Upstairs Downstairs - Season 4 (1974)

The First World War series, which Hawkesworth thought "was certainly our best" - his father had been wounded three times, two uncles were killed; Shaughnessy's father was killed and he never knew him; he found a box of correspondence between his parents which was enormously helpful.

It's a testament to how good the show is that it can be still so affecting - here for example in the brilliant story of the nasty Belgian refugees - but once they are understood, it's a whole other story. And Georgina's episode on a railway station with a dying soldier, setting up her own nursing story.

Great episode 'The Glorious Dead' written by novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard (though Shaughnessy claims he rewrote most of it) has Rose's sudden fiancé dying, whilst Hazel has an affair with a pilot (his story about shooting down a plane, and seeing the German has a dog in the cockpit with him, such a great touch) and James is back shattered and disgusted at what's happening. He confides in Hazel that every letter he writes to a family of the deceased contains lies.. then he has to comfort Rose with the same bullshit. Then, opening a drawer, he realises Hazel has had an affair... though Hazel herself cannot publicly grieve for the man.

Then 'Another Year' by Shaughnessy in which shell shocked Edward returns and gives us his best work. The Silvertown munitions factory explosion was real. And James's story of not being shot by the German officer in the shell hole was lifted from Robert Graves' experiences at the Front in 'Goodbye to All That' (1929). In contrast, the humour evident in Prue's dreadful series of tableaux is welcome, as is Mrs Bridges 'Patriotic' but disgusting cooking.

New characters: Hannah Gordon, Gareth Hunt.

Hudson: "That telephone was not installed for the likes of us!"

'Chu Chin Chow' was a musical comedy popular from 1916, based on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.

The Long Voyage Home (1940 John Ford)

Ford's adaptation of four plays by Eugene O'Neill (adapted by Dudley Nichols) about the merchant seafaring life. Starting in the Caribbean, a ship must carry a cargo of ammunition across the Atlantic and through the war zone to England. It's successful in understanding the life of these strange folk who are happier at sea than on land. Scenes in the storm are incredible.

The principal players: Thomas Mitchell, Ian Hunter, Barry Fitzgerald, John Wayne, Wilfred Lawson (captain), John Qualen, Ward Bond, Arthur Shields (Fitzgerald's younger brother: How Green Was My Valley, The Quiet Man), Mildred Natwick. We didn't really take in that Wayne was Swedish until the end!

The highlight is undoubtedly when Hunter is suspected of being a spy, but when his wife's letters are read aloud...

Very striking lighting from Gregg Toland - most unusually he and Ford share the same credits screen.

An independent Walter Wanger production.

Fitzgerald, Wayne, Bond, Mitchell, Qualen

It was nominated for six Oscars - Picture, Screenplay, Photography, Special Effects, Editing (Sherman Todd) and Music (Richard Hageman).

So Ends Our Night (1941 John Cromwell)

Another tough and tender doomed war love story from Erich Maria Remarque novel 'Flotsam' adapted by Talbot Jennings. German exiles without passports are constantly on the run from the authorities as they journey from one country to another. Fredric March has had to disown his wife Frances Dee in Germany, young Glenn Ford is trying to track down his father, and Margaret Sullavan (also in the Remarque adaption Three Comrades) is just trying to finish her studies.

There's a nice mixture of the sinister and the absurd, people's hostilities and their acts of kindness. Good in support are vengeful Eric Von Stroheim, and fellow detainees Leonid Kinskey and Alexander Granach. With Anna Sten, Sig Ruman, Ernst Deutsch (The Third Man).

Noticeably good editing from William Reynolds in one of his earliest films, and good moody lighting from William Daniels. The music's by Louis Gruenberg, and the production designer is William Cameron Menzies. An independent production released through United Artists.

Rather good, though the VCI 'restored' copy we have suffers from bad picture and terrible sound as though someone is washing up in the background.

The Kid Detective (2020 Evan Morgan & scr)

Adam Brody is the depressed and dissolute former wunderkind who is finally offered a grown up case of murder; Kaitlyn Chalmers-Rizzato wants to know who murdered her boyfriend (who it turns out isn't as innocent as he seemed). It has a wryly funny tone, helped along by the sort of soundtrack that would accompany a fifties detective story (composer Jay McCarrol).

Filmed in Ontario, it doesn't quite work for me, but is an entertaining watch.

Heart and Souls (1993 Ron Underwood)

One of those messy screenplay credits: Gregory Hansen & Erik Hansen and Brent Maddock & S.S. Wilson. Daft but enjoyable as Robert Downey helps his ghosts to lay their pasts to rest. They are Alfre Woodard, Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgwick and Tom Sizemore (Bringing Out the Dead). With David Paymer and Elisabeth Shue. And B.B. King.

The Conservatory of Flowers is in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

The kid, Eric Lloyd, was not from Sleepless in Seattle, but was in The Wonder Years and later in Deconstructing Harry.

Heaven Can Wait (1943 Ernst Lubitsch)

Like one of Will's 'whole life' stories, as we learn from Don Ameche why he thinks he should be in Hell. Talking of hell, how the hell did they get permission to shoot a film in colour in 1943?

Perhaps not as funny as other Lubitsches, but very good.

Gene Tierney, Laird Cregar, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette. Spring Byington, Marjorie Main, Signe Hasso, Aubrey Mather.

Strange to see a portrait framed like this

Hangmen Also Die! (1943 Fritz Lang & co-scr)

It was written in German by Lang and Bertold Brecht, then translated by John Wexley.

In occupied Czechoslovakia, a fictionalised version of Heydrich has been shot - Anna Lee helps Brian Donlevy escape, but as a result, her father Walter Brennan is one of hundreds imprisoned, waiting to be shot. It's a brutal, nightmarish tale, in which things you might expect to happen in a more conventional film don't happen, and things keep getting worse. Until a fabulously clever ending. But even that doesn't stop Brennan from being killed.

Anna Lee - Bedlam. And Summer Storm, Flesh and Fantasy, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, Fort Apache. Not sure Brian Donlevy was the best actor.

Long - two hours fifteen. Starkly shot by James Wong Howe. Large, complex cast. Really good.

With Gene Lockhart, Dennis O'Keefe, Margaret Wycherly, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski (as the hangman), Alexander Granach (great as the persistent Gestapo man), Tonio Selwart, Jonathan Hale, Lionel Stander, Reinhold Schünzel (Notorious, the twitchy Gestapo man, based on a sadistic teacher Lang had!)

Terror. Anna Lee

Typically sparse lighting from James Wong Howe

Lang's films in America are just great.

Upstairs Downstairs - Season 3 (1973-4)

It's a shame these series haven't been restored - we are constantly plagued by various background noises which at their best sound like a dishwasher, at their worst an electric saw and a hoover.

Freddy Shaughnessy was much inspired by Noel Coward's play 'Cavalcade', which includes a couple on deck on a ship. Only at the end of the scene and they move off did you see the ship's name - RMS Titanic. Rachel Gurney had had enough and requested she be written out, as did Nicola Pagett, whilst Pauline and John felt their characters had gone as far as they needed to.

It struck me that everyone's stuck in their own particular class, except Sarah and Thomas, who break off and become entrepreneurs, and don't feel there's anything wrong in visiting their ex-employers to wish Lady Marjorie a happy birthday.

If you are lucky enough to find a house in Eaton Place that hasn't been divided up into flats, it will cost you £20 million. They didn't have gardens but did have mews houses for rear access.

In this series, James marries the secretary Meg Wynn Owen, who sounded like a bit of an awkward customer. Her defining moment is the great scene where she calms the hysterical Roberts and gains the staff's respect. Hudson's loyalty is tested when he attends a shooting party and is offered a much better job. Richard Vernon from this is familiar to us from something, lots of TV and films.

Two episodes really don't work. One brings Alfred back, and he's a runaway murderer who Rose takes under her wing. The other is just weird, as a new maid develops a fixation for Richard and starts stealing things. Then things settle down somewhat, though James and Violet's marriage begins to disintegrate, not helped by the arrival of Leslie Anne Down. Plus Jacqueline Tong is a new arrival as the under house parlor maid. There are some fantastic arguments, e.g. when Violet helps to cook dinner, and an especially heated one between Hudson and Rose. Then war is declared...

Upstairs Downstairs - Season 2 (1972)

Imagine this - John Alderton was a much bigger star then than any of the other cast - on the back of Please Sir - and was paid double. His performance as a wily Welsh manservant is beautiful - a sort of deferent arrogance, if such a thing is possible. He spent a week in Abergavenny getting the accent.

The inevitable has happened - Sarah is pregnant - and so the family and their lawyer whisk her off to the convenient 'other' location of Southwold (I don't think we ever go there), whilst James meekly capitulates. Elizabeth's marriage collapses, with the somewhat shocking involvement of Charles Gray - Nichola Pagett getting in some great scenes. The King coming to dinner one of the few stories I remembered - though erroneously thought that Mrs Bridges was summoned to the royal table for praise. (Those prawns they finished off with - I'm sure they'd been out all day!) Lots of humour throughout these episode, mixed with drama - Sarah's unexpected arrival.

Loved the episode involving brothers - Hudson pretends he's well off to receive his bridge building brother - whilst Richard has to tolerate his own brother (John Nettleton), who is convinced Hudson is a drunken lecher, and tricks Richard into going to a posh restaurant knowing Hudson and family will be there. Richard of course does the noble thing, goes over and treats Hudson like an equal. Jackson didn't like that Hudson was behaving in this dishonest way but as writer Fay Weldon pointed out, it's when people behave out of character that they become more human, and more interesting. And there's another monstrous character in the episode featuring old 'Nanny'.

Then in a horrific aside, Elizabeth gets caught up with the Suffragettes, is arrested along with Rose, who's there to protect her, of course, and - get this - Elizabeth doesn't stick up for her and Rose ends up in prison and being force fed - very rich material for 1972 of course, but Miss Elizabeth.. really. (But also the humour - Edward and Ruby realise they've been on their own together in the house all night. What with this combined with poor old Rose getting slapped about in prison and it's an oddly surreal episode.)

We learn that Roberts suffers from 'train fever'!

I'm extremely pleased to report that John Alderton is still with us (83) and is still married to Pauline Collins. They have been together since May 22 1970. Her pregnancy in this series was written in to the story.

The Girl Chewing Gum (1976 John Smith)

A London street. An off-camera commentator appears to be giving directions, e.g. "Then the boy should point left". 

Then there are certain mistakes, and meanderings, and directions like "Then two pigeons should fly in from the right" and you realise you're in total artifice - the sound has all been added later, even the alarm that rings through the whole of this twelve minute film - even, at the end, when the scene has changed to a field surrounded by electricity pylons.

Interesting and funny. It's on vimeo here. It really sticks in the head.

The BAFTAs 2024

Started out brilliantly with a version of Staged involving Michael Sheen's dog (supposedly enacted by Andy Serkis!) Then David Tennant's wit seemed to dissipate throughout. The evening was dominated by Oppenheimer, which won for film, director, actor Cillian Murphy, supporting actor Robert Downey Jr, editing (Jennifer Lame), photography (Hoyte van Hoytema) and score (Ludwig Goransson).  (I didn't realise the producer of the film, Emma Thomas, is Nolan's wife.) Thus The Holdovers was unfairly overlooked with only Da'vine Joy Randolph winning. Emma Stone won for Poor Things, which also picked up awards for costumes, production design, makeup and effects.

Hannah Waddingham made an impression singing, and Michael J Fox gave an unexpected appearance (and received a standing ovation). Samantha Morton received the Academy Fellowship.

Weirdly the Best British Film (both Saltburn and Rye Lane were in competition) also won for Best Film Not in the English Language, The Zone of Interest. Bradley Cooper's passion project Maestro won nothing. Nor did Barbie. Or Killers of the Flower Moon.

I didn't know John Bailey died last year.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot (2016 Glenn Ficara & John Requa)

Full of unexpected people popping up, like Alfred Molina, Stephen Peacocke and Sterling K Brown. It was dedicated to Tina's dad Donald Fey, Korean war veteran, fireman and writer, based on Kim Barker's autobiography. ("If I had ended up, at the end of this movie, married and holding a baby, I would have punched this movie," she was quoted as saying.) 

Funnily enough I find myself in Afghanistan again (Kafiristan) and Morocco again on the same day.

It was written by Robert Carlock, who wrote one episode of 30 Rock.

It's jolly good.

I love the relationship she develops with commander Billy Bob Thornton, and with her guide. Some of the music choices are eclectic, to be sure (rescue scene to 'Can't Live' by Nilsson).

With someone called Margot Robbie, someone called Martin Freeman, Christopher Abbott, Nicholas Braun.

The Shooting Party (1984 Alan Bridges)

Both Bridges and writer Julian Bond (it was adapted from a novel by Isabel Colegate) were mainly TV people, so they must have smiled in the sunshine of a feature film, financed by Canada. It's 1913 (yes) at Knebworth House, and there's a shooting weekend, and it's the only thing Edward Fox cares about, despite his gambling addict wife Cheryl Campbell having an affair with Hungarian Aharon Ipalé. And Robert Hardy's wife Judi Bowker is falling for single Rupert Frazer. All this is looked upon with benign dignity by James Mason and his wife Dorothy Tutin, as matters sexual, social, political and economic come under examination. Plus we have the downstairs story of servant and maid as well as the kids' point of view. And the budding Rebecca Saire (who's married to Roger Allum). John Gielgud and Gordon Jackson are outsiders. So there's quite a lot going on in this elegant setting.

I like the conversation between Mason and Gielgud, the latter attempting to protest the shoot, and the boy and his duck, and the poacher turned beater.

Rather good, overall. Photographed in a melancholy hue by Fred Tammes.

The Man Who Would Be King (1975 John Huston & co-scr)

Huston had originally wanted to do it with Bogart and Gable, but Bogie died. Then it revived in the seventies, with Paul Newman interested - until he read the script and told Huston the actors should be English and recommended the perfect pair - Connery and Caine. As Michael tells it, he was staying in the George V when he received a call from Huston asking if he'd talk about doing it. Caine agreed and Huston said well I'm in the hotel next door, let's meet in the bar. And of course Caine accepted immediately. It's one of his own favourites.

Kipling's story about Kafiristan is filmed in Morocco, in Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains. Huston particularly rated his First AD Bert Batt and the whole thing is one of those huge pre-CGI productions that you marvel were ever made. This cost $5m which sounds nothing now. Exceptional production team with Ozzie Morris on camera (Alex Thompson second unit), Alexander Trauner designing sets, costumes Edith Head and very appropriate music from Maurice Jarre. The editor was Russell Lloyd (Moby Dick, Heaven Knows Mr Allison, The Kremlin Letter, The MacKintosh Man, the infamous Caligula).

Huston said that Caine and Connery rehearsed together so well that their timing was fantastic and he needed to give them no direction and just decide where to place the camera.

With Saeed Jaffrey, Christopher Plummer, Larbi Doghmi, Karroom Ben Bouih and Shakira Caine.

It's quite long but bloody good, with Huston's usual preoccupations evident - people being in unfamiliar waters falling apart (not from greed, this time, but vanity).

Amazingly neither star was nominated for anything.

Upstairs, Downstairs - Season 1 (1971 Creators Jean Marsh, Eileen Atkins)

Fabulous stuff from feisty, mischievous Pauline Collins as she poses for a famous painter, tells off Head of Household Lord Bellamy (David Langton), and snogs son James (Simon Williams), before her French Exit. Langton was nicknamed 'Mr Fluff MP' for his mistakes, which he would tend to blame on a mis-placed ashtray or something!

Stern authority from Gordon Jackson and Angela Baddeley.

Marsh and Atkins were on holiday in France, wanted more of it, and conceived of the idea to make money. They had both had poor backgrounds in London and both had had a parent in service, and saw photos of Edwardian households with huge staff, and that's how the idea was born.

Key people were Stella Richman, who commissioned the show for LWT, John Hawkseworth, who produced all five series, and Alfred Shaughnessy, the script-editor, who guided every screenplay and often made major changes. Each episode benefitted from a ten day rehearsal period. Most episodes were filmed with four cameras, in a way in which they were reluctant to stop takes, giving it that 'filmed play' feeling. The actual filming usually took place in one afternoon (the morning being a dress rehearsal). It was union action that caused six of the episodes to be filmed in black and white.

Rachel Gurney (Lady Bellamy), Nicola Paggett makes a great impression as Elizabeth, and there's a great scene where Rose really tells her off proper. George Innes is the rather creepy footman. Evin Crowley is the maid.

As the season goes on we meet new footman Christopher Beeny, lawyer Raymond Huntley and family friend Joan Benham.

'Brief Encounter' episode uses Wagner's Tristan & Isolde memorably. Really didn't remember these stories, one featuring pregnant maid Susan Penhaligon. Sad story of Emily's romance, rejection and suicide is unexpectedly moving - her sweet singing, and Angela Baddeley's response contributing factors. Then Sarah comes back.. But what her involvement is in 'The Swedish Tiger' we're unsure as the episode left us totally baffled... Series ends with James and her having affair (she's become a stage performer), and Elizabeth marrying posh poet Ian Ogilvy!

Starts in 1903 and then each episode is approximately six months apart. The opening episode was refilmed at the end in colour.

Background info from Richard Marson's 'Inside Updown: The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs' (2001) in which we learn the fascinating tidbit that young Jean Marsh was one of the dancers in The Red Shoes! She will be 90 in July; Pauline Collins is 83, Simon Williams 77, as is Evin Crowley (who was also in Ryan's Daughter).

Home Before Seven (1952 Ralph Richardson)

Written by Anatole de Grunwald, based on a 1950 play by R.C. Sherriff, starring Ralph Richardson.

A man has lost 24 hours in his life, whilst someone he hated is murdered. Nice doctor Jack Hawkins and polite detective Campbell Singer help to sort it out. With Margaret Leighton, Michael Shepley, Frederick Piper, Meriel Forbes. Many of these were also in the play.

Photographed by Jack Hildyard and Ted Scaife, music by Malcolm Arnold, edited by Bert bates, assistant director Guy Hamilton, sets by Vincent Korda - a London film.

Fisk Seasons 1 & 2 (2021-2 Creator Kitty Flanagan)

Created and co-written by its star, Kitty Flanagan, and a quite funny comedy set in a small law firm in Melbourne, much of the humour arising from crazy demands of clients.

With Julie Zemiro, Aaron Chen and Marty Sheargold in the office; and Glenn Butcher and John Gaden.

One Day (2024 Nicole Taylor)

Yes, Ms Taylor and Netflix thought it would be a good idea to adapt David Nichols' book again, this time into 14 episodes (ranging from 20 to 30 minutes), each one the next St Swithin's Day in the couple's lives. The only trouble is that Ambika Mod's character is so antagonistic that I'm surprised they made it through the first night / date - I'm not enjoying the way she's acting it, either. Leo Woodall is the privileged other.

With Jonny Weldon, Amber Grappy, Essie Davis (Leo's mum), Tim McInnerny, Eleanor Tomlinson, Joely Richardson, Toby Stephens.

Outfit The (2022 Graham Moore & coscr)

Moore wrote The Imitation Game. This sure feels like a play. Not just a play, a one location play. Inspired by his grandfather, a kindly small-town doctor who had a 'notorious mobster' for a patient. It was shot in London. Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O'Brien, Johnny Flynn (Fleming in Operation Mincemeat), Simon Russell Beale, Nikki Amuka-Bird.

It's a game of chess, as Rylance outmanoeuvres his opponents, enjoyable. The very ending, where supposedly dead Flynn comes back to life, is a bit much.

Music by Alexandre Desplat, photographed by Dick Pope, edited by William Goldenberg, production design Gemma Jackson.

Fargo (1996 Joel & Ethan Coen & scr, ed)

'Shall we watch Fargo again, d'ya think?'
'Yar.'

But hadn't noticed this very weird credit for 'Victim in Field':

It's J Todd Anderson, who was a regular storyboard artists for the Coens. The above is the symbol for Prince, turned on its side.

To Catch a Thief (1955 Alfred Hitchcock)

Herbert Coleman was second unit director on Rear Window and this, went on to become associate producer on North by Northwest and Vertigo - I guessed wrong - he was American.

For a light 'fluff' piece from Hitch it's absolutely brilliantly put together.

According to IMCDB, it's a Peugeot Besset

I'm sorry, but this is not a glass you should drink Bourbon from

Shorts and socks? No, no!