Ill Met By Moonlight.

[Elaine]

Possibily!! Steve might have. But don't we all have those in Britmovies. Else we wouldn't be here. Jack Hedley's mine, followed now by Dirk Bogarde. Ummmm..

[Steve Crook]

Woops! Did I step on somebodys obsession?

When you give a carefully considered opinion like "it's crap" that's the sort of response you should expect

Steve

[typandy]

It's not an epic or that good but when compared with the similar T

[typandy]

I would agree with that, if not it is a very bad attempt at a true event. And they should have done something about the theme music, it's crap.

It was a wasted opportunity but they were stuck with studio control and an uncooperative leading man.

Considering that Dirk Bogarde was a major during WW2, then he should have known better. British war films of this period usually enjoy a certain authenticity because the actors had been in the services. Bogarde was also a pretty lightweight officer in the similar They Who Dare so if anyone wasn't taking these films seriously, it was surely the leading man. No doubt, the serious actor Bogarde was yearning for meatier roles and couldn't take the role seriously.

I guess P&P were foisted with actors contracted to Rank because they did not have the control they enjoyed when their productions were independent - weren't Bogarde, Lee and McCullum all at the Charm School? The usually reliable Cyril Cusack seemed unhappy with his BO and poor David Oxley was way out of his depth. Only Marius Goring seemed to be enjoying himself.

But there are compensations. Rather than being 'crap', I thought the music added authenticity and atmosphere. The B/W photography was good too. Like Hell Drivers, it was filmed in B/W VistaVision. It seems curious to save money by making a film in B/W yet double the negative cost by using VistaVision as the improvement in quality was marginal.

Despite its flaws, compared with They Who Dare, Ill Met by Moonlight is much better.+

[Toscana]

When you give a carefully considered opinion like "it's crap" that's the sort of response you should expect

Steve

So thats a yes then

[Steve Crook]

So thats a yes then

Yes, I list Powell & Pressburger amongst my obsessions. That's hardly a secret, just look at the avatar I use and the page I list as my home page. But an obsession about them doesn't mean an unquestioning love for everything about every one of their films. There are some things that I don't like and I'm always interested to hear other people's opinions about them, good or bad, as long as they're not a one word dismissal.

I was hoping to draw a more considered response out from you than "the theme music, it's crap". You're entitled to your opinion of course and you don't have to agree with the musicians and musicologists who like it. But is it just the music used in this film that you don't like or is it all Greek "peasant style" music or all music by Mikis Theodorakis? Or what? What about the similar music he wrote for Zorba the Greek?

Steve

[Nick Dando]

And the same theme used in They're a Weird Mob.

Nick

[Steve Crook]

And the same theme used in They're a Weird Mob.

Nick

Powell re-used music from one film in another film quite often. I don't think it was just to save money, although in this film that could have been a factor. And Greek music at a party on a Sydney beach in the late 1960s isn't too unexpected. There was (and probably still is) a sizeable Greek community in Sydney.

Steve

[Toscana]

Yes, I list Powell & Pressburger amongst my obsessions. That's hardly a secret, just look at the avatar I use and the page I list as my home page. But an obsession about them doesn't mean an unquestioning love for everything about every one of their films. There are some things that I don't like and I'm always interested to hear other people's opinions about them, good or bad, as long as they're not a one word dismissal.

I was hoping to draw a more considered response out from you than "the theme music, it's crap". You're entitled to your opinion of course and you don't have to agree with the musicians and musicologists who like it. But is it just the music used in this film that you don't like or is it all Greek "peasant style" music or all music by Mikis Theodorakis? Or what? What about the similar music he wrote for Zorba the Greek?

Steve

Calm down dear I just said the theme music was crap
Must admit it is fun to put glib remarks and these stupid faces on
Does it remind you of anyone
Whats the betting you get the clique to remove it

[Steve Crook]

Calm down dear I just said the theme music was crap
Must admit it is fun to put glib remarks and these stupid faces on
Does it remind you of anyone
Whats the betting you get the clique to remove it

What clique would that be then?
Well if that's what you enjoy doing, just making glib remarks, then I shall ignore you.
Sorry, I mistook you for someone trying to give their opinion

Steve

[Freddy]

Interesting pages on Billy Moss's book. Ill Met by Moonlight


Patrick Leigh Fermor’s complete SOE file now on-line « Patrick Leigh Fermor

[theuofc]

Interesting pages on Billy Moss's book. Ill Met by Moonlight


Patrick Leigh Fermor’s complete SOE file now on-line « Patrick Leigh Fermor

Fascinating! Thanks for this, Freddy.

[MovieDudeToo]

I've just watched this for the umpteenth time on the lookout for Brian Worth. He appears in the opening (and I think the closing) credits but I still did not see him. Does anybody know exactly where he is in the film???

[Steve Crook]

I've just watched this for the umpteenth time on the lookout for Brian Worth. He appears in the opening (and I think the closing) credits but I still did not see him. Does anybody know exactly where he is in the film???

Have you got any pictures of him? Although that may not help all that much. Some of the British actors playing Cretans were so well disguised by their make-up that even their mothers wouldn't recognise them

Steve

[MovieDudeToo]

Yes Steve. Here's a couple of pictures from the same time as Ill Met'.

BWorth.jpg

I've run the comparison myself a few times and never been able to make any certain match.

Try it yourself. A new set of eyes may do the trick.

[Steve Crook]

Yes Steve. Here's a couple of pictures from the same time as Ill Met'.

Attachment 7258

I've run the comparison myself a few times and never been able to make any certain match.

Try it yourself. A new set of eyes may do the trick.

Nothing obvious as far as I can see. But I hardly recognised Michael Gough the first dozen or so times I saw it

Steve

[wadsy]

Yes Steve. Here's a couple of pictures from the same time as Ill Met'.

Attachment 7258

I've run the comparison myself a few times and never been able to make any certain match.




Try it yourself. A new set of eyes may do the trick.

bs_14_53_DW_Kultur_1397702p.jpg
I reckon that's Brian Worth 2nd from left with the Peter Wyngarde moustache!!

[MovieDudeToo]

Well Done Wadsey! I think your probably right. Here's a pic that I made from three others taken in the chaotic car scene just after your image. It's the best I can manage with available material.

Image50.jpg

I probably missed this because the scene was quite dark, fast moving and there is no clear image of this guy. It still doesn't look 100% to me. The shadows, half images, moustache and frown all added to the difficulty in identifying him. Plus I never heard anyone use his name. The character has plenty of lines in an important scene so must therefore be one of the supporting actors. So I have to assume you 'are' right. I will now mark him down as found. Thanks again for your help.

[wadsy]

I reckon the second picture isn't Brian Worth but the first one definately is!!

[MovieDudeToo]

OOps! Sorry. I should have said: they are both same person.