Welcome guys and dolls for another saunter down the lane we call memory, but before we set off I must quote something. Mike from Shenley emailed me to say he is daft enough to enjoy these columns and said "they have an easy to follow style, almost conversational". There were other flattering remarks but those words struck home because that captures exactly what I try to achieve each week.

Anyway enough of self glory and this time my memory takes me back 43 years to September 1975 and a visit to Elstree Studios. I was there to do an article on a new film in production called To The Devil A Daughter being made by the legendary Hammer company. I think it was the last feature film the old company made and the halcyon days were over.

Hammer veteran and old friend Roy Skeggs did a great job producing the movie against numerous problems including a constantly changing script and a tight budget of what I believe was £360,000. They needed a Hollywood star to sell it in America so they signed Richard Widmark for £71,000 and, to attract horror fans, Christopher Lee for £20,000.

In those days you could get great supporting actors for what today seems peanuts and the cast included Denholm Elliott for £4,000 and Honor Blackman, still going strong in her 90s now, for £3,000.

However it proved to be an unhappy shoot especially for Richard Widmark, who threatened on several occasions to walk off the film. I bumped into him on my visit and he just gave me a stare and remarked: "I should never have gotten involved" and walked away.

Other memories of the film come to mind. I recall they shot one dramatic scene in a closed church in Shenley, which today is a private house. I remember a supporting cast member, the late Anthony Valentine, wandering around the backlot taking photos of the old street set used in all those television series of the 1960s and 1970s.

I also recall writing to the famous author Dennis Wheatley, on whose book the movie was based, when it was released. He wrote back saying it was a travesty of his work. He equally disliked one of Hammer efforts based on his book The Lost Continent but did like their adaption of The Devil Rides Out, both of which we shot at Elstree and the latter utilised what is now the Laura Ashley hotel in Barnet Lane.

Christopher Lee also told me he disliked To The Devil A Daughter and thought the finished movie was a mess. Mind you Christopher often criticised Hammer in later years although they made him a star. In fact in 2008 I organised a plaque unveiling in his honour at Elstree Studios and I asked him to choose which films he wanted mentioned on the plaque. He made a point of excluding mention of any Hammer film and especially Dracula which was the role that made him famous.

The saddest member of the cast I met was character actor Michael Goodliffe who had spent 5 years as a prisoner of war but began a long career in movies from 1946. I doubt you will recall the name but if you look him up I am sure you will recognise his face if you a fan of old films. I did not realise but Michael suffered from depression and a few months later he jumped to his death from a hospital window.

In those days it was so much easier getting access to film sets and lining up interviews as the unit publicist was paid to get the publicity and closed sets were rare. After the visit I would meet the publicist and select various 10 x 8 photos to use in my article and which I have kept. Alas I was rarely photographed with the star I met as this was before mobile cameras and what we now call selfies seemed a bit unprofessional. Times have certainly changed but I had the best of times.