Grahame N's Web Pages

THE KING OF UK CINEMA'S POVERTY ROW - E.J. FANCEY

Edwin John Fancey was a name to strike terror into the hearts of cinema audiences of the 1950's! When in my teens, friends and I used to sneak, under age, into the local 'continental' cinema in Portsmouth (The Palace, now Martines Disco) our excitement waned when we saw 'New Realm' as the distributors' name, for these products were not exactly of the highest calibre, normally being tame old American offerings, retitled. Always trying to get recent films for my 9.5mm sound shows, my school friend would exclaim 'not E.J. Fancey' as the credits hit the screen, and was usually only persuaded to stay by the promise of a Walton glamour film to finish the programme! However, if it hadn't been for Mr. Fancey, Pathéscope would have had little post-war product to offer us on 9.5mm sound.

E.J. Fancey, born at Richmond, Surrey in 1902, was a film producer and distributor, who began distributing American pictures in the UK, via his company New Realm. During the war he moved into film production, forming New Realm Pictures Ltd on 2nd March 1940 with his brother Sid, and D.U.K. Films Ltd with his wife B.C. Fancey six years later on 22nd March 1946. So began the British equivalent of P.R.C. Pictures - poverty row here we come!

Around 1940/41 E.J. Fancey was prosecuted for stabbing his company accountant in the groin. An argument had arisen it appears, over an accusation that he ran the finances of his company rather 'close to the wind'. The accountant had a leg amputated as a result of the injury. When the case came to court, the accountant was regarded as a hostile witness by the prosecution - presumably he had been 'softened up' before the hearing. Even so, E.J. Fancey got a short prison sentence. (Some details are in the Kine Weekly)

E.J. had a grand castle-like mansion (was this at 29 Boundary Road, West Worthing?). The property had a lodge cottage and it is said he moved his mistress (Olive Negus-Fancey) into this convenient pied-a-terre! A keen racing man, we're told he owned race horses and lived life in the fast lane as befits a 'major' film producer.

Via his various companies we find much of Pathescope's 1950's output. Productions from E.J. Fancey Ltd. include "Down Among the Z Men" with The Goons and Carole Carr; "Forces Sweetheart" with Harry Secombe, Micheal Bentine and Hy Hazel; "Flannelfoot"; "Beyond the Heights"; "Comedy Cocktail" and "Behind the Headlines" with Gilbert Harding. Associated company DUK (Do-U-Know) distributed the George Pal puppetoons, "Mad Hatter"; "Land of My Fathers" and "Prisoners of the Tower" etc., whilst New Realm was distributor for titles such as "Marshall of Santa Fe"; "Fury of the North"; "No Rain at Timburie"; "Workmates"; "A Willing Horse"; "Doing the Dicken's Walk"; the two Tarzan features, the "Snipshots" animated shorts and even things like "Candlelight In Algeria".

"Down Among the Z Men", which supposedly had it's world premier at the Troxy, Fratton Road, Portsmouth (I grew up a few miles away in Emsworth - I would have been 7 years old at the time) became quite a cult film, being about the only film to feature all of the Goons - Peter Sellars, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine - famous for their madcap comedy radio series "The Goon Show". It is said it made thousands from the cinema re-releases. Even today the DVD, issued by various obscure companies retails at around £15. Sadly the remains of the Fancey empire have long lost the rights, so that others are now still cashing in.

Even the final 9.5mm silent Chaplin releases like "Shoulder Arms", "The Pilgrim" and "A Day's Pleasure" came via the E.J. Fancey link-up. The rights were rumoured to have come from Germany, but Chaplin objected and the prints were hastily withdrawn from sale!

Another company E.J. Fancey Productions Ltd arrived on 30th November 1954, this time with E.J. Fancey and his son Malcolm as directors. Together with New Realm Pictures, DUK and Embassy Films it still boasted the Fancey's prestigous address of Queen's House, Leicester Square on it's letterhead!

When Edwin Fancey retired in the 1970's, his two children Adrienne and Malcolm took control of his companies. Now if we check the cast lists of films like "Forces Sweetheart", "Flannelfoot", "Behind the Headlines", "Man On the Cliff" and "Rock You Sinners" we find actress Adrienne Scott. This was his daughter, but using a stage name before she moved into the adminstrator's chair! In fact we can see Adrienne in her underwear in a brief scene in "Flannelfoot" - where the killer is hiding behind a curtain whilst she changes - however the scene was obviously too hot for Pathéscope - it is cut from the 9.5mm print - probably the only thing that is missing in the whole film!

E.J. Fancey had two more children Judith Smith (a film editor) and Charles Negus-Fancey, by common law wife Olive Negus-Fancey, who ran Border Films and Carlyle Pictures. He died aged 79 in October 1980.

A later 1979 big budget production was "The World Is Full Of Married Men" - Caroll Baker's contract stipulated her name alone would be above the film's title. She happened to catch it when it opened in the West End, and spotted that her name and Anthony Franciosa's appeared above the title. She complained and all prints had to be withdrawn and re-titled!

Despite various bankruptcies along the way, and although reduced to a film booking agency, New Realm was still in business at 82 Wardour Street in 1995, deep in the heart of what was London's Soho filmland. Amongst boarded up doorways and decaying sex shops, times were even harder by then, no smart brass plate, but a scribbled sticky label by a second floor doorbell!

One wonders what delights could have lain in store for ninefivers if Pathéscope and their E.J. Fancey deal had survived, for in 1974 New Realm bought the UK rights to a then unknown French film by the name of "Emmanuelle"!

FILMS PRODUCED BY E.J. FANCEY COMPANIES IN THE 40's AND 50's

 $"SWINGTEASE" 10mins 1940 Prod:New Realm - clips from "Sing As You Swing" 
  "WORLD TOUR" 15mins 1940 Prod:E.J. Fancey - Travelogue
  "ATLANTIC PERILS" 22mins 1942 Prod:New Realm - Sealing expedition
 *"THE BALLOON GOES UP" 58mins 1942 Dir:Redd Davis - Comedy/musical
    Gracie Revnell,Ethel West,Donald Peers,Ronald Shiner - Balloon unit WAAFs catch German spies.
  "UP WITH THE LARK" 83mins 1943 Dir:Phil Brandon
    Comedy with Gracie Revnell, Ethel West - Land girls unmask black marketeers
  "DOWN MEMORY LANE" 60mins 1943 Dir: unknown
    A music hall manager remembers old times (with old filmclips!)
  "RETURN TO FIJI" 13mins Prod:New Realm Dir:Sylvia Cummins - Fijian soldiers return home
  "WAR AND NEW ZEALAND" 9mins 1945 Dir:Sylvia Cummins - New Zealanders at war
 +"DAYS OF MAKE BELIEVE" 32mins 1946 Prod:DUK  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson 3T.9730
    Refugee children admire toys
  "PRISONERS OF THE TOWER" 34mins 1946 Dir:Cecil H. Williamson 3T.9735
    A Tower of London tour with commentary by Valentine Dyall
  "TAKE IT EASY" 34mins 1946 Dir:John Taylor - English resorts
  "INDIAN BACKGROUND" 9mins 1946 Impact of western civilisation on India 
  "COAL MINING TODAY" apprx 16mins 1947 Prod:Sylvia Cummins
  "APPOINTMENT WITH FIRE" 34mins 1947 Prod/Dir:Cecil Williamson
    Comm:Valentine Dyall - Reporter discovers the history of fire
  "BALI ADVENTURE" 35mins 1948 Prod:DUK Dir:Cecil H. Williamson Comm:John Snagge
  "TODAY AND EVERY DAY" 35mins 1948 Prod:DUK  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Commentary:Frank Phillips - British railways
  "THE UPSTART CROW" 35mins 1948 Prod:DUK  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Commentary:John Snagge - Stratford-on-Avon travelogue
  "THE GODS CAN LAUGH" 35mins 1948 Prod:DUK  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Commentary:John Snagge - Man's victory over nature leading to atomic bombs
  "JOURNEY BACK" 28mins 1949 Prod:New Realm - G.I. returns to see post-war Britain
  "SPAIN, POTENTIAL THREAT" 16mins 1949 Prod:New Realm Comm:Stewart MacPherson
    General Franco's power since the civil war in Spain 
  "SILENT WORLD" 34mins 1950 Dir:Cecil Williamson Comm:Leslie Mitchell 3T.9722
    Divers, equipment, the world under the sea, training of frogmen
  "SOHO CONSPIRACY" 85 mins 1950 Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Charity concert for bombed church - Tito Gobbi clips etc
 $"SUSSEX FORTNIGHT" 40mins 1950 Dir:Norman Hemsley - Raymond Glendenning (on a 
    penny farthing!) & girls cycling club visit Arundel,Littlehampton,Goodwood etc.
  "ANIMAL KINGDOM" 34mins 1950 Prod:New Realm - Farm children learn about wild animals
  "TROPHY ISLAND" 35mins 1950 Prod:DUK  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson 
    Commentary:Stewart MacPherson - TT races on the Isle of Man
  "THIS IS THE LIFE" 34mins 1950 Prod:E.J. Fancey  Dir:Sidney Coronel
    Commentary:Stewart MacPherson - Trapping & training animals for the circus
  "ROARING WHEELS" 35mins 1950 Prod:E.J. Fancey  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Commentary:Patrick Burns - Motor racing
 +"BEYOND THE HEIGHTS" 36mins 1951 Dir:E.J. Fancey 4T.9723
    Winter sports travelogue with village avalanche drama
 +"COMEDY COCKTAIL" Arr.& Pres:Cecil H. Williamson 2T.9719
    Compilation of early Charlie Chaplin comedy shorts
 +"THAMES VALLEY" 1951 Prod. & Phot.:Ian K. Barnes 2T.9754
    The river Thames from its source to London
  "LAND OF MY FATHERS" 35mins 1951 Dir:E.J. Fancey 4T.9762
    Commentary:Frederick Allen - Tour of England and Wales
  "LONDON ENTERTAINS" 49mins 1951 Dir:E.J. Fancey
    Madcap comedy musical with appearances from The Goons
 +"A WILLING HORSE" 35mins 1951 Dir:Jeff Davies 2T.9728
    Survey of the horse from earliest times
  "NO SAIL" 34mins 1951 Prod:E.J. Fancey  Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Commentary:Leslie Mitchell - Survey of sailing craft
  "TALES OF TWO CITIES" 34mins 1951 Dir:Oscar Burn - 3T.9739
    Commentary:Richard Dimbleby, Stephen Jack - London and Paris compared
*+"DOWN AMONG THE Z MEN" 71mins 1952 Dir:Maclean Rogers - 6T.9753
    Crazy spy comedy with The Goons (Peter Sellars, Spike Milligan,
    Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine) & Carole Carr)
  "POTTER OF THE YARD" 30mins 1952 Dir:John Wall and Oscar Burn
    Scotland Yard clerk poses as a mechanic to catch bank robber.
 $"TOO MANY DETECTIVES" 30mins 1953 Dir:John Wall & Oscar Burn
    Potter proves a missing embezzler was murdered. (Second in 'Potter of the Yard' series)
  "MR BEAMISH GOES SOUTH" 33mins 1953 Dir:John Wall & Oscar Burn
    Potter unmasks hotel guest who kills women in acid baths.(Third in 'Potter of the Yard' series)
*+"BEHIND THE HEADLINES" 51mins 1953 Dir:Maclean Rogers 5T.9766
    Scotland Yard semi-doc. with Gilbert Harding,John Fitzgerald and Adrienne Fancey

*+"FLANNELFOOT" 74mins 1953 Dir:Maclean Rogers 9T.9764 
    Thriller about notorious jewel thief and murderer. 
*+"FORCES SWEETHEART" 76mins 1953 Dir:Maclean Rogers 9T.9765
    Goon style comedy with Harry Secombe,Micheal Bentine and Hy Hazell
  "LOONIZOO" 14mins Dir:unknown - Micheal Bentine impersonates animals and their language.
  "CALLING ALL CARS" 44mins 1954 Dir:Maclean Rogers
    Friends on motoring holiday pursue two girls. 
  "INTO THE UNKNOWN" 34mins 1954 Dir:E.J. Fancey - Flying doctor crashes in mountains
* "JOHNNY ON THE SPOT" 72mins 1954 Dir:Maclean Rogers
    Complicated murder mystery as framed ex-convict clears name.
* "SHADOW OF A MAN" 69mins 1954 Dir:Micheal McCarthy
    After a fight, drunk is found dead, heart failure or murder?
  "FLIGHT FROM VIENNA" 58mins 1955 Dir:Denis Kavanagh
    Mission to bring out scientist from Hungary
*+"MAN ON THE CLIFF" 23mins 1955 Dir:Robert Hartford-Davis 3T.9779
    Ronald Leigh Hunt - Man with amnesia tries to identify himself & a dead man 
  "SONG OF NORWAY" 32mins 1955 Dir:Maclean Rogers - Adrienne Scott,Vanda Godsell,Graham Stark,
    Andrew Timothy - Oslo, English hotel receptionist enters ski race & is rescued from crevace.
* "ACTION STATIONS" 50mins 1956(rel.1959) Dir:Cecil H. Williamson
    Counterfeiting gang chase forger to Spain
  "FIGHTING MAD" 53mins 1956 Dir:Denis Kavanagh
    Boxer retires to Canada after accidentally killing two opponents
  "THEY NEVER LEARN" 48mins 1956 Dir:Denis Kavanagh
    Policewoman poses as jailbird to uncover forgery racket
* "ROCK YOU SINNERS" 59mins 1957 Dir: Denis Kavanagh
    Disc jockey gets break with rock'n'roll TV series
*$"THE TRAITOR" 88mins 1957 Dir:Micheal McCarthy
    Donald Wolfit as wartime resistance leader seeking traitor 

Pathéscope "T" reference numbers are shown in bold for those titles released on 9.5mm sound (the number
before the 'T' is the number of reels on 9.5mm sound - films were often shortened for the 9.5mm release)
* means DVD copy in GLN collection (copies can be provided, no rights given or implied, contact me below)
+ before a title means 9.5mm sound copy in GLN collection.
$ before a title means 16mm sound copy in GLN collection.

If you can provide other titles, copies of films not in my collection,
or you require DVD copies of ones that are - then e-mail me -
- Grahame Newnham at : presto @ pathefilm.freeserve.co.uk (no gaps in actual address)

Back to MAIN MENU or back to NINE FIVE MENU

Tidied, "Silent World" & "Sussex Fortnight added 11Oct2008
Extra text and images added to text. more titles added 15 Oct2008
"Song of Norway" added 09Mar2009
"Atlantic Perils", "Indian Background", "Appointment With Fire", "Return to Fiji", "Today & Every Day",
"The Upstart Crow","The Gods Can Laugh" , "Journey Back", "Spain, Potential Threat",
"Animal Kingdom", "Trophy Island", "This Is the Life", "Roaring Wheels", "No Sail",
"Tales of Two Cities" added 10June2009
Last updated 10 June 2009 .................................. fancey1.htm ................................. © MM G.L. Newnham