Last film watched..

[DB9]

Journey's End on BBC2 last night. Story of a young officer assigned to the Western Front in early 1918 where his old school friend has been for 3 years, Not much in the way of battle scenes but more of a build up to a possible German attack. The young officer soon finds out is friend is not the same person before he left for war. Sad but predictable ending and shows the total futility of a whole generation lost in that war "To end all wars" 8/10.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Pimpernel Smith(1941)
Anti Nazi film starring Lesley Howard & Francis Sullivan.

Howard plays a eccentric Oxford Professor of Archeology who rescues prominent people in Germany in the summer of 1939 who were in danger because their views were at odds with that of the state.
A microcosm of good versus tyranny put in a simple way on the screen for propaganda with a feel good ending in those dark times for the nation.

SS Captain(Sullivan) to Professor Smith(Howard)
“Well Professor of Archeology ?”
Reply from Professor Smith
“Well Captain of murderers ?”

Not as good as the 49th Parallel which was also released in the same year,it lacked the drama of that production.

6.5/10

 

[iscalad]

Pimpernel Smith(1941)
Anti Nazi film starring Lesley Howard & Francis Sullivan.

Howard plays a eccentric Oxford Professor of Archeology who rescues prominent people in Germany in the summer of 1939 who were in danger because their views were at odds with that of the state.
A microcosm of good versus tyranny put in a simple way on the screen for propaganda with a feel good ending in those dark times for the nation.

SS Captain(Sullivan) to Professor Smith(Howard)
“Well Professor of Archeology ?”
Reply from Professor Smith
“Well Captain of murderers ?”

Not as good as the 49th Parallel which was also released in the same year,it lacked the drama of that production.

6.5/10

Funnily enough I watched this, this afternoon. I have seen it before but I enjoyed it. I love these old morale boosters.
7.5/10

 

[Greyhound]

Another Leslie Howard film of that period was "First of the Few", in which he played the terminally-ill R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Spitfire.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

There was a programme on Sky Arts last night(Weds) about the life of Lesley Howard.Iirc he had a very unconventional private life.

It was last minute that he took the ill fated flight from Lisbon on a civilian airliner.The plane was full & someone was bumped off to make a place for him on the flight.
A long range Condor of the Luftwaffe shot the plane down despite a unwritten convention that civilian airliners going to or from neutral countries were off limits.

 

[Banksy]

Interesting article about the incident.

The Shootdown of Leslie Howard | Defense Media Network

A history of the June 1, 1943 German shootdown of the famous British actor, producer, and director Leslie Howard.

www.defensemedianetwork.com

 

[Greyhound]

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Hadn't seen this for years. Humphrey Bogart superb as the cynical private eye Sam Spade - one of his classic roles. A sensational film debut for heavyweight actor Sidney Greenstreet. Great dialogue. Outstanding film. 10/10.

 

[GJW]

Got up early this morning and watched The Exorcist (1973). Tried watching it before but never finished it off. 7/10. Horror not really my thing but did enjoy this. I’m racking my brains but did I hear a Mike Oldfield tune during the film? Scary girl. Green vomit. Went well with my early morning coffee and festive chocolate brownie bites.

 

[iscalad]

Got up early this morning and watched The Exorcist (1973). Tried watching it before but never finished it off. 7/10. Horror not really my thing but did enjoy this. I’m racking my brains but did I hear a Mike Oldfield tune during the film? Scary girl. Green vomit. Went well with my early morning coffee and festive chocolate brownie bites.

Tubular Bells was used on the soundtrack.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Tubular Bells was used on the soundtrack.

The start of Virgin Records empire.