SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

An image of John Schlesinger Directing Billy Liar in about 1962.[edit - got code]Assumed to be Leeds.Army Parades were front of Town Hall and others somewhere off Tong Road, slum clearance I think.Any idea where this photo is.    

Any help?http://www.yfaonline.com/film/billy-lia ... s-bradford

I don't know much about Clapperboards or what is written on them where but would they be shooting Scene 42 at the location in question?But that gets us no further anyway. Unless some film buff knows what that scene was in 'Billy Liar'.And a young 'pre Likely Lads' Rodney Bewes crouching like a tiger, or maybe a pitman beyond Schlesinger.Any idea on the bus company Blakey?Billy Liar was also filmed around Bradford, and I think, Wakefield.

You are correct that the clapperboard reads scene 42, take 1. However, the scenes are in shooting order, not the order they appear in the film once edited.

Cheers Si. At least I was right on not knowing much about clapperboard discipline.And forget Wakefield. I was thinking of Lindsay Anderson and 'This Sporting Life'.The YFA shots of course show the Town Hall and the demolition site in front of Green Lane School - the one with the playground on the roof.

I haven't seen Billy Liar for years. First time was on release at the (I think) Gainsborough when you could get in for an 'A' classified film when you were only (and looked) thirteen.As far as I remember, Rodney Bewes did not seem to appear in the scenes shot in Leeds - when Tom Courtenay appeared in uniform.I'm going out on a limb and am suggesting that the location above is somewhere in the centre of Bradford for the simple reason that it looks as if RB is going to be called into action sometime soon. As well as the fact that the centre of Bradford has been - as they say - knocked about a bit.In the meantime, this is a good site for locations in the film....http://www.reelstreets.com/index.php?op ... view&id=73    

Bradford city transport bus, right livery, wrong type of logo.Samuel Legard bus, looking more like it?    

Phill_dvsn wrote: Any help?http://www.yfaonline.com/film/billy-lia ... s-bradford TaForgot that and will have a trawl.The building right of shot looks a bit Wellington Street-ish.Behind the bus looks to be a big tall factory wall?Could be anywhere. I think bits of Manchester got used too.

Jogon wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: Any help?http://www.yfaonline.com/film/billy-lia ... s-bradford TaForgot that and will have a trawl.The building right of shot looks a bit Wellington Street-ish.Behind the bus looks to be a big tall factory wall?Could be anywhere. I think bits of Manchester got used too. Jogon and Phill - I can't be much help I'm afraid other than to say that the bus in Jogon's picture is neither Bradford City Transport or Samuel Ledgard. It is without doubt a green West Riding low height vehicle (four seats in a row upstairs with sunken gangway) - probably a Guy Arab or Leyland PD1 or PD2 with the familiar Roe Crossgates bodywork - and so couldn't possibly be on Welllington Street. As the road seems industrial and flat it points to Hunslet Road/Stourton if it IS in Leeds at all. So I suppose Bradford is the next best contender, or perhaps somewhere in Wakefield or another industrial district in that area.    

This is a link to information that I've found relating to the second of the two photos just above:- http://www.sct61.org.uk/lg1952uAccording to the information the photo was taken in King Street, Leeds. I cannot though see the other Ledgard bus in the background unless it's very far in the background!