Reviews

I hold this 1955 dvd as one of a series entitled "Scotland Yard the complete series".Carol plays a farmer's daughter who as a red herring plays a crackshot in this murder mystery.Her mother was to marry the victim landowner but there is also her farmer stepfather who has a grievance with him.A quite absorbing mid 1950s short with some top "B" players.Today it is virtually impossible to own a .22 rifle in Britain with it's draconian firearms laws these days, compared to the time this film was made.

I saw this film this morning, 5th September 2018, on Talking Pictures which I often watch these days when there is garbage on most other tv channels. It was a long film and I found myself looking at the clock several times to check when it ended.One example of the producers casting British actors so us anglo saxons can understand the script, was " the vital French witness" played by Sidney Tafler who gave testimony just before the jury gave its verdict.Phony French accents were the order of the day when even ignorant French peasants spoke intelligible English.More intelligent producers later would provide English subtitles whenever a non English part was spoken on film, thus providing more verisimilitude, a classic case being Darryl F Zanuck's remarkable "The Longest Day"(1962) which had sequences in French & German.The film seemed long because, as a previous reviewer has said there were too many flashbacks in the Criminal Court sequences. when he played a RAF fighter pilot and I agree with the previous reviewer who wrote continual flashbacks broke the continuity of the scenes.The only previous film in which I had seen the leading man was in Leslie Howard's "The Gentle Sex" (1945) when he played a RAF fighter pilot.I even found myself thinking in schoolboy French what I would have said in their authentic language.The plot was rather contrived by the scriptwriter being merely adequate, henc emy rating of 6/10.

I saw a documentary a few years ago about The Battle of Britain featuring RAF fighters and the control room whose personnel guided pilots to intercept German raiders.In this film was an officer who looked strangely familiar and it was not until I saw "Hindle Wakes" 1952 that I recognised actor Ronald Adam.In films he was usually cast as authority figures in the armed services, or a director of a hospital, as in "Green for Danger" (1946).It was not until I read the iMDB biography that it confirmed it was the same person who despite acting, writing plays. theatre management , was actually in both the RAF and its earlier incarnation the Royal Flying Corps.This film from 1952 depicts the danger for "nice girls" in spending a night with a man friend when it seemed they were then honour bound to marry the man.They did have condoms then but the censor would never have passed such a script.The producer had to suggest intimacy between the sexes showing in one scene the couple booking a hotel room with the next scene bright and early next morning.How quaint but society has moved on in the last 66 years!I spotted a young comedienne Rita Webb playing a landlady a foil for Spike Milligan in his comic routines, Bill Travers from "Born Free" and from an earlier generation Mary Clare who played "The Baroness" in Hitchcock's acclaimed "The Lady Vanishes" (1938).This was my first viewing of this film which I saw on "Talking Pictures" channel 81 and I awarded it 6/10.

I saw this today Monday 20/8/18 on "Talking Pictures" channel 81 for the first time.Elements of the captioned well known films were used in its plot line and.In place of John Garfield we have Maxwell Reed giving his eyebrowns another workout.In place of June Anderson (Mrs Danvers) from Rebecca we have the character of Rosie, with lesbian longings for Sandra Dorn which of course could not be shown on screen in 1953 only suggested.The points made by other reviewers were valid but the final scene of police cars drawing up to a stop at the petrol station indicated the producers were short of the funds to finish the film and /or didn't know how to give it a satisfactory ending.This may account for its mediocre rating by reviewers just over 5 whereas I awarded it 6.

I concur with L.K.'s review of 11/4/12 and awarded the highest rating accordingly.The two outstanding characters in this production are chief engineering officer Joseph Bell and leading fireman Frederick Barrett.The producers have highlighted the crew below decks, mainly the electricians who bravely kept the lights on until the last moment and the stokers/firemen who fed the many boilers to provide the power.Both historic characters are famous in their own way.Joseph Bell who made a sagacious remembrance comment from his childhood about the Danish king Canute, from British history, who did not believe his courtiers' flattering comments that he was more powerful than nature by having the power to turn back the waves.Meanwhile Frederick Barrett was one of the few survivors to give testimony to the official enquiry about how the sinking affected the men under his control in the boiler room.

Although "A Night to Remember " (1958) was excellent with scenes of life in the engine/boiler rooms, this production concentrated more on the personalities of the afore-mentioned electricians and stokers and firemen, most of whom were not saved. and produced in a modern docudrama style with no Hollywood stars getting in the way.One actor I did recognise was the Northern Irish supervisor who played in another brilliant docudrama production about the birth of RMS Olympic & Titanic.

The above actor shown in a blue shirt in the film poster, holding a blonde actress (Shirley Eaton), was evidently "promoted" by the producers from film extra to talking featured part in this 1957 British "B" film as he appears in the film credits which I saw on "Talking Pictures" channel 81 yesterday.

As a 72 year old I love watching these type of films with views of the capital blissfully free of double yellow lines, resident parking only, parking meters , traffic wardens etc. as it reminds me of what London used to be like in the 1950s when you could park in the high road and could park where you desired and did not need to wander around fruitlessly looking for a free space.Also I like seeing vintage cars like the Humber Hawk, Morris Minor and police Wolseleys.

The captioned actor because of his appearance was usually cast as a villain and in "Date with Disaster" was no exception.At least he was recognisable because of his looks.In "A Night to Remember" (1958) Richard was cast as an extra as a member of "Titanic"'s crew with one line to speak which was "She"'s going!" said on the deck as the liner prepared for her final descent and which was probably nearer to the actual historic facts than any similar film about this maritime tragedy.

Shirley Eaton was obviously the "eye candy" in the captioned film and in the course of its length had romantic scenes with Maurice Kaufman, Tom Drake as well as having Richard Shaw thrust himself on her.Of course with the British board of film censors criminals could not appear to profit from their misdeeds and this film was no exception.Who can forget Shirley painted head to toe in gold as Jill Masterson in "Goldfinger" (1964). which must be her seminal film role although I remember her in "Three Men in a Boat " (1956) as "Sophie" which she announced in seductive tones! As to the rating of the captioned film, I awarded it 6/10 mainly due to Shirley's appearance.

This film from 1957 warns married women that too much devotion to husband & family often rebounds as they may often be tempted to take you for granted and start treating you like an unpaid servant.The trend now is for intelligent married women to have some "me time" which could involve developing their hobbies, pastimes interests & travelling on their own.Married women in 1957 were not so independent and relied too much on their husbands for emotional support and for material comforts.Of course today in 2018 the woman's movement has done a lot to help their own sex and with two female prime ministers, equal sexual rights legislation, and has changed a great deal for women over the last 60 years.Yvonne Mitchell's character is not well educated but always means well in dealing with her family.She is disorganised and inefficient which seems to cause great frustration to Anthony Quaile who plays her husband and who feels life has been slipping away from him and feels impelled to seek an office affair with his secretary (played by Sylvia Sims) at the firm of timber importers at which they both work.Young Andrew Ray (son of comic Ted Ray) plays their son who is caught in the middle of his parents marital strife.I rated this wholly British produced B&W film 7/10 which I saw on "Talking Pictures" channel 81 tonight.

Yes they met while making this fascinating film in 1949 and were married in 1951 at Chelsea Register Office.Gordon died in 1990 while Rhona lived to 2013 having two children together while living in Hampstead London NW3.I have several dvds of Rhona especially from the early 50s when she was at her best as an actress.I was very much interested in how they filmed "Floodtide" around Clydebank in Glasgow, Scotland and how the character played by Gordon eventually reconciled with Rhona 's character. Mary, the shipyard's boss.I especially liked the engineering shots at the shipyard, showing riveting, welding ,draught plans and the launch (presumably an actual launch to obtain verisimilitude in the story) to portray the ship that young Shields designed. I saw "Floodtide" tonight on channel 81 (Talking Pictures) which is one of my favourites since it shows films with many British made ones from my youth, some of which I remember as a 72 year old and which are not often shown on freeview tv services elsewhere.

This is a gentle British comedy about a group of frustrated women who live in a hostel but who cannot get any men to marry.One of the women Betty Tate, a secretary for an engineering firm, is secretly besotted by her boss (Terence Alexander) but despite her dropping hints, he is always looking the other way.Her naive cousin Sally comes from a rural village to stay with Betty in London and to help with various office duties at Betty's firm.Sally (played by Sally Smith well known for playing Jennifer Dr. Roger Corder's daughter in "The Human Jungle" mid.60s tv series with Herbert Lom) ; is seized by a compulsion to meet a millionaire while in London and only succeeds in stealing the boyfriends of Betty's friends.The girls therefore hatch a plan to rescue their fast disappearing love life by hiring an actor to impersonate a millionaire thus deflecting Sally away from their men friends.There is a gentle twist at the end of the film which leaves all parties satisfied .hence the "U" film certificate.

Maybe because of the French writing connection which other reviewers have touched on, what should have been explained to the viewer was how John Gregson was stumbling to a local Cornish village to summon help one minute, then in the next scene he is suddenly in France in a French hospital still driving the his Mark 1X Jaguar.Did "Talking Pictures" on channel 81, cut out a vital scene for commercial break reasons, or did we see this movie in its entirety? Its always a pleasure to see Mai Zetterling on screen.Talking Pictures recently aired "Only Two Can Play" with her & Peter Sellers.I find myself watching channel 81 frequently to see the old movies from the 40s 50s & 60s in preference to the garbage often shown on more mainstream channels.

The subject film was made in 1960 and I always check the date from the listing of movies of this vintage, particularly one like this I saw for the first time.Unusually, the producer leaves a lot of unanswered questions to the viewer at the end leaving them to make their own minds up as to the denoument of the characters.

Lee Patterson as Turner and Lyndon Brook as Johnny Sanderson in "Reach for the Sky" (1956), Liam Redmond as an Irish immigrant in "A Night to Remember (1958), Paul Witsun Jones in "The Gordon Honour" (1954) BBC tv childrens hour serial, Diane Cilento in "The Little Hut" (1953) with Kenneth More; are just some of the actors I recognised from my childhood.Recently there is a new tv channel 81 in the London area called "Talking Pictures" which I increasingly find myself watching as they show the old films I relish and which remind me of my youth ( I am now 72).

No spoilers I promise but you must always remember there was a film code which producers had to abide by in films like "Passing Strangers (1954), which meant characters could not profit from their mis-deeds.Lee Paterson as Chick a US deserter in the UK, elicits our sympathy when he falls in love with the attractive blonde Diane Cilento as Jill (Sean Connery's ex-missus).Another fascinating aspect of these old films is seeing cars on the street I remember in the 1950s.I believe I am one of the first users to comment on this film but don't worry "Talking Pictures" are bound to repeat it in the not too distant future.

All the reviewers who wished they could see this film again (some of whom saw it originally in 1942!), can now see it again if they are resident British and subscribe to Freeview tv on Channel 81 It is shown regularly on this wonderful channel which I constantly watch if you can put up with the adverts which finances it, as it saves paying for numerous dvds which I used to do before I discovered this tv station.For example, every Sunday @ 9.p.m. GMT they are repeating the wonderful mid 60s episodes of "The Human Jungle" starring Herbert Lom which I originally saw when it was transmitted (I am now 72).

Some reviewers thought Thunder Rock was too stagey.Does it matter? I saw the classic R.C.Sherriff's "Journey's End" on Youtube the other day which of course is based on his play.What if Michael Redgrave is a bit declamatory at times, he was an accomplished stage actor first.In 1942 Britain was in a precarious position so of course the Government sought propaganda films to help morale & the war effort.See this film on the aforesaid channel, the tv station is bound to repeat it occasionally.

Yes I really fancied Yvonne Romain since I adore curvy dark brunette film stars.I kept hoping she would appear in every other shot as I had never seen this film before.Courtesy of "Talking Pictures" on channel 81, I saw this film tonight and was impressed by how much the producer did with his limited budget.Of interest was seeing loctional shots of Newhaven and other west Sussex resorts.Peter Vaughan for once discards his usual sinister role & plays the lead as an insurance investigator tracking down a fake life assurance fraud.I enjoyed seeing Derek Guyler again as an all purpose railway employee from his popular t.v.role of playing the school caretaker in t.v.'s 1960s "Please Sir".It was humourous seeing Peter Vaughan ordering multiple champagne cocktails from Sam Kydd (who this time played a bar steward), as his character was on a limited expense budget - the same as the film producer!

I am 72 years old now but still remember seeing this superb tv series on tv in the mid 1960s.For a while episodes had been shown on You Tube.com but were taken down presumably as Talking Pictures had bought up the tv series of "The Human Jungle"in their entireity.What a find as I was idly re-tuning my tv to go back to my youth to see these wonderful "Cholomdley- Warner" (to quote a Harry Enfield expression ) films again on this wonderful channel 81 ! tonight at 9pm I saw Johnny Sekka in "The 24 hour man".My favourite episode is "Solo Performance" (1964) starring the late Margaret Lockwood which I hope they will repeat.If so I will have to make a date to record these episodes on my old VCR.

I have read all the other user comments after watching this film billed as "Lady Godiva Rides Again" but shown on IMDb.com as "Bikini Babe" (1951) on London Live TV network today.My main interest was seeing an early screen appearance of Bernadette O'Farrell playing a minor part.She was mostly known for playing the maid Marion in the 1950s TV series 1&2 "The Adventures of Robin Hood" which starred Richard Greene and for playing a Miss Harper in "The Happiest Days of your Life" (1951).

I have remarked in my previous reviews of the aforementioned adventure series what a startling facial resemblance she bore to the late Jennifer Jones, all of whose films I possess on video &/or DVD.The lead who played the "wannabe" actress and Diana Dors I never found attractive on screen.It was a pity Bernadette had to marry Frank Launder and give up her film career so early as I would have liked to have seen her in other roles. Barely adequate at 4/10 and what a let down for the audience as we don't see Lady Godiva riding her white horse on stage naked even though at the time the lord Chancellor insisted at the time nude models had to kept perfectly static on stage!!

I enjoyed seeing this 1952 film which was intelligently acted & directed.I had to remember my school physics where the Law of conservation of matter states that "Matter can be neither created nor destroyed but it can be converted into another form".I would like to have learnt a bit more about the physics of transponders in 1952 before cloning had been invented.Remember "Dolly" the sheep which hit the news headlines a few years ago?This was an enjoyable maiden effort by Hammer Films and I was glad I could see it (for the first time) at 71 years of age without other operators buying up the rights and expecting viewers to register via YT to see the film.I rated it 7/10.

Previously I have seen a professional West End production of this play at the Charing Cross theatre as well as owning a DVD of the celebrated Alistair Sim 1954 filmed version of J.B. Priestley's classic tale of morality.I am not as severe as the other user's comments about "the girl" who has committed suicide by imbibing cleaning fluid.We must all meet people, some of whom may meet tragic ends.Are we therefore responsible for their ultimate demise?

It was a well acted professional TV play and I recognised every actor except those who played the son & daughter.Margaret Tyzack from her days playing in the early 70s Forsyte saga, Nigel Davenport from his portrayal of the Duke of Norfolk in a "Man for All Seasons" (1966) and Simon Ward for his uncanny representation of "The Young Winston" (1971).I rated it 8/10.

Yes Anne Firth is playing here Linda, secretary to Valentine Dyall who is planning revenge on a previous business associate who embezzled money from Dyall's previous employer and who covered his tracks so well shifting the guilt onto Dyall who then spent a long time in gaol and for which he now plans his revenge.

I first noticed Anne Firth when she played "Miss Harper" in "The First of the Few" (1942) opposite Leslie Howard who played R.J. Mitchell famous designer of the "Spitfire" and I fancied her then.Perhaps I like being dominated! but I jumped at the invitation on YT to see her again in a leading role.It is a shame she made so few films.Yes this is a short film with a sudden ending, rather as if the producer on poverty row ran out of money.Short but sweet, I awarded it 6/10.

The above only reviewer succinctly identifies the main plot elements of this film.My review is therefore concerned with more abstract matters.I saw "Front Page Story" for the first time tonight on Youtube.com which surprised me as I thought I had seen most of the popular films from this era.I always like recognising familiar actors from other films so these were the ones I recognised.From "A Night to Remember(1958): Michael Goodliffe, as designer Thomas Andrews, Joseph Tomelty as ship's doctor Dr O'Loughlin and in a minor role the first officer of the "Californian" although I cannot recall his real name but he also appeared with Jack Hawkins in "Angels One -Five (1952) and with Michael Redgrave/Richard Todd in "The Dam Busters (1955) as a radio officer.

The writer of the screenplay was evidently an admirer of Shakespeare when during a trial scene he paraphrases Portia's "The quality of mercy.." speech from "The Merchant of Venice" and I noticed another Shakespearean quote later which I think was from Julius Caeser about "the good that men do..." said by Mark Anthony as an epitaph.Jack Hawkins unwisely forgets about his wife's need for companionship by reneging on a promise to take her on a holiday to Paris despite several of his journalist colleagues exhorting him to take the break.As it turned out it saved his life as the plane crashed after taking off from Northolt (which is an RAF aerodrome now, not a civilian one) familiar to me as I used to live in Northwood Middlesex which is near.Jenny Jones a child actress played her part as the grieving daughter of her mother who dies in the film.

The moral I suppose is don't become a workaholic as this can produce psychological problems and stresses in a marriage.Average I rated it 6/10.

A bit talky, this film examines whether artificial insemination can be legally construed as adultery.Anthony Steel is married to American Julie London and due to his upbringing always becomes insanely jealous if another man approaches and talks to his wife.A racing car driver by profession, he is driving a Jaguar "D" type in a Spanish race when he starts kicking off with another jealous rage.Julie is driving them home when a Spanish peasant leads his donkey out into the road in front of them both.Inevitably a crash occurs and Anthony Steel's character becomes impotent.They decide to cement their marriage by going to Switzerland to a clinic which provides artificial insemination and which is run by good old Dr.Cameron (Andrew Cruckshank) of Dr.Finlays Casebook fame .The misunderstanding arises when Anton Diffring, (for once playing a "goody" and not a rabid Nazi), helps Julie recover from a skiing accident.Anthony Steel goes into a jealous rage when he realises perforce they have spent the night together in Anton's mountain chalet (because of a mountain storm).Basil Sydney, playing Anthony Steel's father never liked Julie as his son's wife and tries to part the couple by convincing his son to sue his wife for adultery with Anton.

It was good to see Frank Thring playing his usual ominous role here of prosecuting counsel as in the same year (1958), he had played the sadistic Saxon king in "The Vikings".In conclusion I wondered why a simple blood test on Anton Diffring's character would have proved whether or not he could have been the natural father of Julie's baby which we never see because it has not been born in the film.However we do get to hear Julie's soft voice singing in a night club scene.Kynaston Reeves I remember from the 1950s Children's' BBC TV playing Quwelch from "Billy Bunter".Yes a bit talky but I rated it 6/10.

Another tight little low budget British produced 1950s B&W thriller from the Danziger Brothers.In the principal roles Philip Friend and Californian Diana Decker perform competently, although I thought Diana was more suited to being a fashion model than being an actress evidenced by the paucity of her acting credits on IMDb.com as she had a lovely figure which I found myself 'drooling' over.

There is no need to repeat the plot which other reviewers have adequately outlined.I always like to see the female fashions worn in films of the 1950s and the car driven by Diana's character (-a white open topped, snazzy, Ford Zodiac) as Philip's character was blind and therefore could not drive.A tale of justice in 1957 for a war crime set in a prisoner of war camp involving betrayal in 1943, which Philip's character tries to track down after 14 years as the records had been lost by the War Crimes Tribunal.It certainly held my interest 7/10.

Yes as a person who watched "Juke Box Jury" in the early 1960s, I and my generation mainly remember Pete Murray as a pop presenter on TV, now here he is in 1948 acting playing a doctor's son at the beginning of his show business career.This film has a mammoth cast and must be the signature film of long time married couple Michael Denison and Dulcie Gray.The film tries to illustrate the importance of enough food, housing and education to make a wholesome society, apart from the obvious central need for adequate medical care.

The pivotal relationship is that between two brothers Jonathan Dakers and Harold Dakers played by Michael Denison and Ronald Howard respectively.The action is set in Worcestershire, England in the first half of the 20th century.Jonathan is passionately interested in medicine and becomes a medical doctor while Harold is more the action figure, going to Cambridge university, excelling at cricket and ultimately is killed in action in WW1.Romantically They are both in love with Edie Martyn (blonde beauty, Beatrice Campbell) who initially marries Harold but when he is killed in the war marries his brother Jonathan who then agrees to adopt young Tony Dakers (Pete Murray) his nephew.The brothers parents are played adequately by Mary Clare and James Robertson Justice.However Mrs Dakers suffers from delusions that her favourite son, Harold, will sometime return from the army and will not accept his death!

This is a competent production all round and I awarded it 7/10.