MovieChat Forums > The Silver Fleet (1945) Discussion > Exterior dock scenes filmed in Merseysid...

Exterior dock scenes filmed in Merseyside?

posted 16 years ago by The_Civil_Civillian
6 replies | jump to latest

Hi
Can anyone confirm Cammel Lairds and the River Mersey was used in this film?

I've just caught the last half of this film and I was curious where they used for the filming of the outdoor scenes of the submarines at various wharfs or docks. It was a narrow-ish river with no shipping... and I thought that a bit curious!

Then I saw where they run through a shipyard when they'd trying to get to the bomb before it blows, well that is the River Mersey and the shipyard is Cammel Lairds based on the Wirral. [You can see the half-completed cathedral on the sky-line of the far bank and by the waters edge you can see the bulky squares that are the 'Albert Dock'.]

Can anyone confim this or add further details?

What surprised me was the visible 'lack of craft' in many of the river shots, there was a dearth of tugs, ferrys, lugage boats, coasters or tenders.. never mind the bigger ships! Now I know the latter will have waited 'at the Bar', indeed some of this shipping is visible in the '108' trials, but the last of the smaller stuff leaves me a bit puzzled.

[–] Bernardo_OReilly 15 years ago

The dockyard scenes were filmed in Dundee (there was a Dutch submarine base there during WW2). I just watched it on TV and noticed that the coastline looked familiar, there is even a brief glimpse of Broughty Ferry Castle in the distance as the first submarine leaves port.

http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/ffleet.html

I'm not sure what the large Cathedral type building was - most of old Dundee was demolished in the 60s and 70s for "redevlopment"

[–] lockbrain 15 years ago

I TOO THOUGHT PART OF THE DOCK SCENES WERE FILMED OPPOSITE THE `CATHEDRAL` IN BIRKENHEAD.. BUT YOU`VE SOLVED THE MYSTERY NOW... IT DOESN`T TELL YOU ON THE FILMING LOCATIONS FEATURE... WILL HAVE TO RECORD IT NEXT TIME AND HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND AGAIN....

[–] The_Civil_Civillian 15 years ago

Hi Lads
could it be that 2 locations were used? As there was some views 'down the river' that had me scratching my head. Yet some scenes where dead ringers for Liverpool from the wirral.

I've been in Cammell Lairds and took a panorama of photographs. That's what you see from that vantage point.

I don't doubt they've also used that Dutch base for the actual 'submarine leaving port' scenes as that's not a British 'New build' sub from Cammell Lairds. Would they sail that thing down just for filming? No, they'd do it wheer it was.

Jeez... I'll have to watch the thing again, now. I KNOW what you two were doiing yesterday between 5-6:40 PM! :-)

[–] Broadsman 13 years ago

Sorry you have all got it wrong it was filmed in and around the PORT OF KING'S LYNN!
AND I SHOULD ADD SO WAS THE FILM " one of our aircraft is missing"
The rushes for both films were viewed at the old pilot cinema in north Lynn near the docks!
KING'S LYNN would have been Chosen because a lot of the Building have a strong Dutch style and influence!
The Docks were and still are quite large and were used to hide some of the landing craft for the build up to D DAY be fore being brought to their final assembly points on the South coast!

[–] The_Civil_Civillian 13 years ago

Hi
I was talking specifically about certain scenes involving the submarine and the 'dockyard'. The other 98% of the film was filmed elsewhere.

[–] Broadsman 12 years ago

KING's LYNN as this was War time travel was both restricted and highly dangerous especially trying to use some were like Liverpool because of convoy activity and the fact it was a extremely important target for the German Bombers It would have been far too noisy and dangerous to film there!
Besides which King;s Lynn at the Time have the facilities to film the submarine and dry dock scene with out much trouble!