Still #16

Medical staff confer around one of the strange hexagonal-like duty or administration structures present in some of the wards. A few of these seemingly makeshift offices are still standing.

Still #17

Patton's wife, given her own private room, sits and ponders the fact that the old man isn't going to make it.

Still #18

Patton's death scene goes for so long (i.e. half the film) that the season changes into winter. And this is what the doctored CRCMH looks like in the snow.

Still #19

Here we see a nurse just about to pop through the main entrance doors on her way to work. A beautiful winter's day in Taplow. Or should that be Heidelberg? In fact, it isn't even real snow. The script clearly called for snow to demonstrate the passing of time. However, the film was shot in late summer, and what you can see here would be fake snow.

Still #20

And I shall leave you with this shot of the semi-fake hospital by night in the snow. Tranquil isn't it? So there you have it - 20 whole pictures from "The Last Days Of Patton" - the American telemovie shot in our very own CRCMH. Incidently, the film actually went down very well with audiences when originally screened on CBS in 1986, topping the ratings that week. On the other hand, it has been critically panned as being too long and boring. Which is a more than fully justified view in my opinion. But it does get bonus points for its location manager. Ooh yeah...

 

Damon Torsten,
March 2002