1949 - Dir.: Henry Cornelius
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on April 30th, 2005
It's time to relax into comforting black and white for a cosy tale set in post war England.., or is it England? The idea for the plot came from a news item spotted by writer Tibby Clarke which stated that during the war, in order that a rule be observed whereby members of the Dutch royal succession must be born on Netherlands soil, a room in Ottawa, where the family was in exile from the German occupation, officially became Dutch territory. So if that could happen in Ottowa why not.. Pimlico!
The cast reads like a Who's Who of British character actors - Stanley Holloway and Dame Margaret Rutherford lead the troops but sharp eyes (and memories) will spot Sir Michael Hordern, Sidney Taffler, Charles Hawtrey, Hermoine Baddeley, Sam Kydd and Sir Winston Churchill (it's true!) amongst many others. John Slater, later to be a Z Cars stalwart and a resident of Stratford-upon-Avon, plays one of his biggest big screen roles. It's a classic Ealing Studios product with classic British humour poking gentle fun at our own Britishness. There are those who regard the film as political satire but most just sit back and enjoy a glimpse through a window on a world and way of life many of us can't even remember.
Showing posts with label Rutherford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rutherford. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Friday, 14 August 2009
Blithe Spirit
1945 - Dir.: David Lean
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on Spetember 24th, 2004
Another escapist treat - this time the horrors were those of war - not a mention of the conflict in a film that had them flocking to the cinemas in the closing months of WW2. In the same year as they produced the heart rending "Brief Encounter" Noel Coward and David Lean collaborated on this much lighter confection based on Coward's smash hit stage play. Coward's script and Lean's direction must have some influence on proceedings but all their efforts (and those of the rest of the cast) are swept aside by the charging juggernaut that is Margaret Rutherford's Madame Arcate. Dame Margaret, who made her first screen appearance in 1936 at the age of 41, played dotty old dears throughout her long film career but this one was something special. Coward wrote the role specifically for her to play on the stage and then further adapted it to suit her screen persona. In real life Dame Margaret was the daughter of William Benn but her father murdered her grandfather just before she was born, and she was christened with her mother's last name of Christie.
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on Spetember 24th, 2004
Another escapist treat - this time the horrors were those of war - not a mention of the conflict in a film that had them flocking to the cinemas in the closing months of WW2. In the same year as they produced the heart rending "Brief Encounter" Noel Coward and David Lean collaborated on this much lighter confection based on Coward's smash hit stage play. Coward's script and Lean's direction must have some influence on proceedings but all their efforts (and those of the rest of the cast) are swept aside by the charging juggernaut that is Margaret Rutherford's Madame Arcate. Dame Margaret, who made her first screen appearance in 1936 at the age of 41, played dotty old dears throughout her long film career but this one was something special. Coward wrote the role specifically for her to play on the stage and then further adapted it to suit her screen persona. In real life Dame Margaret was the daughter of William Benn but her father murdered her grandfather just before she was born, and she was christened with her mother's last name of Christie.
Murder Most Foul
1964 - Dir.: George Pollock (16mm print)
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on 27th September, 2003
Many fine actors have had a crack at Miss Marple - notably, and most recently, Joan Hickson - but few have achieved such popular success as Margaret Rutherford. Although Christie admired and eventually became friends with the redoubtable Margaret (even dedicating one of her Miss Marple novels, "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side", to the actress) she apparently did not like the MGM films at all. This was the third in the hugely popular series. "Murder, She Said" (1962) set the humorous tone that would follow in the subsequent films: "Murder at the Gallop" (1963), "Murder Most Foul" (1964), and "Murder Ahoy!" (1964). This film was based on Christie's 1952 novel "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" which featured Hercule Poirot as the sleuth. Christie described the title as "rotten" - it seems that the cinema going public did not agree!
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on 27th September, 2003
Many fine actors have had a crack at Miss Marple - notably, and most recently, Joan Hickson - but few have achieved such popular success as Margaret Rutherford. Although Christie admired and eventually became friends with the redoubtable Margaret (even dedicating one of her Miss Marple novels, "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side", to the actress) she apparently did not like the MGM films at all. This was the third in the hugely popular series. "Murder, She Said" (1962) set the humorous tone that would follow in the subsequent films: "Murder at the Gallop" (1963), "Murder Most Foul" (1964), and "Murder Ahoy!" (1964). This film was based on Christie's 1952 novel "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" which featured Hercule Poirot as the sleuth. Christie described the title as "rotten" - it seems that the cinema going public did not agree!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Blithe Spirit
1945 - Dir.: David Lean
Shown at the FeckenOdeon on 25th September, 2004
Another escapist treat - this time the horrors were those of war - not a mention of the conflict in a film that had them flocking to the cinemas in the closing months of WW2. In the same year as they produced the heart rending “Brief Encounter” Noel Coward and David Lean collaborated on this much lighter confection based on Coward’s smash hit stage play. Coward’s script and Lean’s direction must have some influence on proceedings but all their efforts (and those of the rest of the cast) are swept aside by the charging juggernaut that is Margaret Rutherford’s Madame Arcate. Dame Margaret, who made her first screen appearance in 1936 at the age of 41, played dotty old dears throughout her long film career but this one was something special. Coward wrote the role specifically for her to play on the stage and then further adapted it to suit her screen persona. In real life Dame Margaret was the daughter of William Benn but her father murdered her grandfather just before she was born, and she was christened with her mother's last name of Christie.
Shown at the FeckenOdeon on 25th September, 2004
Another escapist treat - this time the horrors were those of war - not a mention of the conflict in a film that had them flocking to the cinemas in the closing months of WW2. In the same year as they produced the heart rending “Brief Encounter” Noel Coward and David Lean collaborated on this much lighter confection based on Coward’s smash hit stage play. Coward’s script and Lean’s direction must have some influence on proceedings but all their efforts (and those of the rest of the cast) are swept aside by the charging juggernaut that is Margaret Rutherford’s Madame Arcate. Dame Margaret, who made her first screen appearance in 1936 at the age of 41, played dotty old dears throughout her long film career but this one was something special. Coward wrote the role specifically for her to play on the stage and then further adapted it to suit her screen persona. In real life Dame Margaret was the daughter of William Benn but her father murdered her grandfather just before she was born, and she was christened with her mother's last name of Christie.
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