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Reviews
Fatal Journey (1954)
Convincing hairpieces, taut dialogue, somnambulistic direction.
Always worth watching these Merton Park reruns, in my view; the learned Mr Lustgarten's occasional curious pronunciations is a bonus. Julian Somers' piece was quite undetectable, even without his hat. Could it have been the same item, bequeathed to Walton Studios, for Harry H. Corbett to wear in 'Cover Girl Killer' (1959)? Paul Dickson's directorial credit under an alternative name - can't figure why.
Sergeant Cork (1963)
'Sergeant Cork' remembered with affection.
I used to enjoy 'Sergeant Cork' on Saturday evenings in the mid-1960s, not least with a fish and chip supper. Freddie Fowler's character Chalky was something of a scene stealer: 'Here's your tea, Sergeant - it's just how you like it: as hot as Hell and as strong as the Devil'. I paraphrase the quote today still, on occasion. Towards the end of the series, production standards seemed to slip - certainly it seemed like live television. I never found Charlie Rodway particularly convincing - sorry. Bruce Forsyth paid tribute to the show's two main characters in one of his Sunday Night shows around 1964.
Cool It, Carol! (1970)
Historical interest saves 'Carol' from becoming a lost film?
Screened far too many times by Renown ('Talking Pictures TV'). Now if not then, the film is irresponsible, unfunny and unpleasant. The 1969/70 street scenes and vehicles are of historical interest (if only one knew how to upload images to imcdb.com). This movie's general bad taste and one or two goofs have been sharply observed by discerning reviewers.
Dixon of Dock Green: The Burn-Up (1961)
A soggy, ill-researched, not to say irresponsible script from the prolific Lord Willis.
An episode of the long-running series which went down like a leaden balloon with the motorcycle press of the time, perhaps even less palatable than Twinkle's later 'Terry' chart single. Apart from the unpleasantly dim light cast upon the bikers of the day, smarter viewers could but laugh like the proverbial at His Lordship's technical knowledge - not least the interpretation of a 'double knocker'.
At least the story has remained under a fine film of cerebral dust somewhere in one's mind these last 56 years.
With hindsight, of course, the general viewer need not have fretted. Dumb 'Cha Cha' was really only old Melvyn Hayes - not only an occasional player in the series but actually admirable for wooing and winning wonderful Wendy Padbury.
Today, of course, any surviving footage would be of value historically.
The 20th Century-Fox Hour: Men Against Speed (1956)
TV episode gaining cinematic release.
I first saw this film at, I think, the Regal in Purley around 1956. Quite effective as a 'B' feature and of historical interest now to ageing motor sports enthusiasts. I hadn't remembered that Farley Granger was the star but I've never forgotten the story line, so the film clearly impressed me to some degree. Screened once or twice over the decades on British TV.