My life in films and tv.

**harryfielder** · 16th August 2008, 08:18 AM

Hiya folks, I've led a funny old life starting out as a singer/guitarist in the 50s with my own Skiffle band and going on to form a Rock 'n Roll band and playing for eight years in pubs and clubs all over London.
In 1966 after a gig someone ask me if I wanted to do two (2) days work as an extra on a tv show called ''The Saint'' with Roger Moore..

Well I did the two (2) days liked the work and stayed in the biz for the next 32 years.
I got to work on over 800 produtions in the 32 years and even got to work with Chris Lee at Elstree studios in the early days.

I'm retired now and have written about my life in the biz and will tell of the fun times on here.

Thanks.....

Aitch,

**Stuart Ball** · 16th August 2008, 05:47 PM

Hello Harry

A very warm welcome to the site. Hope you enjoy your time here!

Well, it certainly sounds like you may have some fascinating stories to tell about your life as an extra. Which productions did you work on with Mr Lee?

**Cheryl Glover** · 16th August 2008, 08:43 PM

hello harry

xxx

**Andrés Verdú** · 16th August 2008, 10:11 PM

Hello everyone,

A very warm welcome to CLW, Harry! It certainly sounds as though you've had a rich and varied working life, and I hope that your retirement is no less enjoyable for you. I'm really curious to hear about all of your different experiences, especially the one involving Mr Lee and Elstree. I hope you will enjoy your time here, and I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future. Take care and all the best to you:

Warmest regards,

Andrés

**harryfielder** · 16th August 2008, 10:17 PM

Hiya folks,
Looking back through my web and IMDB I found I have worked with Chris a few times and as I was just an extra (background artist) I never got a credit.
Some times in the biz you can work on the production for a month or more and still not get a credit and sometimes you can work for one day and say a line and get your credit.
My time in the biz was about getting a living (which I did).

I did lots of horror films in my time and they were great fun to do.

I'm off now to read some threads

Aitch,

**harryfielder** · 16th August 2008, 10:32 PM

I even got to work with the Master.....

1972
FRENZY…Director…Alfred Hitchcock…
I am now working with the Master of filming.
Where I was born in Islington London, there was a huge warehouse type building on the corner of the Grand Union Canal in New North Road. (Very near the North Pole Pub)
It was in fact a film studio. As a kid in the forties I used to swim in the canal as it cost nothing entrance fee. (You had to watch out for the large Mocking birds floating on top of the water)
I think the studio was called Gainsborough and as a kid I remember strangely dressed people popping into the pub on the corner of New North Road and Elizabeth Avenue. (Supporting Artists of the past)
Anyway, that’s where Alfred Hitchcock made many of his films.
(I could have bumped into him while I was going swimming and he was popping in for a swift half. It’s a small world)
ONTO THE FILM…
I was now the not so proud owner of an old Bedford van and was booked by the 2nd A.D. on Frenzy to report to Covent Garden fruit market for the start of a weeks work...
There must have been fifty supporting artists working that week as market porters.
It was thirty years ago but some people still come to mind, like Big Mo Dunster who was stand/in on films for Donald Sutherland. Jimmy (the crow) Hammilton, Eddie Dillon And Bill (the body) Hemmings.
I remember the day that Donald Sutherland came down to speak to Mo about a private matter and got into one of the shots.(Everyone wants to be in a Hitchcock movie)
Mo has done well for himself and now lives in the U.S.A. looking after the Sutherland clan. Best wishes Mo, love Boysie.
Mr. Hitchcock was not very well while he was directing this film and would line up all the shots he wanted and leave the running around to his 1st A.D. (Colin Brewer, I think)
We filmed all around the market for the next week or so loading vans and unloading vans (Including my old Bedford) but I was more interested in watching the Master at work. Then near the end of the shoot in the market it happened.
The Master looked at me then at the 1st A.D. and said…
‘’Tell that man to climb up on that lorry and start unloading it’’
(‘’That man’’) he said my name, I was being directed by the great man himself.
We shot a lot of the inside of the film at Pinewood. Then some stuff with the Bedford Following a potato lorry up and down major roads and that was it.
I was sorry to see the end of the filming but it’s one film I will never forget.
If you’re looking down from that great studio in the sky Mr. Hitchcock ‘’That Man’’ will say hello when he gets there.
Aitch,

**Steve Thompson** · 16th August 2008, 11:22 PM

A very warm welcome Harry.
What an interesting life you seem to have lead. I look forward to reading more of your memories of those days. I have a collection of the Hitchcock movies, which I enjoy watching now and again. He was indeed the master of suspense. I believe you were talking of the potato truck scene in Frenzy, above, which is a scene I remember very well. Their is a photo of Mr Lee in Diagnosis Murder, alongside Jon Finch, in the All Films Section.
All the best
Steve.

**Helen Dyer** · 17th August 2008, 02:54 AM

Hi Harry, Welcome to the CLW! You have led a very interesting life! Will look forward to hearing about more of your adventures!

Cheers,
Helen

**Luzmila Frisancho** · 17th August 2008, 03:42 AM

Welcome to CLW.

**harryfielder** · 17th August 2008, 08:51 AM

Thank you all very much for the warm welcome..

The good thing about being in the biz was that no two days were the same. One day you'd be on a horror film and the next you'd be doing ''Oliver or Chitty Bang Bang''.
This was a fun job...

Night Breed 1990,,,Clive Barker.....Pinewood..
got called down to Pinewood studios for a day from a 1st A.D. who said he wanted me to do some business..
Wardrobe dress me as a lumberjack type person and I go onto the set..
All I’ve got to do is fire a shotgun at a very small man (stuntman) who is dressed and made up as the Devil. (This is a horror film) (Easy so far!)
I fire the gun into some bushes but miss the target. The director tells me to go forward and find the little devil.
All of a sudden this little man (stuntman) has me around the neck and slings me over his shoulder and onto the floor..
(I’ll have a quick word with the 1st A.D. as soon as I get my wind back)..
1st A.D.: "Sorry Aitch, I didn’t know he was going to do that, the director said he was only going to get you on the floor so he can slit your throat" (Nice, and me with my first grandson (Marc) only a few weeks old).
I said to him "You can’t go slinging granddads about it ain’t right"..
1st: "We’re paying £150 for the job". "Sling away".. I tell him..."but don’t cut my throat too deep I wanna have a swift half of beer at lunchtime"…(I’m back)

Aitch

**christian gonzalo irigoyen** · 18th August 2008, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harryfielder

Hiya folks, I've led a funny old life starting out as a singer/guitarist in the 50s with my own Skiffle band and going on to form a Rock 'n Roll band and playing for eight years in pubs and clubs all over London.
In 1966 after a gig someone ask me if I wanted to do two (2) days work as an extra on a tv show called ''The Saint'' with Roger Moore..

Well I did the two (2) days liked the work and stayed in the biz for the next 32 years.
I got to work on over 800 produtions in the 32 years and even got to work with Chris Lee at Elstree studios in the early days.

I'm retired now and have written about my life in the biz and will tell of the fun times on here.

Thanks.....

Aitch,

Hiya mister harryfielder!!!

HELLO and WELCOME my dear "R´N´R" Harry! Wow, your story is amazing! CONGRATULATION!!! Cool, You knew to Sir Roger Moore and Sir Christopher Lee!!! Oh, PLEASE: you don´t have retired! C´mon, continous enjoing and sharingy our fantastic life with us!!

All the best,

Christian

**harryfielder** · 18th August 2008, 01:06 PM

Hello folks,
Just looking through my web pages I found this film I worked on with Chris and remember Chris haveing to do a fall (but being replaced by his stunt double..
(who can blame him....) Dracula A.D. 1972...Elstree studios..

In this next film I can laugh about it now....

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON…Director John Landis…
Central Casting must have sent 200-300 people down to Piccadilly for a night shoot on this production.
None of us knew anything about the scenes we were going to be involved in so we just hung around coffee bars (Or other bars) chatting and having a night out in The West End.
About 1 o'clock in the morning the production team gathered us all together and told us the scenes they were about to do. (You ain’t gonna believe this).
A WEREWOLF is going to be running out of a cinema in Piccadilly Circus straight across Eros causing cars to crash and have people falling out of bus windows.
(I’m thinking this will do the tourist trade the world of good)
On a cue from the 1st A.D. the real police clear the roads of all late night Joe Public.
The Central Casting crowd are all given places to stand and out of the woodwork comes our buses and cars and stunt people. We’ve got permission to hold up traffic for half an hour and John Landis had multi camera crews covering every angle.
It was over as quickly as it began and as soon as the camera’s stopped rolling the wrecking crews were in there clearing the wrecked cars and sweeping the streets clean again. An hour later it was like we’d never been.
(See the film just to see this sequence)
Well done, John Landis…
Aitch,

**Stephen Welbourn** · 18th August 2008, 09:26 PM

Welcome to CLW. I am looking forward to reading about any stories you have about Christopher.

**harryfielder** · 19th August 2008, 08:28 AM

Hiya Stephen,
I only got to work with Chris a few times and sometimes I'd be on one of his films but not in the same scenes.
He was down at Elstree a couple of months back doing a signing but I missed him.

You can read about some of the films I worked on here...

Harry Fielder - My career in British films and TV

Aitch,

**Steve Thompson** · 20th August 2008, 12:30 AM

Hi Harry,
Just had a quick look at your site via the link. Some great pictures and lots of tv I remember from my youth. Sorry.... don't mean to make you feel old.
I have a few of those on DVD now, and was only watching that Fawlty Towers episode the other day. I shall certainly have a good long look again sometime.
All the best.