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{{Short description|1963 British short film by James Hill}}
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'''The Home Made Car''' is an Oscar-nominated short film directed by [[James Hill]] about a young man who rebuilds a vintage car and finds love. Made in and around [[Farnborough, Hampshire]], it became a [[cult]] success when regularly broadcast on the run up to the start of [[BBC Two|BBC2]] colour transmissions. Originally screened from September 1968 until August 1973, It was one of a series of short films broadcast to help television engineers set up new colour television sets. Other popular offerings were The North Sea Quest, Overhaul, Crown of Glass, Roads to Roam, The Small Propeller, The Cattle Carters, Prospect for Plastics, A Journey into the Weald of Kent and Evoluon.
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Home-made Car
| image = The_Home-made_Car_film_Opening_titles_(1963).png
| caption = Opening titles
| director = [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]]
| story =
| producer =
| writer =
| screenplay = James Hill
| editing = Ann Chegwidden
| music = [[Ron Grainer]]
| starring =
| cinematography =
| studio = British Petroleum Company
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1963}}
| runtime = 28 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
}}


'''''The Home-Made Car''''' is a 1963 British silent short film directed and written by [[James Hill (British director)|James Hill]].<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=The Home-Made Car |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150036803 |access-date=14 August 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref> It was produced by [[The British Petroleum Company|The British Petroleum Company (BP)]], which continues to distribute the film.<ref>[http://www.bpvideolibrary.com "BP Video Library"], webpage retrieved 2008-06-18.</ref>
Blackwell Cottage, where the car was built, is on Cambridge Road West, Farnborough, [[Hampshire]], UK. The house remains, although the garage has been replaced by a detached house. The house where the little girl lived,next-door, is still there.


A young man rebuilds a vintage car and finds love.
As well as Farnborough, parts of the film was made in Bucks Horn Oak and Seale, both Hampshire. Made by [[BP]], the Bucks Horn Oak scenes were based at a petrol filling station.


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==Plot==
⚫
The music was by [[Ron Grainer]] and it includes a pastiche of the theme from [[Steptoe and Son]] when an old [[rag and bone man]] tries to steal the wheel arches from the still incomplete car.


A young man sets to work restoring a vintage car at the home of his aunt. The little girl who lives next door is intent on sabotaging his project at any cost, but when he wins her over with a smile, she ends up helping him to build it. He completes the project and wins the hand of the girl’s older sister, who has been dating a mannerless local who tears around in a sports car.
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==Cast==
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*[[Ronald Chudley]] - Young man
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*[[Caroline Mortimer]] - Young woman (daughter of [[John Mortimer]])
*Sandra Leo - Little Girl with ray gun


== Cast ==
⚫
{{DEFAULTSORT:Home Made Car}}
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[[Category:British films]]
⚫
[[Category:Independent films]]
⚫
[[Category:Short films]]


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*[[Ronald Chudley]] as young man
{{short-film-stub}}
*[[Sandra Leo]] as little girl
*[[Frank Sieman]] as garage owner
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*[[Caroline Mortimer]] as young woman
*[[Anthony James (actor)|Anthony James]] sports car driver
*[[Alice Bowes]] as auntie
*[[Ewen Solon]] as Rolls chauffeur

== Production ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}

=== Locations ===
The film was shot largely in and around [[Farnborough, Hampshire]], and [[Cove, Hampshire]]. The car was rebuilt at Blackwell Cottage, Cambridge Road West, Farnborough. The house remains, although the garage has been replaced by a detached house, now number 26. The house where the little girl lived, next door, is also still there. As well as Farnborough, parts of the filming took place at the petrol station in [[Bucks Horn Oak]], Hampshire and [[Seale, Surrey|Seale]], Surrey.

=== The car ===
The owner of the [[Morris Oxford#Oxford .28.22bullnose.22.29 .281913.E2.80.9314.29|Bullnose Morris]] in the film, Eric Longworth, kept the car until his death in 2011. The car is now owned by Stuart Cooke of Darwen Lancashire. When the film was shot, the car had already been fully restored, so the chassis of another car which Eric was restoring at the time, a rare 1916 Perry, was used to replicate the Morris during restoration.

The featured sports car, registration VWK 929, is a white late '50s [[Austin-Healey 100-6]] with red interior.

=== Music ===
⚫
The music was by [[Ron Grainer]] and includes a pastiche of the theme from ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'' when an old [[rag and bone man]] tries to steal the front wings and radiator shell from the still incomplete car.

== Accolades ==
The film was nominated for a 1964 [[Academy Award for Live Action Short Film|Academy Award]] (Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects),<ref name="Oscars1964">{{Cite web |date=5 October 2014 |title=The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1964 |accessdate=June 1, 2019 |work=oscars.org}}</ref> and won a [[Silver Bear]] (Short Film) at the 1963 [[Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Home-Made Car (Das selbstgebastelte Auto) |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/1963/programme/19630009.html |access-date=14 August 2024 |website=Berlin International Film Festival}}</ref>

== Cult success ==
⚫
The film became a [[cult]] success when regularly broadcast as a [[trade test colour films|trade test colour transmission]] on the run up to the start of [[BBC Two|BBC2]] colour transmissions.<ref>Keys, Andrew (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20080905125300/http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk/ttcfstatistics.html "The Statistician's Guide to Trade Test Colour Films"], webpage of the "Test Card Circle" website archived at WebCite from [http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk/ttcfstatistics.html this original URL] 2008-06-18.</ref> Originally screened from September 1968 until August 1973, it was one of a series of short films broadcast to help television engineers set up new colour television sets. Others were ''The North Sea Quest'', ''Overhaul'', ''Crown of Glass'', ''Roads to Roam'', ''The Small Propeller'', ''The Cattle Carters'', ''Prospect for Plastics'', ''A Journey into the Weald of Kent'', ''[[Giuseppina]]'' and ''Evoluon''.

== Home media ==
''The Home Made Car'' has been released by the [[British Film Institute|BFI]] as an extra on DVD/Blu-ray discs of Hill's film [[Lunch Hour|''Lunch Hour'']] (1962), together with two short films from the 1970s also directed by Hill, ''Giuseppina'' and ''Skyhook''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0057149}}
* Watch [https://www.bpvideolibrary.com/record/421 ''The Home Made Car''] at [[BP]] Video Library

{{James Hill}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Home Made Car}}
⚫
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:British silent short films]]
[[Category:Films set in Hampshire]]
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[[Category:1963 films]]
[[Category:Films about automobiles]]
[[Category:Films directed by James Hill (British director)]]
[[Category:Conservation and restoration of vehicles]]
[[Category:Films scored by Ron Grainer]]
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[[Category:1960s British films]]
[[Category:Films without speech]]

Latest revision as of 13:47, 25 October 2024

The Home-made Car
Opening titles
Directed byJames Hill
Screenplay byJames Hill
Edited byAnn Chegwidden
Music byRon Grainer
Production
company
British Petroleum Company
Release date
  • 1963 (1963)
Running time
28 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Home-Made Car is a 1963 British silent short film directed and written by James Hill.[1] It was produced by The British Petroleum Company (BP), which continues to distribute the film.[2]

A young man rebuilds a vintage car and finds love.

Plot

[edit]

A young man sets to work restoring a vintage car at the home of his aunt. The little girl who lives next door is intent on sabotaging his project at any cost, but when he wins her over with a smile, she ends up helping him to build it. He completes the project and wins the hand of the girl’s older sister, who has been dating a mannerless local who tears around in a sports car.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Locations

[edit]

The film was shot largely in and around Farnborough, Hampshire, and Cove, Hampshire. The car was rebuilt at Blackwell Cottage, Cambridge Road West, Farnborough. The house remains, although the garage has been replaced by a detached house, now number 26. The house where the little girl lived, next door, is also still there. As well as Farnborough, parts of the filming took place at the petrol station in Bucks Horn Oak, Hampshire and Seale, Surrey.

The car

[edit]

The owner of the Bullnose Morris in the film, Eric Longworth, kept the car until his death in 2011. The car is now owned by Stuart Cooke of Darwen Lancashire. When the film was shot, the car had already been fully restored, so the chassis of another car which Eric was restoring at the time, a rare 1916 Perry, was used to replicate the Morris during restoration.

The featured sports car, registration VWK 929, is a white late '50s Austin-Healey 100-6 with red interior.

Music

[edit]

The music was by Ron Grainer and includes a pastiche of the theme from Steptoe and Son when an old rag and bone man tries to steal the front wings and radiator shell from the still incomplete car.

Accolades

[edit]

The film was nominated for a 1964 Academy Award (Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects),[3] and won a Silver Bear (Short Film) at the 1963 Berlin International Film Festival.[4]

Cult success

[edit]

The film became a cult success when regularly broadcast as a trade test colour transmission on the run up to the start of BBC2 colour transmissions.[5] Originally screened from September 1968 until August 1973, it was one of a series of short films broadcast to help television engineers set up new colour television sets. Others were The North Sea Quest, Overhaul, Crown of Glass, Roads to Roam, The Small Propeller, The Cattle Carters, Prospect for Plastics, A Journey into the Weald of Kent, Giuseppina and Evoluon.

Home media

[edit]

The Home Made Car has been released by the BFI as an extra on DVD/Blu-ray discs of Hill's film Lunch Hour (1962), together with two short films from the 1970s also directed by Hill, Giuseppina and Skyhook.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Home-Made Car". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  2. ^ "BP Video Library", webpage retrieved 2008-06-18.
  3. ^ "The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  4. ^ "The Home-Made Car (Das selbstgebastelte Auto)". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ Keys, Andrew (2007). "The Statistician's Guide to Trade Test Colour Films", webpage of the "Test Card Circle" website archived at WebCite from this original URL 2008-06-18.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=The_Home-Made_Car&oldid=1253343569"