A505 near Bygrave, Herts, UK - Bachelor of Hearts (1958) - Movie Locations on Waymarking.com

A German scholar Wolf Hauser (Hardy Kruger) comes to Cambridge to study. He is keen to assimilate into University life and becomes involved with a student group calling itself the Dodo group. The Dodo group are into challenges and heavy drinking, which Wolf inevitably gets involved in. In the meanwhile Wolf starts to fall for Girton girl Ann (Sylvia Syms).

The first Dodo activity that Wolf falls prey to is the Dodo float in rag week. Wolf is paraded around town on a cart with a sign around his neck calling him a “Human Sacrifice.” The cart eventually stops at Magdalene Bridge where Wolf is obliged to jump into the river because he has been set fire to. Wolf has the last laugh as he stays underwater forcing the Dodos to jump in after him to rescue him.

The next event he gets involved in is the annual Cambridge to London Rally. Wolf distinguishes himself by starting the head Dodo’s car. Following this Wolf tries to become more English than the English, pursuing all kinds of sports and starting to wear waistcoats and pipe smoking.

Further japes occur when the Dodos start carousing. Wolf is soon paralytic and can be seen strutting around Cambridge with a colander on his head. This leads to Wolf and his Dodo chum being out of college bounds and being chased by university officials around the back streets. Wolf tries to climb back into college but gets ensnared in a tree and is caught.

Another Dodo prank, which is pure farce, occurs when the members have to break into the all woman Girton college and pinch bath plugs. Mayhem ensues, with the Police arriving and the Dodos making their escape in all manner of costumes.

In the final part of the film the Dodos have been set a challenge by an outgoing member to avoid women until the final Ball. The Dodos solve this by getting Wolf to date all their girlfriends and to promise to take them all to the Ball. This Wolf manages to do, including meeting all the ladies at the ball, in true English farce style.

At the start of the film Wolf travels to Cambridge by train whilst one of his fellow students races one of the dons in his car. The car chase is set on the A505 road between Baldock and Royston. In the 53 years since the film was made the road has become a busy dual carriageway. The field patterns and the trees on the horizon are still correct, however. The now photo was taken from a farm track just off the road.

Movie or TV Show: Bachelor of Hearts Year Released or First Aired: 1,958.00 IMDB Link: [Web Link]

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