attempted murder of Marigold) strike a lightly macabre note and suggest another essay in "black" comedy. Unfortunately, the story soon reverts to fairly conventional farce, with jokes about the B.B.C. , the National Health Service and illicit week-ends in the country. Alastair Sim extracts the maximum amount of ghoulish humour from a sketchily written part, TerryThomas is intermittently amusing in his now familiar act and
1075-485: The best places to live in the UK, owing to factors such as its proximity to London, nearby outstanding Westcliff and Southend grammar schools, good access to sports and arts activities, multiple opportunities to develop skills, and a strong sense of belonging and community spirit. A 2018 survey by Rightmove found that Leigh-on-Sea was the place in the UK where people were happiest living. On 15 October 2021, Sir David Amess ,
1118-814: The deep water channel of the Thames (Yantlet Channel). Leigh is 40 miles (65 kilometres) from central London via road and rail networks and is part of the London commuter belt . Archaeological finds of pottery and coins from Romano-British era in the locality suggest early settlement. From at least the Saxon period a hilltop clearing amidst the woodland that covered much of the surrounding area (the Rochford Hundred) of Essex came to be known as Leigh (Lee in Anglo-Saxon). A place of minor economic importance at
1161-427: The direction is brisk. But, in attempting to combine the popular with the more sophisticated, the producers have failed to make the best of either world." The New York Times noted "Weekend at a horrible little country hotel, same name, and one of the funniest British films ever." The Radio Times wrote "If you ever doubted that Alastair Sim was the finest British screen comedian of the sound era , then here's
1204-399: The firm's typists for a weekend at a seaside hotel called "The Green Man". Hawkins hides a bomb in a radio, which he plans to leave in the hotel lounge. Finding out his treachery, the secretary comes to his house to confront him but is attacked (unseen by the viewer) and left for dead by Hawkins' assistant McKechnie who, as nobody is next door, hides the body there (in a grand piano). The body
1247-498: The fishing industry. The main seafood catch from Leigh fishing boats has always been shellfish and whitebait . Many of the local trawlers were at one time bawleys , and two of Old Leigh's pubs – the Peter Boat and Ye Olde Smack – owe their names to types of local fishing boat. The riverside settlement of 'Old Leigh', or 'The Old Town', is historically significant; it was once on the primary shipping route to London. From
1290-597: The future relationship. William and Ann then face another moment of horror as the "corpse" staggers into the house through the French doors and, before collapsing again, tells them that Upshott will be blown up that night in the Green Man by a bomb at precisely 22:28. Meanwhile a new group of figures assemble at The Green Man: Upshott arrives with his shy young secretary Joan, but wants a drink before he registers. The waiter tells them they must order food before 10pm because of
1333-473: The influential chiller compendium Dead of Night (1945) and directed the linking narrative and the "Hearse Driver" segment. He also directed The Captive Heart (1946) starring Michael Redgrave , which was a big hit. The film was entered into the 1946 Cannes Film Festival . He directed Frieda (1947) with Mai Zetterling and produced by Relph, which was also popular. Dearden directed Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948) an expensive costume picture that
Basil Dearden - Misplaced Pages Continue
1376-636: The local Member of Parliament , was murdered at a constituency surgery being held in Belfairs Methodist Church in the town. Southend was granted city status as a memorial to Amess in 2022. Leigh-on-Sea is served by Leigh-on-Sea railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend line . Regular, daily bus services run between Southend-on-Sea, Benfleet, Canvey Island , Basildon , Rayleigh and Chelmsford . Scheduled flights to national and European destinations operate out of nearby London Southend Airport . The current railway station
1419-492: The murder of a prominent businessman. The murder is scheduled to take place during the businessman's stay at a seaside hotel. However a salesman and his new female partner have learned of the murder plans, and they are actively trying to prevent the murder. Harry Hawkins is a freelance assassin who is contracted to blow up Sir Gregory Upshott, a prominent and pompous London businessman. By courting Upshott's spinster secretary, Marigold, he learns that his target will be taking one of
1462-399: The name "Boughtflower" is false and track him down. But the time reaches 22:28 and they dive for cover. The trio starts playing in the lounge again. Hawkins encourages them to play faster and join him again in the bar. Meanwhile Ann and William cannot get the landlord to believe their story, try to evacuate the place and locate the bomb. Hawkins has put the radio on in the lounge. It announces
1505-417: The previous rectory and commissioned a large new one, which was completed in 1838. One quarter of the building remains today as Leigh Library, as the other wings of the building were demolished by Southend Corporation when they acquired the building and the surrounding land. The rectory and grounds occupied a 6-acre (2.5-hectare) site, and the work carried out by Eden included the construction of Rectory Grove as
1548-635: The proof of his immense talent. As the assassin with the mournful smile, he gives a performance of rare genius that more than makes amends for the longueurs in Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat's script." Allmovie opined "If The Green Man finally falls a little short of being classic, it's only because the mechanics of the plot get a bit wearying at times; otherwise, it's a charmingly subversive little treat." Time Out called it "A splendid black comedy." In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated
1591-489: The radio: he is reading a poem, but breaks off in the middle to deliver into the microphone a vicious and impassioned diatribe about Ann. As Reginald is ushered away from the microphone, they stop driving and share their first kiss. Cole's then-wife, Eileen Moore, appeared in the film as the typist with whom Upshott has a liaison. Gilliat said the film was "okay". The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The opening scenes (Hawkins describing his past triumphs as an assassin and
1634-612: The screenwriter and director James Dearden . Dearden died on 23 March 1971 at Hillingdon Hospital , London after being involved in a road accident on the M4 motorway near Heathrow Airport , in which he suffered multiple injuries. An inquest heard that he had a very high amount of alcohol in his blood and that he was decapitated after his car crashed into a road sign and caught fire. The film critic David Thomson does not hold Dearden in high regard. He writes: "Dearden's films are decent, empty and plodding and his association with Michael Relph
1677-502: The time as 22:24. William realises the time on the hall clock was wrong. He starts to evacuate the hotel. Meanwhile Upshott sits closer to the radio to hear an article about himself. William has the brainwave that it will be on a timer in the radio, which he therefore throws towards the sea seconds before it explodes. Hawkins crashes into his assistant's car, and both are stopped by the police as they try to drive off. Driving back to London, Ann and William hear her fiancé Reginald speaking on
1720-600: The time of the Norman Conquest , a reference to Leigh (Legra) appears in the Domesday Book survey of 1086 where it lists a population of 9, in the ownership of Ranulf Peverel in the Rochford Hundred. St Clement's Church was rebuilt in the late 15th century or early 16th century, although the list of rectors dates back 1248. The fabric of the church is of Kentish ragstone and flint rubble, with
1763-448: The village was in decline as an anchorage and port of call. Broadway developed between the 1870s and the 1920s from a residential street to a commercial parade of shopfronts, as the town began to expand. During the 1920s, Broadway was extended further west with the demolition of a large manor house, Black House/Leigh House (built 1620). In 1983 Leigh gained its own paper, Leigh Times , and in 1996 gained its own Town Council. During
Basil Dearden - Misplaced Pages Continue
1806-455: Was Hay's last movie. Dearden's first solo director credit was The Bells Go Down (1943), a wartime movie with Tommy Trinder. It was produced by Michael Relph who would form a notable collaboration with Dearden. Dearden also directed The Halfway House (1944), a drama set in Wales, and wrote and directed They Came to a City (1944), based on a play by J.B Priestley. Dearden worked on
1849-449: Was not a large success. He wrote and directed a segment of Train of Events (1949). The Blue Lamp (1950), probably the most frequently shown of Dearden's Ealing films, is a police drama which first introduced audiences to PC George Dixon, later resurrected for the long-running Dixon of Dock Green television series. It was hugely popular. Less so were Cage of Gold (1950), a drama with Jean Simmons ; Pool of London (1951),
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