1970s psychological thriller shot in Caithness to be screened in Thurso

A rarely seen psychological thriller made in Caithness almost half a century ago is to be screened in Thurso at the end of this month.

Eclipse, written and directed by Simon Perry, was filmed on location at the House of the Northern Gate, at Dunnet Head.

Starring Tom Conti and Gay Hamilton, it tells the story of a man who is troubled by memories of his dead twin.

The film, which has a 15 rating, is due to have its first local screening at the Merlin Cinema in Thurso on Friday, May 30, at 9.30pm, with tickets now on sale.

Some years ago, it became an aim of the Cinema for Thurso archive to find a working print of the film and secure a licence to show it at the town’s cinema.

Local filmmaker and exhibitor Darren Manson has acquired original lobby cards and an original film poster for the movie.

“Eclipse has not been seen or available for nearly 50 years but now it is finally getting a distribution via Blu-ray and this has created the opportunity to at last screen the film in the county where it was made,” Darren said.

He explained that in October 1975 a film crew of 25 arrived in Caithness to start location shooting. The film was to be produced by London-based Celandine Productions.

Prior to this, The Silver Darlings (released in 1947), based on the Neil Gunn novel of the same name, was the last feature-length film to be made in the county.

Perry’s screenplay was based on the novel by Nicholas Wollaston, set against the backdrop of Scotland’s Atlantic Coast.

The plot centres around twin brothers who take a small boat out into the Atlantic to watch a lunar eclipse. The body of the older one is later found on a beach.

The main action occurs over Christmas in an isolated cliffside house occupied by the dead brother’s widow, where the surviving brother broods over his twin and their relationship.

The House of the Northern Gate, where most of the action takes place, was rented from its then owner, David Gold.

Perry made use of exteriors and interiors at the imposing property, in particular a bedroom used by the Queen Mother during her first stay in the county.

Exterior shots were also filmed at the nearby beach of Peedie Sands. Kylesku and Rhiconich in north-west Sutherland were used for additional exteriors, while further scenes were filmed at the courthouse at Inverness Castle and in the grounds outside.

In Caithness the production crew stayed in local hotels and were said to have been pleasantly surprised by the mild weather and wealth of shops. Some props were bought in Thurso from house furnishers J Miller Calder and the Ship’s Wheel antiques business as well as a local chemist.

The completed film was intended to be 90 minutes but was cut to 85. It was expected to be finished by the early spring of 1976 in time for presentation at the Cannes Film Festival before release the following year.

It was then believed to have had regional TV screenings but was never shown at the Thurso or Wick cinemas.

Darren said: “I have always kept a positive approach to locating films for exhibition, as there is always some way to achieve access.

“In 2013 I finally got my hands on Black Angel, a film I’d spent 30-plus years looking for. In 2017 I was able to access a screening licence for The Silver Darlings exclusively for a 70th anniversary screening.”

The screening of Eclipse in Thurso will include a full supporting programme of period adverts and trailers, along with archive footage showing some of the locations used.

An advert for local business Alan Gaunt Motorcycles, of Shebster, will also be shown for the first time since the late 1970s.

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