"Magic Ride" with Anna Bentinck - 1969

[Rob Lightbody]

Thanks to Myles, who lent me his VHS copy of it, I just saw this and WOW!  Double-WOW actually!!  I can't BELIEVE its never been mentioned on here before!

Here's how it goes...

Young lady driving late 60s sportscar drives to Suthampton Docks, and looks up in amazement at the new QE2 sitting there.
Flashback.... Young lady is now a young teenage girl skipping along in John Browns, looking up in amazement at QE2, sitting on the slipway (superstructure still missing)!
She gets a lift in a workers lift up to the boat deck (which is the entire width and length of the ship at this point!).  She runs around and then finds a stairway (D or E I think!) down and down into the ship... getting frights from welders etc. along the way. This bit is VERY artistic, and very 60s cool.  Awesome.  She ends up in the engine room (or something) and waves at Bill Warwick!  I think you're meant to think she's his daughter.
After that it cuts back and forth from shipyard to the real QE2 on a cruise, and you even see her in the royal box at Browns before the launch.
You see all areas - double room, the queens room, out on the unaltered decks, the in & out swimming pools, the britannia & PG restaurants.
Then it ends with 60s funky music, dancing, and some fun shots around the ship, before cutting away to STUNNING footage of the ship entering New York at the end of her maiden voyage.

Its just superb.

Who else has seen it?

[Michael Gallagher]

It is a great film and I took every opportunity I could to show it on QE2 during various anniversaries etc. I love the launch sequence. I tracked Anna Bentinck down and she lectured a few times for me prior to introducing the film during QE2's Round Britains in 2007 and 2008. She tells a great story about how originally she was to on the foredeck as the ship went down the slipway but the men at the yard would not give permission for a mere woman to on the foredeck.

Again the fact that a major film company such as Universal put this together shows just how different and how special people though Q4 / QE2 was. Magic Ride: produced by James Archibald, written and directed by Don Higgins.

[Scott Ebersold]

That sounds amazing.  Is it possible to get a copy somehow.  Does anyone know?

[Rob Lightbody]

Our next big get-together, next June in Glasgow again, will involve a special screening of Magic Ride on a big screen for those interested

[Stowaway2k]

It was fantastic having a screening of Magic Ride in QE2's theater on the 2007 40th Anniversary Cruise.  

A few things Anna Bentinck said struck me....  this was the first time she had been on QE2 since she filmed the maiden voyage sequence, the first time she had seen Magic Ride in forty years, she had no idea it was being shown on board all these years and she was amazed by it's, and her's, popularity.  
What a stroke of genius finding her and bringing her on board.
 Having her lecture at the screening about her experiences in production was a joy.
Another thing she said was that when they were auditioning for the part of her male friend on board, they had her at the audtions to make sure that she and the actor clicked and had chemestry.  One of the auditioners was David Bowie, and he "just wasn't right for the part".

Also in attendance at this screening on the anniversary cruise were several John Brown workers who booked the cruise.  Seeing the film was a huge moment of pride and emotion for them.  Some of them brought along memorabilia.  One of them showed me a photo he had of himself and Commodore William Warwick, who, he said, was a true gentleman.  I then pointed out to him....  "See, over there?  That's the Commodore's son, Commodore Ronald Warwick and a Master of QE2, and also a true gentleman."  The two of them, the former Commodore and the former John Brown worker had a long conversation together.
Boy, what a beautiful time that was.
What other ship, ever again, will be the object of such deep emotion?

"Magic Ride" is an artistic treasure in it's own right that should be available for purchase.  It could make a small fortune for whoever owns it.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you, Kyle. That was a phantastic posting -- and such are the QE2 stories we treasure and gather here in the Forum!

[Rob Lightbody]

If you would like a copy of Magic Ride, you can get it from the Wessex Film and Sound Archive for £15 for a DVD.  The code for it in their collection is AV422/24/V1

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Would there be a web site to order this from, Rob?

[Jem]

Would there be a web site to order this from, Rob?

Here's the website I found. There is a contact number.

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/wfsa.htm

Here is the detailed page :

http://calm.hants.gov.uk/DServe/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29=%27AV422/24/V1%27%29

[Alex Tarry]

Great, I recall Anna telling us on the 40th anniversary round Britain that the film company had paid for all of her driving lessons as she had to drive a classic car (Daimler Dart?) to the ship yard...

I recall her and her husband living it up in the Yacht Club, just as we were, an incredible link to the very birth of the ship.

We also commented on what style they had in the '60s!

Alex.

[maggie maggot]

Well done Rob, we have been trying to track down a copy of the Magic ride for ages.
Even Cunard didn't know where to get it.
I should have asked Myles and we could have been cheeky and copied his.
The order will be in in the morning.
I can't believe we missed Anna on both QE2 trips or then again I can as we spent so much time on deck.
Kyle that was a great summery.

[maggie maggot]

The cheque has gone off for the dvd, so looking forward to its arrival. If it proves to be the right film  I will post address etc.

[maggie maggot]

Wow! My dvd arrived to day it was great to watch it again. As mentioned before it is £15 + £1 p&P
Myles can keep his copy safe!! It also helps fund an interesting Archive.

The address is:
Wessex Film & Sound Archives
Sussex Street
Winchester
SO23 8TH

01962 847742

email david.lee@hants.gov.uk

[MiamiCunarder]

 Yeah, tried e-mailing this guy (David Lee) more than once in 2013 and never got a response. Anyone else know where to get a copy of Magic Ride?

  - Ron

[Rob Lightbody]

Hi Ron,

Wessex Film & Sound have replied with their up to date email address - enquiries.wfsa@hants.gov.uk - worth a shot!

[Rob Lightbody]

Looking forward to presenting this next Saturday at our event - along with an assortment of interesting facts from Michael about it!

[Rob Lightbody]

UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ORDER A COPY OF MAGIC RIDE.

Search the archive :-
http://calm.hants.gov.uk/Overview.aspx?s=qe2

That brings up - http://calm.hants.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=AV422%2f24%2fV1&pos=71

Reference - AV422/24/V1
Title - MAGIC RIDE (Series CUNARD COLLECTION)

You then have to fill in a form and send it off with your money.

On this page - look for "Film and Sound Recordings" - then copying -non commercial.

https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/archives/copying#step-4

[Lynda Bradford]

George C Griffiths has contacted the Copying Service regarding the Magic Ride film and received this response from the Archive Service at Hants website archives. email:enquiries@hants.gov.uk

Dear George Griffiths,
Thank you for your enquiry.
You are still able to obtain copies of items from the Wessex Film and Sound Archive; however, the fees have increased since 2004 and the current cost is £35 per hour.  This is the minimum charge and corresponds to the staff time required to make copies.  If you would like to place an order, please complete and return the relevant order form which can be accessed under the ‘film and sound recordings’ section at the following link: https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/archives/copying#step-4.
I can confirm that the document reference AV422/24/V1 is listed on the catalogue with the following information:
MAGIC RIDE  (Series CUNARD COLLECTION)
1969
Film about the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 including flashbacks of archival footage of her being built and launched.
Made by Universal Pictures.
Opening shots of QE2.  Woman getting into car and on motorway to docks and QE2.  Flashback to shots of Clydebank and QE2 under construction; schoolgirl walking around the partially constructed ship.  Back to completed ship; woman walking round interior to her cabin.
Ship leaving port.  More views of interior with flashbacks to partially constructed ship.
Footage of official launch of QE2 by Queen and of launch shipway.
Back to QE2 at sea.  Restaurants, bars, entertainment, etc.
Girl sings song called 'Magic Ride' whilst walking round ship.
Ship docks at New York.

I hope this has been of assistance.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any further questions you may have.

[Rob Lightbody]

Our Facebook page today scooped us a lovely wee "moment" today, based on Magic Ride.

Here's what happened...

I posted a link to the slides - and Vic Caldwell said

I often wonder of a film that was made during the construction of the boat about a school girl growing up along with the different building stages of the boat then when it was finished she left school .

I replied :

It was called Magic Ride, with Anna Bentinck. We have a copy of it, and a discussion in our forum about it - https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=2430.0

Vic then said :

Thanks I would love to see it , the camera,s were onboard a lot they even filmed a lot of us while the girl was dancing ,I assuming that was the same film .

I was waiting for a process to run at work, so I grabbed my laptop and spun up Magic Ride, and let it run until it got to the dancing scene he remembered, from over 50 years ago.  I grabbed a couple of screenshots (attached) and shared them with him.

Vic then replied

my boots are among that lot lol .I know the 2nd guy from the left
I know the guy behind the girl
we were all sitting clapping to a Mamas & Papas tune while the girl danced

I will reach out to him, and see if I can get him to share some more stories, but I loved this one.

[Rob Lightbody]

Not sure how long it will last before the copyright police get it, but it's on YouTube just now.

[Michael Gallagher]

And to think David Bowie auditioned but was dismissed as too scruffy and they didn't think there was enough chemistry between him and Anna Bentinck. So Murray (One Night in Bangkok) Head was selected instead!