[Good grief, Foy, now what? You cancel the Siege of Newcastle, claim force majeur, and now you're fiddling around with... what, exactly?]
Well, actually, I have to explain that this is a photo of Brigitte Bardot (you probably worked that bit out), but it's taken on the beach behind my house - right here on the farm. This is quite a shock - I've grown used to thinking about General Monck and Robert L Stevenson and a few other notables having been around here, and I can cope with having a previously unknown castle within 600 yards of my house, but I never once thought of Brigitte. Well - not in that context.
It seems that in 1966 she was involved in a film titled A Coeur Joie (released in the US as Two Weeks in September), and this film was shot at a variety of places I know well, including Edinburgh Zoo (apparently), Dirleton and (ta-da!) our own Seacliff Beach, as seen here. These pictures also show her co-star, Laurent Terzieff, and blooming cold they look, September or no.
I was gently intrigued. I had a quick look around for reviews of the film, and to see if it is still available (only, you understand, because I wish to see some shots of our beach...), and found that the film is still available in French, without subtitles. There are some Region 1 editions of the English language version, but clips I've seen on YouTube suggest that the dubbing and reshooting with English dialogue is a thing of major embarrassment. So the French version seems a far better bet. However, reviews I've seen also suggest that this may be among the worst films ever made. Thus I am - how do you say? - put off a bit.
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| This shot shows, in the background, the end of the path by which we walk to our beach. I never thought of La Bardot sitting there. The slope and the terrain vary from year to year, depending how much of the beach is left in place by the Spring tides. Obviously they had a fair amount of sand in 1966, but sometimes it's quite stony. I have to add that the Contesse Foy's mother fell rather spectacularly at this very spot some years ago; fortunately she did not injure herself, but we still treasure the memory... |
Given a free choice, I would prefer not to watch Brigitte in an embarrassing movie. Not that I am a fan, of course, but because of my love of the art.
Anyone have any views on this minor classic of French cinema? It really doesn't matter - yesterday I didn't even know that a film goddess had once walked among our sandhills, so I can forget all about it quite easily. But, there again...
And did those feet...
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Hallelujah.
DeleteExtremely long boots & extremely short skirt ...... interesting combination.
ReplyDeleteShe was obviously going fishing.
DeleteSo......, is there a 20mm version of BB available?
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea. We can each nominate the manufacturers we hope didn't do the sculpting - top of my list is the "current" Minifigs range.
DeleteNever seen the film, but my word, she was breathtaking wasn't she.....?!
ReplyDeleteMmm.
DeleteNew wargaming thread on Prometheus in Aspic.....'Newcastle Besieged to Rescue Bardot'
ReplyDeleteGood idea - we'll have to commission an appropriate figure.
DeleteJust as well that the Bass Rock was not fogbound when they were filming! Apparently she complained constantly about the cold throughout the sequences, and spent off-camera time swathed in scarves and big jumpers.
She is also said to have had dinner with Gordon Smith (the former Hibs footballer) and his wife one evening during this visit - Smith retired to North Berwick when his playing days were over. Friends of mine who are Hearts fans are inconsolable over this news.
Errant thought.....'The Wicker Man' - the original version with Ewar Woowar (letter 'd' not invented...remember?) had a rather attractive Young lady....bloody memory gone....also in a rural Scottish setting....?
DeleteYes - never seen The Wicker Man - Britt Ekland, apparently. Your comment reminded me that I might see if I can get hold of a DVD - checked it out on Amazon. Goodness me. If you want a real education in sad people, have a look at the one-star customer reviews and, more especially, the comments on those reviews placed there by The Faithful, after they had recovered their poise...
DeleteCult movies.
Filmed in the West of Scotland - Galloway, Ayrshire, Plockton - even a bit of Skye.
Damn good film, AND you get a good view of Ms Ecklands rather shapely derriere.....all that and Christopher Reed and Ewar Woowar.....you know it makes sense.
DeleteNice to be living somewhere considered photogenic by the arty crowd. Melbourne is perhaps best known as the setting for the nuclear-era end of the world flick On The Beach (1959). One of its stars, Ava Gardner, is supposed to have said that our fair city is the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world!
ReplyDeleteIt seems Ms Bardot and her husband (Gunther Sachs at the time?) used to visit this area regularly - they stayed at the Open Arms in Dirleton, which is a place worth a blog post all to itself.
DeleteNever seen On the Beach either - I wonder what I was doing all these years?
I would carry Ms. Bardot on my shoulders across all the beaches of the world. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteWell, until she got heavy, then I'd probably drop her.
Good for you, Michael. Quite right too - we would all come to watch that.
Delete