On 6th April 2024, the author and screenwriter Brian Sibley interviewed award-winning writer David Wood OBE at the Cinema Museum for the 50th Anniversary of the release of the classic film ‘Swallows and Amazons’. This can now be viewed on YouTube. I read a special letter from Dame Virginia McKenna towards the end.
Until I listened to this interview I didn’t know that Peter Hammond was originally going to direct the film or that Bernard Delfont was behind financing the movie at EMI. He also brought out ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ in 1974 and ‘The Deer Hunter’ in 1978.
Other secrets are revealed. Mrs Ransome (who held the rights) wanted all the Swallows to have blonde hair and blue eyes.
I’ll feature the Q&A with the cast on another blog in a few days time. Do sign up so you don’t miss it.
You can watch an excellent recording of Brian Sibley’s Q&A with the cast and David Wood on this website here and find photos of the event here.
Brian said he drew his knowledge from ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, which is now available on audible.
A copy of the paperback is currently being auctioned to raise funds to help a little boy called Max who is very ill. You can see how the bidding is going on jumblebee
Sophie Neville 