discoverhull

Dr No

| Quentin Budworth

Sarah Rose Crawford got in touch with me about recreating Bond girl Honey Rider’s (Ursula Andress) famous emergence from the sea scene in Dr. No on Hessle Foreshore. The weather was spectacularly good in the bright early November sunshine but a long way from that of Jamaica where the film was made however this is Hullywood and we made good.

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For the first Bond girl Honey Ryder, Julie Christie was considered, but discarded as the producers felt she was not voluptuous enough. Just two weeks before filming began, Ursula Andress was chosen to play Honey after the producers saw a picture of her taken by Andress’ then-husband John Derek. To appear more convincing as a Jamaican, Andress had a tan painted on her and ultimately had her lines redubbed by voice actress Nikki van der Zyl due to Andress’ heavy Swiss German accent

Sunset Boulevard

| Quentin Budworth

Caroline Ullyart got in touch with me about portraying Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. It was named after the boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California.

The film stars William Holden as Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star who draws him into her fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen.

We did the shoot on the newly carpeted stair case  at City Hall a red carpet entrance suitable for Hullywood Icons and Hollywood stars if ever there was one.

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‘My grandma lived with us in the early sixties and had the only TV in the house. There were five of us children, and she used to make us feel special by allowing us individual time to sit in her room and watch it with her..
This film Sunset Boulevard..appeared magical to me. I watched it with her one evening and felt out of this world, It affected me so much so that I couldn’t stop crying. It had enormous imagination, and it yearned for something I didn’t understand… then. It was luminous, glittering and tragic. Years after I saw it again at art school and realised it still made me feel the same. I then understood it’s yearning . It’s still relevant and depicts the industry with searing truth.. probably still. The screenplay is brilliant, all the roles are fantastically strong and have real depth.. there are no black and white goodies and baddies , these characters are all ‘grey area’ real human beings. Gloria Swanson (‘Norma Desmond’), was only supposed to be 50.. yet made to feel washed up…..and here we are over fifty years later, and little has changed on screen for female actors.. Sometimes I do that silly activity of ‘gender swapping’, on my tv /film screen at any time of day or night and it’s very telling. More women on our screens please. I also love her understated look…!….A right and proper Hollywood Icon. Wish there was a channel dedicated to these films missed by a generation or two… they are losing out on great stories and filmmaking. I loved becoming Norma for five minutes -in her honour.’

 

Dredd

| Quentin Budworth

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Nick Beardshaw  approached me about creating a scene from the film Dredd a film made in 2012 based on the 2000 AD comic strip Judge Dredd.  It was a great shoot at the old partially demolished car park on Osbourne Street behind Prince’s Quay.  Causing a few turned heads for saturday morning shoppers in Hull.

Nick works at the Deep and as an extra for films, loves the character Judge Dredd and cosplay.

 

 

Amélie

| Quentin Budworth

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I met Lexi Young at the Vintage Cafe on Chanterlands when I was shooting Andy Train’s Elf last week and I was really struck by her resemblance to Audrey Tatou – I cheekily asked if she was interested in taking part in the Hullywood Icons project and she said yes so I said you’d make a great  Amélie … 

Just in case you don’t know the film Amélie is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a shy waitress, played by Audrey Tautou, who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation.

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Hullywood Icons make the Hull Daily Mail

| Quentin Budworth

See the iconic movie moments being recreated in Hullywood

By Hull Daily Mail  |  Posted: October 19, 2016

The Wizard Of Oz, Rocky and Elf are among the Hullywood Icons

Would Rocky be quite the same if he was pounding the steps of Hull instead of Philadelphia? Or would Audrey Hepburn’s Roman Holiday be quite so glamorous if it was set in Queens Gardens?

These and other mind-boggling movie questions are now being answered thanks to the Hullywood Icons project that is taking place in the streets of Hull.

The project, which is the brainchild of photographer Quentin Budworth, is asking people to name their favourite film moments which are then being recreated in a distinctly Hull way.

The resulting photographs will be projected onto the side of Old Town buildings in January as part of the 2017 City Of Culture launch week.

Rocky takes on Queens Gardens

Quentin, who has previously created the successful Changing Face Of Hull exhibition, said he had been overwhelmed by requests from movie fans wanting to recreate their most memorable movie moments.

“It’s been absolutely brilliant fun,” says Quentin, who is still looking for more volunteers to take part.

“So far people have come up with some really good ideas and it’s been really exciting

“The first one we did was The Attack Of The 50ft Woman, which starred Nancy Wilson, who is a former British and European champion body builder.

The Attack Of The 50ft Woman… on Princes Quay.

“We actually took the picture in Nancy’s back garden with a green screen and then used some photo trickery to put Princes Quay and the Maritime Museum in the background. I think the results are brilliant. Nancy said she loved it because they used to call here the Little One – well, they won’t call her little any more.”

Other cinefiles who have taken up the Hullywood challenge are Andy Train, who has posed as Will Ferrell in Elf, Anna Dinsdale who has posed as Audrey Hepburn as Roman Holiday and Sarah Winn who has recreated the iconic Rocky Balboa air punch at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art stone steps – but this time relocated to Queens Gardens.

Rick Gilroy, who has posed in an image from The Third Man – next to a ferris wheel at Hull Fair, said he had enjoyed getting creative for his photoshoot.

 

Hermione Granger visits Hull

“As a film buff, this Hullywood project was something I really wanted to be part of, I’m also Hull born and bred and if you asked some of my family and friends what film I would recreate they would answer “probably some science fiction film”, so it will be a surprise for them to find out I’m actually going to recreate classic scenes from the Film Noir genre.

“I really like the monochrome look of those films with spies, detectives, criminals and beautiful femme fatales, using silhouettes and shadows to create a certain look.

“Working with Quentin has been very collaborative as he suggested that we use Hull fair as a backdrop to recreate the classic big wheel scene from The Third Man starring Orson Wells and Joseph Cotton.

The Third Man… at Hull Fair“I’m really proud of Hull and I think this is a great way to promote the positive side of the city.”

For their Hullywood moments, Emma Palmer followed the Yellow Brick Road to Hull Old Town’s cobbles, while Steve Batten donned Indiana Jones’ battered fedora to search for the Ark of the Covenant at the Khyber Pass, in Hull’s East Park.

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Tricia Boulton took on another heroic persona when she dressed up as Wonder Woman at Hull Fair.

 

Tricia Boulton at Wonder Woman

Tricia, who became interested in Wonder Woman as a result of her teenage daughter’s love of Cosplay and had decided to join in the fun.

Quentin said: “We got some funny looks walking around the Fair with Tricia dressed as Wonder Woman, but the fair people were really welcoming and the costume opened a lot of doors and got us into a lot of places the public don’t normally get to go.”

* Quentin is still looking for people to join in with Hullywood Icons. You can email your iconic moment ideas to quentinbudworth@yahoo.com or visit the websitewww.hullywoodicons.com

Article by Ian Midgley