User Reviews

Details are sketchy but this appears to have been a privately-circulated video made for former employees of Merton Park studios, a much-maligned outfit in Wimbledon, London, best-known for poor quality second features until it closed in 1967. It's the last work to date by Kenneth V. Rowles, who I wrote about in my book "Doing Rude Things": "His cult status rests almost entirely on one featurette." That film was the soft-porn drama "Take an Easy Ride". Rowles was a bog-standard film maker, but his tribute to Merton Park is at the very least technically superior to that of some fan boys today. Rowles interviewed several technicians in the pub next door to the site of the studio. (The stages were demolished for housing. Long Lodge, the country house used for administration, is currently occupied by Bedford Insurance. There is a plaque there dedicated to the studio). Most interviewees talk about post-production detail that will mean little to the average viewer. The only "name" participant is director John Hough. What the film lacks is critical perspective. At the time of their production the "Scotland Yard" and Edgar Wallace series were regarded as the lowest of the low. The only person who comments on the poor production standards is someone who worked on the special effects of "Konga". Film clips look as though they're ripped from VHS tapes. Down the years, however, Merton Park productions have gained a cult following from TV screenings. They now run regularly on the Talking Pictures channel, where I saw this documentary. If anyone reading this has fond memories of Edgar Wallace's revolving bust, they should watch out for it.