Limehouse

[Gary Barnett]

>>I recently came across a reference to another pre-war film that had been filmed in Limehouse. When London Sleeps (1926) <<

"When London Sleeps" is a different film, "While London Sleeps" is the one you're thinking of. Set in Limehouse, but filmed in America.

Looks like it has a strong German Expressionist feel to it.

Yes, that’s the one I posted all the images of, thanks for correcting the while/when error in my post.

Filmed in America, you say?

[Gary Barnett]

The ‘Footage Detectives’ people have replied to say that they will respond to my enquiry in the ‘Letters to the Projectionist’ section of the programme. They didn’t say when.

[Gary Barnett]

Limehouse Nights/Blues was filmed entirely on set in America.

[Gary Barnett]

I’ve never really got into Peaky Blinders, but I understand that a character based on (and named) Brilliant Chang features in some episodes.

[Rob Clack]

A couple of pages from The Graphic 9 January 1932

[Gary Barnett]

A couple of pages from The Graphic 9 January 1932

Thanks, Rob, some interesting stuff there. I’ve seen some of the photos before, but there are some I haven’t.

The tobacconist’s shop intrigues me. Possibly in Pennyfields rather than Limehouse Causeway - just a guess based on the railings to the right, plus the mention of the owner being multilingual, if that was true, it suggests it wasn’t the man who ran the tobacconist at 36, Limehouse Causeway - a bloke named Harry Barnett.

[Rob Clack]

This looks like the tobacconists on the right.

[Rob Clack]

From this article.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ury-flats.html

[Gary Barnett]

This looks like the tobacconists on the right.

Yes, that’s Pennyfields I believe.

[Dusty Miller]

>>Filmed in America, you say?<<

Definitely, with a couple of stock shots of London G.V's edited into the final cut.

[Gary Barnett]

>>Filmed in America, you say?<<

Definitely, with a couple of stock shots of London G.V's edited into the final cut.

So, the film contained some genuine exterior shots of Limehouse. ‘One or two’ sounds somewhat vague.

Why do you use the word ‘stock’, when you’ve read that Warners filmed in Limehouse? You must have worked hard to try to wriggle from your initial mistake. Thanks for the confirmation of what I originally thought, ‘While London Sleeps’ contained exterior shots of Limehouse in 1926 or thereabouts.

[Gary Barnett]

Another early film The Nipper (1931), starring Betty Balfour, had scenes filmed in ‘an actual Limehouse “den”’.

[Dusty Miller]

The review, as opposed to the Hollywood pre-publicity.





Could you point to where you are reading the reviewer wrote there were shots of Limehouse locales as opposed to general London shots, ("a romantic quarter of London"?) in the film?

No actor or dog went to London, ergo, the film was made in America with one or two general shots of London edited into the final cut.

[Gary Barnett]

The review, as opposed to the Hollywood pre-publicity.





Could you point to where you are reading the reviewer wrote there were shots of Limehouse locales as opposed to general London shots, ("a romantic quarter of London"?) in the film?

No actor or dog went to London, ergo, the film was made in America with one or two general shots of London edited into the final cut.

What a waste of time.

So now you move on from ‘stock’ to ‘general’.

If you read your own attachment you will see that the ‘opening incidents are staged in “a romantic quarter of London”. That has nothing to do the exterior shots I am interested in.

Exterior footage of Limehouse was taken and almost certainly used in the film. That is what I’m interested in.

If you’re interested in Limehouse, please continue to contribute. If not, your absence will not be missed.

[Dusty Miller]

Since I've only got 45 years experience in the film and TV industry, I'll bow to your superior knowledge go the industry's terminology.