theuofc

Hello, M,

Are you saying...oh, how I hope you are saying....that "Silent Britain Talks" is forthcoming on DVD + extras?
I'm been mourning not being there, but a DVD of it would spread instant sunshine. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

Thanks,

Barbara

theuofc

To die for [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

What date will BBC4 show "Picadilly" and "Silent Britain Talks" plus the other two jewels?
Thanks.

Barbara

Fellwanderer

I'd like to know, too. DigiGuide is no help either so it doesn't seem to be in the next couple of weeks.

FELL
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/angel_not.gif[/img]

penfold

No definite dates yet; be reassured I will be heads-upping like a wild thing when I find out....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

theuofc

Many thanks for this. It's good to see avid interest in it, isn't it? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

Best,

Barbara

theuofc

Last night, I watched Michael Redgrave in "Time Without Pity." I had heard good comments about this black and white film noir film. It had a great cast: Leo McKern before he became the lovable Rumpole, Ann Todd, Peter Cushing, Joan Plowright, and camera work by Freddy Francis. But what also attracted me to the film was to see Joseph Losey's first film under his real name again after being McCarthy blacklisted. "Good Night and Good Luck" did a powerful job of exploring the evils of McCarthism and Edward R. Murrow's gutsy stand against the man whose blacklisting ruined the careers of many talented film people. It almost killed Losey's career. But Losey fled to to England and directed films under assumed names. He directed Dirk Bogarde in "The Sleeping Tiger" (1954) in the UK under the name of Victor Hanbury. "Time Without Pity" was the first film Losey was allowed to sign his name to and was the beginning of the road back for this fine director.

About the film: other than "Lost Weekend" with Ray Milland, I have never seen a film take the viewer through an alcoholic haze of almost the entire 85 minutes. Michael Redgrave does a superb job as a recovering yet fragile alcoholic who totters every second on the brink of reaching for the bottle. But his son is in danger, and therein is the heart of the plot. Not a weak actor in the unrelenting, anxiety-driven film. Renee Houston as the mum of the slutty girlfriend did a splendid job of being an alcoholic ex floosie. Guess who the slutty girlfriend is? a very young Lois Maxwell, later Miss Moneypenny in the Bond flicks.

Best,

Barbara

julian_craster

Well worth seeing....as Barbara says

This is one of those British classics that has only been legitimately released on a R1 (USA) DVD. Definitely orth an import, I think.

Look out for the piano player in the nightclub scene with Dickie Henderson - he is esteemed British musical theatre composer David Heneker ('Half a Sixpence') when he was resident pianist at London's Embassy Club. I used to visit there regularly back in 1955.....

Julian

samkydd

The other night I had an accidental Dennis Waterman evening's viewing. First I saw the present day DW in New Tricks, then watched the younger version of him in Minder on M&M, and later put a Thriller DVD in and a very young Dennis was in an episode as a young blind man in a blind school trying to thwart a terrorist assassination attempt! The actor also playing a young blind man alongside him was none other than Alun Armstrong, also one of the New Tricks cast!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

theuofc

Thanks for that extra, Julian. I'll watch it again tonight to see Heneker. I have a sudden image of you strolling into the posh Embassy Club. What was it like?

As you say, the DVD is well worth it. It has a very good essay on the film by Wheeler Winston Dixon and the fun of seeing Joseph Losey's directorial debut way back in 1939 in a film short for the New York World's Fair called "Pete Roleum and His Cousins." A silly film short promoting oil companies, but Losey more than made up for it later. I say way back in 1939, because his famous work with Dirk Bogarde was in the late 50s and throughout the 60s with "The Servant," etc. Losey had a long career including directing some operas later. Eat your heart out, Joe McCarthy.

Best,

Barbara

julian_craster

Barbara writes:
<<Thanks for that extra, Julian. I'll watch it again tonight to see Heneker. I have a sudden image of you strolling into the posh Embassy Club. What was it like?>>

It was very much like the early nightclub scenes in SCANDAL (d. Michael Caton Jones) , starring Joanne Walley as Christine Keeler, and Brigit Fonda as Mandy Rice-Davies..... Blossom Dearie (fresh from Paris
and her jazz vocal group 'The Blue Flames' ) made her solo UK club debut at the Embassy Club in the mid 1950s - I remember her well....

Another film worth watching !

Julian

theuofc

Yes, well worth watching. Very much agree, Julian. It captures the feel of the times quite well. In another thread, we've been chatting about the historical accuracy of certain films. I'm not familiar enough with UK politics of that era to know how accurately the film portrayed the Christine Keeler et al scandal. Comments, anyone?

Thanks,

Barbara

DB7

Been in Hollywood mood recently and watched V for Vendetta, Mystic River, The Garden State and War of the Worlds. A mixed bag of the good, bad and missed opportunity.

theuofc

Hi, DB7,

Which one fits "V for Vendetta"? I'm going to see it and "Inside Man" this weekend.

Thanks,

Barbara

DB7

Missed opportunity. Alan Moore must be cursed as Hollywood have adapted 3 of his graphic novels (previously From Hell and LOEG) and none have met expectations. Once I'd heard he'd requested his name be removed from the credits it didn't bode well.



The two leads once again fail dismally with the English accent; in fact Portman seems to waver between Aussie and South African. The story is dsytopian 1984 (John Hurt is now a symbol of government) meets Phantom of the Opera. In today's climate the freedom fighter or terrorist scenario had many possibilities but instead it's targetted at the Matrix generation and none of the themes of dictatorship, media manipulation or terrorism are explored. But in the current climate maybe it's naive to expect maintream blockbuster Hollywood to confront these issues (the story was originally a critique of Margaret Thatcher's Britain).

theuofc

Hello, Julian,

I've never heard Blossom Dearie (totally remiss!) and went looking. I found her "Live in London" cd which is described as a 'live' session recorded in London at the legendary Ronnie Scott's Club (the old place in Gerrad Street..." What do you think of the cd, and if you also visited Ronnie's, what was his club like?

Thanks,

Barbara