This award-winning amateur drama was written and directed by Keith Venn, with cast and crew from the Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association (ACA), and was shot at locations around Newcastle. On a morning like any other, the random destinies of a cast of characters unfold over one fateful hour in Newcastle. The film interweaves the parallel actions of three characters in the hour before 09:00am: a condemned man awaiting execution by hanging in the cells at Moot Hall...

This award-winning amateur drama was written and directed by Keith Venn, with cast and crew from the Newcastle and District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association (ACA), and was shot at locations around Newcastle. On a morning like any other, the random destinies of a cast of characters unfold over one fateful hour in Newcastle. The film interweaves the parallel actions of three characters in the hour before 09:00am: a condemned man awaiting execution by hanging in the cells at Moot Hall County Courts; a fashion model with an unexpected assignment at the Royal Turks Head Hotel in Grey Street; and a father taking his daughter to school in West Denton. Title: This film has been awarded a gold star in the 1967 ‘Ten Best Amateur Films of the Year’ competition. Credit: Reg. Townsend Credits: With Susan Collico, Irene Watson, Alison Venn, Peter Fryer Credits: And … Elizabeth Kerr, Isobel Lensk, Mylee Pyper, Elizabeth Venn, Joe Clark, John E. Dean, Peter F. Keys, Jack Morton, Robert Norman, Dave Ridley, Bill Summers, Dave Watson, Edward Waugh … in … Title: 0900 Credits: Photographed by Doug Collender, Walter Clark, Ian Davidson, Reg. Townsend Assisted by Richard Steel Credits: Lighting Arranged by Jack Wrightson Continuity by Sylvia Harding Properties by Walter Clark Titles Drawn and Music Selected and Recorded by Leslie Greaves Edited by George Cummin, Keith Venn Credit: Script and Direction by Keith Venn FACI The film opens with a shot of a domed and wooden slat clock tower. The time reads 08:00. A close-up of a sign that reads ‘H.M. Prison’ on a barred gate follows. Two prison warders play cards with a prisoner in a ‘condemned cell’. It’s his last hour before a death sentence execution is carried out. The prisoner looks at his card hand distractedly, turns and asks a warder the time. The warder checks his watch, cigarette in one hand. The watch reads a few minutes past 8am. The prisoner grimaces slightly. Time is dragging. He glances down at his cards again. Outside, a man (possibly the prison chaplain) arrives at the grand entrance with a columned portico at Newcastle Moot Hall, the County Courts in Castle Garth. Close-up of his gloved hand rapping a door knocker. The scene cuts to a bedroom with two single beds where a woman is sleeping. Brief shot of a gloved hand knocking on the door. In the bedroom, the young woman wakes up suddenly and switches on her bedside lamp. Outside, a Post Office motorcycle messenger is at the door of a bow-windowed Victorian terraced house in Jesmond, Newcastle. Inside the house, the young woman rises from bed in her nightie, puts on her slippers and leaves the bedroom to answer the front door. She opens the door and accepts a telegram from the Post Office delivery man, smiling. The messenger gets back onto his motorcycle. Back in her living room, the woman opens her telegram and reads. Close-up of the telegram addressed to SG Scott at 143 Bayswater Road, and sent from “ORG 0725 West Denton”. The message relates that a trade show takes place “today” 13 July at the Turks Hotel 0900, not next week. “Taxi booked”. Telegram in hand, the young woman glances at an art deco clock on the mantelpiece, which reads 8:07am. She puts the telegram on a desk in the living room, and briefly shifts a chair. The scene cuts to a reception room at the Royal Turks Head Hotel in Grey Street, Newcastle, where a female member of staff is tidying up and arranging chairs. A 1930s speaker is positioned on the floor, a vase of flowers on top. Portrait shot of a prison guard glancing to one side. The condemned man is reading a handwritten personal letter sadly as a solemn guard looks on. The prisoner takes a cigarette from a pack and requests a light from a guard. The guard lights a match holding it out directly to camera. A man smartly dressed in a suit lights a cigarette next to his car (Reg. GFT 652), parked in a suburban street of 1930s semi-detached houses. He gets into his car. His wife kisses her young daughter goodbye. The girl runs down the garden path, waving as she leaves, and gets into her father’s car. The car drives off. His wife, dressed in an apron, waves from the doorstep. The scene shifts again to the prison cell at Moot Hall, where a prison chaplain enters. He greets the condemned man, comforting him, hand on shoulder. He starts to pray with the prisoner. Back in the Bayswater Road terrace, the young woman leaves home for her engagement as a model in a fashion show at the Royal Turks Head Hotel. A taxi driver holds open the car door for her. The taxi drives off down the Jesmond streets. Portrait shot of the woman smiling in the back seat. Meanwhile, a warder opens the door to the condemned cell to three solemn men, smartly dressed in suits, probably the Governor of the prison, the County Sheriff, and the prison doctor, or hangman. One of the officials checks his watch. The prison chaplain continues to pray with the convicted prisoner, offering solace as the officials observe. A warder leads the prisoner from the cell, followed by the three legal officials. Now on the streets of West Denton, the father and infant daughter cross Hillhead Road to the modern West Denton C. P. Infants School (now West Denton Primary School), leaving the girl at the school gates. His daughter skips off with a friend to join the other children in the playground. He walks off with a quick glance back. The scene cuts back to the County Court with a close-up of the feet of the condemned prisoner and his escort party walking to the execution room. At the Royal Turks Head Hotel, a woman is arranging a new floral display in a vase in preparation for a trade fashion show. The taxi is on its way from Jesmond towards the centre of Newcastle on the Great North Road. General view of Percy Street, Thornes student bookshop, formerly the Grand Hotel, on the left, a Newcastle Corporation bus waiting at traffic lights. The taxi pulls up at the Royal Turks Head Hotel on Grey Street. Shot from the interior of the hotel, the young model runs up the steps of the hotel into the reception (seen in silhouette). Back at Moot Hall County Courts, a warder, condemned prisoner, Governor, County Sheriff, and executioner pass down a corridor heading for the execution room. The young model enters the Royal Turks Head Hotel reception room where she is directed to a dressing room. Two models are applying make-up at mirrors as she walks in. She takes a place between the two women and begins to get ready for the fashion show. Meanwhile, the infant girl’s father drives through the Town Moor and along the Great North Road. Back at West Denton C. P. Infants School his daughter plays ring-a-ring-a roses in the school playground. Her father drives around Grey’s Monument, the YMCA on Blackett Street to the left, and a Volkswagen parked on the right. His car pulls up outside the Royal Turks Head Hotel and he enters the hotel. At Moot Hall County Courts, the prisoner is flanked by warder, Governor and the prison chaplain, who continues to administer last rites. The prisoner’s hands are strapped behind his back with a cord. The execution team watch as the hangman covers the prisoner’s head with a dark hood. A close-up of the model applying mascara (directly to camera). A shot into a large dressing room mirror frames the three models in the dressing room as a man rushes in (the infant’s father). The scene cuts back to the procession of the execution party to the execution room at Moot Hall County Courts. The models continue to get ready at the Royal Turks Head Hotel powder room, looking into the gilded mirrors. The infant school boys and girls continue with their games at the West Denton C. P. Infants School playground. A small audience of men and women are gathering for the fashion show in a reception room of the Royal Turks Head Hotel, a man handing out tickets at the door. The infant girl’s father is there, and checks his watch, which reads 09:00am. The hooded condemned prisoner stands flanked by the execution party, the prison chaplain and warder. The hangman loosens the rope noose and gestures to the prisoner to step forward. He is led towards the noose. At West Denton C. P. Infants School, a young female school teacher is leading the school children into the school from the playground. The boys and girls troop in. Next, there’s a shot of the shadow of the hangman placing the noose on the prisoner in the execution room at Newcastle’s County Courts. The chaplain reads him the last rites. Close-up of a portion of the noose rope. Close-up of a clock tower, the time now 9 o’clock. Close-up of the noose rope jerking, indicating the hanging has taken place. Low-angle shot of the beautiful young female model appearing on the catwalk for her fashion show engagement at the Royal Turks Head Hotel. A woman turns on the P.A. speaker for the show. In a classroom of the West Denton C. P. Infants School the school teacher attends to a class of young children, playing educational games together and answering her questions as they start the school day. Finally, there is a close-up of an official prison declaration announcing the execution of the death sentence placed on the gated door of the County Courts. Credits: Cast Condemned Man: Reg Townsend Hangman: Joe Clark Chaplain: Robert Norman Model: Susan Collicott Fashion Assistant: Irene Watson Father: Peter Fryer Little Girl: Alison Venn Credit: The Producers offer grateful thanks for filming facilities to the Headmistress and Teachers of West Denton C. P. Infants School management and staff of the Royal Turks Head Hotel. Credit: Newcastle and District ACA Production Title: The End