Thursday 28 July 2022

The Railway Children (1970 Lionel Jeffries & scr)

Bernard Cribbins (93) died today, thus the first in our double bill of British train-themed films. He and Jeffries obviously knew one another as they'd acted together in such films as Two Way Stretch, The Long Arm of the Law and Dunkirk, perhaps how the casting of Cribbins as Albert Perks came about - a nice way to be remembered in all time favourite family drama.

The cast seems comfortable with the actor's direction, but Jenny Agutter stands out.  Where other actors might emote, or 'act', she remains very still and internal and thus her performance seems not like acting at all. It's probably the film she'll be best remembered for, too. Also enjoyed Peter Bromilow as the drinking doctor. In fact started having most unworthy thoughts about which of the characters would have fancied bonking Bobby - the doctor certainly would have been one of them. Even the nice old gentleman William Mervyn - 'Come into my study, dear - I want to thank you properly'.

Good score from Johnny Douglas. Wardrobe supervisor Elsa Fennell is I think no relation to Emerald.



Hopefully the watch Bobby's received (for saving the train) will be in the sequel.

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