All you relatives out there, I used to work with Bill Wells, the Bombardier's grandson in the eighties, any one know want happened to him as we lost touch.
anything after ww2 was some wrestler who done the gong but my great grandad never appeared in the colour version so if your oing to say your realated to him get your facts right before you post stuff claiming this guy is him cause its not morons!!!!!!!!
The concept was created in 1935 on a wet Sunday afternoon at Walton Hall Studios, Isleworth, Middlesex, when former British heavyweight boxing champion, 6ft 2in bombardier Billy Wells, made the first film sequence which was to introduce all Rank films for the next 12 years.
By combining the strength of a perfect physical specimen of a man with the deep resonance of a huge gong, the intention was to achieve a simultaneous impact in vision and sound.
this isnt billy wells il ask my mum about it but i think this was made in the 60,s and if so billy would of been 70 odd he was the 1st to do it as he was in his prime at boxing il look at the book i was given by his son my grandad i watched a tv program a good few years ago about the best of british heavy weight boxers and it showed footage of him
This scene was taken from the 1948 colour production of the Red Shoes. I showed the movie in a cinema. Rank did not make only black and white movies (although most were though). Two more gong men followed that were used. The last gongman seequence film was nver used.
just to let all you people no this is not billy wells the boxer the real billy wells was in the old black and white version my great grandad was billy wells and i asked his only son my grandad billy wells all about him this geezer here i think used to do tarzan. logicsmash "user name" has the billy wells on his version and this is fact
If this is scene is from The Red Shoes (as stated much earlier) then this is Billy Wells. Ken Richmond and the third (second for Rank) gongman were much different in appearance. Compare this to the Black and White shots.
As Bdr Billy Wells Grand daughter, I,m interested to know what you know of him & where you are in the family tree I,m currently researching? thank you.
That would make you my mothers sister...or half sister,as she doesnt have a sister! The family tree is complicated.His belts are held at his regiment in woolwich.They are not on public display,you would need to speak to major Bone and produce identification as to who you are to gain access.
I have 3 sisters who are all younger than me. I don't have any half sisters. Bombardier had 5 children who I have grown up knowing of and there is only one remaining which is my mother, so I am confused! lol Thanks for your reply. I have seen the Lonsdale belt as it was brought to my mother's pub in the late 80's when The Charles Wells Brewery were celebrating the release of their Bombardier Bitter.
Whats your mothers name? My grandmothers surname was vincent,he was my mothers grandfather. Difficult for me to trace as not a close family,and my grandmother is dead now. My mum would know all the names but i dont! I know his father was william,but he had nine children,so many relatives to trace!
Hi Minx your g-grandad fought in the Salutation Hotel in Perth and donated his purse to Perth Artisans Golf Club so that they could build a clubhouse. Its the oldest artisan,s club in the world (1879) but don't know when the clubhouse was built. I've only just found this out and will find out if there is a BBW trophy to mark your g-grandad,s generousity and let you know.
I can say that I believe it is NOT Carl Dane, who was the very 1st man to bang the gong. I am sure all of his scenes were in black and white - you can see him at the start of the film 'King Soloman's Mines'. Carl Dane was MY Grandfather. How coincidental is that :-) Maybe we should get together to compare notes.
Easiest way for you to find Billy Wells is by checking out the films on one of the many net sites.
@mercowen I've just come back from the funeral of my Grandfather who, in his youth enjoyed wrestling/Greco Roman wrestling and at some point was in a match with your Great Grandfather.
If this clip is taken from the beginning of The Red Shoes, it must be Ken Richmond. I just looked him up on Wikipedia because my parents knew him (they said he was a very sweet man), and it says that he was the gongman for The Red Shoes. :)
I showed the movie about 12 years ago. Definitely this is Billy Wells. Ken Richmond was 2 gong men later and also a different height and build. Also the Red Shoes was a J Arthur Rank film. Ken was the Gong Man during the days when it was The Rank Organistion.
There were 5 gong scenes filmed if you count Carl Dane (was he used only as General Film Distributors?). The 5th gong man filmed was never used. He was intended to replace Ken Richmond.
Carl Dane was the 1st - originally for General Film Distributors, then he did bang the gong for Rank. Billy wells was the 1st man recruited by Rank, which is where some confusion often arises.
Carl Dane was my father, you are not one of my children, so one of your parents must be related to me. I have been trying to trace relatives on my father's side so would be very interested to hear from you.
My gran used to talk about her uncle Carl being the man who originally banged the gong at the start of Rank Organisation films. I guess that means we're all related in one way or another!
Yes,I think your gran and I would be cousins,so you and I are third cousins. Do you know whether dad,was the brother of your grans mother or father and what your great grandfather's surname and your great grandmother's maiden name was? I'm trying to do my family tree and would appreciate any help you can give me.
I remember showing the 1948 film "The Red Shoes". This was in colour and the logo was "J Arthur Rank Presents" same as the tag above. Therefore the chap above is likely to be Billy Wells when the logo was filmed in colour. Ken Richmond appeared much taller.
I have seen Billy Wells on TV films in black and white. Looks like it was filmed in colour though. This chap does not look like Ken Richmond. In fact I suggest now that this is Billy Wells. The second gong man looked diffenent from Billy and Ken.
Are you sure this is Ken Richmond. I understood he struck the gong as when Rank was "The Rank Organisation Presents" and not "J Arthur Rank Presents". Could this chap be the second gong man?
He's not hitting it.
casestudyification 1 month ago
Thumbs up if you watched this after you watched the million pound question in Who Wants to be a Millionaire
alster724 2 months ago 3
are we about to watch a movie?
Hubahubatime 2 months ago
That gong is now in tv film museum London county hall saw it Sunday don't look much now
Bbrizey01 4 months ago
PLEASE POST A LONGER GONG VIDEO!
smexipizza 4 months ago
Even as a kid I knew Temple of Doom was paying homage to a old movie intro but I didnt know what company.
J5MARLON 6 months ago
All you relatives out there, I used to work with Bill Wells, the Bombardier's grandson in the eighties, any one know want happened to him as we lost touch.
bigmickp 9 months ago
Billy Wells is my Great Uncle. It's pretty amazing to see this on here!
DoughnutStudios 10 months ago
Best intro to any production company.
BlackMagnumFilms 1 year ago
Whoa Whoa Dude This Guy Is My Great Great Uncle Or Something :S
georgiaandmillie 1 year ago
Comment removed
littlegobbyangel 1 year ago
me and him used to smoke weed back in Peckham in the old days.
darpachief 1 year ago
Wow everyone commenting is ralated to this guy, somehow I think not.
WillShakespeare2007 1 year ago
ha hes my great great grandad
xXTOMO1Xx 2 years ago 2
Really?!?!?
Trund27 2 years ago
yeh bombadier billy wells
xXTOMO1Xx 2 years ago
anything after ww2 was some wrestler who done the gong but my great grandad never appeared in the colour version so if your oing to say your realated to him get your facts right before you post stuff claiming this guy is him cause its not morons!!!!!!!!
csqnthelegion 2 years ago
The concept was created in 1935 on a wet Sunday afternoon at Walton Hall Studios, Isleworth, Middlesex, when former British heavyweight boxing champion, 6ft 2in bombardier Billy Wells, made the first film sequence which was to introduce all Rank films for the next 12 years.
By combining the strength of a perfect physical specimen of a man with the deep resonance of a huge gong, the intention was to achieve a simultaneous impact in vision and sound.
csqnthelegion 2 years ago
In the 1980's I worked in the Rank Film Distributors Film Archive.
The sound you hear on this film is that of a small dinner gong, the gong being stuck, in the true spirit of Rank, was made of wood.
WOFWD123 2 years ago
this isnt billy wells il ask my mum about it but i think this was made in the 60,s and if so billy would of been 70 odd he was the 1st to do it as he was in his prime at boxing il look at the book i was given by his son my grandad i watched a tv program a good few years ago about the best of british heavy weight boxers and it showed footage of him
csqnthelegion 3 years ago
This scene was taken from the 1948 colour production of the Red Shoes. I showed the movie in a cinema. Rank did not make only black and white movies (although most were though). Two more gong men followed that were used. The last gongman seequence film was nver used.
cinemanz 3 years ago
just to let all you people no this is not billy wells the boxer the real billy wells was in the old black and white version my great grandad was billy wells and i asked his only son my grandad billy wells all about him this geezer here i think used to do tarzan. logicsmash "user name" has the billy wells on his version and this is fact
csqnthelegion 3 years ago
If this is scene is from The Red Shoes (as stated much earlier) then this is Billy Wells. Ken Richmond and the third (second for Rank) gongman were much different in appearance. Compare this to the Black and White shots.
cinemanz 3 years ago
my granddad used to spar with William in the navy.. us fawcetts have always been fighters...
neverasked4this 3 years ago
Anyone viewing this i can confirm this is indeed 'billy wells'...he was my great grandfather.
mercowen 4 years ago 4
so your great grandfather was chosen as a phisically perfect specimen of the male of the human race... and you? :-)
daktaritubabu 4 years ago 4
Ha,i am of similiar build yes!
mercowen 4 years ago
@daktaritubabu LOL
Trund27 11 months ago
As Bdr Billy Wells Grand daughter, I,m interested to know what you know of him & where you are in the family tree I,m currently researching? thank you.
minxylady1965 3 years ago
That would make you my mothers sister...or half sister,as she doesnt have a sister! The family tree is complicated.His belts are held at his regiment in woolwich.They are not on public display,you would need to speak to major Bone and produce identification as to who you are to gain access.
mercowen 3 years ago
I have 3 sisters who are all younger than me. I don't have any half sisters. Bombardier had 5 children who I have grown up knowing of and there is only one remaining which is my mother, so I am confused! lol Thanks for your reply. I have seen the Lonsdale belt as it was brought to my mother's pub in the late 80's when The Charles Wells Brewery were celebrating the release of their Bombardier Bitter.
minxylady1965 3 years ago
Whats your mothers name? My grandmothers surname was vincent,he was my mothers grandfather. Difficult for me to trace as not a close family,and my grandmother is dead now. My mum would know all the names but i dont! I know his father was william,but he had nine children,so many relatives to trace!
mercowen 3 years ago
Hi Minx your g-grandad fought in the Salutation Hotel in Perth and donated his purse to Perth Artisans Golf Club so that they could build a clubhouse. Its the oldest artisan,s club in the world (1879) but don't know when the clubhouse was built. I've only just found this out and will find out if there is a BBW trophy to mark your g-grandad,s generousity and let you know.
lovabull1 2 years ago
Hi lovabull, thanks so much for replying - i'd forgotten all about this thread. Would be great to know more. Minxy
minxylady69 2 years ago
I can say that I believe it is NOT Carl Dane, who was the very 1st man to bang the gong. I am sure all of his scenes were in black and white - you can see him at the start of the film 'King Soloman's Mines'. Carl Dane was MY Grandfather. How coincidental is that :-) Maybe we should get together to compare notes.
Easiest way for you to find Billy Wells is by checking out the films on one of the many net sites.
hope this helps
nat.x
nafumk 3 years ago
@mercowen He was my great great uncle :-)
mikefenna 1 year ago
@mercowen Far out...
coynehead 1 year ago
@mercowen I've just come back from the funeral of my Grandfather who, in his youth enjoyed wrestling/Greco Roman wrestling and at some point was in a match with your Great Grandfather.
djduchesse 1 week ago
If this clip is taken from the beginning of The Red Shoes, it must be Ken Richmond. I just looked him up on Wikipedia because my parents knew him (they said he was a very sweet man), and it says that he was the gongman for The Red Shoes. :)
RAMINDAS 4 years ago
I showed the movie about 12 years ago. Definitely this is Billy Wells. Ken Richmond was 2 gong men later and also a different height and build. Also the Red Shoes was a J Arthur Rank film. Ken was the Gong Man during the days when it was The Rank Organistion.
cinemanz 4 years ago
im related to billy wells, hes my grandmas cousin or sumthin lol xx
ohsohotyes 4 years ago
whaaa im related to him aswell i think he was mi mums cousin or sumting i dunno lol
zhangziyiftw 4 years ago
There were 4 Gong men used for the Rank intro - Carl Dane, Billy Wells, Phil Nieman, and Ken Richmond.
acousticore 4 years ago
There were 5 gong scenes filmed if you count Carl Dane (was he used only as General Film Distributors?). The 5th gong man filmed was never used. He was intended to replace Ken Richmond.
cinemanz 4 years ago
Carl Dane was the 1st - originally for General Film Distributors, then he did bang the gong for Rank. Billy wells was the 1st man recruited by Rank, which is where some confusion often arises.
Carl Dane was my grandfather :-)
nafumk 3 years ago 2
Carl Dane was my father, you are not one of my children, so one of your parents must be related to me. I have been trying to trace relatives on my father's side so would be very interested to hear from you.
patsylambert 3 years ago 2
My gran used to talk about her uncle Carl being the man who originally banged the gong at the start of Rank Organisation films. I guess that means we're all related in one way or another!
pyonpyontobu 3 years ago 2
Yes,I think your gran and I would be cousins,so you and I are third cousins. Do you know whether dad,was the brother of your grans mother or father and what your great grandfather's surname and your great grandmother's maiden name was? I'm trying to do my family tree and would appreciate any help you can give me.
patsylambert 3 years ago 2
I cropped this logo from the film The Red Shoes
daktaritubabu 4 years ago
High Dak. How did you crop it. What method did you use?
Fourbrick 4 years ago
any video editor will do the work. I use the Sony Vegas Video
daktaritubabu 4 years ago
I remember showing the 1948 film "The Red Shoes". This was in colour and the logo was "J Arthur Rank Presents" same as the tag above. Therefore the chap above is likely to be Billy Wells when the logo was filmed in colour. Ken Richmond appeared much taller.
cinemanz 4 years ago
Was this in Black and White.
TreyBenjamin 4 years ago
I have seen Billy Wells on TV films in black and white. Looks like it was filmed in colour though. This chap does not look like Ken Richmond. In fact I suggest now that this is Billy Wells. The second gong man looked diffenent from Billy and Ken.
cinemanz 4 years ago
Are you sure this is Ken Richmond. I understood he struck the gong as when Rank was "The Rank Organisation Presents" and not "J Arthur Rank Presents". Could this chap be the second gong man?
cinemanz 4 years ago
Tat particular clip is actually Ken Richmond who died earlier this month.
Mikehooperz 5 years ago