The distinctive, lively and iconic city of Liverpool is not only home to a myriad of famous filming locations, from some of the highest-grossing box office movies and TV programmes, it is also home to brilliant former and current directors, who have filmed some excellent productions.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) – Ken Hughes
First on the list, is classic comedy musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was adapted into a film and directed by Ken Hughes, based on children’s novel of the same name (written by Ian Fleming). Hughes was born in Toxteth and became a critically acclaimed writer and director, who really thrived in the 1950s and 60s but, continued to flourish in the 1980s. His early aspirations to become a filmmaker came true, as he left a collection of brilliant films in his legacy, including: Alfie Darling (1975), The Internecine Project (1974) and Casino Royale (1967).
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tells the story of truant young siblings, Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and Jemima Potts (Heather Ripley) who spontaneously cross paths with the lovely lady, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes). When the pair’s widowed and rather hapless inventor of a father, Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke), meets Truly Scrumptious, she becomes fascinated by his eccentric nature and goofy inventions, and the two serendipitously fall for one another. She becomes particularly fond of the family’s charmingly transformed, yet noisy, car – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The well-loved vehicle takes the family on an adventure to the kingdom of Vulgaria, whose citizens live under the tyrannical reign of evil pirate, Baron Bomburst (Gert Fröbe). Him and his child-hating wife, the Baroness (Anna Quayle) kidnap the Potts children and take Chitty for themselves. Caractacus must do everything he can to save his children and his beloved magical car from the evil grasp of the Bombursts…
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang acquired remarkable reviews, with critics noting the whimsical sense of adventure within the re-telling of Fleming’s timeless story and the humour within the dancing sequences. Whilst the film itself was, of course, critically acclaimed, the musical score of the movie was what won the title its several awards. In fact, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang won multiple music-related awards in the same year (1969). At the 41st Academy Awards, it won award for ‘Best Song’ and at the 26th Golden Globes it won the ‘Best Original Score’ and ‘Best Original Song’ awards.
Of Time and the City (2008) – Terence Davies
Next up, is Of Time and the City directed by Terence Davies. Davies was born in Kensington and rose to fame as an award-winning screenwriter, director and novelist. His Liverpool upbringing and tough working-class background served as inspiration for several of his auto-biographical films, such as: Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Long Day Closes (1992).
One of his biggest films, which has made it onto Netflix, was Of Time and the City. This very personal documentary was Davies’ glowing serenade to his home city of Liverpool. He compiled archival footage, personal memories and a moving soundtrack together into a mosaic of love and admiration for his roots. The aged, black and white clips combined with the soft piano backing track basked the visuals in a warm, nostalgic glow – showcasing the rich history and evolution of his birthplace.
Of Time and the City received a shining response from big film organisations. In fact, it was part of the Special Screenings selection, premiered in 2008 at the Cannes Film Festival, where audiences raved about what they were seeing on the big screen. It also won the Best Documentary Award at the 2009 Australian Film Critics Association, which inspired producer of the film (Sol Papadopoulos) to set up a website, which served as a place for some of the film’s actors (Jonathan Pryce, Alexei Sayle and Joe McGann) to document their own memories of Liverpool from their past.
Innocents in Paris (1953) – Gordon Parry
Innocents in Paris, directed by Gordon Parry, is next on the list. Parry was born in Aintree and his career path led him to become a film director and producer. Parry was a key member of British film production company, Two Cities Films, and was mainly known for directing a lot of drama films/programmes – with Women of Twilight (1952) and Front Page Story (1954) being among what is recognised as some of his best work.
Comedy adventure film, Innocents in Paris, individually follows a group of British tourists who are in Paris for the weekend. The versatile group ranges from: a Scotsman in his kilt (James Copeland), an elderly painter (Margaret Rutherford), a boozy Englishman (Jimmy Edwards), a pretty young girl (Claire Bloom) and an indurate international negotiator (Alistair Sim). Each tourist is travelling to Paris for different reasons – the Scotsman is on holiday; the artist is on a mission to find some artistic inspiration and the international diplomatic politician is looking to negotiate with his Russian counterpart. Their time in Paris plays out in a series of vignettes, including the young girl’s new-found romance with a Frenchman, the elderly artist’s hunt for the Mona Lisa and the Englishman’s extensive session at the local pub.
Innocents in Paris collected glowing acclaim from critics, with several praising the all-star cast. Margaret Rutherford’s portrayal of the elderly artist was particularly striking – her effortless, natural sense of humour around her character’s performance left critics wanting more. Alistair Sim’s depiction of the diplomat was described as “absolutely priceless” and helped to secure him a nomination for ‘Best British Actor’ at the 1953 BAFTA Film Awards.
A Little Bit of Lippy (1992) – Chris Bernard
Fourth on the list, is A Little Bit of Lippy directed by Chris Bernard. Bernard is a Liverpudlian director and producer, known for his comedy and drama productions, especially – Letter to Brezhnev (1985), Screen Two (1985) and My Parents Are Aliens (1999).
Comedy drama, A Little Bit of Lippy, focuses on a working-class couple from Liverpool – Rick (Danny Cunningham) and Marian Fairley (Alison Swann). When Rick reveals his long-established captivation with cross-dressing to his wife, she is extremely surprised by this revelation, as are her parents. In an unfortunate turn of events, Rick’s rather old-fashioned and conservative parents discover this fascination, and they strongly disapprove. Rick’s shocking unveiling shrouds his and Marian’s family relationships in objection. However, for the couple at the centre of it all, Rick’s authentic self manages to revive their long-stagnant marriage, as they realise that a little bit of lipstick goes a long way…
A Little Bit of Lippy was presented with an overwhelmingly positive critical response, with reviews highlighting the brilliant story-writing from Martyn Hesford. In fact, screenwriter, Hesford, won the Radio Times Drama Award for A Small Mourning (1989).
Four Samosas (2022) by Ravi Kapoor
The final title on the list is, Four Samosas, starred in, written and directed by Ravi Kapoor. Kapoor was born in Liverpool and grew famous due to his acting and filmmaking. In terms of acting, he is best-known for his roles in ABC’s drama, Gideon’s Crossing (2000-2001) and NBC’s thriller, Crossing Jordan (2001-2007). Alternatively, in regard to his filmmaking, two of his biggest hits are Miss India America (2015) and of course, his recent endeavour, Four Samosas (2022).
Truly epitomising the notion of a hybrid genre, Kapoor interweaves action, comedy and romance in his blockbuster, Four Samosas. The multifaceted narrative centres around unmotivated, wannabe South Asian-American rapper, Vinny (Venk Patula) AKA ‘Big Boy Vin’. Vinny recently got his heart broken by his ex-girlfriend, Rina (Summer Bishil), whose dad (Tony Mirrcandani) owns the local grocery store, Juneja’s. Still trying to recover from his recent heartbreak, Vinny recruits three other first-time thieves, to plan and carry out heist on none other than Juneja’s… Desperate to win Rina back and interrupt her current engagement, Vinny will stop at nothing, not even breaking the law, to steal wedding diamonds as a hopeless bid for her attention.
Four Samosas possesses a wide array of award wins and nominations under its belt. Among this array is, a nomination for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Comedy or Drama Micro Budget Feature’ at the 2023 Casting Society of America Awards. Alongside this, at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the title won award for ‘Best Narrative Feature’ in 2022. Its other nominations include: nominee for ‘Best US Narrative Feature’ at the Tribeca Film Festival Awards in 2022, and nominee for ‘Best International Feature’ at the Raindance Film Festival in 2022.
Liverpool is a truly versatile setting when it comes to the production, directing and making of films. The illustrious city has offered up not only historically rich and architecturally dynamic filming locations in front of the camera but also legendary and talented creatives who have made all the magic happen behind the camera too.
