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Clockwise (film)
Encyclopedia
Clockwise is a 1986 British
comedy film
starring John Cleese
. It was directed by Christopher Morahan
, written by Michael Frayn
and produced by Michael Codron
. The film was co-produced by Moment Films and Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment
. The music in the film was composed by George Fenton
.
Michael Frayn's screenplay has a different opening, involving illuminated digits on a clock radio, Cleese waking up when the alarm goes off and Cleese seen naked and wet in the shower ("a sight few of us expected to see in our lifetime").
For his performance in the film, Cleese won the 1987 Peter Sellers
Award For Comedy at the Evening Standard
British Film Awards.
Comprehensive School
, to travel to an annual Headmasters' Conference. Having been habitually late and disorganised as a young man, Stimpson has grown up to become fastidiously punctual, and his school runs "like clockwork". He is the first headmaster of a comprehensive school to be elected to chair a Headmaster's Conference, that honour usually being reserved for headmasters of the more prestigious private schools. After preparing and rehearsing his speech, he boards the wrong train on his way to the conference, loses the text of the speech, and suffers a series of setbacks as he tries to reach the conference.
and Humberside
while rural scenes were largely shot in Shropshire
.
The school used in the beginning of the film is Menzies High School, in West Bromwich
(West Midlands).
King Edward's School
, a private boys' day school and the east entrance to the University of Birmingham
, both in Edgbaston
, Birmingham, were also used as filming locations, as was Grimsby
's Scartho Road Hospital (now called Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
).
The entrance to the on-screen hospital (in which the car Cleese and others are seen driving out of) is actually the entrance to the Scartho Road Cemetery in Grimsby. Most of the rural scenes, such as where Brian meets Pat at the three phone boxes, were filmed in Shropshire
, notably around Much Wenlock
. The character of Mr Stimpson, played by Cleese, was based on a real headmaster at his daughter's school.
A scene is filmed on the A165 (Ganstead Lane) where Cleese runs his student's car into the police car. Longhill can be seen behind much of this scene.
The A491 in and around the Hagley
/Clent
area was used to film certain scenes such as the breakdown. The Old Classic Red Phone Box that still remains in Hagley (Brake Lane) was used numerous times from different angles; it is one of the few remaining original telephone booths.
The railway station scene was filmed at Hull Paragon Station (now Hull Paragon Interchange). The petrol station was also in Hull, on Cottingham Road (B1233). The original Shell
petrol station no longer exists, with a McDonald’s restaurant now on the site.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
. It was directed by Christopher Morahan
Christopher Morahan
Christopher Thomas Morahan CBE is an English stage and television director and producing manager.-Training and career:Morahan was born in London in 1929, and was educated at Highgate School...
, written by Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn
Michael J. Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy...
and produced by Michael Codron
Michael Codron
Michael Victor Codron is a British film and theatre producer, known for his productions of the early work of Harold Pinter, Christopher Hampton, David Hare, Simon Gray and Tom Stoppard...
. The film was co-produced by Moment Films and Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment
EMI Films
EMI Films was a British film and television production company and distributor. The company was formed after the takeover of Associated British Picture Corporation in 1968 by EMI....
. The music in the film was composed by George Fenton
George Fenton
George Fenton is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. His real name is George Howe but he is better known by his pseudonym of George Fenton.-Selected film and television credits:Fenton has composed...
.
Michael Frayn's screenplay has a different opening, involving illuminated digits on a clock radio, Cleese waking up when the alarm goes off and Cleese seen naked and wet in the shower ("a sight few of us expected to see in our lifetime").
For his performance in the film, Cleese won the 1987 Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
Award For Comedy at the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
British Film Awards.
Plot
The story describes the efforts of Brian Stimpson (Cleese), the headmaster of Thomas TompionThomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. Tompion's work includes some of the most historic and important clocks and watches in the world and can command very high prices whenever outstanding...
Comprehensive School
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, to travel to an annual Headmasters' Conference. Having been habitually late and disorganised as a young man, Stimpson has grown up to become fastidiously punctual, and his school runs "like clockwork". He is the first headmaster of a comprehensive school to be elected to chair a Headmaster's Conference, that honour usually being reserved for headmasters of the more prestigious private schools. After preparing and rehearsing his speech, he boards the wrong train on his way to the conference, loses the text of the speech, and suffers a series of setbacks as he tries to reach the conference.
Filming locations
The actual locations used did not reflect the supposed setting at that time. Most urban scenes were shot in the West MidlandsWest Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
and Humberside
Humberside
Humberside was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East and West ridings of Yorkshire and parts of Lindsey, Lincolnshire...
while rural scenes were largely shot in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
The school used in the beginning of the film is Menzies High School, in West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
(West Midlands).
King Edward's School
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
, a private boys' day school and the east entrance to the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, both in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham, were also used as filming locations, as was Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
's Scartho Road Hospital (now called Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital
Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital is situated off Scartho Road, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England. It was renamed in the Princess' honour after her death because she had opened it a decade before on 26 July 1983....
).
The entrance to the on-screen hospital (in which the car Cleese and others are seen driving out of) is actually the entrance to the Scartho Road Cemetery in Grimsby. Most of the rural scenes, such as where Brian meets Pat at the three phone boxes, were filmed in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, notably around Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
. The character of Mr Stimpson, played by Cleese, was based on a real headmaster at his daughter's school.
A scene is filmed on the A165 (Ganstead Lane) where Cleese runs his student's car into the police car. Longhill can be seen behind much of this scene.
The A491 in and around the Hagley
Hagley
Hagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish...
/Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
area was used to film certain scenes such as the breakdown. The Old Classic Red Phone Box that still remains in Hagley (Brake Lane) was used numerous times from different angles; it is one of the few remaining original telephone booths.
The railway station scene was filmed at Hull Paragon Station (now Hull Paragon Interchange). The petrol station was also in Hull, on Cottingham Road (B1233). The original Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
petrol station no longer exists, with a McDonald’s restaurant now on the site.