smudge

Just finished watching an Edgar Wallace : TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. A sort of condensed Brit version of DOUBLE INDEMNITY.

Although the plot relies on a very basic (and even then, well worn) device, device it's not so bad. Not as strong as some other entries in the series, but a good exercise in what you can do with a very small cast on a tight budget.

Couldn't, however, fix Pat Bredin in my mind as the mischievous minx she was trying to be after recently seeing her as the innocent ingenue in DESERT MICE.

THATH is still worth a viewing though ; has made me want to dig back into the EW series again...

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

DB7

The Ian McEwan adaptation Enduring Love.

A slow-burning thriller reminiscent of Harold Pinter. It focuses on an unbalanced stalker and a young London couple brought into contact via a tragic circumstances. Good to see Daniel Craig get a couple of lead roles last year in this film and Layer Cake but it appears he's Hollywood bound henceforth.

The_Late_Peter_Cook

A Taste Of Honey 1961

A fantastic movie (and a enjoyable commentary to go with it!)

mysteriesofedgarwallace

A Stanley (The Guv'nor) Baker double bill.

'Robbery' (1967)
'The Criminal' (1960)

'Robbery' was such a groundbreaking film, it was very much a blue print for 'The Sweeney' a few years later.
'The Criminal' What you would call hard hitting quality drama, with a very young Tom Bell; he looks about 12!!

An interesting point of note, some prison scenes in 'The Criminal' were later used in the Edgar Wallace 2nd feature 'Face of A Stranger' (1964) no doubt Merton Park producer Jack Greenwood trying to save a few quid.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

A man of taste.

I would highly recommend:-

The Clue of the New Pin
Flat Two
Time to Remember
Solo for Sparrow
The Share Out
Five to One
The Verdict
Act of Murder
Change Partners
Face of a Stranger
The Man in the Back Seat (not part of the EW series, but still an EW story)



Enjoy.............cheers, MOEW

smudge

STRANGLER'S WEB was the first one I ever saw, then ACT OF MURDER with Justine Lord and super smooth John Carson. I do like the ones that show you bits of Merton Park Studios.

I also have a soft spot for TIME TO REMEMBER ; love to watch it in the winter because of the snowy roof scenes.

Given the weather forecast, might be time to dig it out now...

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laughing.gif[/img]

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

The_Late_Peter_Cook

I think I saw all the EWM's during the early eighties. I must admit that they do tend to blur together in my memory. I think I remember that Michael Caine popped up in one as a gangster (I think it was SOLO FOR SPARROW) and that John Gregson starred in THE SINISTER MAN. I'd love for these movies to get a decent DVD release.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

'Time to Remember' with Harry H. Corbett was the first one I ever saw; must be 20 years ago now.

'Strangler's Web' and especially, 'Act of Murder' are somewhat surreal!!

Michael Caine was indeed, in 'Solo for Sparrow'

Who would you say emerged from Edgar Wallace land as the biggest star?
Michael Caine?
Bernard Lee?
or maybe Michael Gough?

Maybe we should say, the biggest star after Michael Caine.

mysteriesofedgarwallace

Just for fun, last night I watched an Edward Judd quadruple bill; no less.

First Men in the Moon (1964)
Island of Terror (1966)
Invasion (1966)
"The Sweeney" Series 4 episode "Money, Money, Money" (1978)

My favourite has to be 'Invasion', its rather like an Edgar Wallace film but in rubber!!!!

The_Late_Peter_Cook

Didn't a young John Thaw appear in one? (It's been well over twenty years since I saw it, but I'm pretty sure he had a large-ish role in one)

mysteriesofedgarwallace

How could I forget John Thaw. Mind you, I did type that post above in rather a hurry, as I was supposed to be doing something else!

John Thaw was in two:-

'Five to One' (1963)
'Dead Man's Chest' (1965)

'Five to One' is my favourite, he is actually 3rd on the bill; below Lee Montague and Ingrid Hafner, but Thaw seems to have most of the screen time.
'Dead Man's Chest' was the last one to be filmed, it starts off ok, but loses the plot about half way through.

smudge

Undoubtedly Thaw was the biggest star after Caine - Lee and Gough were excellent, but more character players whereas Thaw moved out into a range of roles. Didn't he look YOUNG in FIVE TO ONE ? :grin:

Apropos THAW (etc) it was interesting to read a comment by the controller (?) of ITV Drama earlier in the week saying that 'golden handcuffs' deals for stars such as Thaw, Ross Kemp, Robson Green etc., were wrong.

He conceded that it was difficult to go round hunting for projects for these stars and that the scripts should have come first. Maybe the demise of the cult of celebrity actors ? Perhaps no more, "Ross Kemp in...." "and after the break, Ross Kemp in..." "and tomorrow might you can see Ross Kemp in...." [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laughing.gif[/img]

Make a change, wouldn't it ?

SMUDGE

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/devil.gif[/img]

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

DB7

Clive Donner's Some People (1962)

One of those kitsch and cliched youth alienation (with a bit of music thrown in for good measure) beloved of many but hearing 'the kids' call their parents 'squares' just makes me cringe. Written by documentary filmmaker John Eldridge, who must have been fifty odd at the time, the bikers (Ray Brook & David Hemmings) seem to talk of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme incessantly (unsurprising as profits from the film went to the scheme) - yet when I was at school those from the wrong side of the tracks gave it very short shrift. Kenneth More is the stereotypical liberal and there's some nice Bristol location photography - including the BAC factory and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

smudge

ONE MINUTE AFTER MIDNIGHT...

One of those independent British Film Council shorts that CH4 screen late at night. Nice little premise ;

Set in a slowly deteriorating future 2 night shift workers in a shop. One of them falls for the day counter girl whilst reviewing the CCTV tapes. A tape-to-tape relationship develops over a few years but he never plucks up the courgae to see here as he is a 'night' person.

Quirky little film with some nice touches.

SMUDGE

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Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

The_Late_Peter_Cook

Genevieve

Good escapist fun! :) Everytime time I watch Kenneth More in a movie I find myself very impressed by how good he is. He definately is one of my favourite actors. Add John Gregson and Kay Kendall to the mix and it's hard to beat.

One thing, I remember reading somewhere that it was originally an Ealing product, but Ealing's schedule was full so it was made by Rank (whose executives didn't seem to like it). I don't know how true that is, but it was written and directed by Ealing people.