CaptainWaggett

I never managed an all-nighter but I saw plenty of triple bills there (including a Marx Brothers one twice through). They showed Vertigo and Rear Window when there were still copyright problems so they had to be advertised as 'Rare Hitchcock film starring James Stewart and Kim Novak'. It was a fabulous place.

batman

That's not what I've heard!

"Boom boom a baby .... Banham Zoo .... Banana pants! Hahahaha"

CaptainWaggett

lupinpooter

Pretty much my idea of heaven. Do such places still exist?

DB7

I certainly would put Hammers Psychomania into this weekend, but the irony is that there are plenty of Exclusive/Hammer films that would have neatly slotted in and had more relevance with regard to imported US actors and overseas backing. For me the remaining films fall into the 30s quota-quickie or the 50s poverty row category. It is a bit of a shame that many of these have already been broadcast on ITV nighttime before it turning into a bingo channel.

As Sweet is presenting the documentary expect it to largely be about sex and sleaze. I really do worry about him.

CaptainWaggett

With any luck

lupinpooter

He is particularly good on sleaze, isn't he? I loved the chapter on Pamela Green et al in Shepperton Babylon

julian_craster

Matthew Sweet is a sweet young lad, but he sometimes gets things wrong (epecially contexts and connections) due to his youth and the fact that is is too young to have experienced the films on their initial cinema release (by labelling co-features and films that played top of the bill as 'B's.... ) .

For this an 'oldie' presenter like Dennis Norden would be better suited......why don't they ask him ?

penfold

Because he's 86 and retired, probably.
MS may be using 'B' pictures as shorthand for the less-than big budget films of the period, rather than the technical meaning. He may say this at the opening of the programme...shall we wait and see, and then criticise as appropriate??

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

DB7

He looks about 40.

julian_craster

<< MS may be using 'B' pictures as shorthand for the less-than big budget films of the period, rather than the technical meaning. He may say this at the opening of the programme...shall we wait and see, and then criticise as appropriate?? >>


I am basing my comment on his article (s) in THE GUARDIAN........

The BBC4 documentary promises an interview with Sir John Mortimer ........ but he seems an odd choice - did he have a secret career scripting B movies ? Why not talk to Brian Clemens ? Michael Winner and Patricia Laffan should be interesting, and I would like to hear comments from Rona Anderson and other survivors of the era.
What a pity that Lee Patterson is now gone, unacknowledged by the UK media....

Rob Compton

Do look out for "The Black Rider" in this series - great little film!

penfold

That could be right actually...he was credited for script/dialogue work back as far as '59, his uncredited work may go back further....as you know, screen credits were less encyclopaedic back then.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

orpheum

Pity that they are not showing one of the Edgar Lustgarten or Edgar Wallace i hour feature which invariably were the bottom half of a double bill at the ABC Golders Green in the 50s and 60s.I can still hear his sonorous voice now "but the killer reckoned without Scotland Yard" cut to an ancient Hillman with its bells ringing and doing its top speed of about 40mph,thus certain to reach the scene of the crime in 2 hours flat.Those were the days.

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

CaptainWaggett

My boss was the person who found Edgar Lustgarten, mysteriously DEAD in a library. Don't ever do that, folks, it's very selfish - or least if you really have to die in a library, wait until closing time because the poor librarian gets home really late...