TPTV Films Page 20

Quote: Chappers @ 18th August 2020, 8:03 PM

I'm watching the Pot Carriers. Supposedly a comedy drama although I haven't seen anything to laugh about yet but an OK film. Maybe an influence for Porridge with lots of faces from the time (1962).

View original

I remember people raved about it when it hit the cinemas, with Ronald Fraser being the "new" discovery.

The Final Appointment (1954) .............The Last Appointment - Yank title, GRRR. WHY? Final/Last, what difference?

Another in the series (so I've just discovered) of Ace reporter Mike Billings aka John Bentley who sticks his oar in where it's not wanted with the police, convinced there is a connection between three people - two of whom have been murdered on the same date 5 years apart, with the third one receiving poison pen letters of his demise too.

It turns out that the three of them were on a judgement panel at a court martial during the war and the race is on to find out who the person is connected with that and so find the murderer. Quite a good plot and worth a watch as it's also one of those 60 minute B movie quickies.

The only people of note are fellow reporter Eleanor Summerfield (who I was surprised to find was married to Leonard Sachs for over 40 years until his death), Captain Mainwaring as a dodgy, creepy accountant and, oh look, there's Sam Kydd** again, this time as a small time crook.

** I've now discovered that apparently some years ago there was a "Spot Sam Kydd" game. According to his son Jonathan, his father appeared in some 240 films, some of which have as yet to be listed on the IMDb - if you check his listing there it is mind boggling the career he had, also appearing with just about every comedian/comedy actor you care to mention on TV.

No Way Back (1949)

As they say, you wait ages for a bus to turn up and two come at once and here I find Eleanor Summerfield again but 6 years younger (see previous review).

Bit grittier part in this and very good she was too, but the whole film let it down. It started OK with a boxer who had it all at one time and then through age and injuries everything, including his wife when she realises the good times are over.

He goes off the rails until an old flame, and small time gangsters moll (Summerfield) rescues him, getting him a job with the small gang. The boss doesn't like the attention she's giving the ex-boxer and sets him up to be caught in a robbery, but she double crosses the boss to save the ex and it then all goes pear shaped for all three of them, and that's where the film peters out a bit as the end is dragged out a bit too much for my liking.

Worth seeing though. Oh, and interesting to see Anthony Valentine as a 10 year old street urchin, not that I recognised him, only noticing it on the IMDb.

Man from Tangier (1957) - "Thunder Over Tangier" Yank title. Why?

Gave this 5 minutes to move on from abroad and I'm glad to say it quickly did where the plot thickened in London with plenty of street scenes and of course cars, and there were some beauts - noticeable how many had white wall tyres and I remember now this was quite a trend at the time.

Apart from Michael Balfour again, this time with a slight American accent which I read somewhere he tried to perfect in the hope he would be embraced in the USA; there was no one of note (lead man Robert Hutton - who?), but small coincidence, there was Leonard Sachs playing his usual nasty boss of a gang - established previously we found out that he was married to Eleanor Summerfield for over 40 years until his death.

Plot has been done before many times - Nazi forgery plates, this time of passports stolen (in Tangiers) and smuggled into the UK. From then on we get various factions of the gang trying to own the plates with some getting killed along the way.
Embroiled into this comes Nazi concentration camp survivor, the heroine (Lisa Gastoni, exactly again - who?) who the leading man tries to help and save the day and the plates and save the job of the police and again.

Mixed reviews on the IMDb but I enjoyed it.

The Gilded Cage (1955)

I thought I'd seen the American male lead recently and it was "Stranger in Town" made two years after this one I watched and reviewed recently - what threw me was he didn't have that weird crew-cut, the actor playing his brother wasn't a Yank though.

So, both are in the US Army and while on leave in the UK one of them finds out that the other has got involved in dodgy theft of art treasures, especially one (the film title) that was valued then at over £200,000 (over £5 million in today's money). The elder brother happens to be an officer in Army security, so takes it on himself, with the blessing of the local rozzers this time, to get to the bottom of who has embroiled his brother in such dastardly deeds.

A few get killed on the way, but not a bad film, worth the hour and a half or so. Did recognise an actor this time and that was Ronan O'Casey (Canadian/American again) who I remember from the early ITV comedy series "The Larkins".

Flight to Mars (1951)

I rarely watch period American films, being a fan of mostly post war B&W British (mostly set in England B movies as I'm fascinated and love to see the scenes and cars of my childhood; but I made exception with this one as the trailer was so funny I just had to watch the corny handling and predictions, especially when the film poster proclaims "FIFTY YEARS INTO THE FUTURE!".

The rocket (standard design of that time) ship journey was farcical as the crew of four men and one woman, in street clothes, sat around in the spacious cabin on regular chairs, drinking coffee out paper cups, as though they were in the local café, and held conversations (jealousy/love rears its ugly head - had to be didn't it) as the captain tooted on his briar pipe. Oh dear.............

They then crash land on Mars and go out onto the surface in what looks like a modified WW2 gas mask to be confronted by Martians who are all wearing space suits, so how they could not breath on the surface, yet the Earth people could didn't sit well and looked daft.

Anyway, formalities over, they all then go underground where the Martians live in this very advanced city - I stress the very because that didn't make any sense when they said they had been trying to build a rocket to leave their planet, yet here we are with 1950s technology on Mars.

So, these "Martians" (all speaking perfect American English) secretly decide they will hijack the Earth people's spaceship after they have helped them to repair it..........................

Thank God the film was only about 1¼ hours long, but then it was quite amusing in its 1950s colour.

Undercover Girl (1958)

Canadian Paul Carpenter again (with English accent this time, not Yank) as yet again a news reporter trying to do the police's job in the seedy underworld of 50s London Soho blackmail and drugs.

Too many characters and subplots made for a confusing film, or perhaps I simply lost interest or even cared what happened and a pretty mundane, seen better type of film.

Notable by the barely recognisable appearance of Joan's sister Jackie - the odd thing was I recognised her voice more than her face. All the women had pointy boobs and wide hips again - "Why is that?" I asked my wife - summat to do with the stiff bras (why so pointy) and heavy foundation undergarments- long before the "living girdle", then.

Nice to see some period cars, especially the new condition two tone Ford Zephyr MkII with white wall tyres that Paul Carpenter drove around in.

The Secret Place (1957)

Quite a tense film, especially the robbery and good ending.

Actors of note:

Belinda Lee - seen her in a number of films now.

Michael Gwynn - a favourite actor my wife and I, and you probably know him better as Lord Melbury in the very first Fawlty Towers. Lovely actor and we have fond memories of him as Joe Gargery ("Pip, old chap") in the BBC production of Great Expectations, way back in 1959!

Geoffrey Keen - just a bobby in this, but have seen him in various police ranks and even as a crook. Popped up in a number of Bond films.

David McCallum - Man from Uncle of course as Illya Kuryakin and many, many parts and TV series over the years. Still alive apparently aged 87 and originally from Glasgow apparently - well I never!

George A. Cooper - been in so many TV series and memorable as having very little hair and played mostly grumpy parts. Was the father in the LWTs Billy Liar way back in the early 1970s.

Wendy Craig - Receptionist (uncredited) Didn't recognise her at all!!

Ian Hendry - listed as "Man Inside" uncredited. I've no idea what that part is and didn't notice him. Perhaps it was cut by TPTV
Gretchen Franklin - Nope, didn't see her either.

And finally...........

Michael Brooke, a 15 year old playing a younger main part of a lad who finishes up with the haul (no plot spoilers here!) and won't let the gang have it back. This was the last film he did in a career of 8, BUT it seems he went on to become a famous barrister and judge...........so, in this case, at least we know what happened to him after his film career petered out!

Yes, a different, enjoyable film and well worth a watch.

Undercover Agent (1953)

Not a bad little film about spies and Fifth columnists with Alexander Gauge (as the heavy spy boss), better known as Friar Tuck from the early TV series "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (with Richard Greene that was a staple of my early TV), and who it seems, committed suicide after being typecast in that part AND Archie Duncan who played Little John in the same TV series. Also, totally against type, Bill Travers as a nasty right hand man who hands out the "persuasion" to get people to talk.

The hero is Dermot Walsh, who I know little of and the gorgeous Hazel Court plays his wife (broad in the beam again - what is it with 1950s women?), and the wonderful Hermione Baddeley totally playing to type as the cranky Madame Del Mar fortune teller.

At just over an hour long it won't tax you (little joke there as Walsh plays an accountant) and quite a gripping story; BUT there was one very stupid bit at the beginning when Gauge bursts into his office, demanding to know what the police are doing there, but somehow not managing to notice the dirty great dead body lying on the floor by his open safe, that is between him and the detective. Even the police photographer snapping the body doesn't seem to click (groan) with him and he only notices it when the detective points it out to him - seriously weird.

Spellbound aka Passing Clouds (1941) and Yank title "The Spell of Amy Nugent"

Early starring role for Derek Farr who I've seen now in a few pre and post War films, and not somebody I know not a lot about. So-so actor in a so-so film.

Young man falls madly in love with a girl who dies through illness and in his torment, he tries to get back in touch with her via seances. It was OK - just that and I got the impression it was primarily made and released to poo-poo the many charlatans around at this time who were conning people by pretending to be gifted in this field - you could almost say, a propaganda film.

Also had in it Felix Aylmer, who has been in many films and TV over the years, and the wonderful Irene Handl who had a minor part as the girl's mother.

Wouldn't recommend it.

Park Plaza 605 (1953) Yank title Norman Conquest, which is the name of the hero, BUT WHY - there cannot be any other films with a similar title. Grrrr, Bloody Yanks.

Starring Tom Conway (as Norman Conquest) better known as George Saunders less successful brother, and this fact I knew because he and George were a question I pitched for Only Connect on people with famous brothers...........it was rejected.

Anyway, Norman is a slick private detective who is sometimes a pain in the neck to the police and in the opening scene, he is playing golf with his girlfriend when a particularly good drive down the fairway hits and kills a messenger pigeon. The message is to meet someone at Room 605 of the Park Plaza hotel in London. Read on.............

Not a bad film, played tongue in cheek with Sid James as the police detective (Wha!?), Richard Wattis as a dodgy orchid importer, Terence Alexander as the hotel manager, Eva Bartok as the femme fatale, a short lived part for everyone's favourite "German" Anton Diffring and there's our friend Michael Balfour in his usual guise as a gang heavy.

Norman is a bit too slick for my liking (think Roger Moore in The Saint), BUT THE STAR for me is THE CAR!!

I recognised the BMW logo on the wheel caps and should have twigged what it was, as Dinky made a similar Frazer Nash-BMW No. 38a, which I had in my collection until I sold them all on eBay.

Fortunately, someone on the IMDb recognised it as a 1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio - one of only 14 built, with the last one selling for over £250,000. Looks even more impressive in the film!

Send for Paul Temple (1946) The Green Finger Yank title

Apparently the first of four films about a crime writer who is apparently so good, Scotland Yard call him in when they have a case they can't quite crack - really?

Anyway, a cast of nobody I have ever heard of, but nonetheless not a bad film about a series of smash and grab of jewellery shops using vehicles to ram etc. (no ATMs then), but where does the gang hang out and how do they dispose of the diamonds that never appear on the black market? Fear not, Paul Temple will find out, along with a newspaper reporter (female this time) who sticks her pennyworth in.

You can't imagined it being done now, but there seemed to be a fashion for the period as Paul Temple and Norman Conquest (see previous) both had Chinese valet/man servants (think Cato Burt Kwouk, but immaculately dressed with white jacket), but in this instance played by Englishmen made up to look Oriental.

Good ripping yarn though, and cars were easier to identify as in the opening titles it stated that vehicles were supplied by Rootes Securities and Armstrong Siddeley.

I thought he was only on the wireless.

Paul solves baffling murders and Louise"Steve" buys a new hat..........

Never listened to that, Dad and I always followed Dick Barton "Special Agent", and I think there were a few films made of him too. I hope one day there will be one on TPTV

"Devil's Gallop" - brilliant version of this on YouTube :-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7bsL00aCGg

Don't talk to me about Dick Barton.
The BBC dumped him for the Archers,a government propaganda exercise to get farmers up to date.
It was young to learn how easily they could be manipulated by Westminster.

Eyewitness (1956)

Good thriller this with no punches pulled in the violence, which was given even more of an edge with Donald Sinden of all people as the arch villain complete with spiv pencil moustache and a side kick in the form of (Dr Watson) - Nigel Stock as a locksmith/safebreaker who hates violence.

After a row with her husband, pretty Muriel Pavlow storms out and goes to the cinema where she witnesses a violent robbery in the cinema manager's office and is the only witness to Sinden shooting the manager dead. She runs off but is knocked down by a bus and taken to hospital, and that's where the suspense starts as Sinden traces her and does his best to finish her off, much to the disquiet of Stock.

The nurse who unknowingly thwarts some of the attempts to kill her is the very attractive Belinda Lee, an actress who I've seen in other films, and is the one who was tragically killed in a car crash in the U.S. aged only 25.

A number of well known faces including George Woodbridge, Harry Towb, Lionel Jeffries, Allan Cuthbertson, Godfrey Winn and of all people Nicholas Parsons as the hospital house surgeon, along with Richard Wattis as the anaesthetist.