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The day that Michael Powell walked into the Photographic Exhibition, at our
studios in London's Soho and came face to face with an enormous picture of me,
was the day that was to colour the rest of my life.
Michael Powell turned to his Art Director and said "That is the girl I want
for Peeping Tom. Downstairs in our office he explained what he wanted. The
part was for the model Milly. There were scenes in a Studio in which Carl
Boehm as the character Mark Lewis has to photograph a model and Powell was
looking for a girl, preferably a model, who could act.
George Harrison Marks and I ran a studio and a publishing company, Kamera
Publications. Apart from posing myself, I trained models to work for our
Studio: we produced four monthly magazines for which I was responsible. We
also were branching out with 8mm Glamour films. I had not yet given any
thought to acting in the Movies
It was in my magazine KAMERA that Powell had originally seen my pictures,
and saw that we had a big Exhibition of Nudes at our Studios in Gerrard Street
in Soho. Hence his appearance at our Studios.
He wanted to see me in a studio set-up and suitably lit, as he was
convinced that I would be right for the part. That evening Powell and the Art
Director came to our studio on the top floor. The set that was up was a
Parisian street scene, which consisted of a brick wall, with an arch over an
alley, and a pavement and cobbled street.
I was particularly pleased with the set as I had not only designed it but
also painted the entire set, literally brick by brick. My studio assistant had
taken a plaster cast from an actual London Street, including the pavement and
the cobbles. When finished complete with genuine French posters, it looked
like the real thing. I had studied Art and Painting for 7 years, the last 4 of
which I spent at St Martin's School of Art in London; all of which stood me in
good stead when it came to set design and painting, although my main subject
was drawing and painting the nude figure.
I stood under the lights; George lit me, and Powell looking through the
back of the camera was satisfied with what he saw. The costumes that Milly had
to wear in both scenes, as on screen in 1959 she could not appear nude, had to
be both sexy and concealing. On the wall in the Studio was a large colour
photograph of a girl with waist length flaming red hair wearing a waspie
corset in deep pink and gold, that just clinched the waist leaving the breasts
bare. Over her shoulders was a black lace negligee, which she held open to
reveal her body. Both the costume and the girl intrigued Powell. I explained
that the girl was in fact me in a red wig, and was a character that I had
created. It's surprising what one can do with a subtle change of make-up and
changing the camera angle. The character was called Rita Landre.
Powell was very taken with the costumes and asked if I could put them on
for him to see. Dressed in the Waspie and the black lace I stood on the set.
He thought the pink and gold corset was ideal, but thought the black lace too
heavy.
In my make-up room I had two long racks of every kind of costume, many I
had designed and made myself: from these Powell sorted out a short negligee in
a see through magenta nylon trimmed with black lace. I took off the black
negligee and put on the magenta "short", he liked it and thought it perfect
for the first scene. Next he wanted a full-length negligee and he picked out
from the collection a pale green semi-transparent flower spattered nylon. This
would do for the costume in the second scene.
Powell was fascinated by the set, he walked around admiring the old street
lamp and French posters. I had even planted tiny Ferns and moss to give it a
touch of authenticity. He asked if he could copy the set for the film, and the
Art Director arranged for George to supply him with photographs to work from.
In the corner of our Studio was a small set up, consisting of an Attic
interior with a black iron bedstead with bed linen and pillows and various
props hanging on the wall. This Powell felt he could use for the last scene.
We were also to advise him on the lamps and cameras that Mark would use.
At St. Mary Abbott Studios in Kensington I read the part for Powell, and
was accepted to play Milly. A contract was drawn up and duly signed. Shooting
would commence some time late October, the film would be based at Pinewood
Studios in Buckinghamshire. First, there was the reading of the parts with all
the actors involved. This took place again at St. Mary Abbotts, and was the
first time that I had done a reading with professional actors. In Auditions
for London shows, I had either to show that I could dance or that my figure
was good enough to be a semi-nude showgirl. The Follies Bergere. Now I was
confronted by seasoned actors like Anna Massey, Carl Boehm, Maxine Audley,
Nigel Davenport et al...
We all sat in a big room and read through the first part of the film
script. I had a fair chunk of dialogue: the first line being "Look who's here,
Cecil Beaton". My costumes had been borrowed by the wardrobe department, so
they could copy them. The black stockings and the black G-String I would
supply myself. The ones I used were actually a gift from a fan in America. I
spent each evening learning my part as there was a lot of dialogue, and I
discovered that in my final scene with Mark I am murdered, as to how, was
unclear.
In early November I had the call from Pinewood Studios giving me the day
and the time that I was needed. I had to be made-up and ready to start at 8
am. A car and driver had been arranged by the film company to collect me each
morning from where I lived at Hampstead Heath, and deliver me to Pinewood
Studios, as well as to take me home at the end of the day. I was ready when
the driver rang the bell of my apartment at six o'clock in the morning.
Driving through the dark and the rain, I felt apprehensive. I had never been
to Pinewood and knew no one there. At this time; , I desperately needed a
friend for reassurance. We were now driving through the open countryside,
passing fields and woods, then up a long leafy lane and the driver swung the
car in through the gatehouse of the largest Studio complex in England. The car
checked through, he drove round to the Make Up and Hairdressing departments.
George and Bill Partleton were waiting for me in Make Up; I stripped down to
'bra and pants as I also needed body make up. I sat in the chair and George
made up my face, which was a novelty for me, I had always had to do my own
make up and hair. Bill then took over and began to make up my body, mainly the
arms, legs and shoulders. In the script, Milly asks Mark, "Can you fix it so
that the bruises don't show?.
So Bill made a bruise on my left thigh; that bruise was to cause more fuss
throughout the shooting of that scene than the entire film put together.
Complete with make up and bruise, the next department was for my hair. My
hairdresser, who kept Diana Dors and me beautifully blonde, had previously
bleached and washed my hair, set the two ponytails I always wore for
modelling. The first pony tail was pinned firmly to the crown of my head and
the second bound around and pinned in, so it gave the look of having waist
length hair. This was normal practice for me as my hair was frequently
bleached, it was better to keep it short, and this enabled me to wear the red
wig for the character Rita.
Wardrobe was next: looking at the first costume that I was to wear, I was
not impressed. The waspie was in a dull red with gold flowers, and the short
top in a peculiar shade of scarlet; it had been made of a more opaque nylon to
hide the breasts. I put on my stockings and the G-String. The G-String proved
to brief, so I ended up wearing some small panties with two rows of frills
added for "decencies" sake.
The third assistant came and took me to the stage that they were filming
on. The red light was on, so we waited until it flicked off, and in we went.
My first impression was of darkness with a core of brilliant light in the
middle of a vast space. I looked around me with awe. The second assistant
motioned me over to where the light was. It was strange seeing my set, copied
under the big lamps. Michael Powell was standing in the middle of all this
apparent confusion talking to Carl Boehm. It suddenly came to me that I had to
step out of the safe darkness where I was standing and join the group.
I felt scared and would have given a lot to quietly leave and go home. A
man was seated in the shadows, he got up and came over to me, "Pamela, do you
remember me?". Of course I knew him, "Peter Noble". "Sure thing, I've come
especially to interview you". Peter Noble and I go back a long way. In 1953 in
Bernard Delfont's show "The was interviewing the star of the show, Norman
Wisdom. At the same time I also met George Harrison Marks, who had
photographed Norman Wisdom, and was offering a free sitting to any of us
girls. This was ultimately how I came to go into equal partnership with
George. In the following years I used to do interviews with most of the big
American stars that appeared at the London Palladium, with George taking the
pictures, this was for the same magazine that Peter worked for so our paths
frequently crossed.
Here was the friend that I needed so much to give me confidence and
support. He saw my look of panic and reassured me, "just walk onto the set,
once you are under the lights you won't feel so scared, beyond the lights you
will see nothing, go on, GO! I walked on, Powell came towards me, I was
clutching my script, and all I hoped for now was that I could remember my
lines. I stood on the place I was directed to, and Otto Heller began to light
me. It seemed to take forever. The focus puller measured my distance to the
camera, my place on the floor was marked with a cross. Finally all was ready
and the bell went for the first rehearsal. The first shot was of me standing
by the door, smoking a cigarette. Problem number one: I have never smoked in
my life, one of the crew lit a cigarette for me and I went through the actions
of smoking; each take another cigarette. I said my lines, then opened the
door.
Cut to the other side of the door and Carl Boehm's entry, the same dialogue
then cut to another angle: with all the various angles we were still at it
when they broke for lunch. Afternoon and we were off again. At the reading I
had met Susan Travers as the other model in the scene. Her part consisted of
the one line "you don't have to photograph my face" . All became clear on the
set that day; wearing a Spanish shawl and a big black hat. Susan had to have a
harelip, and Bill had the job of fixing it; it kept coming undone. Between
Susan's harelip and my bruise, we kept him on the run . Just that one snarl
piece of dialogue and action completed the first day of filming.
Next day I was back in position. We picked it up from the door and the
action moved to the Pak' just to highlight a cheekbone, and irritating Powell
no end. "Hurry up Otto" was the constant cry.
Then The time that Carl fluffed a line on take and stopped. My years of
theatre training, where you cover a fluff and go on , if you are on stage, I
automatically cut in with my line, allowing him to pick up and go on. "CUT".
Powell came over with a voice like ice and said "You are an actor and should
at least know your lines. She(indicating me) has never stood on a film set
before, but she covered you like a professional" Thanks a lot I thought, I
could see from Carl's face that it was going to be a "Hate Green Week". Now I
knew, do not try to help your fellow actors. Look after Number One.
That night I went home exhausted, but tired or not I still went through my
lines. I had been chucked in at the deep end, but I was learning fast. Learn
all the dialogue, not just your own. I had read the complete script several
times, and was still none the wiser. A Horror film that apparently showed no
violence. I had been secretly hoping that my end would be bloody, but I was
told that after my last line, the camera would cut away to a shot of a
policeman looking down at me with the brilliant dialogue "She's dead". And
still no clue how we all died until the final shot. Not even one drop of blood
would come my way!. My dialogue with Carl now included the line referring to
my bruise. The following day at rushes they thought that the bruise was too
heavy, so it was reshot with it much lighter. The following day they looked at
the result and thought it too pale; and so it went on and on and on. Whenever
I had a moment off the set, Peter would be interviewing me for the BBC. Parade
and Blighty wanted to shoot colour of me for a double page spread on the set.
We finished up with the pictures shot in the mobile make up room, with a
snatched shot of me on the Parisian Street. There seemed to be very little
from the Publicity Department in publicising the film, so George took pictures
of me in my costumes both in colour and black and white on my own original
sets at weekend, our Kamera magazines and Calendars we lent as set dressing in
the scene showing the interior and exterior of the newsagents shop. When the
film was ultimately shown, it increased the sale of our pictures.
Finally the scene was finished. The set was struck and the iron bedstead
with the bed coverings and pillows was put in place for my final scene. Powell
was a strange man to work with, cold, somewhat remote; a sarcastic tongue. He
seemed to enjoy humiliating the actors, and certain ones would be his whipping
boys and one day it was me. I had put on the flowered negligee and was
standing being lit by Otto, when the storm broke. My costume was wrong. It was
not transparent enough and I looked like a bale of material, (I knew that),
why ?... Because it had been lined with a pink lining for decency's sake said
Wardrobe. "Then take it out now". I took off the offending garment and the
Wardrobe Lady, making sure that I was covered with not a hint of flesh showing
that might drive the crew wild, cut out the lining with a pair of scissors. I
put it back on, and was re-lit. The cameraman thought it was too transparent
with the lights shining through it; they shifted the lamps. I was measured and
my marks put down on the floor, my dialogue and movements checked. I had to be
careful to stay in one position at the head of the bed, for the set was very
narrow, and restricted. Camera, Action, and we were away with the scene where
I am berating Mark for calling me in to pose for him: I am angry. "CUT!" yells
Powell. "Why are you not moving about, you are supposed to be angry with him,
just don't stand there, throw yourself around the set".
Fear overcome, my temper flared; turning to the camera I asked them that if
I did as Powell said I would be off the set, and was I not supposed to stick
to the markings that had been put down especially. Back came the answer, yes I
had to stick to the marks. Temper really gone, I turned to Powell and yelled
at him "Why don't you make up your Bloody mind". The English Gentleman
returned, he became charm itself and we did the scene again. Lesson number
two, stand up to him.
On arrival at the Studio next morning I found the waspie and the short top.
Otto appeared, patted my hand, and said "not to worry", and soon Powell
himself appeared. The shot, he told me, was something that had come to him
last night. He wanted to film my image in the back of Mark's camera, which was
a Linhof 5X4" view camera; the image would be upside down and would fill the
screen. For this shot he needed only me. I stood on the set and Powell looking
through the back of the camera, told Otto to light me. Four Arcs were arranged
to light me, still looking through the back of the camera, Powell asked for
more light, the image was not bright enough. Otto took a reading on his meter,
the movie camera was in position; Powell was not satisfied, still more light.
Then he asked for the Fresnal glass to be taken off one of the Brutes. Otto
protested, "No Michael, it is too dangerous". Powell took no notice and had
the glass taken off another Arc, and yet another. Bill, checking my make up
warned me "Don't look at the lights, Pam, then turning to Powell "For Christ's
sake, you'll blind her". I felt my skin beginning to burn, red patches
appeared on my arms and shoulders: I tried not to look at the blaze of light
coming from the four naked Brutes burning in my face. Powell watched my
discomfort with a slight smile on his face. Eventually the shot was over and
the Arcs quickly killed. Bill came hurrying over to me, first he took off the
false eyelashes, then in the make up room, cleaned my face of all make up.
"That shot should never have been permitted". I didn't know that a bare Arc
could blind; I had felt it was more of a trial of strength between Powell and
me, especially after the set the previous day. Next morning when the alarm
clock went I tried to open my eyes and found that I couldn't. They were badly
swollen.
I was helped down to the waiting car, and a shocked driver when he saw my
face. Bill, awaiting me in make-up looked grim. Seizing my arm he guided me
onto the set, where he dragged me up to Powell. "Look at her face, will you."
Powell turned, glanced at me and said, "Make sure that she is ready, on the
set and made up for 9am". We were now on the final part of the scene where
Milly lies down on the bed, and is killed. The last two lines of dialogue
being "Are you safe to be alone with?", a long pause as she lies against the
pillows, "It might be more fun if you weren't". Late afternoon, and Carl and I
were standing by the bed when Powell called out brightly, "The next shot is
where you strip". "This is where I don't strip! There is nothing indicated in
the script that I am completely in the nude, nor has it ever been discussed" I
replied. "But you strip for men" said Powell. "l pose nude for my partner who
is a photographer, and that is my job, I am not a stripper on a stage".
Looking around the stage I noticed that it had become very full of people who
didn't belong there. The cast from one of the Carry On films were watching
from one corner, The League of Gentlemen currently being filmed with Jack
Hawkins had come to have a look also. What to do now?
The crew, since in the beginning having discovered that I was very new to
all this , had adopted me. I was their "child", any problems I could ask them,
any technical terms, they put me wise.
In the tea break the gaffer sparks quietly came over to me. I explained if
it was essential to the story and if I had to strip, I did not mind the crew
being present. It was the strangers hanging around to have a look at a nude
girl that I would not tolerate. I wasn't a Peep Show. The Gaffer told me what
to do. "You just say clear the set, and put the drapes up". This I did, to the
considerable surprise of Michael Powell, who looked as if he were doing sums
in his head. I could read on his face, "Who has been showing her the ropes in
all this". To Powell I said, "Look, I don't have to stand around on your film
set, the money that you are paying me for three weeks work on your picture, I
earn in one day at my own Studio, so while you make you're mind up, I'm
going". I picked up my coat, which happened to be a very beautiful dark brown
mink, put it on and walked off the set. Powell immediately capitulated, charm
nude shot must be made up all over, and I was rushed into the nearest dressing
room. With sponges and Pancake make up he began to make up my now totally nude
body. The Third Assistant came in, "Powell says will you hurry up". Bill gave
a somewhat startled assistant a sponge, "Shut up and cover her back". The two
men worked on applying the make up at top speed, up my legs, inside my legs,
"Bend over Pam, I want to do your bum". In no time I was covered and on
viewing me both men suddenly realised that they had been slapping make up on a
totally nude girl. "I didn't even stop to think" was Bill's comment.
On the set I took up my position by the bed, looking across to the camera I
saw two young boys about 7 and 8 years old sitting on the floor in front of
the camera. Powell caught my look and said that they were his sons and he
wanted them to watch the scene. I could not be bothered to argue; I took my
position for the first take. It had been decided to shoot two versions of the
scene. Take number one, with the camera at the head of the bed; I did my line,
turned, laid down on the bed, and with the negligee parted to show the breasts
partially covered gave my final line. Second version, and take two. The camera
looking down on my body, I did my line " Are you safe to be alone with", then
laid down, opened the negligee, so one could see my nude body and said my line
again, "It might be more fun if you weren't". Cut to close up of me, end of
scene.
It was amazingly easy, no one in my eye line, just the lens of the camera
looking down on me. Another Take as Otto wanted to change the lighting a
little. All over, I remained there for the stills camera to do a picture.
Suddenly I was aware that a stranger was at the foot of the bed with a camera
pointing straight up my naked body. I sat up quickly, "From that angle, no
pictures, get him off the set" With great speed the nearest Electricians
pounced on him, whipped away his camera and slung him off the set. Some
photojournalist had got wind of the fact that there was a nude on F Stage. I
was the first nude in a feature film in England hole process to me. He was
gentle, kind, and totally charming. I asked him why he was such a pig on the
set, but so helpful and nice now. He just smiled and said nothing. On another
occasion, he had an extra set built for an exterior of Hyde Park and a small
row of shops. I stood wondering how they managed to give the effect of such a
large Park. Powell saw me looking at it and came over. I was puzzled at the
lamp posts disappearing into the distance, a real full sized Oak Tree with
bushes and grass, and all around the London skyline of rooftops and chimneys.
"Walk down the path with me". We did; the first lamppost was of a normal size,
the second much shorter, until they finished up at practically knee height.
Powell explained that it was a perspective set, he took me over to the camera
and told me to look through, again charm itself. I asked what this huge set
was for, and was told that there was to be a couple making love on the grass
at night, they look up when Mark tries to film them. The man jumps up and
shouts "Peeping Tom". This was for the opening and title sequence.
I returned to my work at my own Studios which had been piling up, George
took more photographs of me in the bedroom setting that Powell had copied for
the final scene. I was kept busy with pictures and interviews for the
forthcoming Premiere of "Peeping Tom". Weegee was over at Shepperton Studios,
and being very interested in Powell's film, contacted me. He came up to our
Studio and became almost a permanent guest. He photographed me and did his
famous distorted prints of me. He wanted a picture of me photographing him,
and gave me both distorted and plain prints of them, all of which I have today
signed by him.
For most of the publicity purposes my pictures were used as there seemed to
be hardly anything available from the publicity department.
The World Premiere of "Peeping Tom" was held on April 7 1960 at the Plaza
Cinema, Piccadilly. On the night of the premiere I stood outside the Cinema
and saw a 40 foot cut-out of me in the red Waspie covering the Cinema front,
with my name "and introducing Pamela Green" in lights below it. Inside the
Press were waiting, and the photographs began. I joined Otto Heller and his
wife and we made our way to our seats in the packed auditth Otto's superb
lighting of my nude body surrounded by the soft folds of the negligee,
deliberately open to display the curve of my breasts and torso. "It might be
more fun if you weren't, "after which poor Milly gets a knife through her
throat. The black and white film sequences were disturbing - Mark as a child
being quietly terrorised by his father as an experiment in fear, with Powell
playing the father. One of his young sons played Mark as a young boy. I then
remembered Powell's insistence that his two sons should watch me on that last
scene in which I was nude. A strange man, Powell.
Afterwards at party at the Savoy Hotel, Weegee, who had covered the
Premiere, was busy again with his camera.
We will never know what happened to turn all the critics against Powell,
for they all panned it, using such terms as violent and pornographic, with
crude and nasty being among the milder comments. On release, Local Watch
Committees refused to have it screened in their towns. My nude shot was cut
out and the alternative version was used, which was the long shot from the
head of the bed. Powell's successful career came to an abrupt halt. Exiled by
the British film industry he went to Australia, where he was to continue his
directorial career with They're a Weird Mob, and The Age of Consent.
Twenty years later, Martin Scorcese saw the film and arranged for it to be
shown at the 1979 New York Film Festival. Through Scorcese's efforts, the film
has been restored to its rightful place in the annals of movie history.
Looking at "Peeping Tom" thirty-five years on, the film was perhaps one of
the most notorious British films ever made. It was a startling treatment of
voyeurism and the mechanics of the cinema, wrapped in the clothes of a lurid
thriller. I know that Powell once called it "a very tender film, a very nice
one". It has, however, the ability to haunt the mind long after "so-called"
nice films are forgotten.
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