Postbag

Can anyone tell me if Peter McDermott, who starred in 'The Shortcut' (1958), was in any way related to Terry McDermott, the Liverpool footballer? I have always thought they have an uncanny likeness.

Thanks for the question I-am-Dunmore17 and one for the football fans too! Did you know that Terry was only 7 when 'The Shortcut' came out? Yes, Peter was his uncle and apparently in the late 60's often used to watch his nephew playing for Bury.

My grandfather always maintained that Alistair Dunmore refused to allow umbrellas on set because they looked "too modern". Is there any truth in this or was he winding us up?

BigJack

Thanks for writing, BigJack. This is one of those stories that refuses to disappear.Production notes from several Crimea Street Films suggest Dunmore disliked umbrellas because they obscured actors' faces and altered the shape of a street scene. Crew members often recalled that filming continued in all weathers and that cast and extras simply got wet.Whether this amounted to an actual ban remains open to debate.If any former crew members or their families know more, we'd be delighted to hear from them.

How did Eddie Farndon get his nickname 'The Gate'?

Well BoltonBoy42, it doesn't happen often but you have flummoxed us all with that one. It seemed a straightforward question but none of us had an answer. Perhaps one of our members can enlighten us?

I thought members might be interested to know that my father always referred to Reg Baines simply as "The Poster Man". He delivered publicity material to several Manchester cinemas during the early 1960s and claimed Reg could tell whether a poster had been put up straight from the opposite side of the road.Apparently, if he wasn't happy, he'd quietly take it down and start again. Dad also insisted Reg always carried a small spirit level in his coat pocket, although I've never managed to find anyone else who can confirm that.

Thanks for sharing that, SilverScreener!We've heard several stories about Reg's perfectionism over the years and the spirit level anecdote certainly sounds like him. Unfortunately, we can't confirm whether one ever travelled in his coat pocket, although Ken points out that if it did, it made practical sense.If anyone else remembers Reg Baines or has family stories connected with his poster work, we'd be delighted to hear from them.

What ever happened to Brian Hollis?

Great question CJ and we won't spoil the surprise. Brian features this month for his role in 'The Canal' and if you go to our 5 Film Focus section you can find out exactly what happened.