Saturday 29 September 2012

The Long Memory (1952 Robert Hamer)

Written by Hamer and Frank Hardy from a novel by Howard Clewes.

Tons of location atmosphere in moody Kent seafront and night silent towns, a revenge tale with a wonderfully (and uncharacteristically) terse John Mills seeking out Pimlico's John Slater and ex Elizabeth Sellars, whilst real culprit John Chandos and henchman John Horsely appear to be gay (Horsely is Doc Morrissey, no less!)

Eva Bergh (not much of a career) is the refugee, Geoffrey Keene a helpful journalist, John McCallum the investigator. Also, Thora Hird, Laurence Naismith, Peter Jones.

Shot by Harry Waxman, music William Alwyn.

Good framing, deep focus, moments cut to dramatic music like 'The Haunted Mirror' e.g. terse Mills seen through letterbox. Final hurrah to Michael Martin Harvey who I knew would save the day, though frankly film would have worked as well with a downbeat ending.

Top marks to Eagle Eye Qued who in one second identified 11 year old Christopher Beeny  as Edward in Upstairs Downstairs.

A Europa film.

Also liked some of the angles, e.g. Mills and Bergh head to head. Two stars in Radio Times? Fuck off.

Johnny: "It would have been better if Hamer had laid off the sauce. He twice walked backwards into the Thames with viewfinder in eye!"

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