A Fine and Private Place (film)
| Company type | Film project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Paul Watson |
| Fate | Discontinued mid-production |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Feature film (unfinished) |
A Fine and Private Place was a feature film project initiated by Paul Watson that was discontinued mid-production, reportedly due to unfavorable weather conditions. Watson later referred to the experience as "an absolute disaster."
Premise
Set in the 1920s, the narrative centers on a romantic relationship between Jones, a solitary schoolteacher, and Judith Leeward, a married woman from an affluent background.
Cast
- Edward Woodward
- Nanette Newman
- Roger Lyle
Development
The screenplay was penned by documentary filmmaker Paul Watson and submitted by his agent to Bryan Forbes, then head of EMI Films. Forbes approved the project, announcing it in August 1969 as part of EMI’s upcoming productions. He commended the script and Watson’s BBC experience, recognizing promise despite Watson’s lack of feature directing history. This film was among several Forbes supported from first-time directors, with varying outcomes. In his memoirs, Forbes highlighted Watson’s enthusiasm and the screenplay’s strong qualities as justification for taking the risk.
Nanette Newman, Forbes’ spouse who had recently finished work on The Raging Moon, received a fee of £5,000. Edward Woodward, an established actor at the time, was paid £10,000.
Filming
Shooting commenced on 15 April 1970 in Tintagel, Cornwall. The schedule included nine days at Lanhydrock House and Assize Hall locations before moving to Elstree Studios for completion. Watson claimed he initially resigned before filming began but was convinced to continue. While he praised having "a good script and a wonderful cameraman," he criticized other aspects of the production, mentioning that Nanette Newman never mastered horseback riding despite extensive preparation and that Bryan Forbes undertook script rewrites. Watson also stated that his producer functioned more like a production manager and described the dynamic between inexperienced and veteran crew members as unsuccessful.
Termination
The production rapidly fell behind its timeline, prompting Forbes to visit the set personally. After two weeks, only ten minutes of footage had been captured despite spending one-third of the allocated budget. Dissatisfied with Watson’s plans for upcoming scenes and unable to secure reassurance after voicing concerns, Forbes halted filming and dismissed Watson as director. Another account indicates filming wrapped after 21 days.
Forbes compensated all cast and crew members, remarking that EMI "went crazy." The overall budget was estimated between £280,000 and £300,000, with approximately £118,000 expended before shutdown. Forbes explained that stopping early prevented further financial loss.
Watson suggested the cancellation was partly influenced by EMI’s recent financial setbacks and implied that Forbes found it difficult to refuse due to personal connections. Officially, bad weather in Cornwall was blamed for delays; however, EMI also cited location expenses exceeding budget and warned that without finding more affordable sites nearby, abandonment was likely.
Forbes later described this decision as "the most agonising" of his professional life, likening it to the situation surrounding Heaven’s Gate. He attributed it to budget restrictions and diminished confidence in the director while lamenting it as a well-intentioned effort that ultimately damaged careers and caused monetary losses for those involved.
Legacy
Forbes made efforts to restart the project with director John Hough, but filming ceased by mid-May 1970 and the film was ultimately shelved. Forbes attributed this outcome largely to adverse weather conditions threatening to inflate costs by £70,000–£80,000, making financial recovery within the UK market impractical. He noted how budget overruns on a single production could imperil a studio’s viability. Additionally, Edward Woodward needed to begin rehearsals for a National Theatre production, limiting his availability; the film had been crafted to capitalize on Woodward’s television acclaim from Callan alongside his theatrical reputation.
Following this experience, Watson stayed in Yorkshire for a year writing another unproduced screenplay before returning to documentary filmmaking where he established a notably successful career.
External links
- A Fine and Private Place hosted by the BFI