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Speedway on Screen
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE
MONEY FOR SPEED
SIDECAR RACERS
ON ANY SUNDAY II
GOODBYE UNCLE
THE OFFICE
SPARE PARTS
WALL OF DEATH
ALBION MARKET
BRITANNIA OF BILLINGSGATE
HONEST
BYKER GROVE
CROSSROADS
KING CINDER Kerry's Father (Richard) was played by Tony Caunter, now better known as Fat Pat's hubby in Eastenders. Action scenes were recorded at Rye House. More detail here.
EASTENDERS Action scenes were recorded at Arena Essex with Troy Pratt 'playing' Ricky. The team manager was Robin Askquith (of 70's 'BritPorn' shame).
MAKING OUT
ONCE A JOLLY SWAGMAN The story briefly follows his action in the Second World War and his struggles on demob. Eventually he attempts a comeback, proves the old magic is still there and immediately retires again. It's an excellent film that captures the atmosphere of the sport in the thirties. It's also interesting to watch the presentation of the sport and consider just how little has changed over the years. Other stars of the film are Sid James (playing a promoter), Bill 'Compo' Owen (as Lag Gibbon a veteran Australian rider that loses his nerve) and Thora 'Stairlift' Hird (playing Bogarde's mother! - was that woman ever young?). The film was called 'Maniacs on Wheels' for its American release. Pictures from the film can be seen here. The film is listed in the Internet Movie Database here.
CHIPS A complete lack of speedway in future episodes led to the programme being axed. Stars Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada faded to obscurity and Brucie bought himself a boat.
THE PIEMAN AND THE PENCIL
This article was first published on 20/10/2002
Dave Parkinson: "I believe that my father, John Harvey, was a rider in 'The Wall of Death' film in the early '50s. Do you know of anyone who could confirm this? John passed away last year."
"Surprised not to see 'The Sweeney' listed - an episode of the mid 70s police drama was filmed at London's White City Stadium. I am pretty sure the two Rebels riders featured in the programme were Trevor Geer and Paul Gachet"
"Although not strictly a film, didn't John Knoakes & Peter Purves of Blue Peter fame undertake basic speedway training and appear in a second half meeting (Belle Vue?) - I think they both fell off?"
"I remember an episode of The Sweeney in the late 1970s where Reagan and Carter visit London White City stadium to get information regarding some felony or other. There is a shot of a couple of riders practising; one resembled Barney Kennett I believe but don't have confirmation of this. The riders come back into the pits where one takes off his helmet and speaks with John Thaw. Also Raquel Wolstenhome in Coronation Street had a modelling shoot on board a speedway bike with a blond "Scandinavian" rider who had recently signed for the Wetherfield Warriors. She had a brief fling with the said rider before jilting him and his "stripped down motorbike" to return to the portly, acne pocked faced and much uglier Des Barnes. Now SHUT IT !!!!"
"I wonder whether it was the same Australian "speedway" film which included scenes of former Edinburgh Monarch Bill Landels and others practising at Sydney Showground. I can remember watching this one Friday after coming home from Powderhall, which dates it to late 70's or early 80's. Can anyone help?"
"Re: Ray Davidson's recollection of the Blue Peter episode: It was actually staged at
Hackney and a two page photographic record is in the Blue Peter annual (number 10 I think). Noakes and Purves raced against two Hackney juniors, and Purves fell off
(excuse being a late change of bike just before the race). The training was organised by Len Silver.
I was at Wimbledon Stadium in the late 1970s when they filmed an advert
for Mars. (I think) it was Eddie Jancarz and Stefan Salomonsson shown blasting from the tapes and into the first bend whilst a lad munched on his bar of chocolate to the
immortal line of 'A Mars a day helps you work rest and play.'"
"I enjoyed the site very much, especially the page about speedway being featured on tv/in films. I also remember some tv commercials, the first may have been regional and shown only up north. It was for Jubilee stout "Heart of the North" as the soundtrack went on to say, and featured black and white footage of all Belle Vue's zoological park attractions. Included was a speedway clip with an unidentified rider sliding off his bike in a shower of sparks.
The only other significant ad was for flash floor cleaner which had a demented seventies housewife complaining "dirt so ground in it is like a speedway track". Amazingly there is a clip of an unidentified rider broadsiding on the kitchen floor, though in fairness he was doing what today would be called a doughnut. Finally as a former team manager of the Scunthorpe Saints, Big Arthur Browning would not forgive me if I did not mention he was the biker stunt double on the Cadbury's milk tray adverts in the seventies. Keep up the good work with your site."
"Not mentioned in the article is the fact that Raquel (who was at one stage married to Curly Watts) briefly dated a Scandinavian speedway rider in the soap Coronation Street."
"The 'Father Knows Best' Reunion In the late 1940s and 1950s, Billy Gray was one of the top juvenile stars of American films and television, and is best remembered today for his role in the science fiction classic 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', and for playing Bud Anderson on the situation comedy 'Father Knows Best' on tv. After his acting career, he took up speedway and had a successful career on the California shale in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1977, a reunion television film of 'Father Knows Best' was made, bringing the entire cast together again. In the story, the character Bud Anderson, like his real-life counterpart Billy Gray, had become a speedway rider, and a good bit of film of Gray in action at Costa Mesa speedway was shown."
"Bill Landels Immigrated to Australia and lived in the western metropolitan area of Sydney. I saw him race a few times at Sydney Showground." "Re "Sidecar Racers" filmed at the Sydney Showground in 1974, it features Bill Landels, John Langfield, Greg Kentwell and Gary Wade. The bikes appeared briefly as the film is dominated by the sidecars. " "With reference to the "Wall of Death" film, mentioned in the OnScreen article, I believe this film is titled "There is Another Sun". It does turn up occasionally on Freeview channel TALKING PICTURES." "Following on from my mention regarding the film "There is another Sun", have recently come across a 1937 film on Talking Pictures, "Cotton Queen. This not only includes footage of the Belle Vue amusement pa rk, but also a good few minutes of the storyline featured footage of speedway action from the Hyde Road stadium. Not sure if "Cotton Queen" has been covered previously on this section of your website, but certainly worth another mention anyway, at least so it can give the opportunity for fellow speedway fans to look out for a future screening on Talking Pictures."
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