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'Leeds United!' reconstructs a 1970 strike in which 30,000 clothing industry
workers, mostly women, came out for a gender-equal shilling-per-hour increase,
but were controversially undermined by their own union. Writer Colin Welland,
whose mother-in-law was involved in the strike, conducted lengthy interviews and
document research, although names were changed. His script was commissioned by
Granada but, when they did not make it, became a BBC Play for Today
(1970-84).
Welland's script was scaled down, but was unusually long at two hours and
unusually expensive at £150,000. Critics praised director Roy Battersby and
photographer Peter Bartlett's Leeds location shooting, particularly the handling
of crowd scenes involving hundreds of locals - including many 1970 strikers -
like the passionate meeting at Leeds Town Hall. Individual actors also
impressed, including music-hall performer Bert Gaunt as agitator Gridley,
comedian Stan Stennett as Joe and, in the pivotal role, Lynne Perrie as
Mollie.
Battersby chose to shoot in black-and-white, not simply for documentary
veracity - exposing sweatshop conditions and cut with worker voice-overs and
pieces to-camera - but also for ambitious style. Its makers mentioned such
cinematic reference points as Sergei Eisenstein, G.W. Pabst and Gillo
Pontecorvo. Its visual scope is demonstrated by its opening scene, a developing
crane shot which follows a woman worker along dark early-morning streets while a
voice-over reveals her limited new contract. Later, the union's contradictory
behaviour is heightened by Don Fairservice's editing. Ironically, Fairservice's
employment resolved a BBC dispute over Battersby's original choice of a
freelance editor, which (although freelancers were not unusual) delayed
post-production for months.
Unions, the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation, Leeds-based employers and
Communists complained of bias and inaccuracy, but Welland replied that
everything was on record. On discussion programme In Vision (BBC, 1974-75),
producer Kenith Trodd faced local opponents, and the host favourably compared
sequences with news footage of their real-life equivalents. On the same show,
real-life strikers were supportive but criticised the swearing attributed to
women workers - Battersby later wondered if women were hiding workplace
behaviour from their husbands. The media widely reported the swearing
complaints, which Welland hoped would not displace discussion of conditions and
union tactics.
Reviewers shared concerns over swearing, but most admired its balance of epic
scale and individual characterisation. Welland's skilful rendering of workplace
life, wit and local idiom demonstrated the affectionate but unsentimental
humanism, and ability to discuss complex ideas in accessible forms, which
according to Dennis Potter ran through Welland's many award-winning TV
plays.
Dave Rolinson
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1. Morning (2:45)
