Saturday morning at the Prisoner Convention in Portmeirion and the first scenes to be shot concerned the new No.6 and the morning of his arrival in the village, and his first contact with two citizens, a pair of gardeners.
And having gained little sense from these pair of imbeciles, the Prisoner goes off in search of a taxi. The next encounter for the Prisoner as he sought directions as to the road which leads out of the Village, was to be a man who speaks a language which no man knows, and which he spoke perfectly!
Having found a taxi standing in the road, and seconds after jumping in behind the wheel, starting and revving the engine, I heard the word shouted "Cut!" I was approached by the producer of a film crew who were also filming in Portmeirion this morning for a BBC holiday programme. The producer asked who my producer was, I informed her that I am the executive producer and director. After some little discussion I agreed to halt filming in favour of the other film crew.
Filming in Portmeirion began this morning in 1998 at 7 am, later than I had hoped, and the pressure would really be on later in the day as the Prisoner convention got under way with outdoor re-enactments, human chess match, a boxing re-enactment from 'The Girl Who Was Death,' and the election parade of 'Free For All,' all three of which my wife and I were also involved with one way or another, acting and the like.
Anyway filming during a Prisoner convention might sound ideal when extras are called for, but not when the Village is full of day visitors, and music being played over village radio as it was. So I asked if the music could be suspended for an hour or so whilst we got on with filming, and that was agreed.
The day visitors, for all of the seven day shoot at Portmeirion were marvellous, and when I called for quiet, they remained quiet, and moved to a position out of the way of cameras when I asked. They were all very interested in what was happening, and many actually took me to be Patrick McGoohan himself!
I have said that shooting a film during a convention would be good to easily get film extras, wrong! When I asked for extras for a certain scene, there was none who wished to come forward., and had to be persuaded to do so And that was doubled when I asked for extras down at the lawn of the Hotel - the Old People's Home. I suppose no-one wished to admit to their age, which was ridiculous, as citizens of all ages can be seen sat at tables on the lawn of the Old People's Home in the actual Prisoner series.
I was let down on two occasions, the external microphones didn't appear, so we had to use the mics of the cameras themselves. And someone who was to have appeared in the film as a taxi driver said she couldn't do it, as she said she had to be elsewhere at the time of the shooting of this particular scene! I was fuming about this, as a friend of this person was also doing his or her best to disrupt filming, having had a previous pre-production disagreement with me. So I couldn't be bothered, and seeing as I wasn't going to be messed about, and the scene not being of any great importance to the film, I dropped the taxi scene, and the new No.6 walked from his cottage to wherever he was going at the time, it was quicker anyway!
Over all Saturday was a good day, the weather was hot and sunny, and we were just about on schedule. Members of the press were attending the Prisoner convention, interviewed me about what we were doing, that was for the Guardian newspaper, and by a television film crew. This was a good day as I have said, however tomorrow, Sunday, would be a very different day altogether.
Sunday morning and it rained, rained and poured down almost all day long. I say almost, because the election parade re-enactment was organised to take place as it had stopped raining for a short while. I was trying to sort out what filming could be done today when the telephone rang, it was the convention organiser wanting me to give a chat up to the election crowd, what I mean is tell them what to do and when they were to do it, as they didn't already know what they need to do! I said I didn't have time, as I was busy filming, he got shirty and put the phone down on me, we never exchanged words again. Well not until about a year later!!!
So with the rain tumbling down outside, filming was restricted to interior scenes of the film, ie in the cottage of the new No.6. However later on in the day we did manage to complete two exterior scenes, because the Ex-Admiral-No.66 was going home the next day. So instead of filming No.6 and the Ex Admiral down on the lawn of the Old People's Home, we filmed it in the Bandstand.
Didn't I tell you yesterday about the wedding guests at Portmeirion's Hotel - the drunken bums! We were all set up, and these bums came out full of champagne, being loud and extracting the pis.. mickey! So I said pack up and we'll do the scene tomorrow - today when it was non stop raining, the possibility of which I had not taken into account.
Not only were we busy filming, but there was the boxing re-enactment to perform from the episode ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’ This took place in the Hercules hall with myself in full Mr. X costume, moustache and sideburns.
A couple of interviews were also carried out, one for Edwina Currie's Radio programme which a live broadcast was coming from Portmeirion. And with one Luis Alonso for the French contingent of Six of One: the Prisoner appreciation society.
One of the films production crew sold a painting done by her brother which was sold via auction later in the evening in the Hercules hall, it sold for £35 which was put into the films production fund.
Monday was a good day, and many exteria scenes around Portmeirion were shot and in the can.
Monday was a good day, and many exteria scenes around Portmeirion were shot and in the can.
Tueday, having woken up this morning to a morning of heavy rain, and the days shoot was to be concerned with outdoor scenes! So with nothing much to be done until the rain at least lets up, I agreed to be interviewed by Liverpool Live about the Prisoner, the film I was making. But the reporter seemed only interested in the ill feeling between Portmeirion and Six of One, over the damage to a pair of busts earlier in the week. Well I would not be drawn on the matter, especially standing outside under an umbrella in the pouring rain!
A renowned member of Six of One came round to inform me that there was a certain amount of spitefulness towards me and the film I was producing. Well I was perfectly aware of this, coming from two people in particular. What I didn't know at the time, was that a book had been made up, and bets were being taken on my chances of failing to produce the film! I wish I'd have known at the time, I'd have placed a bet myself. Wonder what the odds were against me?
Later in the day, the rain finally gave out to sunshine and we quickly set up the scenes for filming. During the filming day visitors to Portmeirion were most intrigued by what was taking place. Indeed some asked if they could be extras. So we supplied colourful capes for a handful to wear so they could blend in with the films extras. And at the same time I was actually taken for either Patrick McGoohan again by day visitors, or McGoohan's son!
During the late afternoon before the Coffee Shop was closing, I asked if we could film a scene inside. The manager generously obliged, and coffee's were bought all round the extras. The set was dress accordingly, actors and extras in place, and due to the shortage of time that we were allowed to film before the Coffee shop closed, there was not time for a rehearsal, so we went for a take. The scene was between No.2 and No.6, cameras rolling and action, No.2 is sitting in the Coffee shop when No.6 walks in. And fu** No.2 didn't know his lines, and there was no trace of him ever trying to learn them! And the longer it took to film the scene the more difficult it became for No.2 with his lines, and the more difficult the lines became for No.2, the more angry I was becoming inside! I couldn't expel that anger for it would simply have made the situation worse. But I was certainly beginning to realise just how Patrick McGoohan must have been feeling as he produced the Prisoner series! This scene seemed to be taking ages, stop start, a line here, a line there, and me who was word perfect, not only for this scene, but for every scene of the film!
But in the end we did manage to complete the filming of this scene, and just in time as the Manager was ready to close the Coffee shop. The final look on No.6's face in this scene says it all about it's production.
Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day. For on this day tomorrow it will be Village Day - the day when the good citizens of this fine community celebrate the founding of the village, and a special statue is to unveiled by the new no.2, of the founder of the Village.
Today is Village Day
No.2: "Fellow Citizens.... Friends and humble villagers. We have gathered here together on this auspicious and very special day, to remember the unobtrusive beginnings of our home... the Village."
{The citizens cheers and applauds the words of No.2's speech}
"And to commemorate this anniversary, I am proud to unveil this bust of the man who made it all possible, the man responsible for our idyllic way of life here in the village. I ask you now to raise your voices in appreciation of a remarkable individual."
The commemorative bust of the founder of the village is unveiled by No.2 herself, with Popsey the clown, and a "Top-Hat" official also in attendence.
A bust of No.6, specially commisioned for the film.
A wonderfully warm and sunny day, and the production of the film is back on schedule after the previous days rain. So Village Day finally arrived, and went off rather well I thought. Plenty of extras for No.2's speech and the unveiling of the bust of the founder of the village, with day visitors who also wanted to take part, dressed appropriately in colourful striped capes.
Apparently an Irish woman went into the Prisoner shop and asked if she paid £20 could she go and stand next to the great man himself? Meaning Patrick McGoohan, and having taken me for Pat McGoohan.
Specially printed copies of an issue of The Tally Ho were distributed, and the extras I have to say - kept them by simply not returning them to the newspaper vender after the filming of the scene. No doubt they are now collectors items, just like the badges they kept.
Other outdoor scenes were filmed in various locations around the village, and two final indoor scenes, when No.6 returned to his cottage of 6 private to find the new No.2 together with her henchmen, having made themselves at home, and drinking his tea. After a short interview No.6 shouted after No.2, that he had found him, and No.2 muttered quietly under her breath as she left the cottage, "Yes, I know!"
And in a final indoor shoot, was when No.6 was having a bad night, his dream having turned into a nightmare! Tomorrow we would be filming that very nightmare down on the beach, as two gruesome grave.....well that's tomorrow.
No.6's nightmare, well this was filmed in brilliant sunshine on the beach at Portmeirion. For this scene a gruesome pair of gravediggers was required, a severe looking doctor in a white smock coat to oversee the burial of a medical experiment which had gone wrong. And all was going fine as the grave diggers, No.41 and No.73, busied themselves by digging a deep hole in the sand. But then a shout came from the shore "The tide's coming in!"
Well that might be so, but we hadn't finished shooting the scene! So we carried on regardless, but with a keen eye on the incoming tide. Because the water doesn’t come in straight at Portmeirion, it slowly circles around you in gullys and eventually cuts you off!
So with the scene shot, and the body bag still buried, I said cut, and get to the shore quick! And so we did, with one member of the cast having to be carried and as she was revealing just a little more than she should have! "You're not filming this, are you?" was the question asked, if only we had, the scene would have brought the house down!
There were but two days of the Portmeirion shoot left, and although filming was on schedule, it was going to be close to get all the shoot completed on time, and the situation between Portmeirion and Six of One as it was at the time, meant that there would be no coming back for a second shoot!
However we continued filming all around the village, and the day visitors of Portmeirion were enjoying themselves, taking pictures, and filming us as we worked from scene to scene, and trying to look as professional as we could.
One scene has No.6 breaking and entering into the cottage of his predecessor, the interior of which would be shot in an attic in a house on Merseyside, an attic which had been turned into a replica of the interior of No.6's cottage some years previously, which was lucky for us. Another scene has No.6 entering and leaving the General store with a copy of the Tally Ho. Of course there is no General Store in Portmeirion, so we filmed the interior of the General store at another location, to be shot later in the year.
A scene before No.6 breaks into his precessor's cottage in the Prisoner series, is a particular favourite of mine, where a gentleman is pushing a squeaky penny farthing along, possibly on his way to get the squeak repaired, or at the very least... oiled! Another favourite scene shot this day, took place the day before the Village Day ceremony of unveiling the bust of the founder of the village. The scene was between No.2, who was about to leave the village and the Supervisor-601. The scene took no directing at all, as the rehearsal proved, and was said and acted in just the way I wanted, here is the dialogue.
"You're sure Number 6 will not get to the statue? He may unveil it prematurely
"Watch, just watch. Then get back to your control room. My replacement arrives tomorrow."
Also on this day in the evening, a fund raising event for the film's prduction was held in our cottage of Belvedere, this event was the screening of the films rushes was held to show what had ben shot at Portmeirion so far. Everyone seemed to be impressed by the filming so far, and the little extra funding monies was raised, by a very generous cheque donation from one certain individual of £200 which was made later that night in privacy.
Friday the last day, was a much easier day, as there was only a few scenes left to film at Portmeirion. But it was around 7 am when I and one camera operative who went about an empty village to film No.6 out and about in various Portmeirion locations. In fact the Portmeirion film location shoot was completed at 5.10 pm , which was just as well as it was to turn out. It had all been hard work, but well worth it I think. Anyway there was no time to re-film any scene, what was in the can was in the can. And to think that I was told that all the scenes of the Portmeirion location shoot could be shot over two days! That wouldn't have been possible, not even if there had been no Prisoner convention to shoot round, and if it hadn't rained all day on the Sunday, and for most of the following Tuesday. The man was an idiot, and he said he knew what he was talking about!
A French film crew was due to arrive in Portmeirion around 12 O'clock , and I was asked if I could look after them. Well I cannot speak French, but I said I'd make myself available. Anyway there were two or three Prisoner fans who sat in Battery Square one O'clock by which time the French film crew had still not arrived at Portmeirion. They were to film around Portmeirion and wanted some Prisoner fans as extras.
Anyway by the time the French film crew arrived I still had some scenes to film for Village Day, but said I would be available from about 5 O'clock , and said I would meet them down on the beach. Well you see, there was a woman dressed as No.48 from the episode of Fall Out, and she wanted the film crew to take notice of her, which they did, but only to ask who she was? No.48 had waited around most of the day for this French film crew to arrive in Portmeirion, and when they had, the only person they were interested in... was me as Number 6!
Once we had the final scene for Village Day in the can, my wife Morag and I went down to the beach to meet with the film crew at about 5.15 pm . They filmed me on the beach, I was interviewed about being a fan of the Prisoner, and gave an election speech fron the Stone Boat, and around the village for the rest of the evening. And after that they wanted to go back to our cottage and film us there, and they did, and didn't finish until after midnight ! This was later shown on a French travel programme called Les Voyages d' Olivia.
What a week it has been, it never stopped. A great deal of hard work, frustrating, hectic, but very rewarding in the end.
Next time the London and Bracknell shoot.
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