Mrs Pym of Scotland Yard - Nigel Morland

Earlier today I got to see a film I`ve wanted to see for some time, Mrs Pym of Scotland Yard. 

Released around 1939/1940 (sources vary) , the film is based on the Nigel Morland book of the same name. Nigel Morland is one of a number of pseudonyms used by Carl Van Biene (1905-1986).

My impression is that the film must have seemed quite dated even at the time. Mary Clare is excellent as the Mrs Pym of the title but the rest of the cast are a mixed bag. Most of the cast are elderly, which makes me think it was made after WW2 broke out.  

 
The dialogue, some of it written by Morland/Van Biene himself, has some flashes of wit, and the story is quite intriguing. Despite it`s shortcomings I would say it is a good film overall. 

As far as I know this is the only Mrs Pym film, which seems a shame. It was also Mary Clares` only leading role in a film which is very surprising to me. 

A lot of people won`t want to persevere with this one, but if you are prepared to be patient it does make quite rewarding viewing.

Portrait of Alison aka Postmark for Danger - Francis Durbridge

This is a film still from another film I`ve seen recently, Portrait of Alison (US title Postmark for Danger) a British film from 1956.

Based on a Francis Durbridge story, this is definitely one of the best and most accomplished films of it`s type that I`ve seen. 

Look out for it !

Richard Dalby (ed) - Crime for Christmas

Another Richard Dalby Xmas book - not sure, but I think I may have them all now. 

Martel Robinson - Sunny Soil (FULL ALBUM)

Mike Robinson aka Ray Martel aka Ray Martell aka Martel Robinson

I know nothing about Ray Martel except for the fact that he is one of my favourite singers. I am not actually certain which of his stage names is actually his real name. At one time ran a record label called `Ray` , which might make you think his name was Ray, but there again his songwriting and production credits always seem to go to M Robinson. 

As I`ve mentioned, I`m not posting reviews at present, but my next post after this will be some of his music so you can give it a try for yourself. 

Magnet was a specialist reggae label founded in Stoke Newington (London) in 1971. It released tracks by a number of different artists. 

On the face of it, it doesn`t look as if they had licensing agreements with Jamaican producers to release their tracks in the UK.

 It may be that artists financed their own recordings and then Magnet paid them to release them, in the same way Greensleeves did in later years.  

Every release that I know of on the Ray label was credited either to Martel Robinson or Ray Martell, so it`s a pretty safe bet this was his own venture. 

Next up, I`ll share some of his music fr those who`d like to hear him. 

Stay tuned !

Films - Salute the Toff, Hammer the Toff - John Creasey

This very stylish poster advertises a 1952 film I saw recently (though not for the first time).

John Bentley, Patricia Dainton and Valentine Dyall also appeared together in Paul Temple Returns the same year.

Salute the Toff was filmed `back-to-back` with Hammer the Toff, but has a slightly different cast (Carol Marsh instead of Patricia Dainton).

You may remember Carol Marsh as Rosie in Brighton Rock, which by sheer chance is another film I`ve seen again recently. 

Richard Dalby (ed) - Ghosts for Christmas

Another addition to my Richard Dalby Xmas books collection ! Must be getting near to having the full set now ! 

Larry Parks and Others - A Tiger by the Tail

I recently saw Larry Parks in A Tiger by the Tail (1955)

As I`ve mentioned before, I`m not posting reviews at present, but here`s an original newspaper/magazine advertisement for the film.

An absorbing film which I enjoyed. In the US it was released under the title Cross Up, presumably because the phrase A Tiger by the Tail was not in common usage over there as it was here.

Billy Dice - Unity Is Love

This is Unity is Love by Billy Dyce which I mentioned in my previous post. 

Jamaican pressings of this single credited the vocals to The Untouchables. 

There have been many bands with that name (there have in fact been two Jamaican reggae bands of that name). In this case it will be the same as The Inspirations i.e. Ransford White aka Billy Dyce and Trevor Shaw aka Jimmy London.

Billy Dyce Undying Love (Unity is Love) - Alvin Ranglin

This is a single from my own collection, Billy Dyce singing Unity is Love (wrongly titled on the label as Undying Love) on a UK label, GG, produced by Alvin Ranglin.

Billy Dyce is great, but that`s not what I`m going to focus on today.

Former singer and TV repair man Alvin Ranglin began as a record company proprietor when he took over the running of a Jamaican label named Gloria, which had previously been owned by one of his relatives. 

Subsequently, he founded three further labels, GG, Hit and Typhoon, all based in Jamaica.

Both Discogs and Wikipedia treat the London version of the GG as being basically an offshoot of  the Jamaican parent company. 

In truth, it was probably a subsidiary of the London-based Trojan records, who would have had had a license from Alvin Ranglin to release his output in the UK, as they did with many other Jamaican producers. Trojan are credited on the label with publishing, manufacturing and distribution of this disc.  

For those who want to hear the single, I`ll post that here separately next. 

Before becoming a label owner, Alvin Ranglin recorded with Vernon Buckley aka Vernon Maytone as Vern and Alvin and with Lloyd Flowers as Flowers and Alvin. You`ll find those tracks on You Tube easily enough. 

K Turton - Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Nottingham - Wharncliffe - 2003

Kevin Wharncliffe - Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deeds in Nottingham - Wharncliffe - 2003

I am not posting reviews at present but thought people might be interested in this book I read recently.

Recommended if you like a bit of non-fiction historical crime.

A very impressive account of one of Nottinghams` most notorious murders,  Herbert Mills` killing  of Mabel Tattershaw,  looks at Mills` confession to a journalist and suggests a motive for both the killing and the (quickly recanted) confession which I had not heard before.  

Also includes Samuel Atherley`s murder of his family at their home in Arnold, which I hadn`t heard of before, despite my  having spent many years living in and around the Arnold area.