Ferry Cross the Mersey (film)

Ferry Cross the Mersey
Directed by	Jeremy Summers
Produced by	Brian Epstein, Michael Holden
Written by	David Franden, Tony Warren (story)
Starring	Gerry and the Pacemakers Cilla Black Julie Samuel
Music by	Gerry Marsden, George Martin
Cinematography	Gilbert Taylor
Edited by	John Victor-Smith
Release dates	January 1965[1]
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Ferry Cross the Mersey is a 1965 musical film featuring Gerry and the Pacemakers.

The film, directed by Jeremy Summers, is one of the more uncommon artifacts of the Mersey scene, shown very rarely on television and never issued on video. It was the first to be shot on location in Liverpool after the city's emergence into the music mainstream (which had previously seen only Frankie Vaughan, Russ Hamilton, and Billy Fury as stars). For authenticity, many scenes were shot in clubs near the home of Gerry and the Pacemakers' frontman Gerry Marsden. A scene on a ferry (the Mountwood) on the River Mersey showed the docks as a backdrop. Marsden wrote nine new songs for the film which also starred Julie Samuel, Cilla Black singing "Is it Love?", Jimmy Savile, and The Fourmost. Future Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen appeared in the film as an uncredited extra. DJ and broadcasting legend Steve Wright appeared in the crowd as a boy.

Writer David Franden was hired when Coronation Street creator Tony Warren proved unable to complete a script despite "downing bottles of whiskey."^[2]

The song "Ferry Cross the Mersey" was written by Gerry Marsden as the theme song for the film.

As of March 2014, the film has never seen a commercial release. Neil Aspinall owned the rights to the movie in the past before his death.

For the soundtrack, see Ferry Cross the Mersey.

References

External links

• Ferry Cross the Mersey at the Internet Movie Database
• http://www.triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/gerry-mersey.shtml