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Ys on Film and other media |
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or ... The Star is the Car! | ||
The MG Y Type has featured in a number of films and TV shows over the years, and even songs! In this page we hope to bring these appearances to your attention. If you have any stills or video clips (preferably both) or even just a title, please contact the webmaster via our Contact Us page and let me know where you saw the car and I will reply to you for some more details.
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Films and videosTo facilitate faster page loading, these pages have been split into several pages now. Click on a link to navigate to more pages! Page 1 Page 2 Page 3Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 |
Songs and MusicSongs and music featuring the MG Y Type. Music |
Films and videos | ||||||||||||
Heights of Danger (1953) | ||||||||||||
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Copyright line © 2011 British Pathé Ltd / Strike Force Entertainment www.strikeforcetv.com
Heights of Danger - CD Bonus Tracks (1953) 
Bonus Features on the CD include: Safety Fast (1948, 9 minutes) MG Sports Car Promotional Film featuring 38 American and English amateur racing car drivers zoom around a course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Goldie Gardner on German autobahn at Dessau breaking the International kilometre record. And a fascinating insight into the MG Production line at their Abingdon workshops, including several shots of MG Y Saloons. Goldie Gardner : MG EX-135 At Bonneville (1951, 3 minutes) Sterling Moss : MG EX-181 At Bonneville (1957, 3 minutes), and MG A Twin-Cam Production Model (1958, 3 minutes). Produced for the British Pathé Documentary Unit.
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Copyright line © 2011 British Pathé Ltd / Strike Force Entertainment www.strikeforcetv.com
Additional items on www.strikeforcetv.com for the avid car enthusiast are:
British Motor Shows Of The 1950s
British Motor Shows Of The 1960s, and
Monte Carlo Rallies 1958 - 1965
Y/T 5143 
Marie Gould's father bought the car second hand from its first owner in 1954 and used it as his daily driver until the mid eighties. It was last registered in 1986. He gave it to us when he moved house in 2006. YT 5143 first ran again on 20 February 2011 after 25 years, with only a new battery, coil, some fuel lines, oil and water. Next step is to get rid of some chassis rust on the driver's side and make the brakes work. See also YTs on Parade!
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They Do it with Mirrors
In "They do it with mirrors" Ruth van Rydock is worried about her sister's health and well-being and asks their mutual friend Jane Marple to visit her for a awhile. Her sister, Carrie-Louise Serrocold, is married to Lewis Serrocold and he has turned their estate into an institute of sorts for young offenders. Miss Marple is more than happy to visit and finds an odd assortment of characters on the premises. When Christian Gulbranson is found shot while sitting at the typewriter in his room, Miss Marple has a murder to solve. Gulbranson, a trustee of the institute, had only arrived that day on urgent business and Lewis Serrocold found a partly completed letter in his typewriter saying that someone was poisoning Carrie-Louise. Assisting Inspector Slack, with whom she had previously worked, she soon knows who committed the crime but is not quite sure how they did it.
Joan Hickson stars as Miss Marple.
YB 0414
Marc Hanson and YB 0414 tackle the timed lap track at London's Crystal Palace - May 2010.
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Y 5729
John Sanderson posted this video of the engine from Y 5729 on YouTube. Fasten your seat belts, go full screen, and turn up the volume!
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7mb - a 3 minute video file |
The Fast Lady (1962)
In The The Fast Lady (1962). Murdoch Troon (Stanley Baxter) is a shy Scotsman from a rigid moralistic background, working in England. He's passionate about cycling until he meets a beautiful girl (played by the gorgeous Julie Christie) and falls in love with her. She's equally attracted to him. Just one problem; her wealthy/disciplinarian father owns a sports car firm, HATES cyclists and won't let Murdoch take her out until he passes the driving test. Enter Troon's slippery friend, a used car salesman desperate for commission, who promises to teach him to drive if he buys The The Fast Lady, an old sports car he's anxious to get rid of. The casting of this film is near-perfect. As in all the best farces this film starts quietly and then gradually moves the pace up and up until the frantic side-splitting finale. The Fast Lady delightfully pokes fun at the British class system and figures of minor authority and the recurring theme tune is 'catchy'. So, if it's ever on TV again, I'd advise you to watch it. You'll laugh throughout and be left with a nice warm feeling by the end.
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2.6mb - a 35 second video file Permission applied for |
Y/T 4313 
Charles Wiggins' MG YT overtaking an MG TC.
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End of a Y 
Willem van der Veer posted this "video nasty" on YouTube ... after taking the useful bits off the car. See also Y 4548.
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The Damned, aka These are the Damned (1963)
In The Damned, also known aa These are the Damned (1963) an American tourist with a boat is robbed by a gang of teenager boys, assisted by the leader's sister. But soon afterward she jumps to the victim's boat to escape her brother's incestuous jealousy. The couple fly together and is hunted by the entire gang. Both happen to enter high-classified military territory. There might be a third and atomic world war, after which no ordinary man could survive. But now and then children are born who are "naturally" radio-active and have cold blood. They might survive in the post-war world and carry on mankind. They are fetched and brought to an underground construction where they are educated by TV. They are told that they are on a space ship moving toward the earth, which they should eventually colonize. This military project seems to be a failure because of a high mortality among the children. - The military soon finds the gang. The couple finds the children and tries to help them to escape. This situation will develop into psychological and other horror. Written by Max Scharnberg, Stockholm, Sweden.
The Stone of Destiny (2008)
In The Stone of Destiny (2008), Ian Hamilton a lawyer and the protagonist, is very angry at what he sees as the political and economic subjugation of Scotland by England, and sad that Scots are somewhat ashamed to be Scottish (symbolised by the description of Scotland as "North Britain" in much material of the time) so he decides to perform a symbolic act to put heart into the marginalised Scottish nationalist movement. He creates a daring scheme with a friend to liberate the Stone of Scone back from Westminister Abbey in London, where it had resided for centuries following English military victories over the Scots in the Middle Ages. They both research the Abbey and create their scheme, but once his friend realized that Ian was actually serious about liberating the stone, he backed out. So Ian decided he would liberate the stone by himself, but before he left, he went to see the head of the university (a prominent campaigner for Scottish Nationalism, played by Robert Carlyle) to ask for funds for basic necessities. He provided, and later, at a party, referred Ian to Kay Matheson, a girl with strong Nationalist ideas, would help him retrieve the stone. After a variety of rather comic mis-chances, the group retrieve the stone from Westminster Abbey and return it to Scotland. After repairing damage, they return it to the authorities (having achieved their political aims) and are arrested and charged, but not prosecuted, on charges relating to the case. The final narration on screen points out that though the Stone is now in Scotland, it is only 'on loan' and will return to Westminster for the next Coronation of a British monarch. Anon.
Y 5888
Another You Tube film - this time featuring Y 5888 of Willem van der Veer.
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March to Aldermaston
March to Aldermaston is a documentary looking at the anti-war, anti-nuclear bomb march starting on Good Friday in 1958. With interviews with those involved and footage from the entire march, the film captures the spirit of those trying to force change for the better as they get closer to the factory in Aldermaston.
The film does make important points through narration Richard Burton but it spreads them too thinly across too much footage. If it had done a better job of providing more interest in the footage then it would have covered the gaps but it doesn't manage it and the film feels too long as a result. It ends strongly with pictures of the victims run against the march and with a challenge from the film to the viewer, which does rather save the film because this is the impression one is left with, but it is difficult to ignore the bagginess and length as you are watching it.
Critique courtesy of International Move DataBase website.
Y 6486 
Gilles Bachand revitalises his Semaphore arms after at least 12 years of non-use. He was so thrilled, he posted this video on YouTube!.
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Hoi Seung Fa
Hoi seung fa was released in 1986. The Mandarin title literally translated means Sea Top Flower, although the international title is Immortal Story. Recorded in Cantonese and staring Sylvia Chang, Paul Chun, Sui-Wong Fan, Shingo Tsurumi, David Wu, Wai Yiu, and Yonfan. Apart from that, ... I have not been able to find out anything about the plot!
End of another Y
This clip was found by Willem Van der Veer on the YouTube website. You are advised that this clip may show scenes that could be considered to be of a disturbing nature and viewer discretion is advised. Those of a weak disposition might prefer to turn away! The narrative on the YouTube site says "I'm not sure what model MG car, but it had been in my neighbour's drive for the last 28 years at least - they decided to get rid of it in 2005. Here it is being loaded onto the back of a skip truck". Although it is hard to be certain, it is probably a YB as you can just make out an over rider on the front bumper as it is pushed through the hole for the sun roof and there are shadows of twin windtone horns on the fire wall.
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Malta Story
This film, Malta Story, was produced at Ealing Studios in 1953 and was directed by Brian Hurst. Staring Alex Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Steel and Muriel Pavlow.
In 1942 Britain was clinging to the island of Malta as it was critical to keeping Allied supply lines to North Africa open. The Axis also wanted it for their own supply lines. The film contains many realistic re-enactments and archival combat footage, as the British are besieged and fight off the Luftwaffe. Against this background, an RAF reconnaissance photographer's romance with a local girl is endangered as he tries to plot enemy movements. This film is a great credit to the magnificent fortitude of the Maltese people, and the Armed Forces stationed on the island, and those who sought to supply them against seemingly overwhelming odds. A slight bit of directorial discretion then in the use of a YT, but it is a great film about a phenomenally dark time (great flying scenes and also features contemporary news reel film clips in the film too).
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Despite many efforts we have been unable to track down the copyright holder. If you are the copyright holder, please contact the webmaster via our Contact Us page and let us know as we do like to obtain permission to use items before release.
Evelyn (2002)
Evelyn was made by United Artist in 2002 and based on a true story. Produced by, and staring Pierce Brosnan, Evelyn is set in 1953 in Dublin, Ireland.
Times are tough, but no one has it tougher than Desmond Doyle when his wife runs off, with a guy in an MG Y, (Pierce Brosnan, or an MG Y owner - which would you choose ladies!!): his beloved daughter Evelyn and two young sons are sent to an orphanages by the government under the 1941 Children's Act (Ireland). Enlisting the help of loyal friends (Juliana Marguiles, Stephen Rae) and a feisty American lawyer (Aidan Quinn), he takes his case to Ireland's Supreme Court in a history-making quest to topple an ironclad law ... and wins back custody of his children!
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Evelyn © 2003
Cinevelyn Internationale Filmproduktionsgesellschaft Mbh & Co. 1
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
COURTESY of MGM CLIP + STILL
Dance with a stranger (1985)
Dance with a stranger is based on the true story of the last woman hanged in England. Staring Miranda Richardson in her "spectacular movie debut" (Vogue), along with Rupert Everett and Ian Holm, Dance with a stranger is the "stunning, powerful [and] fascinating" (Vogue) winner of the 1985 Cannes Best Picture Award.
Ruth Ellis (Richardson) is a private dancer with a tough exterior. But her armour begins to crack when she meets wealthy racecar driver David Blakely (Everett). And despite warnings against the affair by her friends and would-be lover Desmond Cussen (Holm), Ellis is quickly seduced by Blakely's charms. But when his passions turn cold, she is caught in a dark dance of obsession which gives way to desperation and finally culminates in a deadly confrontation that shatters the stillness one fateful night with a shocking act ... that may ultimately destroy them both.
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Dance with a Stranger © 1985
National Film Trustee Company, Ltd.
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
COURTESY of MGM CLIP + STILL
Le Petit Soldat (1963) 
This film, Le Petit Soldat directed by Jean-Luc Godard, was made in 1960. It was subsequently banned by the French government and not commercially released until 1963, when the war in Algeria was over and Algeria had gained its independence. It is sometimes difficult to recall, so many years after the fact, that the Algerian conflict was then tearing France apart and, had anyone but a World War II veteran like De Gaulle been in charge, probably would have led to civil war.
The lead character is a somewhat reluctant and half-hearted member of a right wing terrorist group, opposing Algerian independence, planning assassinations and tortures of members of left wing terrorist groups supporting Algerian independence. Godard demonstrates that there is really no difference between the two, that they are both morally bankrupt and ultimately nihilistic. Members of both groups are shown with remarkable objectivity - remarkable if you know Godard's own political leanings, which were far to the left, Maoist in fact.
Stylistically the film has a documentary, cinema verite feel. Godard used hand held cameras decades before they came into vogue. The characters seem real, so much so that, except for the beautiful Anna Karina, it is necessary to remind oneself that these are actors.
By the way, probably very few viewers, except those who may have been in France at that time, will know the significance of a scene where, several times in succession, several cars blow their horns "ta ta tum, tum tum". That was a very public code that existed in France at the time and stood for "Algerie Francaise," or loosely, "Keep Algeria French." A very topical film.
Review by William Fickling of South Carolina, USA.
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom © (1984)
Indiana Jones is almost a household name for home entertainment, and never more so than in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, especially given the cameo appearance of an MG Y saloon (just to the right of the door to the door with the neon bar sign for Club Obi Wan).
In this fictional action adventure film, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), having escaped the Singapore Night Club Obi Wan (shades ofStar Wars??), crash-lands in India and uncovers a sinister scheme that has enslaved a remote village's children to dig in the mines for the mystical Shankara Stones. Indiana Jones has to outwit the villains and there is a great chase through the mine in mining carts, ... oh and save the children of course!
The film is set in the 1935 so what a Y is doing there? Who knows, it's as big a mystery as any Indiana Jones was involved in!
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom© 1984 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™.
All rights reserved. Used under authorization.
COURTESY OF LUCASFILM 
Murder at the Vicarage (1986)
Murder at the vicarage (1986) There are multiple versions of this on release so ensure that you purchase the 1986 version.
Staring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple and Paul Eddington as Reverend Clement, Agatha Christie's most popular character, prim and proper Miss Marple overhears the mild mannered Reverend Clement swearing in anger about the most unpopular Colonel Lucius Protheroe. Throughout the day, Miss Marple learns that certain other villagers have reason to hate the Colonel, so that when his body is found the next day, there is no shortage of suspects. To complicate matters, some villagers have alibis, others have confessions. It will take all of Miss Marple's intuitive powers to separate the killer from the pretenders.
Directed by Julian Amyes, produced by George Gallaccio, Murder at the Vicarage was filmed on location in Middle Wallop and Romsey, Hampshire, UK for the BBC in1986 by Lionheart Television International Inc. The Hampshire scenery is beautiful too! All clips and stills are copyright of the BBC and are used here by kind permission of the BBC.
YB 0481 is currently owned by Geoffrey Wilson, Hampshire, UK.
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Lovely door panels 488kb - a 7 second video file |
 Pulling into the (Romsey) Police Station |
 Great engine sound on video |
Pulling into the (Romsey) Police Station 851kb - a 13 second video file |
Great engine sound on video 1mb - a 19 second video file |
Sweeney 2 (1978)
Sweeney 2, the sequel to Sweeney!, were spun off from an original TV series made in the UK from 1975 - 1978. The Sweeney was a hard-hitting (for its time) police series set in the world of the Flying Squad. In Cockney Rhyming Slang 'Sweeney Todd' is 'Flying Squad', a team of plain clothes detectives based in London's New Scotland Yard, dealing with serious crime. The show mainly concerned itself with the exploits of Detective Inspector Jack Regan, played by John Thaw, and his sidekick, Detective Sergeant George Carter, played by Dennis Waterman. The show was generated quite a lot of complaints from those who liked their policemen to be seen politely helping little old ladies across the road... I guess you could say it was the NYPD Blue, or The Shield, of it's day.
Sweeney! and Sweeney 2 are really two extended episodes of the show, but they do reign in the rhyming slang that was such a part of the TV series as the films were obviously intended for a wider audience. Sweeney! opened out the usual TV format and involved Regan and Carter in dirty goings on in high places, corrupt politicians, murdered prostitutes, and blackmail, while Sweeney 2 took them back to their roots, in having to deal with a ruthless team of 'blaggers' or bank robbers. In Sweeney 2 Regan and Carter are chasing around London after a gang of 'blaggers' who wave gold-plated sawn-off Purdy shotguns in peoples faces to get what they want, and they're not shy about using them either! There are some blackly comic scenes, especially the one where a young lady returns Regan's keys to him - in a very "personal" place - while he's sleeping off the booze and, as was their trade mark, a spectacularly violent ending. All clips and stills are copyright of the Granada TV and are used here by kind permission of the Granada TV.
YB 1533 is currently owned by Gerry Belton.
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This video clip, and the use of the stills, is with grateful thanks to TalkbackTHAMES
Music
annA rydeR
Singer-songwriter and musician annA rydeR wrote a song featuring, among others, a Y Type - well two Y Types actually.
annA say's:
The song is called Put Another Car In My Graveyard and I wrote it some time ago.
'I have a friend called Pete Jones, who "suffers" from a compulsive obsessive car-type syndrome and thinks "cars are kind of alive".
'He lived in Leamington not far from me and had several old bangers in his front drive. He also would put cars in his garden which he could not resuscitate. When he moved to Wales guess what he did? He took all 17 of these cars out of his garden and front drive on a trailer from Leamington to Wales. Personally I think he is strange. He actually has an MG Y-type saloon and the names of cars in the songs are what cars he actually has in fact. Yes it's true. That is the extent of the knowledge I have of the reason I put this car in my song. I love the names of all the cars and I have no idea why it's a Y-type but I expect you do!' (annA now knows the answer to that - webmaster.)
Click here to download and play the song in MP3 format (playable via any Windows compatible media player - file size is 5mB, but huge fun and worth the download - webmaster! ), and the full lyrics for the song can be downloaded here in PDF format.
This is a private exclusive recording for the International MG Y Type Register. Both lyrics, and the recording are copyrighted to annA rydeR and are not to be copied or otherwise used except for personal use. Please contact annA through her site to obtain copyright permissions for use.