Actor Anthony Quayle in his younger days – Pictured Below

He Joined the Royal Artillery as a gunner on the 8th Sept 1939 and was commissioned as a Lt in January 1940. Joining a coastal artillery unit in Gibraltar Quayle was to return to the UK in 1941 and did a stint as a intelligence officer for the HG “auxiliary units” in Northumberland a job which stood him in good stead for his later work with SOE in Albania .

Contracting Malaria and jaundice whilst in Albania he was repatriated home to the UK in April 1944 and continued intelligence work until the end of the war .

Anthony Quayle was reluctant to speak about much of his wartime experience but was ironically often seen in war films later – The Guns of Navarone , Lawrence of Arabia , Ice Cold in Alex and The Eagle has Landed.

However it is in this film that I remember him well – playing the most menacing of roles as Slade, opposite Gordon Scott as Tarzan in Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure

He comes to a sticky end as does his crooked colleague played by Sean Connery

Another film with Anthony Quayle was nowhere s good as the Tarzan one – ‘East of Sudan’ which was set in Africa – the other stars were Sylvia Sims, Derek Faulds and a very young Jenny Agutter

It was colourful with a lot of action but some of the rear projection shots around the elephant stampede were far from convincing.

ABOVE – All looking so young and all going on to become very well known in acting circles – Derek Faulds, Sylvia Sims and Jenny Agutter.

Veteran colonial Private Baker teams up with freshly arrived gentleman Murchison to evacuate the Emir’s daughter and her English governess from southern Barash.

It involves a perilous journey on the Nile. They must face crocodiles, Arab slavers, and a backward tribe, where King Gondoko’s missionary-raised brother Kimrasi saves and joins them.

Once in Khartoum, they find the revolt has reached there and the men join the fight.

Anthony Quayle had first trod the boards as an actor, when he joined The Old Vic in 1932. From there he launched a career that saw him appear on stage next to John Gielgud in the highly acclaimed 1937 production of Richard II and his direction of play, Crime and Punishment at the Globe Theatre in 1959 drew a great deal of praise.

He saw himself as primarily a stage actor and was in these films to boost his earning which they certainly did.

He was married to the very beautiful Dorothy Hyson – they had three children together – two daughters and a son – and remained happily married until his death in 1989

ABOVE Dorothy Hyson

Dorothy Hyson with the great George Formby in ‘Spare a Copper’ ABOVE

I do remember this, as a child, being a 6 part serial on the BBC. I had thought that this had been written by Francis Durbridge who at the time seemed to have his stories mystery drama on BBCTV all of the time it seemed – must admit that they were always good. However this was one that he hadn’t written

Anyway quite quickly after this went out, it was made as a film and from what I can find, the film did well at the Box Office

Richard Conte is the visiting American actor for this British-made thriller with Russell Napier (Harrington ) charged with investigating the deaths of British nuclear scientists.

A monkey creature seems to have been present at each of the killings.

The song and the theme tune from the BBC serial and from the film is quite well known – in fact at the time time very well known

Richard Conte came over to England to make this film and here he is in a scene with Rona Anderson ABOVE.

Also cast was Colin Tapley who was mentioned in the last Article . – ‘The Steel Key’.

I am always drawn to this actor because of where he was born, and he had such a film career both in Hollywood where he was in the first major Technicolor film ‘Becky Sharp’ and other quite big films before War came and he joined the forces. Upon his return he again went to Hollywood and was in the blockbuster ‘Samson and Delilah’ before coming back to England and a long run of films such as this one.

I mention the place he was born Dunedin in New Zealand – somewhere I have been to twice and each time fell in love with the place.

After the War he had returned with his wife briefly before heading back to England. He and his wife had a son who died aged 3 and who is buried in Wanaka New Zealand close to Dunedin and this is where Colin was laid to rest in December 1995 – next to his boy

ABOVE Colin Tapley in ‘Becky Sharp’ 1935 in Hollywood

Probably my favourite actress in this – Joan Rice

I watched The Steel Key today and enjoyed it – with Terence Morgan at his most dashing as the confidence trickster Johnny O’Flynn who meets and falls in love with the lovely Joan Rice. Throughout the film, he is able to keep ahead of the police headed up by Insp Forsythe (Raymond Lovell) in his bid to outwit a ruthless gang behind a plot to steal a rare chemical formula.

Colin Tapley plays the villainous boss in a very suave and polite style – something Colin was always able to do

Follow the twist and double twist double twist in the storyline – and you may well feel dizzy by the end

Joan Rice is very good in this one = virtually at the end of her film career. I can never understand why that should be because she was a capable and very attractive actress

ABOVE – Joan Rice talking to Colin Tapley – by this time she had begun to suspect that all was not what it seemed and she was very suspicious.

ABOVE – The sanatorium. Old Quarry Hall on Springbottom Lane in Bletchingley, Surrey that was also seen in the film ‘Blackout’ SEE MORE DETAILS below

ABOVE – Terence Morgan keeps watch – a good job he did

Joan Rice ABOVE tells of her concerns as Terence Morgan listens intently – BELOW

An exciting scene BELOW

ABOVE and BELOW – A thrilling sequence at Newhaven when Terence Morgan – or most likely his stunt man, leaps from the side onto the passing boat. It is all done in one take so there were no tricks here

An impressive leap

ABOVE – Michael Balfour turns the boat round for home.

• Below taken from the Reelstreets site

Old Quarry Hall

Old Quarry Hall, Springbottom Lane, Bletchingley, Surrey

Old Quarry Hall a 15-bedroom country house once stood on the corner of Springbottom Lane and White Hill Lane and appeared in the 1950 film Blackout as “The Grange”, as well as the 1953 film The Steel Key as  “Crabtrees Sanatorium”.

The property dated from the 1880’s but was acquired by Patrick’s Great Grandfather in 1908. Born in Liverpool in 1868, he was of German Jewish descent and was educated in Germany from the age of 12. He went on to become Chairman of the London based metals trading firm Brandeis Goldschmidt & Co Ltd. He and the Company led the development of the London Metal Exchange to becoming the most important of the world’s metals markets, indeed, following the first World War he helped the Government in the disposal of scrap metal.

Paul Kohn-Speyer, a serious collector of antiques and artefacts from around the world, expanded the Old Quarry Hall Estate during his ownership. Indeed, his own visiting card shows that he owned a considerable amount of land on either side of Springbottom Lane, almost 200 acres, as well acquiring another substantial property in Chaldon to the north.

His death in October 1942 necessitated the break-up of his Estate. His widow Anna, moved to another property that they had owned, with much of the furniture, a good example of which can be seen in the following photograph, was auctioned a year later.

Old Quarry Hall was used as offices by the Guarantee Trust Company of New York towards the end of WWll but in 1948 it was leased, firstly to Tempean Films and later to Stirling Film Distributors. Thereafter, without regular maintenance the property quickly fell into disrepair, indeed even the lead had been taken from the roof. Paul Kohn-Speyer’s Trustees knew that the sensible way forward was to dispose of the Estate and needless to say, three “prestige” properties stand there now.

Maybe these pictures will help us to identify the inclusion of the Hall in other Tempean Films.

This was on Talking Pictures TV last week – ‘The Delavine Affair’ from 1954

In the film, Peter Reynolds stars as a reporter who finds himself the number one suspect in a murder case, however he holds one important clue that links the murder to a recent jewel theft. He then turns detective in order to clear his name. Aiding him are his wife and photographer friend.

Peter Reynolds is very nearly in every scene and in this film, and unusually takes the role as the hero

Honor Blackman has the leading female part as Peter Reynold’s wife. and it is a pleasure to see Katie Johnson here in a small role, just before she was to play her career-defining role in The Ladykillers.

The film is mostly studio-bound,

Rex Banner ( Peter Reynolds) is running a freelance reporting agency with his wife Maxine (Honor Blackman) One evening he gets a phone call from an old contact, Gospel Joe, telling him to visit, because he has some very useful information.

On reaching the old man’s flat, Rex finds the him dead on the floor, apparently having been battered with an iron bar. In his hand Joe clutches a news clipping about a major theft, a few months before, of the Delavine jewels.

Naturally Rex concludes that Joe was murdered for what he knew about the burglary.

Rex (Peter Reynolds) arrives for his rendezvous with Gospel Joe.

Just then Inspector Johnson (Neil) of the Yard arrives, having received a telephone tip-off that Rex would be there. It’s obvious someone is trying to frame Rex for the murder

Inspector Johnson (Peter Neil, left) questions Rex (Peter Reynolds)

A complete coincidence leads the journalist to diamond dealer Julius Meyerling (Swanwick), whom he instantly suspects of having been approached by the Delavine thieves. Meyerling denies the suggestion forcefully, but his sultry wife Lola (Vernon) seems to have more to tell—enough that Rex agrees to meet her later.

The trail eventually leads Rex to a remote farm in Ashdown Forest, about thirty miles from London, where deaf Fred Bissett (Daly) and his unnamed wife ( Katie Johnson) live as tenants. It is here that the diamonds are hidden, and here that the murderer is unmasked . . .

The Delavine Affair is quite an enjoyable little film but keep in mind what this was, a B feature, just over an hour long, with a small budget!

Honor Blackman a few years later earned what would become worldwide fame as Cathy Gale in the TV series The Avengers (1962–4) and then as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger (1964). Gordon Jackson is probably best remembered for his TV work as the butler Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–5) and as secret service boss George Cowley in The Professionals (1977–83).

Michael Balfour was one of those stalwarts of UK stage and screen whose face became immediately recognisable. Michael had the most astonishing career – I remember that during the early fifties he seemed to be in nearly every drama on Television – one I recall was when he played ‘Mogs’ in ‘Gravelhangar’ a serial that over 6 weeks – very exciting for us youngsters at the time.

Last but certainly not least, not so long after The Delavine Affair Katie Johnson went on to achieve immortality as the sweet old widow Mrs. Wilberforce in The LADYKILLERS (1955).

Maxine (Honor Blackman), Rex (Peter Reynolds) and loyal photographer Sammy (Michael Balfour).

Peter Reynolds’s story is a sad one – he died at the age of just 53 in a tragic domestic fire thought to have been caused by his falling asleep while smoking a cigarette at his home in Sydney Australia in 1975

BELOW – These are TWO scenes from ‘The Last Page’ in which Peter played the ‘baddie’ – he was very good and sinister too

Here he is with Diana Dors

The Last Page

This was in many ways similar in style to ‘The Flame and the Arrow’ although nowhere near as popular and nothing like as good.

In the opening sequence Captain Vallo (Burt Lancaster) swings by rope across the screen, astounding the audience . “Gather round lads and lasses! You’ve been shanghaied for the last ride of the Crimson Pirate!” Vallo tells us to believe only what we see, before performing the same stunt in reverse! “No. Only half what you see”, he adds with a wink.

In the early 1950s, as he was pushing himself as an actor and star, Burt Lancaster did a series of films where the settings were quite colourful. Soon after this he was heading to Fiji to film ‘ HIS MAJESTY O’KEEFE’ which also starred Britain’s own Joan Rice

His role in The Crimson Pirate was colourful, as a cheerful Captain Vallo who even wears outrageously crimson coloured pants. This is a salute to his silent film hero Douglas Fairbanks Sr., who had played THE BLACK PIRATE. Like Fairbanks (who would do his famous “cutting the sail of the captured boat with his cutlass, and descending to the deck that way”

Burt Lancaster turned this film into a showcase for his acrobatic skills with his old partner Nick Cravat (as the mute Ojo), trying to recapture Consuelo (Eva Bartok) and trying to even the score with Baron Gruda (Leslie Bradley) the Spanish colonial governor, and try to prevent a mutiny by his own crew, led by Humbell Bellows (Torin Thatcher )

However the most memorable part of this adventure comedy was the involvement of James Hayter and Noel Purcell as two local patriots who are trying to free the colony of the Spanish government.

James Hayter plays Professor Prudence. He is a scientist and an inventor.

He gets involved with Burt Lancaster and designs a set of weapons for them to use against the impregnable Spanish fortress on the island.

An early art directing credit for future James Bond production designer Ken Adam, along with British horror director Vernon Sewell on the second-unit.

Burt Lancaster was reunited with director Robert Siodmak who gave him his first film role in The Killers (1946). Burt had a very bad and quick temper and had threatened a number of Film Directors that he worked with – notably later in his career, Michael Winner who he threatened to kill three times. What a volatile character Burt Lancaster was – people wouldn’t stand for that nowadays and rightly so, Unpleasant man !!

One of his nastiest altercations came in February 1984, in Mexico, on the set of the film Little Treasure. Burt Lancaster, then 70 and recovering from heart bypass surgery, brawled with his 35-year-old female co-star Margot Kidder. The actress, who rose to fame as Lois Lane in the Superman movies, was playing Lancaster’s estranged daughter.

“I wanted to do something in a scene he didn’t want me to do, and I said ‘No, you don’t understand,’ and he started whacking me… I virtually whacked him back ,” the late Kidder said in 2009. She admitted she had hurled a “horrible” insult at Lancaster, shouting “You washed-up old f–!” at him, during a brawl that left both with bloody cuts.

In this film Burt Lancaster shows off his gleaming grin and acrobatic prowess. He is clearly having a great fun.

Eva Bartok is very good. She brings glamour and grit to the heroine role.

The film also features a notable role for Christopher Lee as the island governor’s right-hand man.

The Crimson Pirate 1952

Highly watchable courtroom drama set in London .

Taxi driver, Tom Manning (Richard Attenborough), is led to an abandoned bomb-site by an eight-year-old girl as an April fool prank. The girl is later found murdered and Manning is picked up by Scotland Yard for questioning and is arrested and charged with murder.

The trial is scheduled for London’s Old Bailey. Manning’s wife, Jill (Cathy O’Donnell) , convinced he is innocent, fights for and wins the sympathy of Defence Solicitor, Peter Tanner (Derek Farr), and he is opposed at the trial by his father, prosecuting attorney Geoffrey Tanner (Ian Hunter).

The trial is presided over by Justice Harrington, whose wife is in hospital undergoing an operation. It soon becomes evident, following the testimony of prosecution witness Horace Clifford, that the evidence points to Manning’s guilt.

During a recess, Peter Tanner sees Clifford outside the courthouse, giving candy to a young girl.

Derek Farr identifies the candy as being the same brand as that found on the murdered girl. The judge’s wife has died, but the trial resumes with Tanner recalling Clifford for cross-examination.

This is a classic Black and White movie, that has been colorized.

It was filmed while Richard Attenborough was starring in the first run of Agatha Christie’s London West End play The Mousetrap, in which he appeared for two years.

The screenplay by Katherine Strueby and Guy Morgan is based on an original story by Gordon Harboard and Jack Roffey, in turn based on a true story.

It is shot at Shepperton Studios and on location in London.

It did well. On a budget of £49,216, the UK box office was £94,602, but it was the final film of the independent producer George King.

It was released by British Lion (UK) and Associated Artists (US).

ABOVE Richard Attenborough in the Colorised version

Solicitor Derek Farr meets Richard Attenborough.

ABOVE :Solicitor Derek Farr chats with Cathy O Donnell

ABOVE :Solicitor Derek Farr in action in the court room

 Eight O’Clock Walk (1954) Richard Attenborough in the dock


Eight O’Clock Walk (1954) 

They are not in the leading roles but two actors I like are in this one – Bruce Seton and Kynatson Reeves

Bruce Seton I will always think os as Fabian of the Yard in that classic fifties TV Series. He was great and just seemed t fit the part.

Kynaston Reeves will always be ‘Quelch’ to me in the role he took in the Billy Bunter series. Also much later he was in ‘Fiend Without a Face’ – great British Horror Film. Bit unfair really because he was an actor who was around a long time and was in so many TV and film productions as well as many Theatre roles

This Picture  ABOVE is one showing the BBC Studio for a ‘live’production of Billy Bunter. Just look how tight the whole thing is – to the right we have the boys in their room then behind that could be one of he school corridors – then on to the school room with a view through the window. To the left there looks to be the school garden or outside area even with small trees  and shrubs.  All seems to be done with two cameras.

The ABOVE  photograph was taken in Studio H of the Lime Grove Studios

The ABOVE Picture shows a scene which you can see was done at the Studio On the set above towards the left of the picture in the ‘outside’ area.

It shows Headmaster Quelch played by Kynaston Reeves on the floor with Billy Bunter Gerald Campion looking on.

It is  Easter , and once again I want to post pictures from the film The Robe  on this site.  My father’s favourite actor in his favourite film – he was very moved by Victor Mature’s performance in this film particularly in the scene shown below.

A few days ago, I did an article on this site about ‘The Big Fisherman’ and made the comment that I didn’t think Howard Keel in the leading role, had much Box Office appeal.

You have to say the exact opposite to that with Victor Mature

At the time the film was made Richard Burton was not that well known in the USA and so it fell to Victor Mature for the financial pulling power and he was up to is. In fact this film really rocketed Richard Burton up to Star status – and also Jean Simmons

ABOVE:  Victor Mature in a superb piece of acting in the film. My Dad loved this scene and the acting performance of Victor Mature – and so did his co-star Richard Burton who was also full of praise describing Victor as a ‘wonderful man’ after having played opposite him in The Robe

ABOVE : Another still from the film :

In a previous Post I did say that producers loved Victor Mature because all the films he appeared in made money – and here is a classic example.

The Robe was the highest grossing film of 1952 – and the next one Demetrius and the Gladiators was 4th biggest of 1954. We must also remember that only a few years before in 1949 he had played Samson in Samson and Delilah which again was the biggest grossing film of that year.

Above: Jay Robinson as Caligula

Also cast was Jay Robinson  in his  film debut as Caligula, stealing much of the proceedings from the films’s actual stars Richard Burton and Jean Simmons.  Though his performance bordered dangerously on outrageous camp, his depraved Roman emperor nevertheless remains a most indelible image when reminded of the film.
After his Film  debut in The Robe, Jay went on to reprise the role as Caligula in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)  again with Victor Mature and this time  Susan Hayward

This was a big film – and went equally big at the Box Office.   I remember my Father taking us to see it on the huge Cinemascope Screen – with Stereophonic Sound – and it did not disappoint in any way. Tremendous Film.

Richard Burton spoke very highly of Victor Mature calling him a ‘wonderful man’ – and I have to say that he lifted the acting honours with his convincing performance.

He was a very good film actor.  He was also well loved by film producers – the reason for that was that when he was in a film it usually made money and that tends to add a sparkle to the eyes of such people.

Victor Mature in The Robe

Victor Mature in The Robe

Victor Mature in The Robe

The Alfred Newman music from  the film – a record release.

Interesting item above which I spotted for sale  – at this time and later, it was possible to buy 8 mm home movies with scenes straight from the film.  I have one of Treasure Island and one of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men – both from Walt Disney – but I have not got this one.

These were  only  short films of maybe 5 to 10 minutes with selected scenes and with no sound on some of them. I don’t think the two Walt Disney films I have , have any sound.

ABOVE – a signed photograph of Victor Mature in the Robe

BELOW – a scene from the film

After this he played the same role of Demetrius in the follow-up ‘Demetrius and the Gladiators’ – both films doing extremely well at the Box Office.

My Dad loved Victor Mature in The Robe so much so that after this film, he went to see nearly every film that he was in. He was my Dad’s favourite actor. I do remember him going to see ‘Zarak’ – a film that was made in England and again one that did very well financially.

King of Kings 1961 – A later Biblical Epic and a very good one

King of Kings is a 1961 American epic film directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by Samuel Bronston for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The film tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth from his birth and ministry to his crucifixion and resurrection. It stars Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus, with Siobhán McKenna, Robert Ryan, Viveca Lindfors, Ron Randell, Hurd Hatfield, and Rip Torn.

Nicholas Ray was hired as director. Ray then hired screenwriter Philip Yordan to write a new script.

Filming commenced in April 1960, and right through to October 1960. Financing of the film was initially provided by Pierre S. du Pont III, but Bronston appealed for more funding from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was interested in the film following its success with Ben-Hur (1959).

With MGM now involved, rewrites and additional scenes were added to the film. Reshoots took place in December 1960 and again in May 1961.

The film premiered at Loew’s State Theatre in New York City and was a box office success.

Miklós Rózsa was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score

King of Kings 1961

The story of Jesus has been told and re-told and this version, underrated when first released, is one of the best.

KING OF KINGS is a wonderfully dignified and entertaining film.

Jeffrey Hunter delivers a good performance as Jesus

Wonderful scenery, and photography, with spectacular scenes. – What a film on the big Cinemascope Screen –

Can we please hire a Cinema able to show these two films as they should be shown

Well here we have a cast on top British Film actors all recognisable and very well know in that era.

Jack Hawkins plays the main character, a retired Colonel called Hyde . Pensioned off after 25 years loyal service in the military, he puts his meticulous planning skills to good use by plotting a bank robbery.

In order order to carry out the robbery, Hyde needs a team of experts.

Colonel Hyde carefully identifies seven former army officers to help put his plan into action, who have all fallen on hard times for one reason or anoth

Nigel Patrick is Major Race, a small time gambler and crook.

Bryan Forbes BELOW who both wrote and acted in this film is married but something of a womaniser.

His wife in real life is also in the film – in fact she plays Terence Alexander’s wife = he is another one of the gang BELOW

Richard Attenborough above as Lexi
Roger Livesey BELOW plays Padre – I always liked him in films and remember ‘I Know Where I’m Going” – quite a few years before this one

Kieron Moore is Captain Stevens BELOW.

Above – Norman Bird

BELOW – A young lad doing what many of us did in the day – collecting Car Numbers – and this proved the ultimate undoing of this well planned robbery

It really is a good and absorbing film – we really wanted them to get away with it but they seemed quite a mottled crew – who knows what might have happened to them all.

As it happens seeing them all loaded into a Police van we have a good idea of what did happen to them

Very enjoyable

Walt Disney arranged for Buena Vista Distribution (a company formed to release Disney films instead of RKO) to release the film as he wanted a long biblical epic to compete with the other major studios. In particular, he wanted to cash in on their successes, particularly that of BEN-HUR.

THE BIG FISHERMAN was nominated for several Oscars, a testament to the quality of the film and its technical professionals.

The Big Fisherman 1959

The Big Fisherman 1959

My own view is that Howard Keel somehow did not have Box Office appeal and although he is always pretty good – as he was here – he never got film fans rushing to the Cinema for one of his films.

This one lost money as did ‘Jupiters Darling’ with Esther Williams – in fact the only Esther Williams film that did not succeed – and then ‘Kismet’ with Ann Blyth that also did badly so after these two he was released from his contract by MGM

He had been to England in 1957 for ‘Floods of Fear’ which was quite good and later ‘The Day of the Triffids’ again made in England.

Susan Kohner had the female lead in ‘The Big Fisherman’- I remember her so well in one of my favourite Westerns ‘The Last Wagon’ – she was strkingly good looking I thought.

She didn’t have a long career in films – probably active for a decade – after which she married and raised her family having retired from the film world.

Probably her best known and best remembered film was the classic ‘Imitation of Life’ – according to a poll by the BBC, this film came 37th on the ‘Greatest American Movies ever made’ poll. As she looks back now, she must be very proud of that film and her role in it.

Most of us well remember seeing Ben–Hur, which came just before The Big Fisherman, and  Spartacus, which came just after it, but there not many who have a clear recollection of seeing Howard Keel in his only Biblical role.

It was shot in 65mm Super Panavision, had a huge cast, spectacular sets – everything, in fact that you would expect to see in such a film at that time – and yet it made virtually no impact.

The Big Fisherman begins with the half-Judean, half-Arabian Fara (Susan Kohner), and Arabian prince Voldi (John Saxon), who’s love is blighted by rival prince Deran (Ray Stricklyn) revealing that Fara’s father – whom she has never known – is the evil Herod Antipas (Herbert Lom).

The truth of this is confirmed by her mother, Arnon (Marion Seldes) on her death-bed, and in a rage, Fara swears vengeance on Herod for deserting her mother for the infamous Herodias (Martha Hyer). Consumed with anger, she disguises herself as a boy and leaves, vowing to kill Herod. Voldi is given permission to find her and bring her back, but in Judea he is detained by Roman soldiers under Proconsul Mencius. Fara, is befriended by John The Baptist (Jay Barney), who tells her, “ Seek Him.

You have need of Him”. Later, tired and bedraggled, she is discovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee by Simon – the Big Fisherman, who takes her to the home of his mother-in-law, Hannah (Beulah Bondi), who soon discovers that Fara is really a girl and gives her some suitable clothes.

Fara and Simon are both greatly affected by the Sermon on the Mount, though Fara at first rejects Jesus’ message of “Love thine enemies”. Simon is overwhelmed when a blind baby he is holding in his arms is cured by the touch of Jesus’ hand, and is soon called to become one of the first disciples.

Though Voldi has managed to escape from captivity in Judea, he is once again arrested by the Romans, with orders to return him to Arabia, where his enemy Deran is now king. John The Baptist’s death has plunged Herod Antipas into a deep fear of retribution. He is confronted by Fara who reveals her true identity as she goes to kill him with a dagger, but her hand is stayed at the last moment as she recalls Jesus’ words, “Thou shalt not kill”.

Hastening to Arabia to help Voldi, they arrive just in time to prevent his flogging. Deran, crippled by paralysis, begs Simon to heal him, promising the release of Voldi and justice for all. Simon heals him, but Deran renages on his promise, which causes the paralysis to return with fatal results.

Voldi is acclaimed king, but destiny decrees that Voldi and Fara must first bring peace to their two countries before they can find happiness together.

The producer of The Big Fisherman, Rowland V. Lee, had met Douglas back in 1942, on the very day that he had completed the last chapter of TheRobe. On enquiring as to the subject matter of the completed story, Lee sat enthralled as the gifted speaker described his story, which ends with the robe of Jesus being passed to an old man with the closing words: “For the Big Fisherman”

I have to admit that I haven’t seen the film and the above is gleaned from other people who have. I must make an effort and view this as I have a feeling that I would like it

“

John Ireland had, in the early fities, suffered a career drop after the McArthy witch hunt and like others, he came over to England a few times and made films here.

When the attractive model Kitty Tyndall (played by Joy Webster) is drowned whilst taking part in a cross channel swim, her competitor, Danny Parker ( played by Sheldon Lawrence), is convinced she was murdered and sets out to investigate. When he too is killed his brother, Griff (played by John Ireland), along with hotel receptionist Shelley Baxter ( played by Maureen Connell) sets out to uncover the truth…

The film is also a pleasant reminder of a bygone era of British filmmaking with an interesting cast.

Aside from the American stars, Arthur Lowe shows up in a bit part as a mechanic as does John Schelsinger who would soon leave acting and become the director of films such as Billy Liar and Darling.

Derek Bond is excellent as the villain. Another highlight is the delightful period shots of 1950’s Dover, beautifully photographed by veteran cameraman Geoffrey Faithfull.

The film was directed by C. M Pennington Richards

It is more in the mystery thriller style and is a good looking film thanks mainly to the locations around Dover and St Margaret’s Bay in Kent and London.

John Ireland had been in England a few years before to make ‘The Glass Cage’. I hadn’t realised that this film was available in a Colorised version – and looking at it, the process seems to have been very well done.

ABOVE John Ireland in ‘The Glass Cage’ – this is from the Colorised Version

ABOVE A young Honor Blackman in ‘The Glass Cage’ – again from the Colorised Version

ABOVE – John Ireland with Sam Kydd

ABOVE – We knew it was a British made film when we see Sam Kydd and Geoffrey Keen.

I always think of Geoffrey Keen when he played Israel Hands in the classic 1950 Walt Disney version of ‘Treasure Island’ – he looked so young in that, as did Ralph Truman – another British film stalwart who wasn’t in this one.

Sam Kydd was also cast in ‘Treasure Island’