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derek william hall
Reviews
The Wednesday Play: The Golden Vision (1968)
A genuine work of art!
Despite the fact that I haven't seen this film since its release in 1969, such was its impact upon me that I feel my comments of today are as clear in my mind now as they were all those years ago.
The Golden Vision was actually filmed, by the BBC (as part of their renowned television series - Play For Today), as a drama-documentary set in Liverpool around the essentially tribal factions of one half of that great city's 'red' and 'blue' football supporters - the Everton fans!
It was written, if I recall correctly, by a contemporary ITN newscaster at that time, Gordon Honeycombe - and it was an everyday tale of the trials and tribulations of 'scousers' following their team in an almost religious manner (even though, being Evertonians, they were also almost all Catholic too).
To me, in recounting an unequalled feel for what it was actually like to be socialised in an environment in which the success or failure of the preferred football team (especially if it also had a big city rival - in this case, Liverpool FC) impacted so much upon the quality of the rest of one's life - chiefly in a contemporary manner - it was a genuine work of art starring such brilliant Liverpudlian actors as Bill Dean and Ken Jones.
The film's title, The Golden Vision, was in reality the nickname that Everton fans had given to one of their collective heroes, Alex Young, even though at the time of its broadcast Young had been replaced as the team's idol by Alan Ball.
There are some marvellous scenes in the tale such as a group of the working class 'Toffeemen' (the club's nickname) going down to London for an away match at Arsenal in the back of a furniture van. Then there is the one in which two ladies, chatting on their door-steps, agree that there are 'only two teams in Liverpool... Everton and Everton reserves!' But perhaps the best sub-plot of the lot is the one in which, with everyone at a wedding of two of the central characters being keen to get through the delayed formalities as quickly as they can - in order to get that afternoon's match at Goodison Park - it transpires that all of the wedding photographs had been shot with everyone turning away in their haste!
The Golden Vision - so appropriately named - is an absolute "must see" for all those who enjoy a peep into a past reality!
Murder Most Foul (1964)
Murder Most Interesting
In this, the third of a series of four films of Margaret Rutherford depicting Miss Marple, we are lavishly entertained by a witty whodunnit which is set, most appropriately, within and around a travelling theatre troupe. In my view, this is the best of Rutherford's renditions of this character - and, as ever, she is massively supported by a rock-solid cast which merges mirth with menace in adequate proportions.
The decent, yet slightly inept, Inspector Craddock (Charles Tingwell) is ably assisted, in a needy negative way, by the clearly less able policemen, Wells and Brick (Scott and Davies) in trying to convict an 'obvious' criminal for a heinous murder. Adding to this, the ineptitude of a firm and forthright judge (Andrew Cruickshank) alongside an evidently incapable jury, leads us once again to the necessity of 'our Jane' solving the crime for us. To do so, she must join a theatre group which is riddled with a relevant variety of seemingly good suspects - but which is led by an over-the-top character, Driffold Cosgood (played to perfection by the brilliant Ron Moody). The bit where Cosgood changes his mood and his mind in mid-sentance (..."Dear Lady...") is a piece that is worthy of Shakespeare as a refusal is turned into a plea - but there are plenty of other endearing and engaging moments throughout the rest of an accomplished production.
With your port, or a nice bottle of wine, wait until it's dark and raining outside, then snuggle up to this wonderful jaunt through the curious backdrop of a theatre and its performers presenting a different kind of 'playing' than one would normally expect.
Murder She Said (1961)
How the Manor of a murder was kept off track...
As other critics have previously pointed out, Margaret Rutherford's portrayal of Jane Marple has little in common with the visions of the character's creator, Agatha Christie. However, just as Basil Rathbone's depiction of Sherlock Holmes (both in his character portrayal and in the film company's telling of most of the tales) had little to do with the original writer's intentions, so too did both he and Miss Rutherford seem to create pseudo-characters, from worthwhile plots, of equal value and entertainment levels.
As the first of a wonderful quartet of easy-to-view movies made in black and white in early 60's England (and the second best of them, overall, in my opinion), this appropriately atmospheric film takes us through a clever little screenplay centred around the family of a large estate 'in the sticks' (on the outskirts of London). The storyline is littered with a mixture of eccentric and fundamental cameo parts that serve up the right amount of suspense and partial comedy as Miss Marple (and her buddy, Mr.Stringer) take it upon themselves to solve a railway murder that Inspector Craddock, the local 'head plod', had put down to being the by-product of her rambling 'hallucinations'.
Not surprisingly, we are kept on our toes as to whom was the culprit as the intrepid Jane goes undercover as a geriatric maid who proves to be so competent in her matriarchal manoeuvres that the 'Lord of the Manor' (superbly played, as ever, by the magnificent James Robertson Justice) seeks her hand in marriage as a sort of reward for her spirited detective work. However, Dame Rutherford had Stringer to consider - not least because he was her partner in real life - and there were of course other stories to film in the future...
What a pity they didn't follow Rathbone and Bruce by making around a dozen of these marvellous movies!
Murder Ahoy (1964)
A life on the ocean waves...NOT!
This was the fourth and final offering in the Rutherford/Marple quartet of old English masterpieces. As good as it was though - and it did not let us down as yet another reminder of how quaint some parts of a middle class England of yesteryear were - this was, perhaps, the least riveting of the great Dame's portrayal of the delightful Miss Marple.
For those who are interested in locations, the centrepiece of the tale, H.M.S.Battledore, was anchored in the bay betwixt Falmouth and St.Mawes (in cushty Cornwall) with the latter named small town providing the backdrop for the thefts of the scallywags who were supposed to be being reformed as part of a trust initiative to aid young men who had been led astray. From the outset of the plot, a 'snuff' murder way ahead of its time, we were kept on our toes as Miss Marple (as ever, ably assisted by her elderly beau, Mr.Stringer) weaved her way through the suspects aboard that fabulous old ship which looks as if it has just been vacated by Drake or Nelson. Nevertheless, the contemporary Captain, played to perfection (by Lionel Jeffries) with a mixture of 'old sea salt' zest and a zany personality unmatched by the rest of the crew, almost upstages the film's star with his demeanour ranging from the seeming son of Blackbeard through to a sort of Peter Pan who has lived all his dreams and desires of great seamanship within a perpetual stone's throw of land.
The sword fight at the end may ahve been a bit naff - but it didn't matter, we knew who would win as Jane was bound to have been a fencing champion of some sort in her merry old past. But what was surprsing was that this proved to be the last of a proven fromula that ought to have been repeated many times over.
A thoroughly good yarn - best watched with a flaggon of cider to keep one's whistle wet!
Murder at the Gallop (1963)
Watching it is a very pleasant nostalgic exercise.
Of the 4 Margaret Rutherford "Miss Marple" films, this I would rate as being joint 3rd (along with Murder Ahoy)for overall enjoyment.
Certainly, the best of the quartet is Murder Most Foul, followed by Murder, She Said.
The essence of enjoying these films is to relax and appreciate the fine character acting which, with the black and white format, gently takes us down Nostalgia Avenue, when life in England seemed to be really idyllic.
The plots too, are easy to follow, giving the watcher plenty of time to look around the centre of the story - and into that carefree world of the early 1960's.
Oh! why couldn't they have made at least another 4?