Few people who see the film "Mrs. Henderson Presents" starring Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins and Will Young, out on the big screen in November, will realise that Dame Judi Dench came to Thames Ditton to learn to punt. She arrived at Dittons Skiff & Punting Club but soon decided that rowing would be safer than punting so was coached by Richard Carless who accompanied her down the river and round Thames Ditton Island. Richard is the director of Marine Film Services, a local company that provides various services to film and TV crews when they are filming on the Thames, or indeed on water anywhere in the world.
A month later, Richard asked if I would like to act as Judi's "rowing double" when the river scenes were shot. Never having been in a film before, I was very excited at the prospect, so readily agreed. My husband, George, was told that there would probably be something for him to do as well, so we left home early on the day of the shooting and arrived on site at 06.00.
The location for the boating was at Medmenham, near Henley, a very picturesque stretch of the Thames. Soon after we arrived, George was whisked away to the make-up unit, given a 1939 haircut, neat moustache and dressed in a brown suit, woolly waistcoat and trilby hat. I was sent to sit and wait in a spacious caravan where I met an experienced film extra who told me slightly apprehensively, that she was going to go in a rowing boat (she had never been in one before). I reassured her and told her not to worry and she would be perfectly safe as my husband would be in the boat with her.
In the film, Judi plays Laura Henderson, who on leaving her husband's funeral, decides to take a boat out on the river to relax after the ordeal. The filming of Judi setting out in her dingy, letting out a sob of grief, and George and his partner rowing past took all morning and much of the afternoon. Meanwhile, I was watching and waiting and wondering when I would have something to do. Eventually, I was told to get into Judi's dingy and row up and down the river so that camera angles could be determined and for Bob Hoskins (the other star in the production) to have something to sight on when he was walking on the bank shouting at Mrs. Henderson.
The following day, I was required to row again so that the camera crew could co-ordinate the movements of the dingy with three other boats in the second river scene. We spent all morning rowing up and down the same stretch of river until the director was satisfied and then Judi took over my position and the cameras started whirring. I was sent back to the make-up unit and given a hairstyle like Mrs. Henderson's and dressed in a fur coat similar to hers. When I arrived back on the river bank I felt like a film star, but I never even sat in front of the camera. Judi, in spite of having been on site since 06.45 and working all day, insisted that she could manage the final shots in the dingy and did not need a double! Thus ended my film career before it even began.
However it was a most interesting two days, inspite of the hours of waiting around. The working atmosphere was relaxed and courteous with none of the tantrums or lost tempers traditionally associated with movie making.
As a finale to the experience we were invited to the 'cast & crew' morning screening of the completed film at the Odeon, Leicester Square - though unfortunately this was not the grand evening premiere. Based on real life events, the film is about the tempestuous relationship between Mrs. Henderson who buys the Windmill Theatre out of boredom and Vivien Van Damm her manager. It is a lively colourful comedy with singing, dancing and decorous nudity (the girls were not allowed to move when on stage in those far off refined days!).
As for the river scenes; two days work on location involving 110 people, ended up as about two minutes on the screen. So if you go to the film, look out for the skiff which passes behind Mrs. Henderson's dingy just after she cries out and if you do not blink, you will see George making his film debut.
Patricia Cammack
Photo: Marine Film Services