I just watched Violent Playground. Filmed in Gerrard gardens/Soho St./Scotty area.
Some great shots including the Overhead Railway, The old Central Station, a Tram just at the end. Pure nostalgia.

Violent Playground, still from the set, with Stanley Baker in the foreground. From http://www.reelstreets.com/

http://www.reelstreets.com/stills/violplay.1.jpg

Movie poster from www.petercushing.co.uk/

http://www.petercushing.co.uk/poster8.jpg

And from a David McCallum fan site http://www.davidmccallumfansonline.com/

http://www.davidmccallumfansonline.com/ViolentPlayground.jpg

I just watched Violent Playground. Filmed in Gerrard gardens/Soho St./Scotty area.
Some great shots including the Overhead Railway, The old Central Station, a Tram just at the end. Pure nostalgia.
Thanks Shytalk and Chris. I saw this film on the telly as a kid, but it meant nothing to me at the time. Bugger!:PDT_Xtremez_12:

Ged knows his stuff about this movie. Hope he catches up with this thread soon. I'd love to see it again.

I got this from ebay UK, the guy had 2 copies, he might have one left. The number is.

290059396816

I got this from ebay UK, the guy had 2 copies, he might have one left. The number is.

290059396816
On second thoughts, I want 290059395813. Momma!:unibrow:

i wanna know what you typed in to find that dave!:shock: he he

The backdrop for the film was Gerard Gardens, and starred amongst others Stanley Baker, David McCallum and Anne Heywood. It also featured a young Freddie Starr (Fred Fowell) and chinese actress Tsia Chin (she can bee seen during the poker game of the new Casino Royale).

It attempted to cash in on American successes, such as the gritty drama The Blackboard Jungle. Gerard Gardens provided the ideal location, with a sense of closterphobia and open spaces in equal measure.

It featured many Liverpool streets and buildings including a chase in the mersey tunnel. The inside of the flats were shot on a soundstage in London and feature glass patio doors, very posh. The film upset many residents as the producers brought rags to hang out on the washing lines in an effort to downgrade the area. The flats were demolished in 1987.

A link to the trailer of my film Gardens of Stone features clips from Violent Playground;

http://www.scottiepress.org/gardensofstone.ram

I got a copy of this film a few months back. its good to watch and great to see old Liverpool:)

Peter Cushing plays the priest too and Holy Cross church is used. St. Annes school on Christian street, Rose Hill police station, Fontenoy Gardens and School lane can also be seen so it's a great pictorial record of the area at the time. A young Melvyn Hayes of 'It ain't half hot mum' fames is also in it. I too remember once seeing it in the 1970s but the school classroom shoot out out scenes make it highly unlikely it'll ever be shown again on general t.v.

This year it the 50th anniversay since the film was shot. I have been in contact with Granada International (who own the rights following the buy out of Rank) to try and secure a screening in the city this year. Working with Ron Formby at the Scottie Press I hope to run a double bill tieing it in with a screening of Gardens of Stone (70 years since Gerard Gardens was opened / 20 years since it was demolished). We are currently sourcing a suitable venue, I will post any details as soon as they become available.

hello to all new here just searching around for a film i would like to tell you if anyone was looking for the film vilont playground it is for sale on a auction site called www.ebid.net hope this helps as i searched for this title for years i hope it helps anybody else who is looking for it :celb (23):

Just watched it. Friggin' brilliant! Many thanks to Gerard for getting it for me plus all the other local Liverpool DVDs

I was only watching it for the locations, but the scriptwriting and acting is pretty good too. I forgot all about Freddie Star being in the movie until he popped up.

Nice one Gerard:PDT11

I got this from ebay UK, the guy had 2 copies, he might have one left. The number is.

290059396816

Bought a copy off e-bay and watched the film today. Not a very good copy as some speech seemed to be cut here and there. I thought it a fine production myself. Could it be made today is a question I ask myself.

Splendid.

:)

Should have got my Remastered version A.D...
All's not as appears on Ebay with these bargains mate !!

Quite right about e-bay,Ged, but I saw enough to say I liked the film. I have one question though. The Grand Hotel appeared to be at the top of William Brown Street and off course it is not there today. So was the Grand Hotel there at the time of filming or is it a 'trick of the light'?

This year it the 50th anniversay since the film was shot. I have been in contact with Granada International (who own the rights following the buy out of Rank) to try and secure a screening in the city this year. Working with Ron Formby at the Scottie Press I hope to run a double bill tieing it in with a screening of Gardens of Stone (70 years since Gerard Gardens was opened / 20 years since it was demolished). We are currently sourcing a suitable venue, I will post any details as soon as they become available.

If it is on film, how about the Woolton cinema if it up and running again

This photo taken from the Top of the Wellington Monument outside the Walker Art

Gallery.


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/gedfleming/COMMUTATIONROW.jpg




Never! That's looks ridiculously high

:PDT_Xtremez_42:

Never! That's looks ridiculously high :PDT_Xtremez_42:

Unless they Had Hellicopters or something in 1913 Kev !!

Been

up there a Few times myself Kev..All the Kids would get up there and Arse about,Dont know how there was never a Tragedy with the one Railing at the Top..

Unless they Had Hellicopters or something in 1913 Kev !!

Been up there a Few times myself Kev..All the Kids would

get up there and Arse about,Dont know how there was never a Tragedy with the one Railing at the Top..

How do u get access to the top?

How do u get access to

the top?


From the Bottom of what we called the "Giants Steps"..The Base area of the Monument on the Side nearest William Brown St...I'll

have a mooch around for some Photies of the Big Metal Door thats there.

It contains a spiral staircase and I went up there with my dad in 1977 ish when he was foreman of the St. George's Hall where they held the keys, it's also St. Georges from where they turn the fountain on. Got to see some great areas of that Hall during his time there - the different roofs - the basement - out of access areas - pity I wasn't into photographing stuff back then. It was a time for me for getting up on places you weren't supposed to, I remember when they were re-roofing Gerard Gardens/Crescent in the same year and me and my cousin got up on the roof of that block where Gerard lived (I lived opposite him in 8d) and we ran along the flat bit in the middle, could see all over Islington and Commutation Row - felt like we were really up to mischief.