When Borders book shop was closing down, I found a book called "Daily Mail. True Crime - Classic, Rare and Unseen." I bought it with my thriller in mind because most Thrillers are based around murder. This book showed old news paper article's dating back to 1910 - 2001. The book basically brings all evidence and background story together. The first story which catched my eye was The West or as the press called it "House of Horrors". A couple who killed people in the late 60's/70's and buried them under their floor. one of which being the first mrs.west...I decided against this because I thought it was a tad too much for an opening and it sounds more like a Saw film rather than a thriller opening.
The next story which caught my eye was the story of Doctor Harold Shipman whom which the tabloids called "Doctor Death". It was revealed in 2001 and made alot of news. Harold Shipman overdosed his patients with diamorphine, He targeted old women who lived alone and few relatives. He made the women write out large sums of money to him, or he would forge them. In one case the one that discovered him, he made Mrs Kathleen Grundy leave every thing to him in her will. This then led to all his crimes being revealed. Doctor Shipman Killed 297 Patients.
This story was alot more thriller potential in comparison to the wests. So I decided to base my Story on Harold Shipman, but with a twist, Instead of it being in 2001 I have decided to set it in 1912. I chose to do it in the 1910's for several reasons.
1.I chose 1912 because I wanted a type writer in my film and I researched when the typewriter became commercialised and it was 1910.
Standardization: By about 1910, the "manual" or "mechanical" typewriter had reached a somewhat standardized design.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typewriter)
2. I added on two more years because it’s the year the titanic sank and I would love to use a newspaper in one of my shots to help the audience relate to what time period it is set in.
3. Diamorphine was banned in 1914 and was discovered as a worse version to morphine, as before it was the replacement of morphine because it wasn’t addictive. Diamorphine is better known as Heroin. 4. Insperation from Dr.Hawley Harvey Crippen -1910- He also used his medical knowledge against the people that trusted him and in his case, loved him, he killed his own wife by given her hyoscine hydrobromide, the quantity he aquired was enough to kill her 7 times over. Once he killed his wife he married his misstress.
5. By setting it in this time period, I beleive the story of Harold Shipman makes more sense and intresting. It makes more sense because people were more unaware of use of drugs. And intresting because 2001 is normal, seeing something in the past is more engaging.
Props needed:
Glass bottles -
From the 19th century, various types of fancy glass started to become significant- so a mixture of glass brown and clear.
Wall paper
Two period costumes –
Fashion 1910’s:
Male
formal daywear - includes wing-collared shirt, three piece suit with wide lapels and pressed trousers 1912
three piece suit with characteristic collarless vest or waistcoat. His short has a tall, stuff collar -1912
Female
Lots of fur coats
Big hats with feathers
a craze for Orientalism
Old curtains becuase curent look too new
Glasses - small oval
Syringes - Glass + metal
Paracetamol
Table/ old chair
Book shelf
Flour /talc
Medicine shelf
Newspaper -
Desk light / research when it was made -
electricty was standalized in 1900. Could not find any history on the desk lamp, but if there was, it would be a very low wattage. maybe 10watts max.
Cheque-
first recorded handwrittern cheque in the UK was 1659.http://www.chequeandcredit.co.uk/information/-/page/history_of_the_cheque
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