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In 1966, Michelangelo Antonioni was looking for a location to shoot his cult Cannes festival award winning film starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave and Sarah Miles, Blow Up, and hey, he chose where I worked as a photographer’s assistant to John Cowan! He was introduced to John Cowan by Terence Donovan at Cowan’s studio. The studio was originally a barn for horse hay and straw, and had a unique atmosphere of excitement. There was a flat at one end of the studio with a huge screen that overlooked it. Antonioni knew immediately that this was what he wanted. A deal was done and he rented the premises for three months. We set up a temporary office outside on the street in a mobile home, and we used locations for most of the fashion shoots during this period. The film was about a photographer who thinks he has witnessed a murder through his camera. Blow-Up Trailer 1966 Extended version.
This was the time of my life. My boss was one of the top ten Vogue photographers in London, and I was right in the middle of it working night and day. I was a 20 year old, living La Vida Loca, surrounded by, and sometimes photographing for their portfolios (and mine), some of the loveliest girls in London. Looking back I feel really lucky to have been part of what was, as class distinction began to crumble, a huge social revolution in Britain. Here is my account of where fact meets fiction. I do not reveal the plot, but if you would rather watch the film before reading this, you can buy it at a very reasonable price from here.
First glimpse in the film of 39 Princes Place as ‘Thomas’ rolls up in his ‘Roller’
The studio was at 39 Princes Place, Princedale Rd, off Holland Park Avenue, London W11 – the Notting Hill area. It was run down then, but it is a very up-market area now.
Garage doors with working darkroom through the door on Thomas’s right
During filming I spent much of the time doing John’s prints in the darkroom entered by the small door just inside the garage barn doors. There are glimpses of it as Thomas (David Hemmings) enters and exits the main studio door and you can see it here, just by his right shoulder. The space where Hemmings is walking was usually occupied by John Cowan’s pale metallic blue Aston Martin DB5 as depicted in the early Bond films.
The film set darkroom. This was built at the end of a wall mounted catwalk especially for the movie.
The darkroom in the film was built by set builders as was the catwalk leading to it along the wall. This meant that I could still operate the darkroom that was situated under John’s flat for every day processing and printing during the hire to Michelangelo Antonioni. We were as busy as ever and someone had to get the prints out! We spent much of the time in an office caravan parked in Princes Place. We photographed fashion shoots on location or hired other studios while filming was in progress. John’s studio had been hired for 3 months at £100 per day – equivalent to each England player’s £100 bonus for winning the 1966 world cup! It was big money. You could buy a brand new E-Type Jag for £1,800.
Thomas makes an ‘Air Call’ from his Rolls-Royce convertable.
John Cowan had ‘Air Call’ installed in his Aston Martin as did Hemmings in the film. This was a system whereby you made a radio call to a central operator who would in turn make a phone call for you and relay the conversation both ways. It was very expensive and I only knew two people who used it. One was John Cowan and the other was John’s mate, Terence Donovan. Terence also had a Rolls-Royce convertable because top photographers could earn a fortune, about £30,000 a year and it was tax deductible. The average working wage then was about £750 a year.
Our reception, the retoucher, secretary, and props girl
We had a girl in reception who could answer phones, spot and retouch prints, organise props and sometimes make tea. Her name was Sue and she was married to the drummer Andrew Steele of The Herd. She was great fun and I remember her well. (Big Hi if you are out there Sue!) Here the receptionist greets ‘Thomas’ as he enters the studio after a night in the doss house, where he has been taking photographs for his book. All pretty close to ’60s life so far.
Thomas walks into the office area adjoining recepion
I did most of the processing and particularly the printing (I was very skilled at this) while Frank, John’s senior assistant would work on shoots. Sometimes we would swap roles to keep it lively.
Down to business
Thomas starts the first shoot of the day with Veruschka playing herself. Veruschka was born on 14 May 1939 in East Prussia as Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort. For a short time, she enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle residing in East Prussia in a large house on an enormous estate that had been in her family for centuries. Her mother was the former Countess Gottliebe von Kalnein (b. 1913). Her father was a German count and army reserve officer who became a key member of the German Resistance, reportedly after witnessing Jewish children being beaten and killed. When Veruschka was five years old, Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff-Steinort was executed for attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler in the July 20 Plot.(Ref. Wikipedia). Respect.
Secret whispers
Hemmings’s character whispers sweet words of suggestive encouragement to Veruschka during a clinch.
Reg – get the birds down will you!
John had a great flat that overlooked the studio via this window. There was a lot of space.
A familiar position, crouched over a Hasselblad fitted with magnifying prism
Thomas kicks off the second shoot of the day armed with the legendary Hasselblad 500c fitted with three extras. A magnifying prism for fine accurate focusing, a crank handle for fast winding, and a focusing ring lever on the lens for ease of action. All the photographic equipment portrayed in the film was highly accurate down to the smallest details. It was what we used every day and Antonioni’s property department paid close attention to us when we were at work. Behind Thomas are two of Cowan’s fashion pictures. One of Jill Kennington paragliding in culottes, and the other of her tied to a speedboat. Health and safety? Never heard of it!
An unlikely shot
This is where reality starts to fall down slightly as Thomas (David Hemmings) is taking a technically impossible shot. With the girls so spread out distance wise from the camera, it would be impossible to get them all in focus using Hasselblad equipment in such a scenario. There is such a thing as ‘depth of field’ and as Tom is not using flash the problem would only exacerbate. If John Cowan had asked myself or Frank to create such a set, we would have put him straight long before it reached celluloid.
Reg stands ready with another film magazine to whack on the Hasselblad
Reg the assistant, stands ready with another magazine of film to clip onto the Hasselblad. Keeping film loaded was a vital and hectic job for the assistant during shooting. There were 12 exposures and that gave you just about enough time to reload for the photographer. I could empty and reload a magazine in about 25 seconds. When Cowan really got going, both I and Frank would load magazines.
Reg Loads Up
Reg charges a Nikon. With 35mm we would use two or three Nikons and just keep swapping them to keep the flow. ‘Reg’ was played by real life photographer’s assistant Reg Wilkins. Reg was assistant to iconic ’60s celebrity and royals photographer David Montgomery at the time. He was also the film’s Photographic Advisor to director Michalangelo Antonioni. I have always thought that the photographic details depicted in the film were wholly accurate, and that the props department must have been well informed. Now I know why!
Thomas leaves the studio and the fashion editor
Thomas leaves the studio and a perplexed fashion editor who has no lines in the movie. Antonioni uses silence quite a lot in the film, sometimes it says more than words. She is sitting in front of our camera safe which was made from armoured steel. All cameras were locked in there overnight. This is the safe which played a major role in another story.
Hemmings rolls a coin in reception with a rare dexterity
In this scene Thomas sits in our reception and weighs up two would be models hoping for a test shoot. David Hemmings was a highly skilled magician of the old school and a member of the exclusive magic circle. He was brilliant at sleight of hand and an amazing pick pocket. He could have your watch, braces and wallet off you long before you left the pub, and you never felt a thing until it was your turn to pay for a round of drinks, or your trousers fell down. I saw him re-enact this on five victims in eight seconds when he was a guest on Michael Parkinson’s chat show. He just asked Michael’s other guests to stand like passengers in the tube, then he bumped along them in the fashion of a train in motion and stripped them of all watches, wallets and a pair of braces!
He was a master of card tricks and showed us a few that you would have believed impossible using just an ordinary pack of cards from behind the bar. During the three months filming, I joined cast and crew in the pub on several occasions to witness this phenomenon. Like all good magicians he never gave a trick away.
Old nimble fingers…
Hemmings nonchalantly rolls a coin over his fingers while telling the girls he didn’t have time to have his appendix out, let alone take their pictures. I have seen a few magicians do this but never quite so fluently as Hemmings.
Escape from No. 39
Thomas makes his escape from No. 39 whilst being pursued ‘Beatles fan’ fashion, by over exuberant would be fashion models. A Rolls-Royce was a legitimate tax deductible expense.
Shopping for Antique Shops
Thomas visits an antique shop he is thinking of buying. Some photographers were making so much money in the ’60s that it became almost compulsory to own another business in order to offset the crippling 90% tax burden for high earners. Antiques or restaurants conveniently fitted the lifestyle.
Blow-Up Wardrobe
My favourite jacket around this time was a dark green suede ‘levi’ style jacket that I wore with white Levi jeans. My footwear was classic jodhpur boots – elastic sided boots normally used for horse riding. Wardrobe seems to have taken more than a keen interest in what we were wearing at the time, and I would dare to suggest that their choice of Thomas’s gear was inspiration rather than just coincidence!
Jane does a runner
Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) does a runner in Maryon Park after mysteriously begging Thomas for his camera film. The park is where the crux of the film title subject takes place. First names are not used much throughout the film, and the first clue you get about them is when you view the credits.
The restaurant where Thomas meets his agent
After the park, Thomas goes to meet his publisher to show him the latest photo proofs for his book. This restaurant was situated at Blacklands Terrace, Chelsea. All the film locations can be viewed at this website.
Suzy Farr about to walk past the dining duo
Thomas chats with his publisher Ron (Peter Bowles) about his book. The girl about to walk past the occupied duo is actress Susan Farr, who was John Cowan’s steady girl fiend at the time.
A street near the restaurant
Culford Gardens opposite the restaurant. I knew the Sunday Times Young Photographer of the Year, Quentin Jacobsen who started wearing military uniforms long before they became fashionable through Carnaby Street. He used to buy them second hand from Jewish tailors in the East End where relatives had sold grandpa’s old uniform. He would also buy double breasted pin striped ‘gangster’ style suits long before they became fashionable after the ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ film. Another thing – he would go round asking for old enamel advert signs, I helped him get them down. I thought he was crazy but again he predicted they would become collectable years before they actually did. Amazing guy old Quentin. He blew his whole £250 prize money on a late 1920’s Cadillac ‘gangster style’ car, complete with running boards. He now lives in Australia and takes great landscapes with an old ‘school photograph type’ panoramic camera. He bought the camera from a second hand shop. No stitching together several pictures panorama style in Photoshop for him.
Princes Place from the Princedale Road end
The studio is marked by the black doors down on the left. The phone box on the right was installed by the then General Post Office, for the film at Antonioni’s request. The area was quite shabby in 1966. Holland Park was not exactly the West End. Rag and bone men roamed the streets in their horse and carts, and there were some rough pubs best avoided on a Saturday night. Today Princes Place has been brought into the 21st century, like the surrounding and fashionable Notting Hill.
Rush to 39
Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) makes her second appearance in the film as she rushes up to Thomas (David Hemmings) as he enters the studio premises.
The Studio
Thomas and Jane enter the studio. As studios went, John Cowan’s was extremely spacious, up, down and sideways. You could quite easily drive a car in and we often did. It was sometimes hired out for car interior shoots and I remember a series we shot for Men In Vogue of girls and exotic cars. I can remember the dark green AC Cobra and John’s DB5 as two of the cars, a red Maserati, and I remember Jaqueline Bisset and Rachael Welch as two of the girls. I think actress Tracy Reed was another and also Alexandra Bastedo, later of ‘The Champions’ fame.
Camels in the desert
Hemmings talks to Vanessa in front of a John Cowan picture of camels in Oman. John was sometimes a guest of the Sultan of Oman and would often go to the Emirates on location.
Tool of the trade, the trusty Nikon F
Jane takes a ‘pew’ with an eye on the iconic Nikon F 35mm camera shown in the split screen. The Nikon F became a legend, used by professional photographers world wide. After this film, sales of the Nikon F soared, probably one of the first dramatic examples of product placement!
Jane lurks apprehensively near the front window
In this scene where Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) enters the flat, she stands nervously near the street window which is one of the few features of the building that is still recognisable today, see the picture below.
The front window and beams today
One detail remains untouched on the exterior of the building today. The front street window shown above. The beams in the room that was John Cowan’s flat and the upper studio in the film are clearly visible. The rest of the exterior is unrecognisable compared to the exterior in the film. The double doors have gone replaced by windows, the front door has been moved and the brick walls are painted white. This picture is a blow-up(!) courtesy of Google’s Street View.
Hemmings gets her number
Thomas (David Hemmings) takes Jane’s number, standing just by the beam, which is shown in the modern photo above.
Propeller delivery
Tom opens the door to take delivery of a propeller he has bought from the antique shop he visited and intends to buy.
The studio viewed from the catwalk
Thomas marches in with the propeller. This view is from the catwalk. In the background are stacked rolls of ‘Colorama’ – 9 foot wide paper backdrops, and the rectangular perspex thing is a 5000 joule Strobe light. This is the light that I used to take this shot of socialite Elizabeth Hooley.
Colorama and propeller
J.C. had the propeller mounted on a beam in his flat after the filming had finished. Exactly where Vanessa Redgrave suggests it should hang in the film. I believe it was from a vintage Bristol fighter. There seems to be a slight continuity problem with the Colorama, which is now mysteriously rearranged. We had probably been using it outside.
The catwalk added for the film
Thomas walks along the catwalk that had been built for the film leading to the set-built darkrooms situated at the end. The construction of these enabled us to continue using the dark room under John’s flat undisturbed.
Entering the darkroom
Hemmings enters the darkroom. You can see the roof timbers that gave the studio it’s unique character.
The party flat
Thomas goes to the door of a flat where his publisher is attending a party. I was always told that this was somewhere in Cheyne Walk, Kensington but I can’t find anything there that resembles it today. I do know that the exact location was a secret. It was later rumoured that real ‘grass’ was smoked during the party scenes. That would have been a good enough reason for secrecy.
Crashed out
Thomas finds that he has crashed out during the party and awakes alone the following morning in the deserted flat.
Back to Maryon Park
Hemming’s character wanders back to Maryon Park beginning to doubt himself. Maybe that is why he was called Thomas.
Anyone for tennis?
He ends up watching an imaginary tennis match between two mimes played by Julian and Claude Chagrin.
Credits
J.C gets a mention in the credits.
If you have got this far, congratulations, you may now want to see the film. It can be purchased very reasonably from here, and make you the proud owner of one of the most important cult films of the century. If you click on the link in store, you can also read the many reviews of the film itself.
John Hooton's Photography Tips 
Dave Murray
December 13, 2014
I’ve been using Nikon F cameras and the lenses made for them since buying my first in 2004. I now have four. Two chrome, two black. I have a plain prism head plus the F Photomic FTN metering head in each colour. I have also collected lenses from 20mm to 300mm contemporary with the bodies. The metering heads do not work so I use a Weston Master V and Invercone attachment. Yes, it’s a collection but, one that I derive an enormous amount of pleasure using. Can I suggest you try one?
John Hooton Photography
December 14, 2014
Thanks for your comment Dave. I bought my first F in 1964 and ran several thousand rolls of film trough it before wearing it out. I also used a Weston V with Invercone during this period. In 1971 I bought an Ftn and used that right up to 1991 when I bought an F4. I have owned a D200, D300, D3 and D800E but I currently use a Df as it reminds me of the simplicity of those ‘F’ days! I still have the Fs, they still work, and you could say that I have tried them!
xray spex (@userxyyyz)
June 12, 2014
I took a life lesson from this film based on the scene set in the club where ‘the Yardbirds’ were playing when Jeff Beck smashed his guitar then fans fought for it. Hemming’s chase scene where he outdistanced his ‘opponents’ then paused to look at the guitar neck is memorable because next he tosses it away realizing it’s worthless and the fight was for nothing.
Robin Priest
February 11, 2014
I enjoyed that Hooton, it brought back some good memories… At that time l was living at the top end of Portobello Road with a couple of mates from Cambridge. The Sun in Splendour was our local, and although Notting Hill was a jungle in the 60s, it was great living there. I was working in Harrods for about a year, so much of the time was in The Bunch of Grapes a 100 yds further down Knightsbridge towards S Ken. The Kings Road was, even then a cool place to be, and the girls….! I grew up very quickly
John Hooton Photography
February 12, 2014
We weren’t so far apart then – I had a flat in Highgate, but used to stay most the time in my girlfriend’s flat in Blenheim Crescent which led into Portobello Road. From there it was only a brisk ten minute walk through the back streets to 39 Princes Place!
Walter Romanus Donati
February 15, 2014
oh oh oh! Mates from Cambridge….. Easily meaning connection with Syd Barrett and the early Pink Floyd 😉
Ali
December 28, 2013
Hello John,
I enjoyed reading your article here thanks.
Do you happen to know the name of the artists or art works that are seen in the photographic studio (not in Bill’s apartment) in Blow Up?One image is shown above in your article where Jane stands near the window and Thomas is behind, close to an image hanging on the wall to the right (photographic or painted?) of a white circle against a dark background. Do you know the name of the image or artist’s identity?The other piece of art work, is a painting – an abstract piece, with patches of bright reds and yellows on a grey background along black graphic linear markings, if I remember? Do you remember any details about these?
Best
Ali
John Hooton Photography
December 29, 2013
Ali, as far as I know these were bought just as studio props, with no perceived value at the time, since they were left behind after filming. I have no idea what happened to them or where they are now.
Ali
December 30, 2013
John,
Thanks for getting back to me so quicckly on that one. I am researching some of Antonioni’s films at the moment and as I understand it he was careful about the use of colour, that is why I was interested in finding out more. It is still possible to theorize about the choice of those particular art works, as they relate to Antonioni’s interest at the time in abstract expressionism etc
Best,
Ali
Guillermo Fernandez Boan
October 16, 2013
Dear Mr. de Hoon: Tamar Street is not too far from there, as you could see in Google View. But surely the sign placed above that of Clevely Close was wrong and was removed shortly after that Antonioni filmed on site.
I do not think that Antonioni has done to change the street name for the purposes of the film. If it had done, and knowing that Antonioni was an obsessive to the smallest details, surely would have been painted that intrusive “se” letters.
Also could not have any meaning for him, in terms of script or dramatic plot, that rude change of name of that particular street.
Walter Romanus Donati
October 16, 2013
Henry, John and Guillermo. I spent months on google streets, maps and similar to find ALL the Zabriskie Point locations and I liked to take a check to what Henry said.
BTW, I’d be happy to see something like this about ZP.
With Antonioni everything may happen but in this case nothing is wrong.
When Thomas comes back to the shop after the adventure in the park, he meets the old man again out of the shop. That happens on Tamar street.
When Thomas and the girl go out of the shop with the propeller they walk on the end of Tamar Street going to Thomas’ car which is parked on Clevely Close.
https://sites.google.com/a/blowupthenandnow.com/blowup-then-now/scenes/scene-20-tamar-street-cleveley-close
OK?
Later in the night when Thomas comes back to the park you can clearly see the location from the park entrance point of view.
Mark arrives and parks on Clevely Close coming from Tamar street.
Behind the car is the shop which is located at the streets corner.
Sorry for my English.
I hope I made it clear.
John Hooton Photography
October 17, 2013
Thanks Walter. There is nothing wrong with your English, it is far better than my Italian!
I first saw Zabriskie Point when I was working in Milano, and have seen it a couple of times on TV since. Another crazy film from Antonioni!
Why not create your own project about Zabriskie Point? WordPress is an easy way of creating content and it is free. I would be happy to link back to ZP if you ever get round to it. Contact me via email using the Contact link at the top of these pages if you would like any help to get started.
Henry de Hoon
October 13, 2013
It was great to read your blog on film locations for the film Blow Up. I think I found out a detail that I’ve never read anywhere else. Perhaps you could confirm what I found? The park scenes are shot in Maryon Park as we know, but the entrance Thomas takes, is not the street on the sign it says in the film. When you look closely at the film, the street sign says “Tamar street”. But I noticed something strange: after ‘street’ there where two more letters, something like ‘se’ that I could not answer for.
I went to street view to look it up. Tamar street is closed down for traffic, so there are no google images of it. So I worked my way around the park in order to get another entrance and I ended up in Cleveley Close. To my surprise that was exactly the entrance form the film. You could easily recognise the trees standing straight in line behind the fence. Though the old buildings where torn down, you could imagine what had happened: they stuck ‘Tamar Street’ on the existing street sign, (for what purpose I cannot imagine) and for some reason this was done rather crudely, leaving the last two letters of the real street name uncovered: Cleveley Clo’se’.
When I was zooming in and comparing like that, I realised I was doing the same thing as Thomas in the film. 😉
It would be fun to know if I’m right.
John Hooton Photography
October 14, 2013
Hi Henry, Thanks for your interesting comments. Personally I have not been to Maryon Park so I can’t confirm your findings. However, I have a friend who has spent more than 10 years gathering information about Blow Up. He has also taken quite a few photographs at the park and is somewhat of an expert. I am sure he would be interested in what you have to say. https://sites.google.com/a/blowupthenandnow.com/blowup-then-now/
John Hooton Photography
October 16, 2013
Looking at Google maps, and at the streets around Lancey Close, Clevely Close and Tamar Street, it is obvious that the street houses as we knew them in the film have been completely demolished. The whole area has been redeveloped. Looking at the map again, Tamar Street looks as though it used to continue through to Clevely Close, with the antique shop on the corner of the two streets. This appears to be confirmed by Ian Bolton on his website https://sites.google.com/a/blowupthenandnow.com/blowup-then-now/scenes/scene-19-tamar-street-cleveley-close-internal
mark taliana
August 17, 2013
Dear John, I have just read your blog on Blow up. I first saw this film when I was about 10 years old and instantly decided i wanted to be a photographer, Every time I see the film it gives me goose bumps, many years ago I found the park in the film and the very spot of the body scene, i took my own photos. The park was as eerie as it is in the film, deserted and only the sound of the trees. I am 48 now, sit on the picture desk of a national newspaper being working as a photographer and now film maker since leaving art school in the early eighties. I walked passes the studio once and promised myself i would buy the place if ever I had the money..
John Hooton Photography
August 18, 2013
Well if you do buy it, let me know as your restoration advisor!
Walter Romanus Donati
August 18, 2013
Even I’m a Zabriskie Point man, I’d be happy to contribute since I’m a good restorer 🙂
Walter Romanus Donati
August 15, 2013
Great witness indeed, John! I’m an Antonioni fan and researcher. Rarely I can find something like this, Thank YOU again and again.
John Hooton Photography
August 15, 2013
You are welcome Walter, check out this site too, compiled over ten years by my friend Ian S. Bolton… https://sites.google.com/a/blowupthenandnow.com/blowup-then-now/ A mass of location information and some of the script!
d.m.o.
July 10, 2013
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing this. I’ve always been intrigued by this film, and your insights made it even more interesting.
John Hooton Photography
July 11, 2013
It’s a pleasure. I hope you can watch and enjoy it again sometime.
d.m.o.
July 11, 2013
Actually, I had just watched it for the umpteenth time the other night and was reminded of how much I loved the film. Then I found this blog 🙂 Was so good seeing a nice, clean restored version of the film. Hard to believe it’s 47 years old! Anyway, thanks again for the info you shared here.
Guillermo Fernandez Boan
July 8, 2013
Wonderful tale. Thanks a lot. I am a huge fan of Blow Up!
John Hooton Photography
July 10, 2013
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bassat Jacques
March 20, 2013
With John and Andrew Capewell (manager) and sometime Suzy F we lived 39 princedale road. In 67 and 68 I was his assistant in London – Paris – Milan. It was a fantastic period and many many memories…
John Hooton Photography
July 10, 2013
Happy days indeed with never a dull moment!
Giles Smith
June 16, 2012
I knew John Cowan in the mid 70s when he used a studio and darkrooms I had in Cookham. HeI often reminisced about his London days and Aston Martin. A memorable character – I don’t suppose he survived the 70s?
Giles Smith.
John Hooton Photography
June 16, 2012
JC survived the ’70s but the eighties eluded him. He died aged 50 on September 26th 1979 soon after returning from an assignment in Paris. After the ’60s it was downhill for many photographers not just Cowan. Those exciting care free days of the ’60s were gone forever as a new discipline took over the advertising and fashion industries.
Stephane
January 30, 2012
Fantastic job you did. I have learned so many things i ignore until now about one of my favourite movie
Thank you very much.
John Hooton Photography
January 31, 2012
I am delighted to enhance your enjoyment of Blow-Up!
Joseph Greco
December 17, 2011
John……Thanks for a great blog on Blow-Up. I’ve been a fan of the film (and the Nikon F) since back in the day. Great reading all your inside comments. Those truly were the good old days and the movie is a time capsule of that period. btw I have a post of my own personal blow-up experience on my blog.
http://josephgreco.weebly.com/3/post/2011/12/blow-up-london-location.html
John Hooton Photography
January 18, 2012
Thanks for the link Joseph. They were happy days, and you could park!
Santiago Bo
October 11, 2011
Thank you John for this wonderful story. I have been deeply impressed by “Blow Up” all my life, Anonioni´s masterpiece, which I saw being 25 years old and, as a just graduated architect, particularly by the architecture of the studio. Its space was always part of my fantasies and quite inspiring on my work. It was a bit of a surprise to know that the catwalk was not an original part of the studio but introduced by purpose for the film. Thank you again for this blog.
Regards, SANTIAGO
John Hooton Photography
October 11, 2011
It was a great studio with an exiting atmosphere. Models were always popping in with portfolios and the darkroom was never slack. There was one or two shoots nearly every day, and I got to use it to build up my portfolio in the evenings. Thank you for your interesting comments. Happy days!
Clem Neville
September 8, 2011
Hi, great to have this information out there, great film.
I am surprised there has been so little merchandising material from the film over the years. There are so many iconic images that could grace walls, mugs and t-shirts, including of course those of the blow ups themselves. Tacky perhaps, but the film and David Hemmings role deserves a higher profile.
You mention the issue of depth of field and the impossible picture “Thomas” was taking. It would be interesting to hear your view as to the technicalities of producing the multiple blow ups of the B&W images themselves later in the film.
Regards, Clem
John Hooton Photography
September 8, 2011
Thank you for the appreciation Clem. As ‘cult’ is by definition usually a relatively small group of people, therin lies the answer as to why souveniers have not been made commemorating this film. Mind you, I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to a poster!
Regarding the authenticity of making the ‘blow-ups’ this was portrayed very accurately, including the copying of part of an initial enlargement using a 5×4 sheet film camera.
Brooks Frank
July 21, 2011
Thanks for the insight into one of my all time favorite films. You mentioned earlier about how silence was used to great effect in the film. I totally agree, and whenever I watch this, I’m amazed how little dialogue there is. I bet the script is not even 10 pages.
One thing I always wondered was what ever happened to the actual “blow up” photographs? Did they survive? If so, have they ever been put on sale?
John Hooton Photography
July 21, 2011
Thanks for your interest Frank. I think John sold one or two prints a few years later privately. A couple of years ago I heard from someone who bought the print of the camels in the desert. As to the rest, I have no idea what happened to them.
Brooks Frank
July 21, 2011
I was thinking specifically of the prints that Hemmings blew up and pinned to the wall – the face in the bushes, the gun, the body under the tree, etc. Those would be amazing artifacts.
Roderik
February 24, 2011
Hey,
Thanks for a great blog post. Very interesting to read.
When I saw the movie one picture really struck me and that is the picture of the camels in the desert that you say was made by John Cowan in Oman. I really like this picture and was wondering if you know of any way I could obtain it, or a print of it? Online there is very little to be found about John Cowan.
John Hooton Photography
February 24, 2011
Thank you for your kind comment. Unfortunately I don’t think this print is available anywhere as I don’t know of any publishers dealing in John Cowan’s work.
Juli Kearns
February 18, 2011
I’m delighted you commented on my post, so I was able to follow back to your website and this fascinating read. Some really fun background information here for fans of the film, and it pretty much made my day. Plus I’ve enjoyed the other posts. Am glad your injuries with Cowan’s target shooting weren’t more dire, though a couple of hours of lead extraction from your hand seems brutal enough, however delightful it was to be under the care of Bisset! Had I the opportunity, I’d ply you with 1001 questions, if I only could guess with which one to begin. 🙂
John Hooton Photography
February 18, 2011
It was great to find another devotee of Blow-Up and discover your extensive in depth analysis of Antonioni’s masterpiece. I think this film becomes more important as time goes by, as it marks a huge revolution in Britain’s social history, brought about by a post war generation of young hopefuls. So glad that you have enjoyed the other posts. Stroll On!
John Hooton Photography
February 17, 2011
Hi Ian. That has cleared up the mystery of the exterior of ‘No. 39′. I couldn’t figure out how the road ended in a T-junction in the film, when as I remember it, Prices Place carried on into a street of small terraced houses. I think they have been demolished now as I couldn’t find them on Google street view. The road now bends round to the right making a dog-leg turn. The mock up of ’39’ Princes Place was however 95% accurate, (it fooled me!) including the large 39 that was painted on the ‘garage’ entrance doors. You can see the interior of these doors early on in the film, in the second picture down. I looked at 77 Potters Lane via Google street view, and you can still find a couple of the brown glazed tiles attached to what was the ‘Earl of Zetland’!
Ian S. Bolton
February 17, 2011
Hi John. The phone box was installed specially, but in Pottery Lane. Please see my website – Locations 07 and 08. FYI, the rear of the studio – where Thomas meets up with Bill the artist (John Castle) and Patricia (Sarah Miles) was shot at Taverners Close (my Location 9) nearby. Regards, Ian.
John Hooton Photography
February 15, 2011
Thanks Ian. It is interesting that you should mention the exterior. I always thought that the scene where Thomas drives and parks in ‘Princes Place,’ the road looked a bit unfamiliar. I don’t recollect the old brown glazed tiles which I believe was the defunct Earl of Zetland pub you mentioned. However, the exterior where he comes out of the phone box and Vanessa Redgrave runs up to him I was convinced was the genuine exterior. It certainly looks like it. I do remember talk of a phone box being installed opposite the entrance, because Frank and I thought that would be handy! Maybe it never happened and Pottery Lane was used instead. It was 45 years ago and these exterior scenes are confusing.
Ian S. Bolton
February 15, 2011
Hi John,
Great blog – I read it with real fascination as I am a great fan of the cult film (hence my website).
One thing I should mention is that the interior and external shots of the studio were filmed at different locations. Outside was at Pottery Lane (next to defunct Earl of Zetland pub) with a number 39 strategically placed, and inside was indeed Princes Place.
I’m off to read more about the film. Thanks for the insight.
Regards, Ian.
Benjamin
November 28, 2010
I stumbled upon your blog with great delight after viewing the film for the first time.
Thank you so much for sharing your insights.
What a time you must have had back then.
Now I must go watch again!
John Hooton
November 28, 2010
Thank you Benjamin, I often see something in the film I hadn’t noticed before. There was never a dull moment during my time at Cowan’s. It was one the happiest periods of my life!
Matteo
October 1, 2010
Fantastic. Thanks a lot for publishing this.
Extremely interesting.
John Hooton
October 1, 2010
No sweat Matteo, glad you enjoyed it.
Christine
July 18, 2010
Amazing! So neat to read!
johnhootonphotography
July 18, 2010
Thanks Christine! 🙂