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Reviews
Foreign Intrigue: Two Men from Zurich (1955)
Cross- Current - "Two Men from Zurich" is one of the best of the series!
This episode of Cross Current is a particular favourite of mine. Its strength lies in the interplay between Gerald Mohr as "Chris Storm" and Naomi Chance as "Penelope". They obviously enjoyed working together and the story left the door open for other appearances by Penelope which sadly did not arise. There are some good lines in the play and a scene near the end which has an unexpected and unique outcome. It's not made clear just exactly what role in life "Penelope" has. Is she a British secret agent or a freelance opportunist? Miss Chance was a very tall lady, nearly six feet tall, necessary for a playing partner for Mr Mohr, who was 6'2". Mohr's charm comes across strongly in the scenes he plays with Miss Chance. There is one glaring continuity error, when Chris returns to Vienna and the police Lieutenant meets him as a protection against possible assassination. On entering the police car, Chris, carrying a suitcase, clearly lays it down outside the car. The police Lieutenant jumps in behind him and the car drives off, leaving the suitcase behind! However, when they arrive outside Chris' Hotel Frontier, he is holding the case. Lovely! The scene near the end to which I refer above - this is a SPOILER - sees Penelope apparently shoot Chris dead in his office in front of the eponymous two men from Zurich and leaves him lying there. However, when she shuts the door loudly behind her to make an escape with the two men, Chris gets up, brushes himself off and phones the police. He thinks she had used blank bullets but, in the final scene between them, she tells him that they weren't blanks and to check the wall in his office to find two bullet holes where she had aimed wide! His reaction to this is excellent. Yes, despite the continuity error and other visuals caused by filming in the snow, this is a charming episode.
Wild West Story (1964)
A fun Western made in Europe.
I was fortunate enough to be given a private viewing of this film by The National Archive of Recorded Sound and Moving Images at Karlavagen 98, Stockholm. They hold a viewing copy only, which seems to be taken from a television screening of this film in Sweden. Despite the picture flickering a lot, the quality is quite good on the TV monitor I viewed it on. As this film is spoken in both Swedish and English, it is a little difficult to follow the storyline, as the majority of the script is in Swedish. The good guys speak Swedish and the villains speak in English, with no subtitles for either language.
The film has all the usual components of a Western, including an apparently clueless hero, just arrived in America, but who turns out to have hidden talents. There's an old-timer, a cute little girl, a dancing troupe of girls who arrive on a stagecoach, 3 injuns who pop up in front of the camera and then pop back down again and, oh, yes, the principal villain (Enrico Gonzales, played by Gerald Mohr), dressed all in black with a double-gun belt tricked in silver. There is a missing oil claim involved and its hiding place is revealed at the end by a much-shot and apparently dying Gonzales, hidden behind one of his "Wanted" posters! But no, he's not dead - fast-forward in film time 10 years and he's selling petrol at "Joe's Gas" to the now-rich Lucky, his former gang now mechanics! This unique film deserves to be given sub-titles and a more general distribution - just for fun!
The Rifleman: Squeeze Play (1962)
A battle of wills between McCain and Prescott
This is a high quality story, entailing a battle of wills between McCain, who owns land that Prescott, a land speculator, wishes McCain to sell to the railroad, which would pass through his ground. Prescott has the neighbouring plot of land, which he intends to sell to the railroad for a nice profit, but McCain wants to work his land and not sell. If McCain doesn't sell the railroad will take an alternate route. Prescott embarks on a bully-boy campaign, bringing in three cronies to do his dirty work for him while he stays in town. Prescott first rides out to see McCain and tries to persuade him with money which he claims is not a bribe, but when McCain refuses he gets his henchmen to break the border fence between their plots of land, then fires warning shots at him and his son and sets fire to his house. The damage is minimal but there is an excellent scene between McCain and Prescott (Gerald Mohr) when McCain visits Prescott late at night and first threatens him with the rifle then grabs him close and tells him to give up, because he is not going to. The following morning Prescott again visits McCain's house and gets his henchmen to beat McCain up. However, realising that McCain is never going to change his mind, telling his henchmen "He doesn't know the meaning of the word 'beg.", Prescott finally concedes defeat and withdraws.
Foreign Intrigue: The Playful Prince (1954)
Incognito Prince dodges unwelcome publicity and wins the girl.
This episode is particularly enjoyable as it is played with a very light touch with some excellent comedy timing from Mr Mohr, whose personal charm really comes to the fore. The episode starts with Chris Storm's chef throwing a tantrum because the Prince says his sauce is sub-standard and that the Prince can do it better. Crown Derby china is being thrown around and Storm has to stop it. The chef agrees to a contest to see whose sauce is better and the Prince takes up the challenge, saying if he wins he gets Chris Storm's striped tie, which he admires. The Prince is then seen wearing the tie and Storm has to find another one! The Prince is AWOL from his country and wishes to remain incognito, but newspaperman Tony Forrest is on to him and some subterfuge and hiding under tables is necessary to avoid being interviewed by the newsman. In the meantime, Chris introduces the Prince to a prominent Austrian model, who the Prince falls in love with at first sight. Chris arranges dinner and there is a happy ending.
Maverick: Seed of Deception (1958)
The appearances of Doc Holliday in Maverick.
Throughout this episode, the appearance of Doc Holliday (Gerald Mohr) is anticipated. However, is is not until the last few seconds of the film that the tall, dark stranger rides into town. All he asks is "Can a man get a bite of food in this town?" and, when asked who is is, replied "Holliday, Doc Holliday." and that's it! No other contribution to the story on this occasion. However, Mohr does appear as Doc Holliday in another Maverick episode, "The Quick and the Dead" in which he is the featured guest star and gives a compelling performance. He also appeared as Doc Holliday in a Tombstone Territory episode "Doc Holliday in Durango". It was mooted that Mohr would be given a series as Doc Holliday, but sadly this never came to pass.
Crane (1963)
Comments regarding the AR-TV series "Crane"
"Crane" was the first TV series I recall that was shot on location in Casablanca and the format was unusual, too, with the "goodie" - Crane - who was a smuggler and the "baddie" - Colonel Sharif Mahmoud - who was the Casablanca police chief trying his best to catch Crane at it (smuggling, that is!). My sympathies were always with Mahmoud, played by Gerald Flood. A handsome, elegant actor (a lost art these days), he was very much the hero of the piece, a much more attractive character than the "lantern-jawed" Crane, as played by Patrick Allen. Other series regulars were Sam Kydd as Orlando O'Connor and Layah Raki as the token belly-dancer female, with Leonard Trolley as Mahmoud's long-suffering subordinate, Shaab. I would love to see some of the episodes again, but time has passed and I learn that the show is unavailable. Such a pity, as it was fun, with more than a touch of glamour. I will always fondly remember "Crane".
The Rat Catchers (1966)
The Rat Catchers - a unique 1960s TV spy series and serial
The Rat Catchers had a unique TV format - a series of 13 for two consecutive years, with story lines written as a trilogy or two parter, taking Smith, Hurst and the Brigadier to many European countries, the furthest abroad being the Greek trilogy (Corfu, Meteora and Athens). They also visited Ireland (Dromoland Castle Hotel), Madrid, Lisbon, Stockholm, Amsterdam (where Alpha finally got his come-uppance!) and other locations around London and the UK. Gerald Flood, formerly Colonel Sharif Mahmoud from "Crane", was wonderful as Peregrine Pascale Smith, the urbane, elegant assassin who, in Mr Flood's own words in a magazine interview enjoyed "doing his rather dreadful job supremely well." Glyn Owen, as Richard Hurst, was the "common working policeman", uneasy at his assignment, whilst Philip Stone's Brigadier Davidson, whose catch phrase was "Say so, if you understand me", was delivered with icy coolness. I would love to re-view all these shows but gather that only a half-hour of one episode is all that has been kept. Ah, yes, I will never forget the thrill of hearing that unique musical introduction (I still have the 45!) and the real enjoyment this unique TV series and serial afforded all those who watched. "Say so, if you understand me!"
The Buckskin Lady (1957)
A rootin', tootin' cowboy with a slightly different slant!
This is a fun Western with a slightly different story line. It has a good-goody (Richard Denning) and a real-bad baddie (Gerald Mohr) but the baddie is the guy who loves the Buckskin Lady. Watch out for the raunchy bedroom scene which almost ends in laughter but Mr Mohr changes the laughter into something else entirely! Nice piece of acting that recovered the scene from a retake to a save and print! Some nice fight scenes, too. Watch out for the publicity picture of Gerald Mohr on e-Bay - a very clever photo which actually reveals the ending to those of us lucky enough to have seen this little gem - and, yet again, the superb Mr Mohr bites the dust at the end!