Turn of the Tide

Unique film set in and around Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby. I guess you could call it a Romeo and Juliet amongst this quaint Yorkshire folk. It's nice to see that Robin Hoods Bay hasn't changed in nearly wooden ninety years.

The film itself is a little bit wooden and "ee by gum" accents of the actors can be a little bit of putting, it's a gem and enjoyable for it.

Exceptional cinematography brightens acting which today could be taken as unusually restrained. Incredible attention to detail- the actors playing the Lunn family (in real life the Duke family) wear the actual unique Lunn "ganseys" (fishing jumpers).

Filmed in the town the story was written about, with the author (Leo Walmsley) a paid advisor for the film.

The first introduction of J Arthur Rank to feature film production.

Based in North Yorkshire, the characters use good Yorkshire accents.

The music is by Arthur Benjamin best known for "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (Hitchcock).

For a 1935 film, quite outstanding and still very watchable.

For his first venture into features, J. Arthur Rank's organization produced this movie from Leo Walmsey's novel THREE FEVERS. He assembled a cast that would become distinguished, and some fine behind-the-camera talent, including cinematographer Franz Planer.

The story is a complicated one about two competing families of fishers. There's a lot of location shooting around Whitby, and Planer took advantage for a telling mix of shots of the unforgiving sea, rustic bypaths and some strong portrait photography; the best shots are still shots of people, singly, and in three-shots that are typically rough and beautiful.

Watching this, I was reminded of Michael Powell's breakthrough movie, THE EDGE OF THE WORLD; although this one has a more conventional series of plot points, the rough, wild beauty and real world problems of its cast make this a startlingly fine movie.

Rank was so annoyed at the studio facilities at Elstree, he built Pinewood. Here was a man who understood that in order to compete, he had to offer the best product he could.

Directed by Norman Walker, our own Ed Wood, this artificial and inept drama has some good moments when the director shows locations shots of Robin Hoods Bay or Whitby, but for the most part it takes place on a cardboard cut out sea front set . Real location shots of ships at sea and fish being bought into Whitby are welcome but are little compensation for the wooden acting, in which the Kensington drawing room style of the cast overlays the Yorkshire more often in an uncomfortable hybrid of speech. The director Norman Walker moves from scene to scene at one pace, and the conflict and characterisation are simply not dealt with dramatically, so that the piece often seems like an amateur drama, where things are "champion". The best bits are usually reminiscent of the superb and ground breaking documentaries which Grierson was then producing under the aegis of the Empire Marketing Board and the music is good . Also, as an early example of combining drama with documentary footage, it deserves praise for originality, but the film as a whole is poor.

Rank joined with Lady Yule to form British National.The film was distributed by Gaumont British.However because of his disatisfaction with their efforts he went on to make a deal with GFD and the rest is history. This is an excellent film of its type and stands up well today.The cinematography is excellent.