Brief Encounter - one of the classic romances of all time.
At the preview of Brief Encounter, the test audience laughed at the love scenes. In fact, David Lean was so worried that he considered breaking into Denham Studios to steal the negative, in order to prevent the making of more prints for general release.
After a series of propoganda films, Brief Encounter was a brave attempt at realism. The film went onto become Lean's first popular and critical success, winning the Critics' Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscar nominations for director and actress. Lean would win twice two years running for The Bridge on The River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia - Brief Encounter, a small gem in what became a very remarkable career.
Noel Coward, upon seeing a rough cut of the film, wrote in his diary, 'Saw rough cut of Brief Encounter. Delighted with it. Celia quite wonderful; Trevor Howard fine and obviously a new star. Whole thing beautifully played and directed - and let's face it, beautifully written.'
Lean always gave Johnson credit for the film's success, who in later years said, "It never occured to us, at least it certainly didn't occur to me, that the film was going to be - well, I suppose it's become a sort of classic, but we just thought it would be a nice interesting little film."
Trevor Howard said to a journalist at the film's release, "We realised at the time that it was a good film. It was honest, and it certainly had its heart in the right place. But great? That's not for us to say. If the public think it's great, then maybe it is. They are the ones who decide these things."
Brief Encounter continues to appeal to each generation. It was voted by the young readers of film magazine, Empire, as the most romantic film ever made. In the British Film Institute's Favourite Films of the 20th Century, (which included every David Lean film) it ranked in second place after The Third Man, with even a nod to the station's location!
Clips from the film were used at the entrance of a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in 1999, called 'From The Bomb to The Beatles'. The exhibition looked at the changing face of post-war Britain from 1945-65 and Brief Encounter was chosen as it was a romantic film, released at the end of the war, which contrasted sharply to the state the country really was in.
Of course, the film has been spoofed and copied many times. It was thoughtlessly remade in 1974 with Richard Burton and Sophia Loren, which further proved how special the original was. The best spoof was a single image by Oscar-winning animator, Nick Park, who, in the 'Wallace and Gromit At the Movies' 1999 calendar, imitated the film with his own famous lovers, Wallace and Wendolene (only - didn't she dislike Wensleydale cheese?) Judge for yourself.
Last but not least, perhaps the film has become a classic because it captures the lost age of steam, when the world was a gentler place and a station in northern England was full of life.
In 2000, Alison Evans, who was then a Post Graduate student at the University of Plymouth, approached the Friends of Carnforth Station to ask if she could produce a website about Carnforth Station , as one her modules towards an MA in Publishing.
This website is the website that she produced.
The original website was created in 2000., and apart from one or two factual corrections (different telephone numbers / contact addreses etc.) The website is as created.
Since then the Station rejuvenation has been completed, and the station is now open as a fully fuctional railway station, and a visitor center. For the latest information about the station, please visit
http://www.carnforth-station.co.uk