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Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 6:02 pm
by viejoazul
The last two postings on the ‘Roy Terry’ thread (partly on films shown at Horsham) revived so many memories for me that I feel Films deserve their own thread, so here goes.

What about starting with a list? I remember some of those already mentioned (‘Lost Horizons’, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, ‘The 1948 Olympic Games’, ‘The Dam Busters’ and ‘The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II’). But there were so many more: ‘The History of Mr Polly’ (which caused my first crush – on Sally Ann Howes), ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’, ‘Knock on Wood’, ‘Passport to Pimlico’, etc.

On film-Saturdays the excitement among junior boys was great, although the seniors tried to appear more sophisticated. Without TV and with virtually no pop culture available in the late 40s (when comics were banned, even the American ones called ‘Classic Comics’, relating allegedly classical novels), films were understandably exceedingly popular.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:32 pm
by Mid A 15
viejoazul wrote:The last two postings on the ‘Roy Terry’ thread (partly on films shown at Horsham) revived so many memories for me that I feel Films deserve their own thread, so here goes.

What about starting with a list? I remember some of those already mentioned (‘Lost Horizons’, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, ‘The 1948 Olympic Games’, ‘The Dam Busters’ and ‘The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II’). But there were so many more: ‘The History of Mr Polly’ (which caused my first crush – on Sally Ann Howes), ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’, ‘Knock on Wood’, ‘Passport to Pimlico’, etc.

On film-Saturdays the excitement among junior boys was great, although the seniors tried to appear more sophisticated. Without TV and with virtually no pop culture available in the late 40s (when comics were banned, even the American ones called ‘Classic Comics’, relating allegedly classical novels), films were understandably exceedingly popular.
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=672&hilit=films+big+school

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:51 am
by Chris T
One peculiarity about these films was that the projector was behind the screen (somewhere under the Big School organ console), so that the film had to be rewound back-to-front on the reels before they could be projected. Very occasionally this was omitted and after a start the titles appeared back to front, so there was then a sudden stop and a pause for a couple of minutes for rewinding, before the evening’s entertainment could begin. I remember the audience was very good natured when this happened – natural Housey politeness, I suppose.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:13 pm
by Kit Bartlett
From my era ( 1941-47) I remember the following.
1941 "The Ghost Goes West " (Robert Donat ) "Boys Will Be Boys " (Will Hay).
Others include " Citizen Kane ", (Orson Wells) "Elephant Boy" (Sabu) " David Copperfield " (Freddie Bartholomew and W.C. Fields
"Fantasia" "Gang Show " (Ralph Reader), " The Man Who Could WorK Miracles "
During WW2 films were shown in the Science Lecture Theatre, presumably because Big School could not be blacked out.
I believe that Mr. T.J. Pickvance ( Science teacher and Barnes A junior Housemaster ) was responsible for choosing the films,
No doubt they were suitably vetted.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:20 pm
by michael scuffil
I suppose while I was there, there must have been about 60 films (16 winter terms x 3 or 4) but I can remember very few of them. I recall: The Ladykillers; Bell, Book and Candle; Bridge over the River Kwai; Albert R.N.; The Wooden Horse; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Cockleshell Heroes (I think); Passport to Pimlico; The Importance of Being Ernest (with M. Redgrave and E. Evans); A King in New York (late Chaplin)...

Basher Jenks was i/c when I arrived; Pat Cullen took over.

Films cost half a crown of your pocket money per term. (Or thereabouts.)

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 3:56 pm
by J.R.
michael scuffil wrote:I suppose while I was there, there must have been about 60 films (16 winter terms x 3 or 4) but I can remember very few of them. I recall: The Ladykillers; Bell, Book and Candle; Bridge over the River Kwai; Albert R.N.; The Wooden Horse; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Cockleshell Heroes (I think); Passport to Pimlico; The Importance of Being Ernest (with M. Redgrave and E. Evans); A King in New York (late Chaplin)...

Basher Jenks was i/c when I arrived; Pat Cullen took over.

Films cost half a crown of your pocket money per term. (Or thereabouts.)

I don't recall having to 'pay' for films from my pocket-money. Maybe it was kept quiet in Coleridge B !!

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:14 pm
by Kit Bartlett
More films remembered. "The Good Companions" Alf's Button Afloat" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel "

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 1:53 pm
by J.R.
The only film I can recall vividly, is "Passport to Pimlico".

I still enjoy watching it when its repeated on TV.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:29 pm
by Requested Removal 18
"Ghostbusters", "Meatballs" and "Alligator" were 3 I remember from my time and they were shown in the Theatre. I remember nothing about Meatballs, presumably because I was doing something that I shouldn't have been...

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:48 am
by jhopgood
Seem to remember "The Mouse that Roared", "Dr Strangelove", "The Horse's Mouth", "The Rebel" and I'm not sure whether it was "Mon Oncle" or "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday", or maybe both.
I wonder who decided what was shown, as it was a fairly varied selection.
Like JR, I can't remember my pocket money allowance being deducted for films. My pocket money came mainly from my holiday earnings, and I needed them in case I couldn't get a job in the next holidays, so I spent very little.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 2:05 pm
by J.R.
Now you mention those films, John I now remember them as well !

Oddly, The Rebel with Tony Hancock was on Freesat last week. It's still quite amusing in places.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:08 pm
by fra828
Can anyone from the Hertford era remember if we had films there? I have vague memory of watching the very occasional film in the hall ?'The Spiral Staircase' rings a very distant bell.

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:51 pm
by Katharine
Yes we did have them but for the life of me I can't remember the names of any of them! I don't think we paid anything for them, not to a House Fund.

Very, very occasionally we went to the cinema over the road - again I can't remember what we saw!

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 6:12 pm
by Eighhttwelve
I'm sure I remember watching 'The Nun's Story' in the hall, but we also trekked over the road to the cinema quite often. I remember seeing 'Towering Inferno', 'Jeremiah Johnson', 'Kelly's Heroes' and at least one James Bond film amongst others. I wonder who amongst the staff decided what was suitable viewing material for us?

Re: Films at CH Horsham

Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:29 am
by seajayuu
"Appointment with Venus". It was the first film that I had ever seen (the reasons are complicated!) and made a great impression on me. The book is still on my bookshelves!