The Making of Swallows and Amazons

by Sophie Neville

In 1973 Sophie Neville was cast as Titty alongside Virginia McKenna, Ronald Fraser and Suzanna Hamilton in the film Swallows & Amazons. Made before the advent of digital technology, the child stars lived out Arthur Ransome's epic adventure in the great outdoors without ever seeing a script. Encouraged by her mother, Sophie Neville kept a diary about her time filming on location in the lakes and mountains of Cumbria. Bouncy and effervescent, extracts from her childhood diary are interspersed among her memories of the cast and crew as well as photographs, maps and newspaper articles, offering a child's eye view of the making of the film from development to premiere - and the aftermath.

266 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2014

About the author

Award-winning author Sophie Neville became inadvertently well known as a child when she starred as Titty in the 1974 feature film of Arthur Ransome's book Swallows and Amazons.

After that sunshiny time she went on to work for the BBC behind the camera on television programmes such as Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals, Doctor Who and Eastenders. Having produced her own Inset series for BBC2 she was busy directing her second drama serial for children when disaster struck in the form of a mystery illness.

Fully recovered, Sophie now lives on the south coast of England with her husband. Every year she disappears for a while to ride in different parts of the world and has also been known to go sailing, but only when the sun shines.

Reviews

[Matthew Pennell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most fascinating aspect of this memoir, adapted from Sophie Neville's own childhood diary that she kept while starring in the film, is the incredible variety of work that the young cast and crew would go on to be involved in. From Oscar and BAFTA-winning sound work, to huge Hollywood productions such as Aliens and Indiana Jones, they seem to have crossed paths multiple times throughout their careers. Neville also makes it all sound extremely incestuous, with people landing multiple jobs purely through their connections or family - a far cry from how it works in most other industries.

That aside, the day-by-day summary of filmmaking, interspersed with her 12-year-old's diary entries (complete with misspellings), makes for interesting reading, although this newer Lutterworth Press edition is pretty poorly laid out. And there's plenty of additional background information for Arthur Ransome fans to savour.

[Davyth Fear · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1974 I went to see the film 'Swallows and Amazons' in my local cinema in Cornwall. I was already familiar with the series of books by Arthur Ransome having read them several times. As a boy of 14 I was about the same age as the child actors in the film and thought the film superb. The idea of escaping to a secret island, befriending local pirates and finding buried treasure was heady material, and the actors were totally believable in their roles. Little did I think that nearly 50 years later my enjoyment of the film would be considerably enhanced by Sophie Neville's book. Details of the casting, a day by day account of the filming with a discussion of the resultant problems and successes, an account of how the cast and crew's careers developed following the film - I thought them all rivetting. If you enjoyed the film, you will certainly enjoy the book.

[S.C. Skillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book for all those interested in film history, film-making and how it feels to be a child star. Sophie Neville played Arthur Ransome's child hero Titty in the 1973 film "Swallows and Amazons" and she recounts every day of the shoot, with the aid of many photos taken at the time, and her own childhood diary. The description of the process of film-making is captivating in itself. But what Sophie writes of the aftermath is equally if not even more worthy of note.

I have occasionally wondered about how the reality of having once being a child star affects one's life. The case of Judy Garland is very well known. She probably spent the rest of her life trying to life up to everyone's dream image of her as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. And Sophie Neville has had to deal with those who identify her only as Titty the little girl who played The Able Seaman as she sailed across Coniston, imagining she was an intrepid adventurer seeking out new lands.

As a last intriguing note, Sophie considers how the quality of their acting may have been better if the film had been shot out of story sequence, as of course many films are. The makers of Swallows and Amazons believed it would be easier for the inexperienced child actors if they shot all the scenes in chronological story-order. This leaves me with the reflection that perhaps it might be better for all of us - or some of us - if we lived our whole lives "out of story-order". Certainly that seems to be the case for child stars.

[Tim Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful gem for an aged rediscoverer of childhood and earlier adulthood fascination

[Olusola Anyanwu · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fascinating and thrilling to read about Sophie as a character in the film and follow her thoughts, experiences, family and adventures with her friends through the eyes of a 12 year old at the time. I particularly noticed the marvellous and wonderful support of her parents in encouraging her and the use of her keeping a diary which made it possible to capture afresh amazing adventures, days of excitement, hard work, perseverance, patience, fears, tense moments and a captivating insight into the unknown world of filming years later as an adult! A very interesting read worthy of 5 STARS and more!

[Chris Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this some years ago and it was fascinating. Not only to hear the personal behind the scenes stories of the making of this fantastic film (make sure you get the remastered edition of the original film if you purchase) but also, as a geek and ex A/V technician I appreciated the technical details.

A fascinating insight into days gone by which we’re themselves recreating days gone by (frightening to think that Sophie and her peers (including me) have lived longer since the filming than the time from the publication of S&A to the filming!

[Nigel Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being someone who has always enjoyed and collected the works of Arthur Ransome (fact and fiction) I also have a D.V.D. of the 1974 film of Swallows and Amazons, and was delighted to discover recently that Sophie Neville, who played Titty in the film, had produced this book.

Her lovely, flowing narrative, interspersed with her own diary-notes from the time and lots of photographs, makes it a very enjoyable piece of literature.

As a result, I'm looking forward to reading her other work.

[David Butters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical book about the making of a magical film of a magical story originally written in 1930 by Arthur Ransome.
"The Making of Swallows and Amazons" starts with a brief explanation of how the author came to be cast as Titty in the 1973 film of Arthur Ransome's famous story. The book then follows, in day-to-day detail, the shooting of the film; the highs, the lows, the traumas and the elations, but told in such a lively, informal and simple manner that you can sense the enjoyment that Ms. Neville and the rest of the cast and crew were experiencing during the process. The fun and excitement fairly leaps off the page. Each day's description features extracts from the personal diary that Sophie kept through the fifty-one days of filming and these diary entries lend authenticity and colour to the narrative, you feel that you are there, experiencing it all with them.
The last chapters cover the final stages of production (at least as much as it involved Titty); the publicity leading up to the Premier in London; the subsequent careers of the cast and crew (Sten Grendon (Roger in the film) sounds a particularly interesting character!); and finally Sophie's own career in brief, both in front of and behind the camera.
In all this is a fascinating subject expertly and well written with verve, humour and excitement. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this lively tale and it is a book I know I will revisit time-and-time again. Well worth acquiring; an excellent read; I thoroughly recommend it.

[Roger Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as part of my Christmas gifts last year, having read all the Arthur Ransom books when I was in my teens. I was given "Winter Holiday" and "Picts and the Martyrs", when I was eight, and thought they were history books and put them to one side, until I had to sit quietly in an exam room, as those who were not taking the exam still had to attend with a good book. I grabbed "Winter Holiday" and I became obsessed with them.
I did not read "Swallows and Amazons" until much later on, and in the meantime I had learnt to sail on the Bristol Channel when I was 10, and grew up emulating their adventures as best I could. I guess it had an influence on my career, as I went on to become a navigator in the Merchant Navy and ended up serving 46 years at sea, the last 21 as a Deep Sea Pilot.
When the film came out, I watched it when I could do, and when I read Sophie's book I was once again lost in my past, as it was so true to the story, and who could not want an able seaman Titty in one's crew!
Sophie has once again revived all those warm memories for me, and her style of writing had me sitting up in bed at night, absorbed in the narrative. I notice that Sophie has had ME, and my elder daughter has suffered from it for many years, so I am keen to obtain a copy of that book too! So I conclude by saying a heartfelt thanks to Sophie for giving me a lot of reading pleasure.

[Graham Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Ransome enthusiasts will want this book where Sophie, then a 12 year old, is chosen to play Able Seaman Titty Walker from short list of 22 (1800 originally applied). She could already swim, row and sail which must have helped get her the role. She kepy a diary of of the filming and records all the actors, extras and production team and what happened to them in their later careers.
The many photographs are evocative of scenes from the Lakes books. She also deals with the storm of publicity which surrounded the children on the release of the film.
A theme thoughout her book is how cold they were sailing in summery cotton dresses to reproduce the director's desire for authenticity- the books didn't often dwell on typical lakes weather at all times of the year. I doubt that this would be allowed now !

[Mike Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book giving an insight in to films are made by a child star who can actually write!

[Hank Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a filmmaker, writer, and sailor (for almost 70 years) I was immediately drawn to Sophie's remembrances of when she was 12 and starring in the subject film. This book is a pleasing blend of photos, narratives, and personal diary excerpts which combine together to deliver a ton of experiences into which one will fall easily and embrace. You can almost feel the hot steamy summers periodically punctuated with the typical cold, rain, and fog. And if you've also seen the film, it's fun to know in the back of your mind how every scene came into being. Young Sophie's diary entries are especially interesting as they echo the notion that twelve year olds are, after all, generally realists. I admit to jumping ahead wherein Sophie provides biographical information on pretty much everyone who had anything to do with making the film -- it helped me to "know" who she was talking about in the main body of the book. Really like this book. Thanks, Sophie!

[Jules Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read all about it! No truer summation could ring true. Bookending an album of images contemporary to the film and, moreso, the making of which, is a delightfully crafted text at once detached and intimately involved, as it you would hope it to be.

Get literally behind the scenes and delve into Sophie's secret diaries, themselves written in carefree, often humorous detail.

After watching the (1974) film we all want to regress and (re)live adventures such as had by the Swallows and Amazons children from the book. After reading The Making of ... we want to do so again and again!

Read this book, it's quite a journey down memory lane - and it becomes your very own memory lane as you do.

[Rhiannon Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

How lovely to read Sophie Neville's memories of the whole process of making Swallows and Amazons - from being cast to attending the premiere and beyond. The excerpts from her childhood diaries and her recollections and experiences of working behind the camera bring the filming process to life. Her meticulous research into the life of Arthur Ransome and the history of his novel, as well as her love of the Lake District shine through her writing too.

I'm going to spend the afternoon re-watching the film, looking out for some of the elements described now!

[Joanna Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the Swallows and Amazons books as a child and went to see the film in the cinema when it came out and it is the go-to film, when I need to escape from being an adult. When I was young, I didn’t get the opportunity to sail very much but as a family we did quite a bit of walking and camped, including in the Lake District and Iceland. When I was a student teacher at Leeds University, not only did I get to the top of Kanchenjunga but later I discovered that during my first term I had been walking from my digs in Ash Grove past the house at the top of the road, where Arthur Ransome had lived as a child. Apparently, it now has a blue plaque.
I was always very envious of Sophie having the opportunity to be Titty, but had not thought about all the hanging round, juggling with school work and issues of continuity in terms of costumes, hair length, colour of skin and props. The book was a fascinating insight into how the film was made and I love the extracts, with some interesting spelling from her ‘dairies’. I particularly enjoyed the details of how it all came about and the practicalities of filming, visualising the different scenes from the film, which I have watched so many times. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the night sailing scenes were not filmed on the Lake but I appreciate why that had to happen. It was also really interesting to learn more about the actors behind the characters and now know why the dialogue in the film comes over as being so natural. I had an affinity with the Swallows with my maiden name being Walker. Being only a few years younger than Sophie I shared many aspects of her life, such as reading Tammy and being given the job of sticking Green Shield stamps into the book!.
In 2012 not only did I go and see the Swallows and Amazons Theatre Production (twice) but with my work colleague Mel and guided by the wonderful book by Claire Kendall-Price, we had a fantastic week during which we went from Holly Howe to The Dogs Home. Mel had found out that ‘Swallow’ was available for hire but despite our efforts we were not able to make the necessary arrangements. We decided to hire a Canadian canoe from the Coniston Boating Centre and canoe to Peel Island. Much to our surprise when we canoed into the Secret Harbour, Swallow was there. Rob kindly took us out for a little sail in a very light wind, we swam part way round the island and sat looking south eating corned beef (pemmican) sandwiches, apples and drinking ‘grog’, surrounded by a line of flags Mel had made. The island was much smaller than I imagined and the landing place was very meagre. Thanks to Sophie’s wonderful book I now know why. I had wondered how they did the sailing shots and as she repeatedly says, today’s health and safety rules would have ruled out many of the shots.
When I was 17 I went on my first of many three-week Schools Hebridean Society (SHS) Expeditions to the West Coast of Scotland, the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The founders of the Society cited the Swallows and Amazons stories as one of the inspirations for their early expeditions in the late 1950s. We were under canvas and my ‘Susan-ish’ tendencies meant that I was given the role of Camp Administrator on two later expeditions, looking after the management of the camp and the stores; which involved wading into very cold Atlantic water to unload stores from a landing craft on the West Coast of Harris. From there, we walked into Great Northern country, encountered Gaels and saw divers – sadly no Great Northern divers, but we did rescue an injured merlin. SHS was the closest I came to being a Swallow.
Like Sophie, I always kept a diary/journal, wrote letters to friends and spent hours drawing maps – of imaginary islands in my case. I loved to read and although I love to write and have written a few articles in a local magazine, my dream to write a book has not yet come to fruition. I did have an idea inspired by the landscape near where I live on the edge of Dartmoor at the beginning of lockdown; and it has Amazons in the title. As the year continued and with the passing of my father in May, my enthusiasm for the story in my head, left me.
Sophie hoped to honour Arthur Ransome’s dream. I am not sure what my Dad’s dream was but through his work as an illustrator and cartoonist, he gave pleasure to people, made them laugh and inspired them and I was so proud to be his daughter. I think that perhaps Sophie’s book has given me hope. One of the last times I saw my Dad, I showed him a print of a leaf I had made at a workshop I had attended. Alzheimer’s had taken away much of his ability to express himself, but he looked at it and said ‘that is brilliant’. I am fairly sure that it is the only time in his life that he told me something I had done was brilliant. I will write something about the ‘Amazons’ who 12 months ago or so, inspired me to write and all I can do is hope that he would have been pleased with my efforts.

[David Butters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical book about the making of a magical film of a magical story originally written in 1930 by Arthur Ransome.
"The Making of Swallows and Amazons" starts with a brief explanation of how the author came to be cast as Titty in the 1973 film of Arthur Ransom's famous story. The book then follows, in day-to-day detail, the shooting of the film; the highs, the lows, the traumas and the elations; but told in such a lively, informal and simple manner that you can sense the enjoyment that Ms. Neville and the rest of the cast and crew were experiencing during the process. The fun and excitement fairly leaps off the page. Each day's description features extracts from the personal diary that Sophie kept through the fifty-one days of filming and these diary entries lend authenticity and colour to the narrative; you feel you are there experiencing it all with them.
The last chapters cover the final stages of production (at least as much as it involved Titty); the publicity leading up to the Premier in London; the subsequent careers of the cast and crew (Sten Grendon (Roger in the film) sounds a particularly interesting character!); and finally Sophie's own career in brief, both in front of and behind the camera.
In all this is a fascinating subject, expertly and well written with verve, humour and excitement. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this lively tale and it is a book I know I will revisit time-and-time again. Well worth acquiring; an excellent read; I thoroughly recommend it.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie Neville was cast as Titty in the 1974 film adaptation of Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. This book, adapted from her contemporary diaries, describes the filming day by day and then tells what happened afterwards: the actor who played Susan became a film actress but 'John' started an engineering firm and 'Roger' became a hermit. Ms Neville herself has mostly worked on the other side of the cameras but has also written books and been a missionary.

I adored the Swallows and Amazons books, all twelve of which are reviewed on this blog. But a day by day account of the filming has little in it to interest anyone other than a fan.