TPTV Films Page 17

Any Cricklewood Films on the list?

I'll have a Butchers

The Case of Charles Peace (1949)

Victorian crime drama based allegedly on a real case, but I managed about 20 minutes - a boring film made all the worse by most of it set in a court room. Vague recollection of having seen Ronald Adam in odd things, but apart from him I didn't know one actor. If there was a saving grace it was Valentine Dyall as the narrator.

Ronald Adam had an interesting life according to IMDB.A real Biggles, flying a Sopwith Camel and allegedly shot down by the Red Baron.I remember him from the Lavender Hill Mob,he was Alec Guiniess's (?) boss.

Quote: Paul Wimsett @ 30th July 2020, 8:13 PM

Any Cricklewood Films on the list?

Had a quick glance at a Cricklewood film list, but none stood out as one's I'd seen - the choice for the films coming up being down to TPTV of course.

The Scarlet Web (1954)

No one of note in this apart from Michael Balfour in a small part as a barman, but nonetheless a good murder quickie. Oh and there appeared to be two acting clones in leading lady Hazel Court a dead ringer for a young Joan Collins and Robert Moore as the Police Inspector who was a Clark Gable lookalike.

Insurance investigator is set up for a murder.

Quite enjoyed it, and there were some wonderful period motor cars.

Freedom to Die (1961)

Another one of those with a Canadian actor in the lead and no one of note in it, but a good crime thriller with a nice twist at the end.

Man comes out of jail and wants his share of the spoils, whereupon it typically goes pear shaped as the double crossing starts.

Again, quite enjoyed it.

I don't like TPTV cos its in black and white and l've got a colour licence so I'm wasting my money by watching it, aren't l? It stands to reason.

I do like TPTV cos a lot of the films come from a golden age of cinema when we were all getting blown up by an angry German called the loft waffler, probably cos he lived in a loft and never got to the point. He was a right bastard, my granny told me.

So I don't like and I do.

Tiger in the Smoke (1956)

Misread the opening titles as I wondered why I didn't see Alec Guinness in this (very good make-up?), but then going back to the beginning I realised it was Alec Clunes, the father of Martin Unimpressed (it's an age thing.............)

However, very good cast including one of my favourites, Bernard Miles (playing against type as part of a gang), and look..........there's Sam Kydd again............ (all's right with the world)

A vicious leader of the gang of army veterans comes out of prison, killing all and sundry, to find the secret of some war-time hidden treasure - not a bad story from a best seller apparently, but I wouldn't rave about it like some have on the IMDb.
A lot of the plot depended on the gang and the rogue member/murderer being able to move freely in smog bound London, and my goodness, was that smoke/fog combo thick!

Flannelfoot (1953)

Not too dissimilar to Tiger In The Smoke inasmuch as some of the participants were from an army unit at the end of WWII, with one of them being this "Flannelfoot", a sort of pour man's Raffles who steals precious gems and resorts eventually to murder.

Plot a was a bit messy, but not a bad whowasit from those army days in Berlin as against a whodunit.

Few familiar names such as Graham Stark as a grubby small time crook/grass and a surprise to see none other than a young Diana Coupland singing a sultry song in a dingy Berlin night club, showing some nice legs and good voice. Others of note are Jack Watling and two Rons (der management, no not them) - Ronald Adam and Leslie Howard's son Ronald.

Wonderful Life (1964) Yank title "Swingers' Paradise" - WHY?!?! GRRR, Bloody Americans

Don't why I'm getting so overheated about the title as I found the film absolutely dire! Had never seen this "big" film from Cliff (heavily into Beatles and Stones at the time) so wanted to see what it was all about, but despite skipping through the MANY songs (3!) in the half hour or so I watched it, I couldn't stand it anymore - the stupid plot, wooden acting with Melvyn Hayes and Richard O'Sullivan (as part of Cliff's band) looking like dicks.

Don't bother with this one - Rubbish. Can only assume it was Mums going to the cinema to see that nice clean cut man Mr Richard that made it so popular?

Not just mums all the young teen gals loved him too.In fact all the girls in sunday school were united in their lustful desire for him.

Maybe in the circle of young gals you met at the church hall do :P, but around that year it was all Beatles and Stones for the 60s dolly birds Lovey, as I remember all too well, going to see The Beatles at that time and barely being able to hear them for the constant screaming!

And what have the poor things got these days? Ed Sheeran :)

Tread Softly Stranger (1958)

This I thoroughly enjoyed. An excellent gritty thriller set upt'north with George Baker and Terence Morgan vying for the attentions of a gorgeous 27 year old Diana Dors, a wonderful actress who oozes sex in this film - WOW. (But why are all women post war and up to the 60s so broad in the beam? And those pointy bras do nothing for me).

Tense all the way through (there's more to this than what I've said above, but don't want to spoil it), so watch it if you can.