Recently I've been asked about the film I produced between 1998-1999, and is it possible to post information on my blog. It's been 15 years since the film went into production, and I suppose it all began with a postcard with a picture of Patrick McGoohan and Annette Andre, and on the back it read;
"Now listen Annette, they've got that Dave Barrie to be the old No.2 next year, but worse than that, that fella Dave Stimpson is playing me and he's got my mannerisms off to a bloomin' tee! Before I know it he'll be playing me in the new film and I'll be out of a job!"
The new film referred to was the proposed Hollywood feature film for 'the Prisoner,' although that never happened. But what followed was a letter from Dave Darrie {founder of Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society} saying that the society should produce a film based on 'the Prisoner,' and that I should play the role of No.6. Well of course I thought that a brillaint idea, and so we discussed the idea. But as it turned out I was to be far more involved than simply acting the role of No.6. I became actor, Executive Producer, Producer, Director, Script Editor and general dogs-body! Originally the idea, and I wasn't really keen on this idea, was to make the film via Committee. I remember how Dave Barrie was really keen to make the film this way, until a chance meeting and discussion about the film with Script writer Roger Parkes at a Prisoner Convention. Roger Parkes said that if we attempt to make the film by Committee we would never get anything done. At this Dave Barrie instantly dropped the idea of making the film via Committee! And in any case Dave dropped out of the project to help Ian Rakoff with his book 'Inside The Prisoner,' leaving me holding the baby. Well what was I to do? Forget the idea, or run with it?
The first thing to do was to have an advertisement placed in Six of One's society magazine 'In The Village,' and to my delight the names of people who wanted to help with the film project came flooding in. A meeting production meeting was set up. It was all very well having a film project, but we had no script. So I called for ideas, and that anyone who had a script, a story synopsis, or an idea could submit it. A 12 person committee was set up to deal with the script selection, and ideas, synopsis, and even a script which had been submitted as a script for 'Danger Man' came flooding in. There was certainly no shortage of imagination from the contributors. However many were quite unusable for a film that would be produced on a shoestring budget. Others were too outlandish, one being too James Bondish, while another was completely unusable if only for the fact of a multi car crash! So I put all these ideas to the members of the Committee, which wasn't a complete and utter failure, because it did choose the story for the film, that being 'Village Day' by Tony Elliott. The one thing I didn't tell the Committee was, that I wrote the synopsis for 'Village Day,' yet it was chosen unanimouly by the Committee. However the Committee had taken so long to choose the script, that afterwards I decided to disolve the Committee and to take over-all charge of producing the film, much to one persons disgruntlement!
Of course even though the film was being produced for Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society I still had to get permission from POLYGRAM who owned the copyright to 'the Prisoner' at the time. I spoke to Frank Ratcliffe, POLYGRAM'S representative who came to Prisoner Conventions, and he gave me certain guidelines to follow. I was only to use members of Six of One in the production. I could not use professional actors or production crew. I was not to make fun of 'the Prisoner,' and to keep close to the original series. And so permission was given, and pre-prodcution got underway. Work on the script began. Jobs were allocated to various volunteers. I had a director, assistant director, both with previous film experience who were both members of 6of1. And then the question of finance was approached. I had hoped that Six of One would be able to partly finance the film, but a co-ordinator told me that no such funding for the film could come from Six of One! And so the film was eventually funded by donations from members of the society, and out of my own pocket.
Once the script had been completed, it was cast, and with peole who could work behind the camera, the project was looking good. I even had a lady who was good at making props for the film, who even had a replica of the interior of No.6's cottage created in her attic. She was also responsible for the constructioin of the full-size interior set of No.2's office. But I'm jumping the gun here, because just before casting auditions were due to be held I lost my director, due to the fact that he was never able to attend a pre-prodction meeting. What he did do though was to write the script. But I couldn't have a non-appearing director. So having upset the Executive Producer he realised that he'd lost his job. I promoted the Assitant Director to Director, and in that I had created another problem for myself.
At the casting auditions everything was fine, and in truth the film cast itself, the actors falling into the roles all by themselves. And the new Director was very happy that we had got a group of people together who could act. It was after that that the trouble began. Suddenly it was as though being Director had gone to his head. All of a sudden he said the cast could not act - the script was rubbish and he'd have it re-written and sent out to the cast whether I liked it or not. I told the Director that we need to be filming for a week in Portmeirion to get it that particular shoot done. The thing was, I intended to start filming on the saturday morning at the 1998 Prisoner Convention at Portmeirion, seeing as how all the crew and cast would be there, and would be remaining in Portmeirion for the whole of the following week. The Director said we could complete all the filming over the weekend. I told him not to be ridiculous, hadn't he read the script? Yes the director could get me the two cameras I wanted, and he was going to bring the camears with him. But seeing as he was arriving on the Saturday to commence filming, but that he'd have to leave mid Sunday afternoon, I saw that as leaving me high and dry, the filming incomplete and with no cameras to contiune the work, as he was going to take the cameras away with him! Anyway the director said that if I didn't do what he wanted he would resign......I was happy to accept his resignation. And with no further messing about I made myself Director!
Next time;
Feminists raise their heads!
Blackmail!
A 6of1 Co-ordinator lays the law down!
And all I wanted to do was produce a film!
Be seeing you
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