Nicks` Cabinet of Curios

  Basil Dearden (Director) - The Blue Lamp - Ealing - 1950 Recently had a welcome opportunity to watch The Blue Lamp, a film I`ve seen many times before. Many regard the film as a bit one-dimensional, a story of salt-of-the-earth coppers pursuing reckless young villains.  They can`t have been paying attention (or possibly they are confusing the film with the spin-off TV series Dixon of Dock Green). In fact, the film is a remarkably gritty depiction of a post-war Britain in which kids play on bomb sites and one officer has a spare room to let because his son is dead.  As the introductory voice-over makes clear, the young would-be hoodlums come from families damaged by war and are avoided by established organised crime as being undependable ("stick to gas meters" sneers one gangster when Dirk Bogarde`s psycho misfit Tom asks him to handle the proceeds of a proposed robbery). The signs of a war-ravaged city are all around, particularly in the scenes where the Police are out ...

The Ringer (1953) A film I saw yesterday for the first time.  This is one of three films with this title, all based on an Edgar Wallace novel of the same name.   The earlier film versions are from 1928 and 1931. Another version of the same story was released in 1938 as The Gaunt Stranger, known as The Phantom Strikes in the US. Personally, my taste usually runs to a relatively short B movie, but this intriguing film with a very accomplished cast made for a good couple of hours viewing. 

Just finished watching this fascinating and very watchable 1940s wartime murder mystery movie.  I won`t be writing a review as it`s been a long day, but I will post a link for anyone wanting to watch the film in the very near future (possibly later this evening). 

                                                  Francis Lederer in the Return of Dracula The Return of Dracula - 1958 Not everybody`s kind of thing but I enjoyed this film.  The story involves Count Dracula (played by Francis Lederer) finding his way to the United States and setting up home in 1950s small-town America, lodging with a family who believe him to be a distant relative (in fact he`s murdered the real relative and taken his identity). When it first became apparent that this was the plot I had grave reservations but in fact the film won me over. The contrast between the wholesome host family and the their far-from-wholesome lodger makes for an effective film.  It`s true that some aspects of the plot are fudged - Dracula divides his time between the home of the family he lodges with and a disused mine but it is un...

Model for Murder (1959) The Scarlet Web (1954) A quick mention here for two films I`ve seen recently, both of which featured the acting talents of Hazel Court. Model for Murder is diverting enough and I would see it again, but that`s as far as I would go. The Scarlet Web is in a different league altogether, strong performances from a strong cast and an intriguing story.  In addition to her acting, Hazel Court was also a painter and sculptor. Her intention had been to specialise in comedy roles, but in fact she is chiefly remembered for her horror roles.  She believed that her fondness for the works of Edgar Allan Poe made her "a natural" for those parts. She took a down-to-earth approach to acting, remarking of her films of the `50s that there were "never any tantrums", "you enjoyed doing it and you didn`t ever think of yourself as special", "we were glad of a job, and we did it". 

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, b...

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 !

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.

Passenger to London (1937) `Passenger to London` is a 1930s British B-Movie. It was written by David Evans, a screenwriter with 37 TV and film credits to his name, and features an impressive cast, notably Jenny Laird (Dr Who, Inspector Morse, Z Cars, Sherlock Holmes and the Mask of Death, Ghost Squad and much else).  Clearly, it was made on a low budget and as it only lasts 1 hour some of the finer points have to be glossed over. As an example, Lairds` character very quickly comes to trust a man she has found in her hotel room, even though she is openly dismissive of his explanation for being there and despite the fact that he initially pretends to be a hotel employee, which he is not.  I don`t really mind that myself, but I can imagine some would not be so tolerant. However, the film does pack a lot into an hour and that suits me fine. If `30s b-movies are not your thing, I very much doubt that this one will win you over, I think this is one for afficionados onl...

The Trollenberg Terror (US Title The Crawling Eye) 1958 Just seen this on the UK`s Talking Pictures channel. Independently made in the UK, this was the last film to come out of Southall Studios and was   based loosely on a 1956 British TV series of the same name.  I would say that it is well-acted and for the most part relies heavily on suspense rather than special effects. Although it is a science fiction film, it is noticeably influenced by the horror genre in places. Towards the end it is marred to a degree by low-budget special effects but speaking personally that didn`t really spoil my enjoyment overall.  Would recommend to anyone who`s prepared to enter into the spirit of the thing and not really worry about whether it`s the last word in film making. At the end of the day it was an enjoyable and effective film and that`s all I care about. 

Sandra Dorne and Maxwell Reed in `Marilyn` aka `Roadhouse Girl`  Marilyn  (1953). British B Movie. Directed and Written by Wolf Rilla, based on the play Marion by Peter Jones. Starring Sandra Dorne and Maxwell Reed.  Marilyn was released in the US under the title Roadhouse Girl The first part of this film was really not that engaging. Frivolous blonde Marilyn dreams of the high life but is stifled by her domineering garage-owner husband. She seeks comfort in the arms of his new employee, mechanic Tom Price (Maxwell Reed). Her husband catches the two together and threatens his wife. Reeds` character steps in to protect her and before we know it the husband is dead.  So far, nothing new.  Immediately after this things take an unexpected turn. With her husband lying dead upstairs and her lover standing watching, Marilyn flirts openly with a stranger who has called  to buy petrol. Once a  Coroner has accepted the death as the result o...

Rogues` Yarn (1957) -  British B Movie - Directed by Vernon Sewell, Screenplay by Vernon Sewell and Ernie Bradford. Starring Nicole Maurey, Derek Bond, Elwyn Brook-Jones Very nearly didn`t stay with this due to a bout of wildly histrionic over-acting by Nicole Maurey in the early scenes. Fortunately this did not set the tone for the film as a whole. The film tells the story of a man`s murder of his wife at the behest of his lover. It takes the form of what used to be called an `inverted detective story` , a form invented by writer R A Freeman and popularised by the TV series Columbo, in which the audience learns early on who did it, how and why and the interest lies in the way in which the detective brings him to justice. While Nicole Maurey and Derek Bond received top billing as the murderous adulterers, undoubtedly it is Elwyn Brooks- Jones as their unflappable and incisive nemesis that is the real star turn.  In places it is like seeing a crime so...