Joe Fraguela

Last night I watched a trio of good old British b-movies, starting with The Break from 1962 released by Mancunian Films. Starring Tony Britton, William Lucas, Christina Gregg, Eddie Byrne, Sonia Dresdel, Gene Anderson, Robert Urquhart, Edwin Richfield, Patrick Jordan, Marshall Jones and John Junkin. The film was directed by Lance Comfort.

Tony Britton, Christina Gregg, Robert Urquhart all arrive at a country farm guest house, where we find that a convicted robber and murderer, Jocko Thomas played by William Lucas, has broken out of Dartmoor Prison and is holed up at the guest house waiting to be smuggled out of Britain.

A really good entertaining and neat thriller. Very enjoyable.

Following on was The Broken Horseshoe from 1953 starring Robert Beatty, Elizabeth Sellars, Ferdy Mayne, Vida Hope, Roger Delgado, James Raglan, Peter Coke, Hugh Pryse, Toke Townley, Ronald Leigh-Hunt. Robert Beatty plays Dr Mark Fenton who gets involved with a Miss Freeman played by the lovely Elizabeth Sellars who may be associated with an organisation dealing in horse dope smuggling. Another enjoyable b-movie.

Lastly was The Delavine Affair from 1954 starring Peter Reynolds, Honor Blackman, Gordon Jackson, Michael Balfour, Valerie Vernon, Katie Johnson, Peter Neil, Mark Daly and Laurie Main. Peter Renolds plays Rex Banner a reporter on the trail of a murderer and jewel thief who stole the Delavine Jewels. Rex is aided by his wife, Maxine played by Honor Blackman and Sammy played by Michael Balfour.

stevie boy

sound like a good night there Joe

scholes

Qur'anChannel 4 8pm
A quite brilliant piece of research and programme -making by Antony Thomas ,which gave an enlightening look into the depths of the Qur'an and it's overall meaning for Muslims.
Drawing from interviews with people including academics it also explored how this 'code for life' is interpreted by different Islamic communities from the more liberally minded Turks to the darker side of Wahabism which has it's roots in Saudi Arabia.
It was on for two hours but was absorbing in every way.

Joe Fraguela

Most definitely. British B Movie Heaven.

Lerica

Yesterday, I finally got my hands on a copy of Child in the House, starring Stanley Baker and Eric Portman, Dora Bryan and Alfie Bass, amongst others. Not overly suspensful, but a good drama none the less.

freewebs.com/stanleybaker/

Chevyman

"Family Plot" as part of our Hitchcockfest and this lady on Chinese food:-
BBC - Chinese Food Made Easy - Home

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all

"Don't tread on Greta Garbo, as you walk down the boulevard?"

Greyandwhite

Q Planes (1939) Another ABC latenighter that I taped and watched the next day. Ralph Richardson and Larry Olivier starred in this lighthearted spy thriller. I much preferred the former in this. My guess would be it was released pre Sept as no mention of German's at all. The baddies weren't identified but some seemed to have a distinctly Russian accent. Fun, but really only worth one viewing.

SPOLIER.
Aeroplanes with secret developments on board disappear over the channel. A power has made a "ray" that can bring down 'planes in one piece and fitted it onto a ship. Only Richardson (Hammond of the Yard) and Olivier (test pilot) suspect the truth. Love interst for Olivier from a lady journalist. All sorted in the end with a shoot out on the ship lead by Olivier.

Yeah, that's me. Billy Balthorpe, the man with no name.

stevie boy

Family Plot, a horrible Hitchcock film especially compared with the base material The Rainbird Pattern by Victor Canning, an absolute classic of a novel. Hitch should have finished after Frenzy.

Chevyman

It's part of a boxed set .............. bought after a posting right here; Bargains I think?

We're working through them in order; thought that best otherwise some of them will have been watched ad infinitum and others will remain untouched.

Agree with you on both counts. I found myself not caring too much what happened in "Family Plot" but I did enjoy watching William Devane.

Frenzy? That was the exception to our rule. Grabbed that and watched it first I loved the plot, the rendition, the cast and the London of that period which it evoked

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all

"Don't tread on Greta Garbo, as you walk down the boulevard?"

Steve Crook

Oh I don't know. I think it's worth seeing again whenever you want a laugh. It's a forerunner of The Avengers

Ans as the "lady journalist" is Valerie Hobson it's definitely worth watching a few times

Steve

Steve Crook

The Qur'an

Channel 4
Quite a brave documentary, it didn't pull many punches. It went into the story of the Qur'an and Islam in some detail explaining how and why all the different variations happened.

It also spent some time explaining what Islam is really about - not the corrupt version of it preached by various radicals. And that many of the things people regard as oppressive in Islam are really due to the culture, not to the religion. But like with all religions, if you give your life to it, it's very comforting

Steve

Harbottle

Just watched 'The Broken Horseshoe' myself, excellent Francis Durbridge mystery. I must confess that I nodded off during 'The Break' the other evening though

CaptainWaggett

Two men went to war - 'based on a true story' about a pair of army dentists who make a raid on Occupied France on their own. Amusing and with some great acting from Kenneth Cranham and Leo Bill - sadly this got almost no distribution on its release but is worth seeking out.

David Brent

Watched the excellent Room At The Top (1959). First time I had seen it for many years but it still stands up as a fine film.

Laurence Harvey steals the show as young ambitious Joe Lampton, who schemes to wed the local factory owners daughter.
Against his plans though he finds himself falling in love with married Alice, played by Simone Signoret in a performance that won her an Oscar.

The films bleak northern England industrial setting gives added appeal.

Dave.

dpgmel

Watched Mary Queen of Scots starring Vanessa Redgrave, Glenda Jackson and for me the best perfomance came from Patrick McGoohan.

Whilst historically inaccuarte ( Mary and Elizabeth ) never met in later life it captured the detail of the period very well and the murder of Darnley ( Timothy Dalton ) was very well executed ( no pun intended ! )

A big from me.