General Chat

HI Nicky,

That was Sally Thomsett in the Railway Children I think wasn't it?

Oh yes - Zulu, with Stanley Baker as Lt John Chard and a very young Michael Caine as Lt Gonville Bromhead. History is one of my things too! It also had Jack Hawkins as the missionary in it and Nigel Green as Colour Sergeant Bourne (who suprisingly didn't get a Victoria Cross at Rorke's Drift) One suprising bit of trivia is the Zulu King, Cetchawayo (I think that's how you spell it) was played by Chief Buthelese in the film, who went on the lead the South African Inkatha movement, who fought for freedom.

Half a Sixpence was based on a novel by H.G. Wells (of War of the Worlds and The Time Machine Fame) called "Kipps"

Anyone remember "The Blue Lamp" with Jack Warner and a young Dirk Bogarde as the young criminal who shot PC Dixon? They resurrected PC Dixon for the longest running TV police drama ever made - Dixon of Dock Green.

What about Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard? Love those POW stories.

One of my favourites from the 70s was "The WIld Geese" with the late Richard Burton, Hardy Kruger, Roger Moore and Richard Harris. Had a great supporting cast too - Stewart Granger (who's real name was James Stewart - but he changed it so as not to be confused with the other great actor of the same name), Jack Watson and Ronald Fraser.


David, I was a great fan of Sir John Mills too - loved Ice Cold in Alex - apparently they used real beer in the scene at the end which had to be re-shot several times, and by the final take they were all half p*****!

Great Expectations - who was the scary old bird - Miss Havesham? She frightened the willies out of me when I saw it as a kid for the first time.

The other one that put the frighteners up me was The Picture of Dorian Gray - filmed in black and white but you saw the portrait in colour.

Passport to Pimlico....... sorry Pam ,never heard of that one, or your Ealing comedy Ed.......

Sir john Mills..... What film was it where he acted with daughter Hayley,? and I think it won an oscar or 2, think it was from the 60s.

Great 60s films.......

Born free..... a ground breaking film in its time, nowadays TV have many animal documentaries from Africa, think that must have been the first. {have always loved the song as well...was it Matt Monroe?

Oliver.... the Lionel Bart version, not Oliver Twist

Up the junction.... was a very young Dennis Waterman in it?

Help...... The Beatles

Half a Sixpence.... with the wonderful Tommy Steele

Cabaret...... Liza Minelli dancing her socks off......

Run Wild Run Free.....Mark Lesters follow up film after the success of Oliver

Zulu....... one of OH`s favourites, a great performance from Michael Caine

The Railway children...... Bernard cribbins as the wonderful Mr Perks, Jenny Agattur {spelling!!} before she found more "Adult" films, and the girl from was it man about the house? Sally someone who was in fact about 26, but was playing a 13 year old!! and I think Dinah Sheridan as the mum

I saw most of these at the cinema when they came out, used to be a school holiday treat from my mum, loved the Kia-ora orange they used to sell along with the ice creams in the interval........ aahhhh those were the days when the usherette showed you to your seat, instead of like now when you stumble around in the dark.!!

Nicky

Yes David, always fancy a lager after that one!

Saw Great Expectations on telly years ago and it frightened me to death that opening scene in the grave yard.

I like the late Sir John Mill's films

Ice Cold in Alex was a good example. But I really enjoy his portrayal of Pip

You two probably know this, James Mason's son, Morgan Mason is married to the beautiful Belinda Carlisle. Just a bit of trivia!

Stanley Holloway used to do the monolouges didn't he..."When Albert Got Ate by The Lion" and "Oooh you do Look Queer!!!" I'm not that old but remember my nan talking about them! lol

Hi Nicky and Edd, no don't recall seeing that film with Maximilian Shnell in it, but thought he played a good part all beit a small one in The Odessa File, got a feeling I've mentioned that one before...memory going! Yes enother good one 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad world, very funny, l loved Phil Silvers as the cunning Bilko!
Kind Hearts and Coronets...wonderful stuff.

St Trinians with Alistair Simm playing the headmistress! Actually Nicky I think your knowledge of films is just as good as mine, Edd is very good isn't he. I used to watch Secret Army on the telly and of course Allo Allo is a micky take of it I think isn't it? They showed it in Germany...do they have a sense of humour!!!

Have we mentioned Passport to Pimlico?

Trevor Eve was good in Shoestring, but didn't watch A Sense of Guilt.

Hi Nicky,

Yes I remember Colditz - the two cast members I recall are Anthony Valentine as Major Mohn (where did I drag that one up from?) and David McCallum as an airforce type (let's not get onto the Man from U.N.C.L.E. yet eh?) I can't remember many of the other actors in it though.

Does anyone remember the Ealing comedy "The Titfield Thunderbolt"? It had Stanley Holloway in it (Eliza Doolittle's father in My Fair Lady) and I think Sid James. A great yarn about a group of villagers who take over the local branch line when British Railways decide to close it down, and a competition with the local bus company ensues. I seem to remember someone runing a bar on it too ...

Another great comedy from yesteryear is the ST Trinian series...... with George Cole as Flash Harry, always loved those films as a child, but always wondered how those grubby, scruffy, pig tailed 13 year olds, who ran around waving hockey sticks above their heads, suddenly became voluptuos, gorgeous young ladies by the sixth form........ !!!

Enemy at the gates........ another film I havn`t seen......, I really am a novice compared to you 2 film buffs .......

Not actually a film, but a TV series I loved from the early 70`s....... Colditz....... I was only a teenager but remember it well, with a real star studded cast......... do either of you remember it?.... and another TV mini series I loved starring Trevor Eve as a suave charmer having an affair with the much younger daughter of his friends, right under the nose of his unsuspecting wife can`t for the life of me think of the name, think it was around late 80`s early 90s..... but was very good, definetly after his Shoestring fame, but before Waking the Dead.

EDIT..... just googled, it was called "A Sense of Guilt" and was on in 1990.

Nicky

If we're going onto comedies, one of the classics has to be 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'. How many films nowadays could get a cast together with so many big stars in it? It had some of the greats: Spencer Tracy (one of my faves), Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Phil Silvers and Terry Thomas spring to mind.

I haven't seen it for a good few years now, but will watch it if it comes on again.

I also think 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' has to rank amongst one of the comedy greats too - how did Alec Guinness manage to keep track of all those parts?

Hello all, back again after two hectic days at work.

Love Enemy at the Gates - I think that's another one loosely based on fact (at least the Russian sniper Vassily Zaytsev existed - you can see his rifle in the Stalingrad Museum I think).

Did you ever see 'Cross of Iron' with James Coburn, Maximilian Schell and James Mason? It ranks as one of the best anti-war films based on the Eastern Front in WW2 and is Sam Peckinpah at his best. Funnily enough, I think it was the only war film Peckinpah made and the odd thing is I seem to remember reading that the reason it ends like it does is because they ran out of money making it so couldn't actually film the end they wanted to!!

Ed

nudge

Good film on tomorrow evening...Enemy at the Gates...bit late though...!

nudge

nudge

Evening,

Found those clips on you tube re: Le Petomane last night Edd, hubby watched a couple of them. Heard him laughing!

Never found the Python films side splittingly funny, but enjoyed the series. one of my favourite sketches was the fish slapping dance...very good how Michael Palin goes straight off the quay side into the water. He does have a grin that looks like he's always up to no good.

Enjoyed 'Nuns On The Run,' with Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle, very funny. Like towards the end of the film when they're dressed as nurses/nuns and Robbie Coltrane picks up the bed pan and asks one of the baddies , "Do you know what this is for? It's for getting rid of s**t and smacks him over the head with it rendering him unconsious!

I don't know why but I had the urge to look through my collection of videos and DVD's to see what I've got and I found 'The Northwest Passage' with Spencer Tracy.

It's the one set in the French and Indian War in North America, where a group of militiamen, known as 'Rogers' Rangers' are sent by the British Army to go behind the French lines and attack one of the towns that is the home to some of France's Indian allies.

There's a bit where the Rangers are short of food and one of them is clutching a bag to his chest, with that demented look, and it turns out that he's carrying a human head in it (you don't see the article).

Then Major Rogers (Spencer Tracy) grabs the bag off of him and the Ranger, who has become quite unhinged through lack of food, blurts out the immortal line:

"I'll kill you Rogers, I'll kill you and I'll eat your head too!"

Originally tilted "The Northwest Passage - Book 1 Rogers' Rangers" there was supposed to be a sequel where they actually go in search of the Northwest Passage, but it was never made.

Footnote: Major Robert Rogers and his Rangers actually existed and the contents of the film are based on fact!!

Night night

Got to give that a look on You tube Edd!

Edd the word fart had the same effect on my mum! It's a horrible word really, very uncouth and we're all very prim and proper on this thread!

I remember that fantasticly funny film with the late Leonard Rossiter playing the lead...oh god it was so funny you're right! We were crying with laughter watching it...good film to go and see on a first date, breaks the ice...ha ha! Do you remember at the end he has an accident in his trousers due to his change or need for a change in diet!!! SO FUNNY! ☺ ☺

Welcome back Nicky...we missed you!

Oh do I remember Jenny Hanley in Magpie ... had one big crush on her ....

~sigh~