Films at CH, 1956-1960

Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else, but that's still CH related.

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Fidésien
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Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Fidésien »

Watching The Searchers last weekend,[now recognised as one of the best Westerns, and one of the best American films, ever made] I think that I first saw the film in Big School one Saturday evening in the late 1950s. Does anyone else remember that ? I think the film came out in 1956. But my recollection is that, apart from The Dambusters, we rarely saw brand-new films. What then did we see ? My scratchy memory suggests a Marx Brothers film called Love Happy. And a rather unfunny Boulting Brothers film called Carleton-Browne of the FO, with Ian Carmichael. And a Danny Kaye film memorable only for him playing a ventriloquist with a dummy called Clarence. Does anyone remember any others ? I know that some contemporaries agitated for Gunfight at OK Coraal. But it didn't happen, as I recall. I think too that those were the years in which the Housey Hot Five played in place of a B-film. But what they played I don't remember. Just filling in time before the start of the Six Nations. In a very wet and gusty Edinburgh.
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Foureyes »

My time at Housie was 1949-55 and we certainly saw films then, but in three venues. The first was in Horsham when the whole school marched to a cinema in the town to see a very recent film. I can certainly recall seeing two - the Coronation film and on another occasion Scott of the Antarctic. I think, but cannot be certain, that we also saw Romeo and Juliet, obviously the 1954 Laurence Harvey, Susan Shentall version. I can clearly recall intense discussions in Lamb B about the authenticity of the latter film particularly some added dialogue - Archbold, our senior Housemaster, was very scathing about some of the additions.

The second venue was Big School, for which we were allowed to take a blanket each because it was so **-** cold! I can recall seeing: Perils of Pauline (what was that about?); Secret Life of Walter Mitty; Lost Horizon (with a horrifying end which lived with me for years) and 'The Card.' There were also some very depressing films set in the Victorian era.

We also certainly saw the Dambusters, but whether that was in Horsham or in Big School I cannot be certain.

For completion, I should also mention that the Corps occasionally showed some films - obviously, CCF-related. The most memorable was a full-length feature, 'The True Glory'. Most of us of that era had read about Nazi concentration camps, but with little idea of what had really happened. This film had some harrowing scenes of Belsen and really brought it home. Another CCF film which sticks in my memory for some reason was a 'short' titled 'Double to Victory' a wartime fillum whose message was that Nazi Germany could be totally defeated if only the British Army double-marched all the way to Berlin - as if!

David :shock:
Martin
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Martin »

This thread has included films pre-1956 and why not? Here are some more, shown on a Sat evening in Big School.

Singing in the Rain
Great Expectations
The History of Mr Polly
Gunga Din
Knock on Wood
Tom Brown’s Schooldays


Another film we saw at a cinema in Horsham, was The 1948 Olympics. We all marched to the cinema one afternoon.

The Dambusters was also shown in Big School, but during one afternoon. It was alleged, and almost certainly true, that this concession for a then current release occurred because of the good offices of Sir Barnes Wallis.

There is another comparable thread in this forum called Films at CH Horsham, which was compiled in 2014, with additional information.
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Pe.A »

Martin wrote: Sun Feb 06, 2022 5:05 pm This thread has included films pre-1956 and why not? Here are some more, shown on a Sat evening in Big School.


Knock on Wood


A very underrated and funny film. I'd forgotten about that one...
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by AMP »

In The Theatre, Saturday evenings, post 1960:

Rollerball
Logan's Run
The Wild Geese
American Werewolf in London
The Gumball Rally

Somebody obviously liked Jenny Agutter
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Pe.A »

AMP wrote: Sat Feb 26, 2022 4:02 pm In The Theatre, Saturday evenings, post 1960:


Somebody obviously liked Jenny Agutter
Who wouldn't....??
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Oliver »

Another film (pre-war) that entertained me greatly as a junior was 'Alf’s Button Afloat', starring the Crazy Gang (How many readers have heard of them? – very, very few I suspect)

If someone wants to compile all the titles of films shown at CH Horsham in those days, I believe they were listed on the school Calendar. This was a small piece of printed cardboard, which also mentioned all the sporting and Debating Society fixtures, names of visiting preachers, meetings of the 1930 Society (does it still exist?), etc. A copy of this termly Calendar was issued to every boy. Perhaps there is a copy of each Calendar in the CH Museum. If not, there should be and, in that case, possibly they could be acquired by issuing a request to Blues to provide any extant.
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by eucsgmrc »

Oliver wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:22 pm If someone wants to compile all the titles of films shown at CH Horsham in those days, I believe they were listed on the school Calendar. This was a small piece of printed cardboard, which also mentioned all the sporting and Debating Society fixtures, names of visiting preachers, meetings of the 1930 Society (does it still exist?), etc. A copy of this termly Calendar was issued to every boy.
In my time (1954-62) it was a single sheet of white card, folded in three. I believe we got one each, and we could order (and pay a few pence for) extra copies. Memory tells me that they were produced in the manual school - but can I be right about that? Was there really a working print shop in there along with all the other crafts and skills? Does anybody remember learning to set type?
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by jhopgood »

I learned to set type and we did lots of programmes etc.
Failed at woodwork but enjoyed printing.
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Chris T »

Another good film screened in Big School was Whisky Galore, based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie.
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Avon »

Anyone remember the 1985 screening of Beverly Hills Cop?
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by loringa »

Oliver wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:22 pm If someone wants to compile all the titles of films shown at CH Horsham in those days, I believe they were listed on the school Calendar. This was a small piece of printed cardboard, which also mentioned all the sporting and Debating Society fixtures, names of visiting preachers, meetings of the 1930 Society (does it still exist?), etc. A copy of this termly Calendar was issued to every boy. Perhaps there is a copy of each Calendar in the CH Museum. If not, there should be and, in that case, possibly they could be acquired by issuing a request to Blues to provide any extant.
I was in the museum on Saturday and, for our reunion, they had dug out copies of The Blue and, more interestingly, The Blue Book for the years 1973 to 1982. The Blue Books were an interesting collection including a number of the 'masters' with corrections in them and a number with AJP on the cover. AJP was Alan Perry, Head of the Manual School, so perhaps they were still being produced in house under his supervision. I loved the Manual School and used to spend a lot of my spare time there, at least up until my Deps, but I can't remember there being a printing press.
eucsgmrc
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by eucsgmrc »

eucsgmrc wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 12:43 am
Oliver wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:22 pm ... the school Calendar. This was a small piece of printed cardboard, which also mentioned all the sporting and Debating Society fixtures, names of visiting preachers, meetings of the 1930 Society (does it still exist?), etc. A copy of this termly Calendar was issued to every boy.
In my time (1954-62) it was a single sheet of white card, folded in three. I believe we got one each, and we could order (and pay a few pence for) extra copies. ...
I have now found one of these, for the summer term of 1960. Click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16rORDF ... sp=sharing
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Foureyes »

What a find! As a matter of interest, the Inspecting Officer of the CCF on 3 Jun - ACM Constantine - was an Old Blue! Must have been quite an occasion.
David :shock:
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Re: Films at CH, 1956-1960

Post by Otter »

eucsgmrc wrote: Sat Jul 02, 2022 5:40 pm I have now found one of these, for the summer term of 1960. Click this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16rORDF ... sp=sharing
Yes, brilliant find!

A couple of observations:

- No half-term week around late May or early June?
- The calendar days/dates are the same as this year, as is the date of Easter (and so also Whit Monday). Great for the statistics enthusiasts.
- What are "M.L.G. Vivas" and "E.G. Vivas"?
- 30 June: "Whole Holiday" - just a day off school for everyone, on a weekday in the middle of term?
- Term ended far later than it does now
- Arbitrary days for the start and end of term (Tuesday, etc.) instead of starting and ending at the start and end of a calendar week.
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