I want to redress an imbalance following my recent piece on
Ten Favourite Movies in the 1938-1959 period, as almost all were American and I
neglected films emanating from the mercurial but highly talented British film
industry. I do not put any year limitation but as it happens the years are
similar, this time 1935-1971.
1.
The 39
Steps (1935)
This was Hitchcock’s third talkie and is a loose
adaptation of John Buchan’s famed thriller. It has Richard Hannay (Robert
Donat) caught up with a sinister spy ring, accused of murder, fleeing to
Scotland, leaving the train on the Forth Bridge and being chased over the moors
handcuffed to blonde Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). The villain betrays himself
chillingly with his missing finger and the climax is a theatrical performance
at the London Palladium by Mr Memory, being cunningly used by the gang to
memorise military plans and getting assassinated for his trouble. Robert Donat
was particularly watchable as Hannay.
 |
| Donat and Carroll at the Palladium |
2.
Oliver
Twist (1948)
David Lean’s version follows the adventures of Oliver (waif-like
John Howard Davies), hungry at the workhouse, abused by Mr Bumble the Beadle (florid
Francis L. Sullivan), running away to London, falling in with The Artful Dodger
(a young Anthony Newley), joining the pick-pocketing gang of Fagin (a hairily
grimacing Alec Guinness), meeting villainous Bill Sikes (Robert Newton rolling
his eyes) – but it all ends happily, as we know. A classic tale robustly
retold.
 |
| Oliver asks for more! |
3. Kind
Hearts and Coronets (1949)
This black Ealing comedy relates how Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price),
a draper’s assistant, vows vengeance on the ducal D’Ascoyne family, who had
frozen out his late mother when she eloped with an Italian tenor. Louis will
succeed to the dukedom only if 8 heirs disappear and so Louis plots their
departure with a deadly mixture of bomb, bullet and poison, although some die
more or less naturally. All 8 heirs are played by Alec Guinness with hilarious
aplomb.
 |
| Guinness as Lady D'Ascoyne |
4.
Genevieve
(1953)
A typically cosy British comedy of its time, this film
follows the rivalry between two vintage car enthusiasts Alan McKim (John
Gregson), owner of Genevieve, a 1904
Darracq and Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More), owner of a 1905 Spyker, as they
participate in the London to Brighton rally. Alan is accompanied by his wife Wendy
(Dinah Sheridan) while Ambrose takes along his model girlfriend Rosalind (lovely
Kay Kendall) and her St Bernard. They get into various comic scrapes; Ambrose
and Rosalind are the more amusing couple but Alan and Wendy win the race home
by a whisker with Genevieve. Larry
Adler’s harmonica theme rounds off a gentle delight.
 |
| Vintage rivalry |
5.
I’m all right,
Jack (1959)
This film was a parochial satire on the fraught industrial
relations of the time with naïve Stanley Windrush (Ian Carmichael) being
manipulated by factory boss Major Hitchcock (Terry-Thomas) and greatly
offending militant trades unionist shop-steward Fred Kite (Peter Sellers), ever
ready to call a strike. Various Boulting Brothers stalwarts perform well but
the portrayal of Fred Kite by Peter Sellers makes the film truly memorable.
 | |
| Fred Kite leads his delegation |
6.
Lawrence
of Arabia (1962)
A splendid epic, British made by David Lean but American
financed via Sam Spiegel, telling part of the story of odd-ball T. E. Lawrence
(Peter O’Toole) as he helps the Arab guerrilla army harass the Ottoman Turks. Jack Hawkins is a convincing Allenby while
Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Claude Rains and Alec Guinness give distinguished
support. Most of all, the brutally sweaty Arab desert and the world of snorting
camels and lonely railway lines set the scene for blue-eyed O’Toole’s hugely
deserved stardom.
 |
| Peter O'Toole as Lawrence |
7.
Dr No
(1962)
This was the first in the wildly popular Broccoli-Saltzman
series and there have been 22 films since. James Bond (Sean Connery)
investigates the death of a British agent in Jamaica and attracts the attention
of SPECTRE’s sinister Dr No (Joseph Wiseman). On a remote island Bond
encounters statuesque Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) and after many adventures
they destroy Dr No’s rocket diverting operation. The Bond formula soon took
shape - exotic locations, pretty girls, spectacular action and laconic
one-liners. Always tongue-in-cheek, the films rather trivialise violence and
occasionally fostered cold war paranoia but at their best they remain matchless
entertainment.
 |
| Bond plans to sip Honey |
8.
Tom Jones
(1963)
This film was a breath of fresh air for the insular British
industry. Although based on Fielding’s classic, it is by no means reverential, sprinting
through its picaresque tale with great good humour and sharp direction. Tom
Jones (Albert Finney), a foundling babe (or is he a legitimate heir?) is in
time expelled from the family home and wreaks havoc with the ladies of London
from serving wench to fine lady. He still loves his Sophie Weston (Susannah
York) daughter of irascible Squire Weston (Hugh Griffith) and niece of
dominating Miss Weston (Edith Evans) and they end up at the altar and in each
other’s arms. Great stuff!
 |
| Tom and Sophie get romantic |
9.
Carry On,
Cleo (1964)
This was the 10th of 30 Carry On films – a
British genre which probably
mystified other nations. The series took off with Carry on, Nurse (1959) which
caught the British funny bone and Carry On, Cleo is reckoned one of the best –
the bar is not set high. The formula required familiar comic actors, funny
voices, outrageous puns and constant double
entendres. The cockney humour was very broad and there was plenty
slapstick. Cleo has Kenneth Williams as Caesar, Sid James as Mark Anthony,
Kenneth Connor as ancient Brit Hengist Pod (married inevitably to Senna Pod)
and Charles Hawtrey and Joan Sims make their usual hilarious interventions. The
admittedly undemanding British audience laughed like a drain.
 |
| Infamy, Infamy -they all have it in for me! |
10.
Get
Carter (1971)
A violent crime thriller, now a cult movie, depicting the
return of London gangster Jack Carter (Michael Caine) to his native North East
to attend the funeral of his brother and his investigation of the suspicious
circumstances of this death. Carter is cold-blooded and amoral as he cuts a
swathe through the criminal underworld of uninviting Newcastle and Gateshead,
beds any available talent and upsets the local Mr Big (Ian Hendry). The film
preceded a number of other dark British gangster films like The Long Good Friday and Lock, Stock and Smoking Barrel while
Caine was here on top form.
 |
| Caine as Jack Carter - not a man to cross |
SMD
3.07.14
Text Copyright © Sidney Donald 2014
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