DB7

A Hammer thriller double bill: The House Across the Lake (1954) and The Snorkel (1958)

House across the Lake is heavily influenced by the US Raymond Chandler films with the usual noirish touches of a femme fatale and down-on-his-luck pulp novelist. It's an okay love triangle set on Lake Windermere that's been done before ad-nauseam and clearly part-aimed at the oversees market. Sid James appears cast against type as an affluent businessman whilst still seeming like he'd be more at home digging up the road.

The Snorkel heads overseas to Spain or Italy. An ingenious murderer believes he's committed the perfect crime until a meddlesome teenager sets about exposing him. I was expecting a typically macabre Hammer ending but at the last minute it's wrapped up in more ethical style. The teen is played by child actor Mandy Miller who also played the title role in Ealing's Mandy (1952) - sadly The Snorkel was her final film and at the age of 18 she left the film biz.

DAVID RAYNER

I wish they'd show The Snorkel on terrestial television again. I don't think it's been on since the early 1970's. A really good thriller.But they're far too busy showing the same old repeats and showing no imagination whatever in booking films.

Actually, Mandy Miller was born in 1944, so when The Snorkel was being filmed in 1957 (released 1958), she would have been 13 years old.

DB7

The one ended with the old Thames TV ident so was probably recorded in the 70s.

Gibbie

Wasn't that a great intro!

DB7

Better than the Anglia ident Gibbie. thumbs_u

Last night's treat was Coming Up Roses, or should that be mushrooms. The first all-Welsh language (with English subs) film I've watched.

It kicks off in a similar vein to The Smallest Show on Earth and is often described as Ealingesque but it owes more to Bill Forsyth (In Ealingworld the cinema closing wouldn't have been accepted violent ) which probably explains a small cameo by Bill Paterson.

Gibbie

thumbs_u

DB7

And last night: On the Night of the Fire (1940).

Ralph Richardson miscast as a most unconvincing Geordie barber whose life collapses after a moment of petty-thieving opportunism.

Worth watching all the same.

Jim

By the Anglia ident DB, do you mean the silver knight on horseback?

Good morning boys.

Hackett

When I see that Anglia ident and hear that intro music, that went on for ages, the first thing that comes into my head is that voice saying "From Norwich it's The Quize Of The Week".

DB7

Yep, brings back scary memories of Mr & Mrs.

Was it the one that opened with the line: "From Norwich, it's the quiz of the week".

Steve Crook

No, that was "Sale of the Century" with Nicholas Parsons.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

DB7

Bugger - you're right.

Lord Brett

We had a rubbish ident in the YTV region (dah da dah dat daaaahhh). The best one was the ATV colour ident, which always puts me in mind of Crossroads.

Rob Compton

Or...continuing the same theme, the Southern Cross followed by the dabbling guitar music introducing the late, great Jack Hargreaves: Out of Town.

Little known fact: Jack Hargreaves was a director of Southern TV

rgds
Rob

PS or is it just possible that you hairy kneed northerners have never actually SEEN Southern TV

DB7

And last night I watched an old VHS of Bryan Forbes' The Raging Moon (1970). Depressing, uplifting and then heart-breaking.

Kudos to Malcolm McDowell for an accurate portrayal of disability and he must have spent some time preparing for the role as not once does he make an error with his depiction of the wheelchair-bound. Maybe not as palatable as Born on the Fourth of July or My Left Foot but McDowell's initially bitter sportsman who gradually comes to terms with his illness is far more authentic- all he wants is to lead a regular a life as possible.

Paul Darrow aka Avon makes his film debut as a doctor.