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Filming If….
In 1968, Lindsay Anderson filmed IF…., which became a cult film, and is regarded as one of the best British films of all time. David Wood co-starred as one of three rebel schoolboys in a public school. His character, Johnny, along with Mick (Malcolm McDowell) and Wallace (Richard Warwick), led the revolution against authority, which was regarded by many as a metaphor for the social and political situation in the UK.
This book contains David’s experience of taking part in the film, the personalities involved, the day-to-day challenges, excitements and fun, and the reception given to the film, including winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The memoir also reflects the brilliance of the idiosyncratic director, Lindsay Anderson, and his team.
For readers of a certain age, IF…. was hugely influential. And film students study it to this day. In 2018 the film celebrates its 50th anniversary, when there will be many celebrations. This memoir is not an academic study of the film, more the personal memories of a young and impressionable actor’s experience. From audition, through preparatory talks, location filming to the film opening, plus information on what happened to some of the participants – this information is augmented by an extra section by George Perry, film critic, describing IF…. in the context of its importance in the history of British film. Malcolm McDowell, whose first major film was IF…., is writing a short foreword.
David Wood OBE lives in Wimbledon, London and is an award-winning actor and writer. He has starred in many television classic serials, comedies and children’s programmes. As a playwright, he is best known as ‘the national children’s dramatist’ (The Times). David has written 75 plays for children, including 8 adaptations of Roald Dahl books, which have been performed all over the world. He has published more than 20 children’s books and has also written a musical which was performed in the West End.
This book contains David’s experience of taking part in the film, the personalities involved, the day-to-day challenges, excitements and fun, and the reception given to the film, including winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The memoir also reflects the brilliance of the idiosyncratic director, Lindsay Anderson, and his team.
For readers of a certain age, IF…. was hugely influential. And film students study it to this day. In 2018 the film celebrates its 50th anniversary, when there will be many celebrations. This memoir is not an academic study of the film, more the personal memories of a young and impressionable actor’s experience. From audition, through preparatory talks, location filming to the film opening, plus information on what happened to some of the participants – this information is augmented by an extra section by George Perry, film critic, describing IF…. in the context of its importance in the history of British film. Malcolm McDowell, whose first major film was IF…., is writing a short foreword.
David Wood OBE lives in Wimbledon, London and is an award-winning actor and writer. He has starred in many television classic serials, comedies and children’s programmes. As a playwright, he is best known as ‘the national children’s dramatist’ (The Times). David has written 75 plays for children, including 8 adaptations of Roald Dahl books, which have been performed all over the world. He has published more than 20 children’s books and has also written a musical which was performed in the West End.
107 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2018
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About the author
David Wood
287 books41 followersDAVID WOOD began writing as a student at Oxford University in the sixties.
He wrote his first play for children in 1967 and has since written over sixty more.
They are performed all over the world and include THE GINGERBREAD MAN (nine London seasons), THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT WENT TO SEE... (six London seasons, co-written with Sheila Ruskin), THE SELFISH SHELLFISH, THE SEE-SAW TREE, SAVE THE HUMAN (from the story he wrote with cartoonist Tony Husband), THE IDEAL GNOME EXPEDITION and THE PLOTTERS OF CABBAGE PATCH CORNER.
His stage adaptations of well-known books include Dick King-Smith's BABE THE SHEEP-PIG, Roald Dahl's THE BFG and THE WITCHES (both of which played long tours and two West End seasons), THE TWITS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH and FANTASTIC MR FOX, DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD and GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE, HRH The Prince of Wales' THE OLD MAN OF LOCHNAGAR, Michael Foreman's DINOSAURS AND ALL THAT RUBBISH, Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski's MEG AND MOG SHOW (five London seasons for Unicorn Theatre), Philippa Pearce's TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN (which Unicorn Theatre played on tour, in the West End and on Broadway) and Judith Kerr’s THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA.
He was dubbed 'the national children's dramatist' by Irving Wardle in The Times and published, to rave reviews, THEATRE FOR CHILDREN: GUIDE TO WRITING, ADAPTING, DIRECTING AND ACTING (Faber), co-written with Janet Grant, which has become required reading on the subject in the UK and the US, and is now published in China.
He directed many of his plays for his own company, Whirligig Theatre (founded with John Gould in 1979), which for 25 years toured to major theatres nationwide include Sadler's Wells in London.
Film screenplays include SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS and BACK HOME, which won a gold award at the New York Film and TV Festival 1991. Writing for television includes the series CHIPS' COMIC, CHISH 'N' FIPS and THE GINGERBREAD MAN; and TIDE RACE, his filmed drama for Central Television and the European Broadcasting Union, has won several international awards.
For BBC Radio 4 he adapted Arthur Ransome's SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS.
He also writes children's books; with Richard Fowler he has co-created novelty books including BEDTIME STORY, MOLE'S SUMMER STORY, MOLE'S WINTER STORY, SILLY SPIDER, THE MAGIC SHOW, FUNNY BUNNY'S MAGIC SHOW and THE TOY CUPBOARD. He wrote THE PHANTOM CAT OF THE OPERA (illustrated by Peters Day).
David Wood has followed a parallel career as an actor, best remembered as Johnny in Lindsay Anderson's cult film IF... He is married to Jacqueline Stanbury; they have two grown-up daughters, Katherine and Rebecca.
In 2004 he was awarded an OBE for services to literature and drama in the Queen's birthday honours.
In 2006 he wrote THE QUEEN’S HANDBAG, a play to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday. It was performed by an all-star cast in Buckingham Palace Gardens at the Children’s Party at the Palace, and seen live on BBC 1 by 8,000,000 television viewers.
from http://www.davidwood.org.uk/all_about...
He wrote his first play for children in 1967 and has since written over sixty more.
They are performed all over the world and include THE GINGERBREAD MAN (nine London seasons), THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT WENT TO SEE... (six London seasons, co-written with Sheila Ruskin), THE SELFISH SHELLFISH, THE SEE-SAW TREE, SAVE THE HUMAN (from the story he wrote with cartoonist Tony Husband), THE IDEAL GNOME EXPEDITION and THE PLOTTERS OF CABBAGE PATCH CORNER.
His stage adaptations of well-known books include Dick King-Smith's BABE THE SHEEP-PIG, Roald Dahl's THE BFG and THE WITCHES (both of which played long tours and two West End seasons), THE TWITS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH and FANTASTIC MR FOX, DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD and GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE, HRH The Prince of Wales' THE OLD MAN OF LOCHNAGAR, Michael Foreman's DINOSAURS AND ALL THAT RUBBISH, Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski's MEG AND MOG SHOW (five London seasons for Unicorn Theatre), Philippa Pearce's TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN (which Unicorn Theatre played on tour, in the West End and on Broadway) and Judith Kerr’s THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA.
He was dubbed 'the national children's dramatist' by Irving Wardle in The Times and published, to rave reviews, THEATRE FOR CHILDREN: GUIDE TO WRITING, ADAPTING, DIRECTING AND ACTING (Faber), co-written with Janet Grant, which has become required reading on the subject in the UK and the US, and is now published in China.
He directed many of his plays for his own company, Whirligig Theatre (founded with John Gould in 1979), which for 25 years toured to major theatres nationwide include Sadler's Wells in London.
Film screenplays include SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS and BACK HOME, which won a gold award at the New York Film and TV Festival 1991. Writing for television includes the series CHIPS' COMIC, CHISH 'N' FIPS and THE GINGERBREAD MAN; and TIDE RACE, his filmed drama for Central Television and the European Broadcasting Union, has won several international awards.
For BBC Radio 4 he adapted Arthur Ransome's SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS.
He also writes children's books; with Richard Fowler he has co-created novelty books including BEDTIME STORY, MOLE'S SUMMER STORY, MOLE'S WINTER STORY, SILLY SPIDER, THE MAGIC SHOW, FUNNY BUNNY'S MAGIC SHOW and THE TOY CUPBOARD. He wrote THE PHANTOM CAT OF THE OPERA (illustrated by Peters Day).
David Wood has followed a parallel career as an actor, best remembered as Johnny in Lindsay Anderson's cult film IF... He is married to Jacqueline Stanbury; they have two grown-up daughters, Katherine and Rebecca.
In 2004 he was awarded an OBE for services to literature and drama in the Queen's birthday honours.
In 2006 he wrote THE QUEEN’S HANDBAG, a play to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday. It was performed by an all-star cast in Buckingham Palace Gardens at the Children’s Party at the Palace, and seen live on BBC 1 by 8,000,000 television viewers.
from http://www.davidwood.org.uk/all_about...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 9, 2018
This book is David Wood’s memoir of how he came to be cast as one of the trio of rebels at the heart of Lindsay Anderson’s ‘If ….’; how the film was made and received; and an account of what subsequently happened to him and the others involved. Given that ‘If ….’ is a much loved cinematic work of the very first importance, there is clearly an audience for this book. Unfortunately, they will discover it has three shortcomings.
Firstly, there is its brevity. This is a very short book (just 100 pages) despite its containing a brief Foreword by Malcolm McDowell and a much more substantial appreciation of Lindsay Anderson, as a man and artist, in an Afterword by George Perry.
Secondly, whilst there are interesting insights into Anderson’s directorial style, the film’s use of both colour and black and white, and the playing out of particular scenes (notably the nude scene between McDowell as Mick Travis and Christine Noonan as The Girl), there is very little here that will be new to those who’ve watched the extras, which include an interview with Wood, which accompany the 2014 Eureka Masters of Cinema Blu-ray of ‘If….’.
Thirdly, the book contains some omissions and errors. An example of the former is when Wood refers to Charles Sturridge (who played Markland) as “a very successful television director”, thereby ignoring his career as a feature film director (with credits including ‘A Handful of Dust’, ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ and ‘Fairy Tale: A True Story’). An example of an error is when Wood writes that “Mick receives twice the number of strokes of the cane as the other two” when in fact Johnny and Wallace each receive four strokes, and Mick receives ten.
Such, however, is my goodwill towards all phenomena associated with ‘If ….’ that I do not wish to end on a negative note. Wood is as engaging a writer and individual as he is accomplished as an actor and playwright, and this book is certainly a pleasant enough way of idling away an hour but for the reasons listed above it is not really possible to award it five stars.
Firstly, there is its brevity. This is a very short book (just 100 pages) despite its containing a brief Foreword by Malcolm McDowell and a much more substantial appreciation of Lindsay Anderson, as a man and artist, in an Afterword by George Perry.
Secondly, whilst there are interesting insights into Anderson’s directorial style, the film’s use of both colour and black and white, and the playing out of particular scenes (notably the nude scene between McDowell as Mick Travis and Christine Noonan as The Girl), there is very little here that will be new to those who’ve watched the extras, which include an interview with Wood, which accompany the 2014 Eureka Masters of Cinema Blu-ray of ‘If….’.
Thirdly, the book contains some omissions and errors. An example of the former is when Wood refers to Charles Sturridge (who played Markland) as “a very successful television director”, thereby ignoring his career as a feature film director (with credits including ‘A Handful of Dust’, ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ and ‘Fairy Tale: A True Story’). An example of an error is when Wood writes that “Mick receives twice the number of strokes of the cane as the other two” when in fact Johnny and Wallace each receive four strokes, and Mick receives ten.
Such, however, is my goodwill towards all phenomena associated with ‘If ….’ that I do not wish to end on a negative note. Wood is as engaging a writer and individual as he is accomplished as an actor and playwright, and this book is certainly a pleasant enough way of idling away an hour but for the reasons listed above it is not really possible to award it five stars.
November 25, 2023
If .... (with four dots, apparently) was an avant garde and frequently surreal film made in 1968 directed by Lindsay Anderson and starring Malcolm McDowell. It was set in a boys' public school which was intended as a metaphor for Britain at the time. The system is rotten and corrupt. Three of the senior lads rebel and, with a girl met in a transport cafe, stage an armed attack on guests assembled for Founder's Day. The film proved quasi-prophetic, being filmed (though not released) weeks before the French students rioted in Paris and young people across the western world rebelled against the establishment. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
I was only eleven. when If.... premiered. I came to the film late, when I was at a boarding school in many ways identical to the one shown in the film; I first encountered the film as a published screenplay in the School Library. It was one of many influences which prompted me (already a square peg in a round hole) to rebel against my surroundings.
David Wood was a young actor who played one of the rebels. This short memoir describes how he was chosen for the role and gives a blow by blow account of the filming. It ends with a 'where are they now?' He himself has had a long career acting, mostly in theatre, and writing playscripts and some filmscripts mostly for productions aimed at children; he wrote the screenplay for the 1974 films of 'Swallows and Amazons' whose filming is described in Sophie Neville's memoir The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons.
Filming If .... is a well-written account of the production of a film that has achieved cult status.
I was only eleven. when If.... premiered. I came to the film late, when I was at a boarding school in many ways identical to the one shown in the film; I first encountered the film as a published screenplay in the School Library. It was one of many influences which prompted me (already a square peg in a round hole) to rebel against my surroundings.
David Wood was a young actor who played one of the rebels. This short memoir describes how he was chosen for the role and gives a blow by blow account of the filming. It ends with a 'where are they now?' He himself has had a long career acting, mostly in theatre, and writing playscripts and some filmscripts mostly for productions aimed at children; he wrote the screenplay for the 1974 films of 'Swallows and Amazons' whose filming is described in Sophie Neville's memoir The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons.
Filming If .... is a well-written account of the production of a film that has achieved cult status.
May 23, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this background on the filming of If.... and I made the conscious decision to read it before actually watching the film. Up until recently, this cult phenomenon had somehow evaded my radar. I have to say that now I have some added excitement for viewing it and it will no longer sit waiting in my queue. Actor (in the film) Wood, provides some really interesting insight into the production and the creatives involved.
The book is well written and and beautifully supported with still shots and sample script pages (including the infamous 'dummy script') peppered throughout the book. It is a gift that David Wood took the time to provide fans and film historians with this edition, marking the 50th anniversary of the film's release.
The book is well written and and beautifully supported with still shots and sample script pages (including the infamous 'dummy script') peppered throughout the book. It is a gift that David Wood took the time to provide fans and film historians with this edition, marking the 50th anniversary of the film's release.
May 26, 2018
This is a kindly written book, a loving look back at the filming of a truly seminal film produced 50 years ago. The author is one of its stars and portrays the shooting quite head on. There is little analysis in this little tome. Yet, hearing about Lindsay Anderson's dictator-less way of directing and how the sequel to If.... could have been shaped, it's fairly interesting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews