Electric Pictures by Cheshire Ellen

Author:Cheshire, Ellen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780750982023
Publisher: The History Press

Up the Junction (1968)

Directed by Peter Collinson and produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan and John Brabourne, this is the film adaptation, rather than the Ken Loach TV adaptation of 1965, of Nell Dunn’s novel (taken from a series published in The New Statesman in 1963) of the same name, in which a middle-class young woman named Polly (Suzy Kendall) moves from the comfortable surrounds of her family’s home in Chelsea to Battersea, on the south side of the River Thames. As the crow flies, Battersea is no great distance from Chelsea at all, and yet it’s a world away in many other respects. The title of the book refers to Clapham Junction railway station in south London: a junction that brings travellers in and out of London and southwards to the south coast.

In Battersea, Polly meets Peter (Dennis Waterman), 19 years old and already tired of the south London life that Polly now finds so interesting. Sure enough, their relationship becomes more complicated and at a critical moment in the drama, Peter takes Polly away for a weekend to the south coast. By this point in the story the trip is a way of escaping the pressures of life in Battersea and, for Peter, once on the coast he is able to ask Polly a question. Whereas Waterman was a familiar face from plenty of stage and TV appearances, Suzy Kendall was a new talent to most viewers. The film’s cast also included Adrienne Posta, Maureen Lipman and Liz Fraser.

By the time that Up the Junction was adapted, Dunn had published three novels, which were also adapted.

A subplot in the film explores the subject of abortion – Polly accompanies a newly made friend to an abortionist.

The film was shot on location on the prom at Worthing and this setting is showcased in a scene that shows Peter and Polly driving towards the pier. We see Peter looking at the hotels along the seafront as he sits at the steering wheel and we then see Peter and Polly pull up outside the hotel where they plan to enjoy their weekend away. The hotel is now the Travelodge on Marine Parade.

In one scene, Peter is shown ordering jellied eels. The fleeting moment includes a shot from inside the cabin looking out towards Worthing Pier looking resplendent in the sunshine.

It’s fair to say that Up the Junction remains a compelling drama that is very clearly of its time. When originally released, The New York Times in its review of 14 March 1968 made a point of highlighting Dennis Waterman’s performance: ‘There is a really beautiful piece of characterisation by Dennis Waterman.’ For the film’s cinema release the poster campaign included the following, somewhat unsubtle, tagline: ‘“Don’t get caught” was what she wasn’t taught.”’

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