Film Set
Because it adjoins Bray Studios, the exterior of Oakley Court was used in the filming of a number of films including several Hammer horror films, such as The Reptile (1966), The Brides of Dracula (1962), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), and And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973). It is perhaps best remembered as Dr. Frank N Furter's castle (called The Frankenstein Place) in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
The only film to be filmed both inside and outside of Oakley Court is regular Hammer director Freddie Francis' independent project Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly. Francis and screenwriter Brian Comport specifically tailored the movie around the building after Francis became enamored with it during his work on various Hammer projects and decided to take full advantage of the entire house and its grounds rather than just use it for establishing shots.
It was also used for a cult independent horror film called Vampyres (1974). In 1995, it featured as the 'Laxton Grange Hotel' in the British television series, Pie in the Sky.
The classic 1976 mystery farce "Murder by Death" also used this house for its setting.
The house may also be seen in the William Castle Horror comedy The Old Dark House (1963), which was a remake of the original The Old Dark House, directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff.
On many web resources it is erroneously credited as being St Trinian's School in the original St Trinian's film series, but a comparison between the films and the actual building show a quite different architecture and overall design. Historical notes available from the hotel, however, indicate that some parts of the St Trinian films were filmed in the grounds.
Read more about this topic: Oakley Court
Famous quotes containing the words film and/or set:
“The obvious parallels between Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz have frequently been noted: in both there is the orphan hero who is raised on a farm by an aunt and uncle and yearns to escape to adventure. Obi-wan Kenobi resembles the Wizard; the loyal, plucky little robot R2D2 is Toto; C3PO is the Tin Man; and Chewbacca is the Cowardly Lion. Darth Vader replaces the Wicked Witch: this is a patriarchy rather than a matriarchy.”
—Andrew Gordon, U.S. educator, critic. “The Inescapable Family in American Science Fiction and Fantasy Films,” Journal of Popular Film and Television (Summer 1992)
“If nations always moved from one set of furnished rooms to another—and always into a better set—things might be easier, but the trouble is that there is no one to prepare the new rooms. The future is worse than the ocean—there is nothing there. It will be what men and circumstances make it.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)