I Know Where I'm Going!
A Celebration of This Well Loved Mull Film
The 2020 (or 2021 or maybe even 2022) weekend
"Hollywood comes to Mull"
On Friday 21st October some of the world's foremost film experts and enthusiasts arrived at the Western Isles Hotel, Tobermory, to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of "I Know Where I'm Going!", ("IKWIG" for short), one of Britain's best loved classic romantic films, often reshown in the cinema or on television screens. In fact, it is probably even better known in the USA, which is why Americans from all over the States joined the celebration, including Hollywood's famous film historian, Jeremy Arnold. The great film critic Barry Norman ranked IKWIG among the world's hundred best films, and the famous American director Martin Scorsese says that the techniques used in the film influenced his own cinematography.
To be precise, it is 77 years since "IKWIG", as it is known by film buffs, was first screened, having been shot on Mull in 1944 and launched the following year. However, the 75th Anniversary could not be celebrated in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID, and an enthusiastic group has been waiting for the green light this year.
The main organizer, Professor Robert Beveridge, the VLV Trustee for Scotland and a distinguished Professor of Media Policy, had previously organized three successful "IKWIG" weekends on Mull, in 2005, 2010 and 2015, including a trip to the whirlpool of Corryvreckan, which is the focus of the film's climax. He has been assisted by Ian Court and Nicolas Maclean.
The IKWIG weekend started at the Western Isles Hotel with a surprise ZOOM call from Petula Clark, the only surviving cast member of IKWIG, who played Cheryl in the film. The 89 year-old actor and singer is still going strong, and rang in from the Prince Edward Theatre London, where she is playing the Bird Lady in "Mary Poppins". A ZOOM discussion then took place with Thelma Schoonmaker in Hollywood, widow of IKWIG's Director Michael Powell and Andrew Macdonald, a grandson of IKWIG's producer and screen-writer Emeric Pressburger. Thelma is Chief Editor for Martin Scorsese, and Andrew was the producer of "Trainspotting". Both had hoped to attend the IKWIG weekend in person but were prevented by film deadlines. After dinner Professor Ian Christie of Birkbeck College, University of London, showed a film with him in discussion with Powell, Pressburger and Scorsese, and revealed many unknown facts about IKWIG and its two great film-makers.
Saturday 22nd October was dedicated to location visits: first the telephone box by a waterfall at Carsaig, (now a listed and protected item), Carsaig Pier, Carsaig Boathouse thanks to David McLean, and, courtesy of Mark & Nancy Horton, Carsaig House, all of which play memorable roles in the film. From Carsaig the "IKWIG" group moved on to Lochbuie, courtesy of Jim & Patience Corbett, where they visited Moy Castle, the house Johnson and Boswell stayed in 249 years ago, the stone circle, and St Kilda's Church. Finally, they arrived at Duart Castle where Sir Lachlan Maclean of Duart and Morvern had arranged a special tour, reception and gala screening of "IKWIG", supported by MG Alba. After dinner at the Western Isles Ian Court masterminded a Powell & Pressburger Quiz, for which the prize was an original autographed photograph of the star Wendy Hiller, who played "Joan Webster" in IKWIG.
On Sunday 23rd October the main morning event was a talk by Nicolas Maclean "Clues to the true story behind IKWIG-detective work by a Muileach." Some of the mystery behind why Powell and Pressburger chose the theme for "IKWIG" and to shoot the film on Mull were explained and the close links with the Maclaines of Lochbuie.
A number of local people from Argyll joined the "IKWIG" weekend. Photographs, more information about the weekend and future IKWIG plans are available on the website by Ian Court www.ikwig.co.uk. Debi Smith and her team at the Western Isles ensured the success of the weekend and promoted some of the best culinary skills Mull has to offer.
"I Know Where I'm Going!" is a film of remarkable depth and complexity, which can be viewed at many levels. It tells truths about fundamental values, contrasting modern urban materialism with traditional Highland values. "Catriona Maclaine" acted by Powell's long-term mistress Pamela Brown highlights the dilemmas: on the one hand, she declares "Money isn't everything", but later says "I would swim to Oban for £10 and Glasgow for £20!" But while the film reveals many deep truths, it shows that the camera can lie. For instance, Petula Clark, who appeared in an alcove at "Sorne Castle", (in reality Duart), was on the stage in London at the time of filming. So she was filmed in a reconstruction at Denham Studios in Surrey. The male lead, acting "the Laird of Kiloran", Roger Livesey, was under contract for a play in London. So his ubiquitous presence in the film is achieved through a double and trick photography. He never left London!
Other P&P trips
