The English Movie

Alison Smith.....Sheila Sim
Peter Gibbs.....Dennis Price
Bob Johnson.....John Sweet
Thomas Colpeper.....Eric Portman
General Leslie.....Leonard Smith
General Terry.....James Tamsitt
Commander Todd.....David Todd

A Canterbury Tale concerns three characters, a London shop girl, Alison Smith, a British Army Sergeant, Peter Gibbs, and an American Army Sergeant, Bob Johnson. The group arrive at a railway station on a Friday night in the small Kent town of "Chillingbourne" near Canterbury in the middle of World War Two. Alison is due to start work as a Land Girl, Peter has been stationed at a nearby Army Camp, and Bob got off at the wrong station. After getting directions from the acting Station Master, the trio head for the Town Hall, but before they arrive, Alison is attacked by an assailant dressed in a soldier's uniform who pours glue on her hair, before escaping. It's revealed that the glue attacks have already happened ten times to other women in the area. Alison asks Bob if he could spend the next few days in the village to help her solve the mystery. The next day, while riding a farm cart in the countryside, Alison again meets Peter during his patrol and he also joins the hunt for the Glue Man. The three enlist the help of the locals, including several young boys who love to play war games. By using their detective skills, the trio identify the culprit as the local magistrate, Thomas Colpeper who gives lectures at his Colpeper Institute to the soldiers stationed in the local district. Alison interviews all the Glue Man's victims to identify the dates and times of their attacks. Peter visits Colpeper at his home and borrows the Fire Guard roster listing the nights Colpeper was on duty in the Town Hall. Bob's boy commandos have a salvage drive which lets him discover receipts for gum used to make glue sold to Colpeper. The dates of the attacks correspond with Colpeper's night watches where he wore a Home Guard uniform kept in the Town Hall. On a short train journey to Canterbury on Monday morning, Colpeper joins them in their compartment. They confront him with their suspicions and he admits to being the Glue Man. Colpeper tells them that his motive was to prevent the local women from dating the soldiers who would have be distracted from attending his precious lectures. On arriving in Canterbury, with much of the city being devastated by Nazi bombing, Alison, Peter, and Bob have their wishes come true. All three visit the cathedral with much joy and thanksgiving.

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Photo of one of the Pilgrims on their way to Canterbury on horseback 600 years ago:



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The actual scene was filmed near Guildford at Saint Martha's Hill in Surrey.

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The train heading for Chillingbourne on Friday night has passengers Alison Smith (new land girl), Sergeant Peter Gibbs (UK), and Sergeant Bob Johnson (USA) who are unaware of the adventure that awaits them:



Filming of the distant train scene was taken near Ranmore Common Road close to Dorking in Surrey.

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The crazy acting Station Master gives the three train travellers directions to the Town Hall:



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The Chillingbourne Station scenes were actually filmed at Selling Station and also in Denham Studios.

After the Glue Man attacks Alison, the trio chase him up Charing Street:



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Charing Street was a studio reconstruction based on Taylors Hill located in Chilham.

Thomas Colpeper in the Town Hall is the Magistrate and Justice of the Peace:



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Chillingbourne Town Hall is actually Fordwich Town Hall with the exterior and interior reconstructed in the studio.

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Bob and the locals try to wash the glue from Alison's hair:

Bob introduces himself to Thomas Colpeper who gives him free overnight accommodation in Chillingbourne:

Alison is rejected by Colpeper for employment because she is a girl:

After she hears a noise Alison discovers a Home Guard uniform which has fallen off its hanger:

At the Hand of Glory Alison asks Bob to help her solve the mystery of the Glue Man:

Agnes the maid wakes Bob after he has slept in the Elizabeth Room:



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Bob waves at the local butcher from his upstairs bedroom window:



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The view from Bob's hotel window when he waves at Dick Lucy is the view that would be seen from The Red Lion located in Wingham.

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Bob meets General Leslie who later helps him catch the Glue Man:



The interiors of the Hand of Glory were recreated in the studio.

General Leslie on top of the hay wagon tells his mother about meeting an American soldier:



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The hay wagon actually leaves from The George & Dragon in Fordwich.

After being employed by Susanna Foster, Alison takes the horse & cart to the wheelwright:



The wheelwright & blacksmith's yard is Horton's Yard in Shottenden. Ben Horton (wheelwright) and his brother Neville (blacksmith) both appear in the movie as assistants to the actors playing them. Ben's son Eric also appears wearing a leather jacket.

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Bob is invited to dinner by Jim Horton. Bob then hitches a ride with Alison:

Bob admires a big water mill in town:



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The water mill is still a distinct building in Wickhambreaux.

Alison is shocked when she sees that Thomas Colpeper lives in this beautiful house:



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The house is located in Wickhambreaux.

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Bob and Alison go there separate ways after a heart to heart chat:



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Bob jumps off the cart on Chartham Downs Road. When Alison leaves, she turns left into Swarling Hill Road. The Roundel can't be seen from this location. The Bend in the Pilgrims Road of which Alison makes reference is in a different place.

Alison tells Prudence Honeywood (Susanna Foster's sister) about her life as a London shop girl:

Prudence and Alison working hard on the farm:



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Prudence Honeywood's farm is actually Elbridge Farm located in Littlebourne.

Alison brings Fee Baker her lunch and talks to her about the Glue Man:



Scene was filmed at Elbridge Farm in Littlebourne. Both the location and studio were used.

Alison is intercepted on the Pilgrims Road by Peter during his patrol with his troops who are driving Universal Carriers:



The track where Alison is intercepted by the Universal Carriers led by Peter is filmed just slightly south-east of Chilham on Old Wye Lane. The carriers go through the Rye Field and also on the other side of the lane.

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Local soldiers on their way to the Colpeper Institute to hear the lecture:



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The exterior of the Colpeper Institute is actually the Manor House in Fordwich.

Bob with Alison and Peter in the Colpeper Institute preparing to hear the lecture:

Colpeper passionately delivers his lecture on Kent and the Pilgrims Road:



The idea for the Colpeper Institute came from the Beaney Institute in Canterbury.

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On Sunday Commander Todd who is in charge of the landing craft leads his troops into battle with a box of fruit missiles:

Bob watches the two armies in action led by General Terry and General Leslie:



The boy's battle scene was filmed near Chilham Mill on the River Stour. Bob gets on the boat a little way upstream, but some of the scenes of the boat going down the river were filmed about 5 miles away at Fordwich.

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Bob invites the two generals to a "pow-wow" to gather evidence to catch the Glue Man:



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The "pow-wow" meeting was held on Julliberrie's Grave, the prehistoric longbarrow on Julliberrie Downs. Bob then asks the boys for directions to the local church. The next scene shows him entering a church with the Hortons which is actually the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin which is located in Fordwich.

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Alison approaches Polly Finn asking her about the Glue Man:



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The location is The Square in Chilham.

Alison meets up with glue victim Gwladys Swinton for a chat outside this signal box:



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The signal box was located at the Harbledown railway junction, but has since been removed. Gwladys is the Welsh spelling for Gladys.

Alison waits to speak to post girl Dorothy Bird who was also attacked by the Glue Man:



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The first part of the scene shows Dorothy Bird with the mail at the now gone Post Office which was attached to the Old Stone House (Manor House) in Wickhambreaux. The last part of the scene shows Alison sitting on the Little Stour river bridge with the Old Willow Farmhouse in the background.

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Alison with Peter and Bob discuss information they have gathered about the Glue Man:

Peter visits Colpeper's house and finds the Fire Guard roster:

Peter waits for Bob to finish his call to Michael Roczinsky:

Bob rewards the two generals with money for the evidence they provide that finally implicates Colpeper as the Glue Man:



The salvage collection is at Chilham Mill. Also, at the very end of the film, the boys are seen playing with a football bought with their reward money. The scene takes place in the car park of The George & Dragon in Fordwich.

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Peter and Bob play catch in Chillingbourne:



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School Hill in Chilham is the actual location of the game of catch.

After a walking through a wooded area, Alison thinks she hears the sounds of the old Canterbury pilgrims. Colpeper is lying in the long grass and invites her to sit beside him:



The scene was filmed on Chilmans Downs. The view of Canterbury Cathedral that surprised Alison can't actually be seen from this location.

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Bob and Peter while talking about the tea drinking nations see Canterbury Cathedral and the River Stour, but they don't see Alison and Colpeper lying in the long grass who clearly hear their conversation:



Canterbury Cathedral and the River Stour can't actually be seen from this location on Chilmans Downs.

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On Monday morning the trio catch the train from Chillingbourne to Canterbury:

On the train Colpeper arrogantly confesses to being the Glue Man:



Views during the train journey are from the Elham Valley Railway.

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At Westgate in Canterbury, Colpeper and the three "pilgrims" part company:



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After arriving in Canterbury, Peter goes to the police station and asks to speak to Superintendent Hall. George Hall was the real life Superintendent of the Canterbury Police in 1943. The location of the police station was also real at that time.

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Sheet music floats to Peter giving him a reason to see the organ and his wish to come true:

Alison walks the bombed streets of Canterbury before going to see her caravan which is in a terrible state, but her tears soon turn to joy when she is told that her missing fiancé Geoffrey (presumed killed in action) is very much alive in Gibraltar:

Bob finally meets with Michael Roczinsky outside the entrance to Canterbury Cathedral:



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At a café Michael presents Bob with long lost letters from his sweetheart who is in Australia:



The café is next to Christ Church Gate (Butter Market).

Bob and Michael watch the military parade from the café window:



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A Canterbury Tale fittingly ends with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" played on the organ by Peter Gibbs:



The organ music was actually played on the Saint Alban's Cathedral organ because the one at Canterbury Cathedral had been dismantled and hidden away due to the bombings.