The Italian Job And A Chat With Churchill – The Extraordinary Life of Jeremy Baylis

Blenheim Court Resident Ambassador, Jeremy Baylis, was born in London in 1947 and attended boarding school on the Isle of Wight. Aged 16, his life changed direction – and he never looked back.

Shepperton at Sixteen – the First Rung of the Ladder

Jeremy was keen to leave school and start work once he reached 16. His father Peter, a respected documentary film maker, said to his son, “I’ll help you get a job so you’re on the first rung of the ladder - then it’s up to you”.

An introduction led to a trial period which enabled Jeremy to gain the required union membership, before being employed as a Second Assistant Editor at Shepperton Studios in Surrey. In the days before video, everything was shot on film and Jeremy’s main responsibility was matching together the separate reels of sound and pictures that had been captured – known as syncing the rushes.

At Shepperton, Jeremy worked on the popular 1960’s TV series, Danger Man starring actor Patrick McGoohan who later featured in the cult TV show, The Prisoner. Jeremy loved being there and worked closely with film editor, John Glen, who later became a director credited with five James Bond films. The Danger Man production schedule was fast and furious so the editing work was split between John and a second editor, Lee, with Jeremy assisting them both.

Classic Movie and Iconic Minis – All on the Toss of a Coin

Crunch time came in 1966 when Jeremy, 18 years old and a First Assistant Editor, was offered two opportunities – the first by Lee on The Prisoner, and the second by John who was scheduled to work on a feature film called The Italian Job. Jeremy found it hard to decide and after some sleepless nights he simply tossed a coin – and that’s how he ended up on The Italian Job, a film starring Michael Caine and featuring three original Mini Coopers in what would become a famous bank heist scene. The film shoot took place in Turin over 4 months. The editors were based back at Twickenham Studios but Jeremy was invited to join the crew in Turin for the end of shoot celebration and was able to watch the final week on location – a wonderful experience.

Editing the Film – and Working with Michael Caine

For the editors, the real work began after filming and Jeremy’s role included co-syncing and re-recording dialogue – necessary if too much background noise has been picked up on the shoot. The actors were required to come into the edit suite and lip sync over a series of pre-prepared, marked up loops of film. Some found it challenging but Michael Caine turned out to be brilliant at it. Having prepared about 20 loops for his session, Jeremy told the actor that he was allowing 2 days for the work, to which Caine replied, “I hate to frighten you but this is my thing – I need you to prepare at least 80 loops and I’ll do them in one day” – which is exactly what happened. He was a real pro!

Jeremy also recalls Caine having to re-record his dialogue for the US release of the film after an American producer watched a screening and claimed not to be able to understand a word! “Thank you very much” said Caine, who was at the preview with his mother – but gamely re-recorded the dialogue using a plummy English accent for the alternative version!

A Car too Far

Around 30 Minis were used for the film’s various scenes and stunts, but once location work on The Italian Job was complete, there were 3 Minis left over. The Production Manager offered Jeremy one for £100 but after giving it some thought he said, “No, it’s okay, thanks, I’ve already got a car, and a motorbike”. No-one knew that the film and the original Mini Coopers would become 1960s icons. Nowadays, Jeremy enjoys watching the Antiques Roadshow at Blenheim Court with his fellow Resident Ambassador, Jean. He keeps an apprehensive eye out for a classic Mini showing up, worth a fortune, and its owner saying, “My dad was offered this by someone who worked on the filming of The Italian Job ……!”

Jeremy was thrilled to work on another classic film – the musical Oliver! Although the editing took place at Pinewood Studios, the film was shot mainly on the big sets at Shepperton Studios. Jeremy has many tales to tell from his time on Oliver! including the real-life escapades of ‘Fagin’s boys’ who’d been selected from a school in the east end of London. They were a cheeky bunch and Jeremy recalls a day when they offered to clean his car during a break in filming and ended up driving it around the film lot, claiming to be “drying it”!

Work, Play and Stories Galore

After his earlier years as a freelance editor, Jeremy turned to television, working on a variety of programmes at the BBC and at Thames TV. Everyone worked hard, played hard and made great television and Jeremy particularly remembers the evolving pace of a news day which began quietly, got busier and became hectic as the live broadcast approached. A chance encounter with the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, trying to gain access to the director’s gallery during a live broadcast is just another of Jeremy's anecdotes that emerged from ordinary day at work.

Later in his career, Jeremy returned to the freelance world, taking on a range of different projects in TV and film, and continuing to meet some incredible people, including Sir John Betjeman, when he was Poet Laureate, on a film about trains for British Transport Films. During the recording of the voiceover for the film, Jeremy witnessed Betjeman spontaneously writing and recording a short poem to go over a particular scene, and he has an intriguing tale to tell involving the original manuscript and a large atlas ….!

Feature Film Swansong with David Lean

Fast-forward to 1984 and a twist of fate finally brought Jeremy together with his favourite film director – David Lean. The production needed a dialogue editor and as their regular editor was busy, Jeremy got the call. Working on A Passage to India was a poignant experience – Jeremy’s last film and also David Lean’s.

One of Jeremy’s most treasured possessions is a photograph of David Lean under an umbrella on the set of ‘A Passage to India’ with the handwritten message, “Thank you for your kind work on our ‘Passage to India”. Jeremy was deeply touched by the ‘our’.

The film sets, celebrity encounters and amusing anecdotes make Jeremy’s career in film and TV seem glamorous but he maintains that it really wasn’t glamorous at all. There were boring days, he says, when there was a lot of hanging around waiting for things to happen – but nevertheless, Jeremy loved it every minute. Surprisingly, though, when asked which person he’d most enjoyed meeting, it isn’t an actor or a film star like Michael Caine or Oliver Reed - it’s Sir Winston Churchill.

Fireside Chat with Churchill Best of All

Before he left school, Jeremy’s dad Peter was due to film with Churchill for the documentary, The Finest Hours. Jeremy got permission to take the day off school and travel over to watch the filming but because of train delays, he arrived late at Churchill’s London home in Lancaster Gate and found he’d missed it. Disappointed, he approached Churchill’s aide and explained the situation. The aide told him Churchill was having his nap – part of his daily routine since the late nights of World War 2 – but that afterwards, he’d arrange a meeting.

Jeremy was shown into a large lounge where Churchill sat in front of a huge roaring fire, a cat on his lap and a budgerigar on his shoulder. Jeremy explained that he was Peter Baylis’s son and he’d always wanted to meet him, but he was very nervous. Churchill said, “Not as nervous as I am to meet you”. This was apparently a phrase that Churchill used to put people at their ease, and Jeremy was able to relax and hold a conversation.

The meeting was a lovely memory for a schoolboy who would go on to regularly collaborate with the well-known and famous throughout his career.

The Italian Job Comes to Blenheim Court

Everyone at Blenheim Court - residents, the team and his partner in crime, Resident Ambassador Jean - appreciate all that Jeremy contributes to the home, so when it was discovered that he’d worked on The Italian Job, a plan was hatched.

Each month, the team choose a different country as the theme for residents’ menus, events and activities, so Italy was selected for April, and the Hampshire Mini Owners Club were contacted. Could they bring some Minis to Blenheim Court for an event to celebrate Jeremy’s involvement in making the film?

The Club, alongside fellow Mini fans from the Basingstoke Mini Club, came up trumps and on a beautiful morning, seven Minis arrived one by one at Blenheim Court, all shining beautifully. Once the cars had been lined up on the forecourt, their owners joined Jeremy on the sunny terrace for coffee and some spontaneous anecdotes about his life in films. Everyone then moved to the cinema room to watch The Italian Job’s famous action sequence featuring the Minis’ getaway and afterwards, Jeremy continued to answer questions about the filming and production of The Italian Job, and more generally about his career in the film industry.

After a sociable lunch, Jeremy went outside again and was joined by a group of residents who admired the cars and shared some Mini-inspired memories. Lee Sharp, from the Hampshire Mini Owners Club, said, “We all had a fantastic day. For a group of Mini enthusiasts, meeting Jeremy and hearing about his involvement in The Italian Job was very special. It almost felt as though the day was for us!”

More to Come from Jeremy

Jeremy took the day in his stride – full of good humour and delighted to meet the Mini owners. “It was wonderful to see the Minis and chat to their owners, and great to watch the getaway scenes from the film again”, he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the day”. Jeremy was also very relaxed during an interview with journalist Mark Simpson for Petersfield’s local radio station, Shine Radio which ended with Jeremy quizzing Mark!

Throughout his fascinating career, Jeremy retained his sense of humour, his work ethic, and his genuine delight in meeting people – all still very much the case today. Having hinted that he might turn his memories and anecdotes into a book, there’s definitely more to come from Jeremy Baylis!

Comfort, Care and Community

Set in the village of Liss, with far-reaching views across the South Downs, Blenheim Court Care Home offers expert residential, nursing and dementia care in a beautifully designed setting.

Families can feel confident knowing their loved one is supported by a dedicated team and surrounded by comfort and choice. We also work closely with our private physiotherapist and can arrange appointments within the home, perfect for respite and rehabilitation stays, including following an operation such as a joint replacement, recovering from a fall, or to help regain strength and independence.

For more information or if you would like to visit our home, please call us on 01730 775 889