“There’s a cold winter coming”
“But a warm summer to follow.”
“We could hang around the Prom forever, waiting for the girls to arrive.”
This was John Alderton and Oliver Reed in The System (1964), suggesting that things don’t change.
The System – also known as The Girl Getters in the United States, where it was heavily cut – is the story of a group of blazer-and-tie sporting young men scouring Torquay’s seasonal tourists in search of sexual conquests.
Near the end of one summer, the leader of the group, played by Oliver Reed, aims to conquer an affluent fashion model, but finds himself unexpectedly falling in love. Music is provided by the Searchers, who make a rare film appearance in a club scene.
Directed by Michael Winner (Death Wish) with Nicholas Roeg (Performance, The Man who fell to Earth) behind the camera, The System is described as ‘a great lost document of mod 60s British culture, utilizing the talents of many artists who went on to more celebrated accomplishments… in this captivating, authentic precursor to Quadrophenia’.
The advertising proclaims: “A generation who try not to fall not in love because it’s ‘square’… who fall in love because they’re young…”
Here’s a couple of clips from the film, showing great dancing, indoor smoking (!), the 400 Club, the Palm Court, the Pavilion & a Harbourside fight – featuring a very young David Hemmings:
Another Torquay-set movie was That Summer. Released in 1979, it starred a youthful Ray Winstone.
There’s an ongoing debate over whether it was the follow on from Scum, with the Ray character just having left a Borstal.
The plot consists of two girls who arrive in Torquay to work as chamber maids for the summer. They meet two boys, also in Torquay for the summer, one of whom (Ray’s character) is entered in the ‘round the bay’ swimming race. They come into conflict with a Scottish gang, one member also predictably being in the race
In a Torquay where every time you go out you meet the same people, various confrontations follow and Ray is framed for a robbery in a chemists’ shop. Ray is arrested just as he is about to start the race, though he manages to escape, joins the race, forces the real villain to confess, and, of course, wins.
One scene that caused much amusement among locals was filmed in the Pickwick pub. In the film Ray gets a job and accommodation in the Pickwick. He opens his curtains and gets a fine view of Torquay harbour – rather than the back of Primark.
As with The System, the 400 Club appears, and there are scenes on Oddicombe Beach showing how many people came to Torbay in the past. Also worth mentioning is the fine late 70s soundtrack:
Come and enjoy Devon – book a hotel and get away!
Related posts:
- Torquay’s other history: Torquay on Film Torbay was home to two production companies during the early...
