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This blog is dedicated to Malta - my island home. My aim is not to bore you with history but to share my thoughts and a few facts together with a photo or two. For a more in -depth background of the island please go here. The purpose of this blog is not to point out the short-comings of the island. There are plenty that do that already. My wish is to show you the beauty of an island at the cross roads of the Mediterranean, a melting pot of history; a place where fact and fiction are sometimes fused to create unique myths and legends; a country that has been conquered so many times that our culture is a mish mesh of the lands that surround us and of lands far away. I confess that my greatest desire is to make you fall in love with this tiny enchanting island.

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Wednesday 24 August 2011

Malta And The Movies (1)– Malta Story

This series of posts is inspired by Suze, writing at  Girl Wizard, who has been sharing some of her favourite movies with us. So I thought, why not a post about movies filmed in Malta? Although small, Malta has a number of interesting locations which have been used as the backdrop for a number of movies. You can go to Wikipedia for a full List of Films Shot In Malta. Every now and then over the next couple of months I will give you a brief overview of the ones which went on to become famous. Today I will start with the earliest movie shot in Malta which was Malta Story released in 1953.

Malta Story (1953) starring Alec Guinnes, Jack Hawkins and Muriel Pavlow is based on life in Malta during WW2, the island and its people and the RAF aviators who defended it with their lives. Although the acting is very much in 1950s style and the ending is quite predictable, this movie does give a good portrayal of what it was like to live in Malta during WW2 when daily air attacks were the order of the day and most of the population spent long hours in  underground shelters that were hewn out of the limestone all over  the island. This film was shot at various locations around the island including: the Lascaris War Rooms, Fort St Elmo, Grand Harbour, Valletta, Ta Qali and the Neolithic temples of Mnajdra.

 

9 comments:

  1. Hi Loree...very cool.!!..it is so neat to look at old movies..love that..and also very cool many have been filmed there!awesome!!
    thanks for this gem!
    victoria

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  2. I went to the wikipedia site - i didn't realize so many movies were shot in malta, but it makes sense that it would be a great location, especially for period films!

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  3. How wonderful is this? Who would have imagined Obi Wan was in the first film shot in Malta? ;)

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  4. I probably saw this one when I was growing up in England (the BBC's Sunday matinées were fabulous). Thanks for the early morning film!

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  5. Interesting ! To think this movie was made even before I was born!

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  6. What a wonderful post, Loree, and I look forward to hearing more about the Malta movies. I like that this first one is historical in nature, based on the events of the time.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  7. That's very interesting to read ! When I stayed in Oxford I was surprised about how many films have been made there !

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  8. Hello! I have found you through our beloved Girl Wizard. Your comments on her blog piqued my interest. Your photographs are just lovely!

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  9. Hi Loree,
    I didn't realize so many movies were filmed in Malta... I look forward to reading more about them.
    Wishing you a most beautiful weekened! xoxo, B

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