batman

An episode of the US series Harry O which featured an appearance by that stalwart of British B movies William Sylvester. Followed by The Expert with Marius Goring and some more Mystery of the Riverboat.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

lupinpooter

Ken Loach's Family Life (1971), adapted from David Mercer's Wednesday Play "In Two Minds" from 1967, which Loach also directed. The theme is mental illness and the use of psychiatry as social control (handled with greater subtlety here than in the original play, although there's some none-too-subtle symbolism in the cut-aways to shots of depressingly uniform council houses and a factory assembly line). The cast is great, especially Sandy Ratcliff and Bill Dean. Very well put-together and retains its power to shock, even today.

Then, for a bit of light relief, Carry On Screaming. Oddbod and Junior had us all in stitches

batman

The Huggetts Abroad - not the best of the Huggett films but still hugely entertaining with good performances winning out over a predictable script. Susan Shaw looks especially pretty in this one.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09

Windthrop

Rififi - great heist thriller from Jules Dassin. One of the originals of that genre and still one of the best.

Thats the joke that killed the Music Hall !

smudge

Hammer's THE VENGANCE OF SHE, because I fancied some late night Hammer...

This sequel is quite plodding, but Olinka Berova is a rather fetching replacement for Ursula Andress (whose contract expired before Hammer got this together, some years after the original) and there's some nice scenic shooting in Almeria, Spain.

The best casting (Colin Blakely, Jill Melford and George Sewell) is pretty much wasted in the earlier part of the film. Andre Morell and Noel Willman have thankless roles too - is it me or does that sound like Christopher Lee's voice when Andre is doing his chanting...? Derek Godfrey is doing a broad Pantomime villain as the high priest.

Again on overdubs (or suspected ones) the use of Robert Rietti's voice for John Richardson's Killikrates is most jarring; doesn't fit the character at all!

However, the film does benefit from some nicely mellow sax playing by the great Tubby Hayes. Does anyone know who sang the theme song...?

Smudge

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

rose ellen

I watched The Black Stuff- a Play for Today prequel to Boys from theBlack Stuff which introduced us to the characters later to be immortalised in Bleasdales 80`s classic.

Joe Fraguela

Last evening I decided I would have another 1966 night.

Starting off with the final Episode Dr Who & The War Machines, first broadcasted on 16 July1966. William Hartnell plays the 1st Doctor with his assistant Dodo played by Jackie Lane.

This is also the first story to star future assistants Polly played by Anneke Wills and Ben played by Michael Craze.

The Doctor has demobalised the War Machine and sets about discovering how best to strike at WOTAN. When another War Machine is located in the South Kensington area with the help of Ben they manage to trap the War Machine. The Doctor reprograms the War Machine which then descends to the Post Office Tower to attack WOTAN. The Doctor returns to the Tardis to await Dodo, Ben and Polly arrive with a message from Dodo who wishes to stay in London. The Doctor enters the Tardis leaving Polly and Ben puzzled as to what he is doing inside a police box. Ben remembers that he still has Dodo's key so they follow the Doctor into the Tardis just before in dematerialises.

Another excellent episode from the William Hartnell era which rounds off Season 3 of Doctor Who. Ben and Polly are very likeable companions. An enjoyable story indeed.

Following on was an episode from Gideon's Way entitled Boy with a Gun broadcasted on 3rd March 1966. John Gregson plays Commander George Gideon with Alexander Davion as Det Chief Insp David Keen.

Guests appearing in this episode include Anthony Bate, Michael Craze, Howard Knight, Michael Standing, Ruth Trouncer, George Sewell, Tony Thawnton and Joe Gladwin.

Another entertaining episode from the cult TV show.

Following on, as there are limited televised recordings of music from 1966, I decided to dig out some 45's from my collection. The songs playing on the turntable were:-

Thane Russal - Drop Everything & Run (CBS Label); The UK Bonds - The World is Watching Us (Polydor label); Manfred Mann - Pretty Flamingo (HMV label); Danny Williams - I've got to find that girl again (HMV label); Frank Sinatra - Strangers In The Night (Reprise label); Natasha Pyne - It's all in your head (Polydor label); The News - This is The Moment (Decca label);
Zoot Money's Big Roll Band - Big Time Operator (Columbia label); Andee Silver - Only Your Love Can Save Me (Fontana label); The Troggs - With A Girl Like You (Fontana label); April Stevens & Nino Tempo - The Coldest Night of the Year (Atlantic label); The Who - I'm a Boy (Reaction label); The Pirates - Shades of Blue (Polydor label); The McCoys - Up & Down (Immediate Label); Odyssey - How Long Is Time (Strike label); The Shadows - I Met A Girl (Columbia label);
This 'N' That - Someday (Mercury label); The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Tim Ago (Columbia label); Stevie Wonder - Uptight, Everything's Alright (Tamla Motown); Seekers - Someday One Day (Columbia label); The Pretty Things - Come See Me (Fontana label);
Paul's Troubles - You'll Find Out (Ember label); The Nashville Teens - The Hard Way (Decca label); Roy Orbison - Twinkle Toes (London); Norma Tanega - Walking My Cat Named Dog (Stateside label); Pyramid - Summer of Last Year (Deram label); Peter & Gordon - Lady Godiva (Columbia label); Crispian St Peters - The Pied Piper (Decca label); Sandie Shaw - Tomorrow (Pye label); The Mindbenders - I Want Her, She Wants Me (Fontana label); Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (Philips label); Otis Redding - I Can't Turn You Loose (Atlantic label); Gene Pitney - Nobody Needs Your Love (Stateside label); The Walker Brothers - Theme song to the film 'Deadlier Than The Male' (Philips label)

Following on and rather aptly from the last tune, I watched Deadlier Than The Male starring Richard Johnson, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, Nigel Green, Suzanna Leigh, Steve Carlson, Zia Mohyeddin, Justine Lord, George Pastell, Virginia North. Laurence Naismith, Leonard Rossiter, Lee Montague, Milton Reid, Yasuko Nagazumi, Ralph Thomas, William Mervyn, Ralph Michael and Marianne Stone.

When insurance underwriter Hugh Drummond played by Richard Johnson learns of the death of top oil executives at the hands of beautiful but brutal Irma Eckman played by Elke Sommer and Penelope played by Sylva Koscina, he is convinced tah ti is the work of an international crime syndicate and decides to investigate. When Hugh's nephew Robert played by Steve Cochran arrives suddenly from the USA to stay with him, the two men find themselves dangerous involved with Irma and Penelope. Hugh discovers that the mystery syndicate is after a big oil concession to secure which they must kill the young King of Akmata played by Zia Mohyeddin.

A really entertaining film and some lovely shots of the Italian coast where some of the filming took place.

Rounding off the 1966 night was The Projected Man starring Mary Pech, Bryant Halliday, Norman Wooland, Ronald Allen, Derek Farr, Derrick de Marney, Tracey Crisp, Gerard Heinz, Sam Kydd, Frank Gatliff, Terry Scully and Norma West.

A scientist, Professor Paul Steiner played by Bryant Halliday is experimenting with matter transmission from place to place by means of an electronic laser beam suddenly decides to use himself as a test specimen with devastating results.

An enjoyable and not too badly made low budget sci/fi film made by Compton films.

Harbottle

Jet Storm (1959) DVD-R. Decent yarn which sees grief stricken Dickie Attenborough go bonkers threatening to destroy a New York bound passenger plane. Stanley Baker Captain's, while the usual assortment of passengers including Pop Star (Marti Wilde), Comedian (Harry Secombe) ruthless Industrialist (Patrick Allen) decide what's to be done. Rattles along quite nicely as we see whose upper lips stiffen and those that let the side down!

A Pemberton

Bitter Springs 1950

Tommy Trinder and Gordon Jackson become hired helps to an Australian family trying to find a
new home settlement in turn of the century outback.
Not really Trinder territory and it shows,There is a serious story here,I can only guess Ealing wanted Tommy for the British market but it doesnt work for me.

Eating out with Tommy Trinder 1941

This is more like it, Ministry of Information short film on the virtues of the wartime British restaurants.
Six minutes of classic Tommy.

howard 65

Where can I get that Tommy Trinder/M o I film?

Thank you

A Pemberton

I watched it "online" heres the link

penfold

Alternatively, it's on here, with a wealth of other material....

Amazon.co.uk: Britain's Home Front At War -...

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Steve Crook

The last episode of Britain from Above with Andrew Marr.
A stunning series. It set a very high standard for itself at the start and kept it up all the way through. Educational and interesting, in the best Reithian traditions of the BBC

Steve

lupinpooter

It was a superb series, I agree. I liked the "supplementary" programmes on BBC2 (and BBC4 last night) which went into greater depth on certain topics: the one on deindustrialization was great

batman

Five Days - a nifty Hammer B-thriller from the 50s, with US import Dane Clark giving a good account of himself as a man driven to the point of suicide by buisness worries. Complications arise when it appears someone else wants him dead too. Recommended.

Jingle bells Batman smells ... I heard that at school Daddy.

BAT QUIZ 16 HAS JUST BEEN POSTED IN THE COMPETITION THREAD - 06/01/09