Reviews

An attractive film with mild humor.

The US distributor made 59 cuts to it, to shorten the time. I haven't seen any information on how long the US release was.

There is now an Italian DVD release in 2.35 format. It is based on the shortened US edition, and adds missing footage from the 4:3 TV master, mainly in the last half.

But in the 1990s another scene was dropped from both the VHS and TV masters. At about 45 minutes there had been a scene where she appears wrapped in a bedsheet. This is not restored in the DVD.

There may be a problem in the UK having a good master. It may need to be remastered from the uncut negative.

The 1959-60 season brought four specials on NBC with this title. His 1957-58 series was not continued through 1958-59. The four shows were: 1. High Hopes - October 15, 1959 2. An Afternoon With Frank Sinatra - December 13 3. Here's To The Ladies - February 15 4. Welcome Home Elvis - May 12. From what I read they received high viewing ratings. It included the first TV appearance of Nancy Sinatra and the first TV appearance of Elvis Presley after the army. Frank was bold, but his guests were largely from his Rat Pack circle. I do not find Frank particularly interesting myself, and his shows had a lax and unpolished feel. The 1959-60 series was much more successful than the 1957-58 awkward mix of variety and drama.

Here are samples of reviews from old Movie books. As the years go, older minor films are dropped from editions.

Leonard Maltin 1993: James Bondish derring-do involving a woman superspy who crosses swords with a suave playboy head of an international crime ring. Script by Bond veteran Richard Maibaum. Average.

Steven Scheuer 1990: Slick production values, exotic location shooting, and the beautiful Cornelia Sharpe as a sexy female James Bond-type are the draws here. S*H*E is hot on the trail of international blackmailers who plan to jeopardize the world's oil supply if their demands aren't met. 2/4

Martin and Porter 2003: This average made-for-TV spy-action thriller has one twist .. a female James Bond. Beautiful Cornelia Sharpe is S.H.E. (Security Hazards Expert). She pursues Robert Lansing, the US syndicate boss, throughout Europe. Omar Sharif makes an appearance as a wine baron. 3/5

For myself this was not an exciting movie. From Richard Maibaum it's a big-time screenplay, but the result doesn't measure up. I will say they take advantage of the female element by showing some partial nudity. I doubt all of that made it to TV, but it's on the VHS video.

This is a perfectly fine film of its type. Based on a play, so it's talky and restricted in action. The story is a mild situation comedy, nothing hilarious, but it's the plot twists that are the point. As good as any British mystery comedy of the time I think. A Hammer/Exclusive film, Anthony Hinds producer, and James Sangster assistant director. As said elsewhere, brother and sister inherit this large house. Brother is a writer who needs to make more money. He thinks by concocting a story that he killed his sister he will make a fortune. In parallel, there is treasure hidden in the house and the thieves are trying to get the two to leave the house by making it sound haunted. In the opening scene there is "someone at the door", who enters at night and starts making spooky noises. Don't get the idea that the writer goes to trial for murder and then is dramatically saved. It never goes to that point, the plot is wrapped up without anything like that. No story is published about him murdering his sister or anyone else.

My sympathies are with the review by minamurray in 2009. I'm a sceptic and I agree with the public rejection of this film in 1959. Basically because it creates a false fictional monster based on imagination rather than reality. I want to consider the mind of the writer of the story. Consider how views can be twisted. We get lesbian feminists squawking about men who are interested in women, and all the sheep nod and say yes yes how evil. We get homosexuals disdaining heterosexual interests and influencing public policies. In America the slightest sensual tendency is squelched and censored. When Teresa Brewer spun her dress and showed her award-winning legs, Ed Sullivan switched to another camera angle to avoid it.

So I need to know the orientation of the writer first. Is this a disdain of hetero instincts? Is this a real picture of reality? That's why the film bugs me.

Yes it does have an effective horror atmosphere toward the end. But there are other Hammer dramas that bug me in similar ways. I think it was Yesterday's Enemy where a Jewish writer preaches that in wartime you're not supposed to kill the enemies. So it's a good thing Hammer quit making message films after this. I'm not sure it is really healthy for the public.

The attractive thing about this movie is the presence of Teresa Brewer, in her only film. So if you're a fan this is a must see. Secondly, how often do you judge a musical as a great movie in itself? The plot is usually there to support the music and the stars. That's the way I look at it, so I'm not hard on it. I know there are fans of Rhonda Fleming too, and the other stars. They appear attractive in color and the music is fine, especially when Teresa is on stage as a showgirl singing Baby Baby Baby. That was a hit for her that year. The Bell Sisters sing one, and so does Guy Mitchell. Teresa also sings Mr Banjo Man and a duet with Guy of It Must Have Been You All The Time. This film has recently been prepared for a 3-D video release that has not occurred, and there have been a couple of limited theatrical preview showings recently. Never been on video. Can be seen online in some places or as a TV recording. As of 2017 there is a DVD and Bluray 3D release. Better get yours before they are out of stock.

I was totally impressed with this filming. It is the most effective of all the versions of the story, which is surprising since it's only a TV episode. Not your everyday TV series fare, it's a quality British film like so many other great films from there. Amy's voice must have been dubbed since it is a perfect English accent, I don't know. The locations and other actors are British. The atmosphere is spooky, the scares are well done. The relationship of the ghosts to the characters is well explained and depicted, unlike the vague lame interpretation in The Innocents. Movie books say there is nudity, but that only refers to statues and paintings on walls and in books, so that's quite a laugh. There is sexual content but it's more implied than explicit. The second best version I've seen is 1992 with Patsy Kensit. I haven't seen more recent ones. The books say there's nudity in that too but I didn't notice any.

A rare Hammer film not available commercially now. It's an average quality black and white production about criminals taking over a light house on an island. The title refers to that light being put out. The lighthouse crew think they are rescuing survivors of a sunken boat. These are bank robbers trying to escape, and a conflict ensues. The story develops in flashback style, when a passing yacht discovers what looks like an abandoned lighthouse. They investigate and find it deserted. Then the film shifts to a previous day (without making that clear to the viewer) and we see what happened. It's an interesting location and theme, and is adequately produced, but not an important film.

This is really just some good old country fun, pretty well done. Hound dog refers to a real dog that they took out hunting, and a young fellow wanted to do that when he grew up. You have romantic tangles with Carol Lynley and young Dodie Stevens, who had a hit with Pink Shoelaces at the time. Pleny of singin and dancin, including a rollicking enjoyable barn dance scene. Fabian sings and so does Dodie. The title song was made into a good rock and roll hit, written by the famous Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Not all the songs are great and I have no idea why This Friendly World got any attention. The picture was wide Cinemascope, but full-screen on TV.

This movie is worth noticing. Megan Follows plays a troubled young woman who has been involved with prostitution and illegal immigration. It's in the form of a mystery where her questions are gradually answered as the film progresses.

Positives: Well produced, beautifully photographed, well directed. Megan Follows is showcased beautifully. Negatives: It's about mental illness. The writer has an unhealthy attitude toward men and heterosexual relations, obviously feminist. The writer inserts her Jewish propaganda against the Catholic church as well. Actually this presentation of child abduction is disinformation, this is not a true explanation.

The film appeared on Canadian premium TV in 1990, and I don't know where else. It's not available now. The audio was in stereo.