1947 'Broken Journey'
In March 1947 Shirley was working as the continuity assistant on the film "Broken Journey" (originally called 'The Rescue) directed by Ken Annakin who had directed 'Holiday Camp'. It was released in 1948.
She had already worked with Annakin on "Holiday Camp" which had been filmed on location at Butlin's in Filey with a host of British stars. "Broken Journey" centred around a plane crash in the Alps, and as well as filming in the studio at Pinewood, the crew travelled to Bellevue, near Chamonix in the French Alps to film on location. Staying in La Hutte Chalet-Hotel, Shirley wrote several postcards and long letters to her parents and sister as well as typing out her usual journal.
The letters and her diary contain fascinating details of life on location: having to delay filming as the fuselage of the fictional crashed plane made an unplanned slide down the mountain side; eating food obtained on the black market; teaching the French hotel staff to play darts, which they insisted on throwing like hand grenades, much to the amusement of the Brits.
Diary: 8th January 1947
Heard to my great disappointment that the continuity on the Swiss location will be Phyl Ross. There was an even chance that I might have gone!! I always seem to miss the boat.
However, a month later:
Diary – 17th February 1947
Am almost sick with excitement. Came home walking on air!! Ken (Annakin) told me that he had asked for me to go with his unit to Switzerland in 2 weeks’ time – and it was OK. Haven’t been told officially yet. I hope and hope nothing will turn up to prevent me. Life certainly isn’t monotonous in the film business. Mummy and Daddy have been wonderful – no raised eyebrows.
Diary – 18th February 1947
Elation died down as I have heard nothing official today. I now feel that I won’t be surprised if I don’t go – and feel as though the whole thing was a dream. Went to passport office but have to go again as I didn’t have letter of consent from my father!
A week later confirmation that she WAS going came through.
Diary – 25th February 1947
At last they told us definitely this afternoon. Panic for passports, etc. I collected mine today. Setting up about buying clothes. Unit of 22 going out – I shall come back with Ken after two weeks. Another girl to take over or even to come out with us.
TO AND ON LOCATION
Shirley left London with the rest of the crew on 5th March 1947, via a train to Dover, ferry to Calais, train to Paris, and sleeper train to La Fayette near Lyon, and then a coach to the funicular railway which took them up to Les Houches in the French Alps near Chamonix.
There is a long, detailed and often funny description of the whole journey in the letter to her parents and sister dated 6th March, written a few hours after they had arrived at their destination.
Never a good traveller on water, Shirley was seasick on the ferry crossing. “I did just manage to have enough sense not to be sick against the wind! I felt much better afterwards….then Albert came along, and he told George (the Location Manager) who came along with two brandies! We arrived in Calais and I felt I couldn’t care less – so you can imagine how I felt”
The journey to Paris was uneventful, and Shirley couldn’t see anything anyway as the windows were all steamed up. As their luggage was always handled by porters, Shirley was worried about the luggage disappearing at some point. Until someone pointed out that they guard the luggage ‘with their lives’ until they get their tip.
Meals on the sleeper were interesting, with most of the crew never having been to France before and not used to French food or eating habits. Shirley was possibly the only one amongst the crew who could speak some French (she had been to French evening classes in London months before).
“The men got completely tied up over the menu and with the waiters. One man who was sitting on his own at a table with French people took the plate of hors d’oeuvres and ate it all from the plate – the portions for four! I nearly died at the expressions on the other peoples’ faces.
….I was in a compartment with four fellows who couldn’t speak French, and when the customs men came in they automatically looked to me to do the talking – so I had to and it was quite good, much to my surprise.”
The hotel – La Hutte – was located high up in the mountains.
It’s unbelievable that there could be anything so high up (I’ll send postcards). A few moments ago I stepped out onto the veranda and found we are completely surrounded by white clouds – can’t see a thing – and inside a fire is burning in the studio-ish grate – and the room, with lots of tables, red checked curtains – is very cosy.
Postcard – Saturday 8th March 1947
Dear Mummy, Daddy and Leila,
I’m sorry this is such a brief note, but I am terribly busy typing sheets for location shots and having script conferences. Also the post facilities are very poor. This is the hotel where I am working and will move to in a couple of days. Am very well and enjoying myself. Eating too much. Will write. Love, Shirley.
Letter to her parents and sister – Sunday 9th March 1947
Just a very little note because I just must write. We are over by the mountain by the wrecked plane we have constructed. The unit is setting up cameras – slight pause while we do our first shot. I am sitting on the wing of the plane in brilliant sunshine – I can’t describe the scene with any justice. It is baking hot – we all had to cream our faces and I have rubbed snow on my face and arms – a tip from the French people here. Mont Blanc is on our left with just a trace of cloud across the tip. There is not a cloud in the sky, but there are some below in the valley.
The prop men are just setting out lunch – coffee, bread – various other things in packets including 2 hard-boiled eggs per person!!!
As we are supposed to be in a desolate spot the 1st Assistant is just rubbing out the ski-track!!.
Pause for shot.
The clapper-boy stood in snow to shout the number board – and as the cameras started he suddenly sank deep into the snow and out of sight. It was SO funny……
…I have just had lunch: 3 eggs in aspic – bread – cheese – apples – figs – coffee. There was also cold veal and ham for the boys. There is such a variety of food here!
Shirley discovered soon after that the reason for the variety and quality of the food was that it was obtained on the black market!
Evening – I didn’t get time to write any more because we were working and then packed up. By 5.30 it was getting decidedly chilly and I was glad of woollies. Can’t write any more because I have typing to do.
To Be Continued…….
Shirley wrote a long letter and/or journal entry almost every day, usually just before she went to bed. That was the habit of a lifetime. The letters from La Hutte contain mainly observations about life at the hotel (food, fashion and the various antics of the crew) with occasional descriptions of what is going on location – such as the wrecked plane being blown down the mountain and having to be hauled back up. Ken Annakin’s wife had travelled with them and seems to have taken Shirley ‘under her wing’. She lends Shirley some clothes and they go shopping together in Chamonix.
On her return to England she worked – as continuity - on a series of films:
1948 The Calendar dir: Arthur Crabtree
1948 Quartet Dirs: Ken Annakin, Arthur Crabtree, Ralph Smart, Harold French. Cast inc: W. Somerset Maugham, James Robertson Justice, Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling, Honor Blackman, George Cole, Wilfred Hyde-White.
1948 Easy Money Dir: Bernard Knowles. Cast inc. Jack Warner, Petula Clark, Marjorie Fielding
1948 My Brother's Keeper Dir: Alfred Roome. Cast inc, Jack Warner, Jane Hylton, David Tomlinson, Bill Owen, George Cole.
1948 It’s Not Cricket Dir: Alfred Roome. Cast inc. Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne, Susan Shaw.
1949 Helter Skelter Dir: Ralph Thomas. Cast inc: Carol Marsh, David Tomplinson, Mervyn Johns, Terry Thomas, Jimmy Edwards, Johnny Briggs
1950 The Astonished Heart Dirs: Terence Fisher, Anthny Darnborough. Cast inc: Celia Johnson, Noel Coward, Margaret Leighton.
Shirley married Alfred Kleiman in 1948, and stopped working when she had her first child in 1950
The photograph (below) was taken on set at Pinewood. Shirley is in the centre (of course) and the star of the film - Phyllis Calvert - is the woman with the scarf and the director, Ken Annakin, is just behind her wearing glasses.
