Gideon Of Scotland Yard

[Freddy]

Excellent, first time viewing for me, well done CH 4. Anna Massey's first picture as well.

[slartybarty]

Gideon Of Scotland Yard (US Title and running time)was shown on Channel Four this afternoon - running time 89m
Gideon's Day(british title) had an original running time of 118m.
Does anyone remember what else was in the movie? Was there a sub-plot that was cut from the US Release?
Does the UK version still exist? (as it is now Sony Television - probably not)

[Freddy]

Are you sure it was 89 minutes this afternoon. According to RT 1t was 1.20-3.10 which is 110 minutes and the adverts seemed short and far between?

Reading some of the reviews which were mainly unenthusiastic about the film one reviewer mentioned that there was going to be series of these films but the critics disliked it so much that that idea was cancelled. As it was released in USA a year after the UK could well be that they tried to 'improve' it for the American audience, hence the cut, nothing ventured etc.

[MartinU]

Looked great in HD. Is that a model shot of traffic going over Westminster Bridge at the very beginning? Certainly looks like it.

The daytime ones while the titles were displayed? They look OK. Or do you mean this one as Gideon looks out of his office window?



There's something not quite right about it. The buses look to be moving slightly jerkily.

[vanmunchen]

The daytime ones while the titles were displayed? They look OK. Or do you mean this one as Gideon looks out of his office window?



There's something not quite right about it. The buses look to be moving slightly jerkily.

Yes, I mean the night shot after the titles, as shown in your screen capture. The traffic is not just jerky - the vehicles all move at exactly the same speed.

[Marky B]

I enjoyed it - not as good as The Long Arm though! I think the biggest curio about it was being directed by John Ford and at times I felt it was "American",such as all the urchins turning up seeing the scrap in the church all wearing caps (I could be wrong - maybe British lads all went around wearing caps).
Who played the character who kidnapped a bank manager,clobbering him with a spanner?
Ta Ta
Marky B

[CaptainWaggett]

Gideon Of Scotland Yard (US Title and running time)was shown on Channel Four this afternoon - running time 89m
Gideon's Day(british title) had an original running time of 118m.
Does anyone remember what else was in the movie? Was there a sub-plot that was cut from the US Release?
Does the UK version still exist? (as it is now Sony Television - probably not)

I know IMDB says 118 minutes but that would be fairly unusual for a film of that type in 1958 surely? It's last few tv outings have been the 90 minute version (the print the BBC showed in 1987 was broadcast from 2.00pm to 3.40pm)

[Freddy]

I enjoyed it - not as good as The Long Arm though! I think the biggest curio about it was being directed by John Ford and at times I felt it was "American",such as all the urchins turning up seeing the scrap in the church all wearing caps (I could be wrong - maybe British lads all went around wearing caps).
Who played the character who kidnapped a bank manager,clobbering him with a spanner?
Ta Ta
Marky B

Ronald Howard was the cad, though he did seem to be hitting his own forearm with the spanner. Good point about the kids and the caps, didn't really sink in till now.

[Bernardo]

The recording I took today, after the commercial breaks were edited out, from 'Columbia' to 'The End' takes one hour twenty six minutes exactly.

[Nick Dando]

There's more model work looking out of the windows of Scotland Yard.

Nick

[Freddy]

The recording I took today, after the commercial breaks were edited out, from 'Columbia' to 'The End' takes one hour twenty six minutes exactly.

Gosh, didn't seem the adverts were that long, though I did make a few cuppas and e mails when they did come on.

[paul kersey]

For those who missed it, it is possible to buy a DVD of it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Ore-A-Sco...9529585&sr=8-6
One of these days. I'll get around to watching it again !

[Andy H]

Very enjoyable, and I think this is the first time we've seen it. After a rather bitty start, the film settled down into a good multi-plotted yarn. I thought Jack Hawkins made a very good job of this - relaxed, but with a quiet authority just below his rather frazzled exterior.
I liked Michael Trubshawe as Golightly too - quiet, loyal, experienced and supportive of his boss. A lovely part. And wasn't Anna Massey a pretty young thing?
I thought it was heading for the credits when Gideon and Golly were heading home with the salmon, but then the bank job kicked off!

[vanmunchen]

I'm afraid I found it really disappointing and hard to believe it was directed by John Ford. One problem is that episodic films like this often struggle to maintain interest and the editing isn't smooth. There is some appalling over-acting and Hawkins' Gideon is very ill-tempered which makes it hard to empathise with him. It's also a pity there are so few location shots - it's a very studio bound film.

[slartybarty]

That works out right with the differences between PAL and NTSC. I also have a USA TCM version and it is identical.
So I return to my original question - does anyone know what the missing minutes contain? It seems rather a lot, the differences between the US and GB versions - that's why I am assuming it must be a complete secondary sub-plot that has been cut.
If the BBC showed a 110m version some years ago,then it would be plausible to believe that a longer version still exists.

[CaptainWaggett]

That works out right with the differences between PAL and NTSC. I also have a USA TCM version and it is identical.
So I return to my original question - does anyone know what the missing minutes contain? It seems rather a lot, the differences between the US and GB versions - that's why I am assuming it must be a complete secondary sub-plot that has been cut.
If the BBC showed a 110m version some years ago,then it would be plausible to believe that a longer version still exists.

Did they? They showed a print that occupied a 100 minute slot but who knows how long the trailers were on either side?

[RogerThornhill]

I liked it the last time that I saw it which was quite a few years ago. Today I found it entertaining but cliched and totally unconvincing.

[slartybarty]

Yes your quite right,which proves that one should never totally trust a time slot(even the Beeb).

[Marky B]

Ronald Howard was the cad

Cheers,Freddy.
Someone on the IMDB mooted it as being an Irish production. Can someone clarify?
Ta Ta
Marky B

[Steve Crook]

Cheers,Freddy.
Someone on the IMDB mooted it as being an Irish production. Can someone clarify?
Ta Ta
Marky B

When you say "somebody" do you mean someone on the associated forum or in a user review? Not in any data the IMDb have approved. It's listed as a UK production

Steve