Description

DEAD OF NIGHT A group of strangers is mysteriously gatheredat a country estate where each reveals a chilling tale of thesupernatural. First, a racer survives a brush with death only to receiveterrifying premonitions from beyond the grave. Then a teen's innocentgame of hide-and-seek leads to an encounter with the macabre. Next, ayoung couple purchases an antique mirror that unleashes a horrific powerfrom its past. In a lighter vein, two competitive golfers play forstakes that may haunt the winner forever. Finally, a renownedventriloquist descends into an abyss of madness and murder when hisdummy develops a mind of its own. But even after these frightening talesare told, does one final nightmare await them all? Britain's venerableEaling Studios brought together four brilliant directors -CharlesCrichton (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB), Basil Dearden (THE MIND BENDERS),Alberto Cavalcanti (NICHOLAS NICKLEBY) and Robert Hamer (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS) to create this classic chiller that remains one of the mostinfluential horror films ever made. This is the uncut and complete UKversion of DEAD OF NIGHT, now newly restored from original archivalmaterials for the first time in decades.

THE QUEEN OF SPADES "Unusual And Macabre!" ~ Leonard Maltin's Movie &Video Guide A gambling craze is sweeping 19th century St. Petersburg,yet a dashing Russian army captain (Anton Walbrook of THE RED SHOES) istoo impoverished to participate. But when he learns that an agingcountess (an award-winning performance by Dame Edith Evans of TOM JONES)may hold the ultimate key to gaming riches, the desperate young officerwill stop at nothing to steal the sinister secret for himself. Whenfortunes are won and lost with the turn of a card, will one man wagerhis very soul on a final twist of fate? Yvonne Mitchell (DEMONS OF THEMIND) co-stars in this brilliant British chiller directed by ThoroldDickinson (GASLIGHT), featuring extraordinary cinematography by OttoHeller (PEEPING TOM, THE IPCRESS FILE) and based on the celebrated shortstory by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Includes AN 8-page Collector's Booklet. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

ACTUALLY TRULY SCARY
One of the all-time great scare anthologies, DEAD OF NIGHT (Anchor Bay) is a classic collection of freaky supernatural stories told by strangers at a remote estate. The topper is Sir Michael Redgrave as a renowned ventriloquist who tells his tale of madness and murder when his dummy exhibits a mind of his own. The uncut, restored UK version is coupled with the wonderfully macabre QUEEN OF SPADES.

THANK YOU, ANCHOR BAY, FOR THESE MASTERPIECES!
About ten years ago, I screened THE QUEEN OF SPADES at New York's Museum of Modern Art film library. I had heard that they had, in their collection, an old 16 mm print of this almost-lost treasure. I sat with a Russian stage/film director friend, as well as actress Rosemary Harris (late of Aunt May in SPIDERMAN); the three of us were transfixed as we discovered, and Rosie re-discovered (she had seen the premiere in England), this astonishing piece of film alchemy.

Anton Walbrook's talent, like Vivien Leigh's, was ineffable. His choices, as an actor, are so outlandish sometimes that you think he will never pull off the moment - then he stops right at the edge and leaves you gasping at the utter uniqueness and danger of his choice. Dame Edith Evans, in her film debut, playing a woman forty years her senior, is all remarkable, twisted, bitter, frightened restraint. (Rosie mentioned that Edith Evan's key moment of reaction, in the film, had so frightened the audience at the time that everyone screamed out loud. Not difficult to understand, even today...)

The lighting and camera direction are at once solid and ethereal; dreamy like Cocteau's LA BELLE ET LA BETE, and brutally unforgiving like Welles' CITIZEN KANE.

Much has been said about DEAD OF NIGHT and deservedly so. This genuinely is the grandfather of all psychological horror films. What seems so innocuous, almost gentle at first, develops into a disturbingly laden freight train barrelling straight towards you. There will be no way to escape. You will be knocked squarely off your tracks. Completely and utterly disorienting. Warning: do not watch this film alone at night. Don't even watch this film alone on a sunny day.

The picture and sound on each are very good and rich. The liner notes and artwork accompanying the DVD are of great interest, and are a wonderful starting-off point for the viewer.

Would that more DVD-producing companies were like Anchor Bay. Could they be poised to take over the position that Criterion, up until recently (with misleading claims of restoration and a chronicity of poor quality releases), enjoyed? One can only hope.

Must have
I won't say much about DEAD OF NIGHT, as any one who will be buying this set knows how extraordinary & ahead of it's time that film is. Needless to say, the Michael Redgrave segment is the best of a good bunch, with even the 'lighter' stories offering excellent viewing.
It's the QUEEN OF SPADES that proved the surprise to me - I had never seen this film, relagating it to 'second fiddle' after DEAD OF NIGHT, when it does in fact hold it's own remarkably well.
Slow moving, but to it's benefit, the story see's Anton Walbrook, a German engineer in the Russian army, envious of the wealth & title that are automatically bestowed upon his comrades. After learning that a Russian noblewoman posesses the secret of winning at cards, he manipulates her lady-in-waiting to gain access to this secret. things go slightly awray and although he gains the secret, the aged noblewoman dies of fright.
This part of the story takes up most of the film, with the 'haunting' of the engineer forming the final act.
Although lacking any actual 'horror', this film has a definate atmosphere of unease and of meddling with things that should be left alone. Superb performances again, with the key being the utter conviction of the cast.
A film like this could not be made today, which makes it all the more important that productions like this and DEAD OF NIGHT should be cherished by fans of what the term 'horror film' really means as opposed to what it was eventually twisted into in the '80's & '90's.

SUPERB DOUBLE BILL....
Fantastic pairing of two vintage British chillers and an immediate collector's item. Bravo Anchor Bay. 1.) 1946's "Dead Of Night" is an early anthology of supernatural tales told by a group of strangers at a country house to another stranger who has seen them all before----in a nightmare. Excellent cast, good exposition of stories that have been mimicked many times since but never this well. Best: the "Haunted Mirror" sequence and the final horror tale of Hugo the dummy with a brilliant performance by (Sir) Michael Redgrave as the tormented ventriloquist. This sequence features Elisabeth Welch, the singer later to be seen in the bizarre finale of Derek Jarman's equally bizarre "The Tempest". Good print, sometimes tinny sound but not that bad---it's really OK. Weakest sequence is the golfer's story that had been excised from previous prints. Still, it's interesting to see the adult aspects in this sequence not seen in American films of the time. And, in some of the other sequences, to hear "hell" used as a swear word so many times--- also taboo in 40's American films. 2.) 1949's "Queen of Spades"---a film I had never seen before. Based on Alexander Pushkin's famous story, it tells of a Russian military officer in the 1800's who becomes obsessed with learning the "secret" of winning at Faro, a popular card game sweeping Europe at the time. He obtains a mysterious book on the occult that tells of a famous Countess who learned the secret but sold her soul to the devil in the process. The story is true so he tracks her down to learn her "secret" and finds her an aged, embittered but wealthy recluse with a pretty ward she's devoutly protective of. He surreptitiously woos the girl to get to the Countess with tragic results. He accidently scares the old lady to death when she won't talk. But her ghost comes back...with an offer he can't refuse. The details of this film---both in story content and visuals---are mesmerizing. It's darkly Gothic and creepy. The period setting is beautifully realized on film. Anton Walbrook and (Dame) Edith Evans are wonderful as the soldier and the Countess as are the rest of the cast. Brilliantly directed by Thorold Dickinson, this is a must see. A rare and unusual film for purists. Don't miss out on this worthy double bill DVD. Both films are classics to be sure but "Queen of Spades" is really something special.

Beware THE QUEEN OF SPADES!
I first saw this film on a PBS series CINEMATIC EYE over 20 years ago and have never forgotten it nor had the chance to see it again. Until now. This marvelously macabre film is based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin which is the same one used by Tchaikovsky for his opera of the same name. It stars Anton Walbrook (THE RED SHOES) and Dame Edith Evans in what marked her film debut at the age of 61. The story of a man who is obssessed with the secret of winning at cards and the woman who posseses that secret is turned into a tour de force by producer Anatole De Grunwald and director Thorold Dickinson. The movie is full of baroque chiaroscuro lighting and bizarre camera angles and looks like a cross between the films of Val Lewton and Orson Welles with a little Fritz Lang thrown in for good measure. The acting by Walbrook, Evans, and a cast of British stalwarts ranges from flamboyant to quietly repressed and suits the material perfectly. If you appreciate the old style of moviemaking where what you don't see will thrill you and all the filmmaking elements are combined to produce a delirious whole then this is the movie for you. It's a cliche' but they just don't make movies like this anymore. Couple it with DEAD OF NIGHT which is one of the truly legendary films of psychological horror (and has plenty of reviews elsewhere) at one low price and you simply can't go wrong. Thanks to Anchor Bay for making this incredible package available. Both films have superb video transfers. The audio on DEAD OF NIGHT has never been ideal but this is the best it has ever sounded. And remember the next time you play cards, "BEWARE THE QUEEN OF SPADES"! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Set in the expanse of the Sudan desert in the midst of holy war, Khartoum (1966) plays like an attempt to work the Lawrence of Arabia magic on the (mostly) true story of eccentric British general Charles "Chinese" Gordon in 1884 North Africa. The magnificent opening desert battle suggests David Lean's epic sweep, at least until the film settles into a more modest story of political games, military standoffs, and a battle of wits and wiles between two fierce leaders. Charlton Heston plays the wily Christian soldier as cocky, unconventional maverick, and Laurence Olivier (behind heavy make-up and a thick black beard) is almost as good as his cagey nemesis the Mahdi, the Islamic holy warrior on a mission of annihilation. More talk than spectacle, the film falls short of Lawrence but is nonetheless a compelling story of colonial politics, cynical maneuvering, and the unconventional heroics of another colorful British maverick abroad. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Problematic yet entertaining
Any film sporting a cast including Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Richard Johnson, and Ralph Richardson has to be a winner, right? Errr, maybe. Take a look at the 1966 epic "Khartoum." It's got all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster made in an era when big screen sagas dominated ticket sales. Bombastic musical score? Check. Big name actors? Check. Lush, atmospheric vistas beautifully and tastefully photographed? Check. "Khartoum" has all these elements, including a kingly run time of 134 minutes. So what went wrong? Depending on your viewpoint, everything or nothing. Personally, I sort of liked this movie about British General Charles "Chinese" Gordon's excursion to the Sudan to fight off an Islamic fanatic named the Mahdi. Then again, I've never seen "Lawrence of Arabia," the epic of epics I'm told this movie tried to shamelessly rip-off. I've got a degree in history, so I always like to sit down and watch Hollywood attempt to do historical pictures. My background, unfortunately, doesn't encompass nineteenth century British politics, so I had to look at the movie from a purely entertainment level. From that angle, "Khartoum" is intriguing.

At the beginning of the film we see a contingent of British army regulars and local Arab auxiliaries wiped out by the fanatical army of the Mahdi (Olivier). This Islamic warrior seeks to throw the British out of the Sudan, capture the Suez Canal, and then launch a jihad against the western world. Enter Prime Minister William Gladstone (Richardson) and his cabinet. These politicians are quite concerned about the Mahdi's militant overtures. The threat of losing their hold on the Suez could cause Gladstone to lose political power, and the public is having a field day about the lost army in the desert. Prime Minister Gladstone doesn't want to take a further risk by sending another army into the field. What will happen to him if that force disappears as well? Then Colonel J.D.H. Stewart (Johnson) comes up with a novel idea: why not send good old General Charles Gordon (Heston) down to the Sudan to straighten out matters? "Chinese" Gordon knows the ropes in the region since he helped abolish slavery in that part of the world a few years before. The Arabs just love this Brit, so why not make use of his talents to undercut the local support for the Mahdi? Gladstone rejoices, recognizing he has a way out of this sticky political predicament. He quickly convinces Gordon to undertake a secret mission into the Sudan.

Gordon knows the score, but decides to go anyway. Stewart goes along as an assistant and as a spy for Gladstone. The General and Stewart sail up the Nile to Khartoum, where they plan on arranging resistance to the fanatics. Things go awry almost immediately, as a former slaver whose son Gordon killed refuses to help the British. Then the Mahdi's forces box the General into Khartoum. The city faces food and supply shortages that require Gordon to launch a few small attacks in the desert while Stewart remains behind to fortify the city with a moat. After he meets with the Mahdi and learns how dangerous the guy is, "Chinese" Gordon realizes he'll need the help of the British if he wants to hold the region. Across the desert go the messengers, but Gladstone stonewalls in London, claiming Gordon went to the Sudan on his own accord and thus must fix the mess himself. The prime minister even goes so far as to accuse Gordon of exaggerating the threat facing the city. Eventually, Gladstone sends forces to save Khartoum, but gives the leader of this army strict orders to drag his feet. Lots of politics here, folks, but it all makes sense when you see it. Gordon stands tall at the end when the Mahdi launches a massive offensive against Khartoum. The final battle scene is an intense one and helped elevate my overall impression of the film.

"Khartoum" does slightly drag in spots, namely when all the political wrangling between Gordon and Gladstone takes place, but it is still fun for viewers who like dialogue heavy films. Besides, it isn't as though there's no action going on-there just isn't enough to satisfy viewers who found other Hollywood epics so much fun. You want non-stop action, watch "Zulu." You want to think a little bit about the machinations behind the imperialism, give "Khartoum" a shot. A better argument of the inferiority of this film could easily be made concerning the other elements of the story. The performances tend towards the uneven, sadly, as Olivier hams it up as the bass voiced Mahdi. He's barely recognizable behind all that shoe polish make-up and thick beard. Heston imbues his depiction of Gordon with a certain wryness that occasionally appeals but too often feels out of place. Moreover, his British accent is the least convincing one I have heard in a long time. Richardson and Johnson don't have much to do in their roles, and don't get the amount of screen time allotted to Olivier and Heston. "Khartoum" works, ultimately, but with serious reservations.

The DVD version of the film contains only a trailer as an extra. The restored print looks great, and that brassy musical score booms wonderfully. I'm not sure I can recommend actually buying this movie. If you like films about the Middle East, the British Empire, or epics than I'm sure you would want to add this one to your collection. I suggest a discrete rental and then a decision. I can say that I would watch this film again, if for no other reason than to see that cool landmine device Gordon cooks up with a pistol and a length of primer cord. Enjoy!

"out of the vast, hot, African nowhere..."
Though the historical events in this film took place in 1884-85, there are aspects of it that remind one of today's headlines; this is a sadly underrated film, with a fantastic cast, massive battle scenes, and a beautifully written script about an extraordinary man.
There are scenes that take "artistic license", but the film is quite accurate in its facts on General Gordon; a military genius who hated war, a deeply religious man who worked to end slavery, and who fell in love with the desolate scorching sands and the people of the Sudan.

The pairing of Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier is fabulous, and their scenes together are riveting. Heston is gaunt in this film, to closer portray the slightly built Gordon, and speaks with a subtle but excellent English accent; Olivier is the fanatic who calls himself The Mahdi ("The Expected One"), waging a holy war with his followers to destroy anyone who opposes his beliefs, with the aim of conquering the world for his fundamentalist faith.
Other wonderful performances come from Richard Johnson as Col. Stewart, Ralph Richardson as Prime Minister Gladstone, Nigel Green as Gen Wolseley, and Johnny Sekka is a delight as Gordon's servant Khaleel.

After British-led Egyptian forces are massacred by The Mahdi's insurgents, the British government asks Egypt to give up the Sudan, and General Gordon is called to evacuate the European and Egyptian civilians from the Sudan; he stays to ward off the terrorists and the siege of Khartoum takes place.
The sweeping panoramas of the desert and the Nile river are sumptuous (cinematography by Edward Scaife), and the Frank Cordell score is terrific, though it owes a bit to Maurice Jarre's music for "Lawrence of Arabia"; released 6 years earlier, "Lawrence" has some comparisons to this film, as they are both about adventurous men of courage who felt comfortable in Arab lands.
This film sparked my imagination and made me want to know more about Gordon's fascinating life and the history that surrounded him, and it is one I could watch repeatedly. Total running time is 134 minutes.
"...but there is this: A world with no room for the Gordons, is a world that will return to the sands".

One of Chuck's best
Before he was NRA junta chief and in between making movies where a planet of apes evolved from men and Soylent Green was people, Charlton Heston was a pretty damn fine actor. His performance is pre-"method" but commanding, and he definitely holds his own in all the scenes with Olivier.

This film is based on the actual seige and capture of Khartoum in the Sudan in 1884. The events are of couse slightly disorted (as usual) but the essence of the story is correct. I don't think the box office reciepts would have been too good if they actually showed Gordon (Heston's character) as being 5'2" in boots. The real story is rather chilling and sad but the film manages to make it inspiring to a point, the situation being one where victory may be impossible but heroism, a willingness to fight the "good fight", is not.

As to the quality of the disc itself, there are no extras except the trailer. The sound quality is merely ok, but the picture transfer is beautiful. A+ on that count. If you saw the recent film of "The Four Feathers" I would recommend this film over it. It is a little leisurely in pace ealy on but it is well crafted and very well written.

Unimpressive
This isn't Charleton Heston's best work by a long-shot. His acting is hardly convincing as General Charles Gordon. The cinematography is decent but there seems to also be an absence in character depth throughout the movie: there is also little action.

Epic movies about the colonial era in Africa are never easy: this movie just doesn't do it. The best role played in the movie was that of "The Mahdi" by Laurence Olivier, however, he is hardly a convincing moor. All of the scenes just seem to fall short in climax or tension for this sort of drama.

The failure of the movie also lies in its attempt to simplify the complexities of the time: the script writer failed to grasp te culture of the epoch and this is made evident in the movie. As a result, the dialogue is hollow and the action dull. Perhaps worth renting for those who are admirers of either Heston or Olivier but there isn't much to own here.

EXCELLENT!!
Excellent DVD transfer of one of the great epics of the 60's! I was shocked on how clean the print was with very few blemishes to be found. This is the best I've ever seen this movie look. If you love epics-BUY THIS TODAY! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dirk Bogarde risked his career to make this 1962 film about a lawyer who risks his career to stand up to blackmailers. Part crime thriller and part plea for tolerance, Victim uses the terror of a blackmailing ring to point out the injustice of Britain's antisodomy laws. Bogarde plays Melville Farr, a married lawyer who learns of a blackmail scheme when one of its victims, an old friend, commits suicide rather than tell the police. As Farr conducts an investigation, he must confront his own past. Victim was ahead of its time--it was the first English-language movie to use the word "homosexual"--and as such it seems quaint and stilted at times. Straw-man clichés about homosexuality must be knocked down, and, like in all first-wave issue movies, occasionally characters need to have rather stilted debates. Still, the crime plot stands on its own, the performances are excellent, and the film is brave enough to make some very good points. This is an interesting and worthy bit of cinematic history. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Haunting and challenging film . magnificent!
In the early sixties it's hard for you to get a film so brave like this one. Bogarde is a homosexual who lives in the closet.
And this fact will be sparkling point , thrugh he'll be blackmailed .
In one of the excellent lines of this amazing script Bogarde staes: The fear is the oxygen of the extorsion.
Watch this brave film . Bogarde shows us he was an actor of depth and substance . After he would make The servant (see my review) where he would play a top notch performance under Joseph Losey' s direction. This movie may be well considered as the masterpiece of Basil Dearden.
And remind that Advise and consent , that unforgettable film of Otto Preminger deals with similar argument. Both of them belongs the same year.

Taut, well played film
A landmark film in 1961, it brought homosexuality out into the open. Well written by Janet Green and John McCormick, the plot tells of a blackmail ring that involves the lives of many "victims". Peter McEnery is a young gay man who is blackmailed and is desperate to avoid his blackmailers and the police. Dirk Bogarde, in a daring move career wise, plays the closeted barrister Melville Farr who had a brief liasion many years ago with McEnery.
When McEnery needs his help, Bogarde rebuffs him which results in tragedy for the young man. As character after character become embroiled in this crime their lives start a downward spiral. Everyone in the film becomes a victim of this heinous crime.
Filmed in black and white against a grey London winter, the cinematography sets the right mood. Dirk Bogarde took quite a risk to play Melville Farr. Homosexuality was still very taboo and could have broken his career. Instead it opened up many more serious parts for him. His performance is intense and very downplayed. Sylvia Syms, as his loving wife, matches Bogarde's performance in quality. Her part could have become a bit melodramatic but Syms and director Basil Dearden avoided that pitfall.
This film also reminds viewers of the narrow thinking that prevailed in the early 60's. This was before Stonewall and Gay Liberation. In England you could be imprisoned for many years. The law was repealed in 1966. It is thought that this film was innovative in getting the repeal.

A bonus to the DVD is an interview with Dirk Bogarde.

Taut, well-acted, entertaining thriller
Don't let the title mislead you. Victim is about a man who is anything but helpless. Dirk Bogarde, in a career-defining role, plays a highly respected, but closeted, attorney who risks his marriage and reputation to bring to justice an elusive blackmail ring terrorizing gay men (exposure then meant not only disgrace but prison), and which caused the young man he loved to commit suicide. In the early 1960s, director Basil Dearden's Victim was perhaps the most daring film yet to appear on the British screen. A surprise hit at the box office, many regard it as the work that finally stirred Parliament to begin amending Britain's draconian laws against "homosexual acts."

Historical importance aside, Victim still holds up as a taut and entertaining thriller, with excellent performances and some striking cinematography. After more than 40 years, actor Dirk Bogarde's protagonist remains one of the screen's few out and out gay heroes. He gives a richly nuanced, and powerful, performance. The film uses an unusual structural device: Melville Farr (Bogarde) and Jack Barrett (hauntingly played by Peter McEnery), the young man who loves him and whom he loves, never appear together onscreen. In fact, the first quarter of the film involves Jack's increasingly frantic attempts to contact the nervous Farr, who dodges him every way he can. While that "non-meeting" certainly upped the comfort level for many, it also provides a unique dramatic strength. Here absence is powerful in its suggestiveness. And as the film unfolds, we never forget that Farr's single-minded mission - in his role as part lovesick man, part avenging angel - is to bring to justice the blackmailers who drove Jack to kill himself.

As played by the handsome Peter McEnery, Jack comes across as a likable guy, unpretentious and authentic. We never doubt his feelings for Farr, or his genuine affection for the middle-aged men in love with him. And although Jack dies within the first half hour, he dominates the film, causing not only Farr but, on some level, the audience to ask, What injustice caused this affable young man to kill himself?

And that puts all of British society, both gay and straight, on trial. But it also causes the film's only dramatic limitation when, in the second half, polemics takes over. It tries to show the broad impact of homophobia on the widest possible socioeconomic range of characters, from both the straight and gay worlds. There are simply too many people, representing too many permutations of class and taste. However, there are some very powerful scenes, especially between Farr and his wife Laura (played with emotional complexity by the beautiful Sylvia Syms), as they work out the new contours of their marriage. But overall the film's second half was less effective than its first.

In the opening hour, Dearden brilliantly used cinematic means - expressive lighting, slightly off-kilter compositions, propulsive narrative rhythms, and jazzy music - to explore character and theme (all captured superbly in the DVD transfer). In the first half, I saw and felt what it was like to live in that tense world, while in the second half, I heard characters tell me about it.

Still, I highly recommend this film, not only for its historical importance to both GLBT cinema and rights, but because it is an engrossing, well acted and often strikingly shot film. And although the legal and social situation of GLBT people has improved markedly in the past four decades, there is still much emotional truth and insight in this landmark film.

Daring crime thriller
Victim stands firmly in the crime thriller category, but the conventions of the genre are merely the occasion for a political plea to legalize homosexuality. It is a plea passionately and effectively delivered, albeit grounded in contemporary misguided assumptions, ie. that homosexuality is a perversion that is nevertheless incurable and ought to be tolerated as a compassionate concession to a tragic inevitability.

As a thriller it is interesting enough, though the characters are shallow, since their development is clearly subordinated to the socio-political message the film is trying to get across. This is compensated for by excellent production values, the style of which clearly belongs to the new wave of British realism in the mid-50s to '60s. Bogarde and Price also deliver fine performances.

ten-letter word
This film from the Rank organisation directed by Basil Dearden was a landmark in cinema history as allegedly the first to mention the ten-letter word "homosexual" (though the use of "queer" reads as more of a shock). "Gay" had got a lot of usage, in the 20's in innocence, and in the 30's with subtext, but it says something about the sexual prudism of American society that it was the British, of all people, to be the ones to open an adult conversation on the subject. The screenplay by Janet Green and John McCormick uses the thriller form to uncover the blackmail of homosexuals, since the laws that existed to prosecute practicing homosexuals was known as the "blackmailer's charter". The victims of both the legal system and the homophobic blackmailers presente here are all men, with no mention of whether this law also applied to lesbians, though presumably the offence they could be convicted of is less associated with women (and not uncommon in heterosexual behaviour). Since the writers make the main character a barrister, it's clear that the intention is law reform, but this ambition doesn't stop them from using cliched phrases, such as "horrid imaginings", "It used to be witches", "unfortunate devils", "They're good for a laugh but I hate their guts", "The invert is part of nature", and "I find love in the only way I can". The best line is delivered by a Noel Coward-ish actor (his character named is amusingly obscured by the sound of a passing tea trolley), "the rage of Caliban on seeing his own reflection in the mirror", but the worst is ironically delivered by the actor delivering the most interesting performance as a victim, with Charles Lloyd Pack's "Nature played me a dirty trick". Lloyd Pack gives "I'm going to be sensible" a funny intonation. An incriminating photograph of the barrister Dirk Bogarde with a "boy" he has in his car but has rebuffed, is never seen, which is a pity since we are told "there is as much pain in both faces". The screenplay also features a McGuffin subplot, and an odd cruising policeman (one wonders how far he would go with his spying) , but the lead blackmailer is given some nice touches with a motobike, s/m clothing, a fondness for boxing and classical music, and a framed picture of Michelangelo's David. What is interesting is how the writers condemn women as the worst type of homophobes, while at the same time giving Bogarde's wife (Sylvia Syms) such depth of feeling, probably as an acknowledgement that of the couple, she is one who has been deceived the most. Whilst I could have done without making her a teacher of "difficult children", the scene where Bogarde's involvement is exposed has her playing the prosecutor to his witness, with his climactic "I wanted him" yelled in shameful anger and along the same lines as his "If it was love why should I want to stamp it out?" In a role Bogarde declared altered his screen career for the better, he wears aged makeup and sports grey hair, apparently since a man at 40 has entered decay (or is just 40 year old closeted male homosexuals?), and whilst the barrister role allows him a dignified manner, I liked his smile upon being made aware of being in the same room as three less closeted male homosexuals, and the look on his face when he is asked if he knew the boy he had been seeing was homosexual and he replies "Yes, I had formed that impression". It's hard to imagine who the film-makers thought the audience for this film was, since the main character's denial of his sexual impulses insults gays, and as Pauline Kael said in her review to be found in I Lost it at the Movies, it also "gives a black eye to the heterosexual life, with the unwarranted assumption that that if homosexuality wasn't a crime, it would spread and heterosexuality would be unable to survive in a free market". ... Read more

Reviews (5)

"He died in a pub."
In the British comedy, "The Smallest Show on Earth" Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna are teamed together as newlyweds Matt and Jill Spencer. Matt receives news that he's inherited a cinema from his uncle Simon, so the Spencers head off to Sloughborough (the home of a pungent glue factory) to claim the inheritance. The Bijou cinema is a dilapidated place known locally as the fleapit. The Bijou cannot rival Sloughborough's only other cinema--the palatial Grand--in fact the owner of the Grand wants to buy the Bijou and tear it down in order to build a parking lot.

Along with the Bijou, the Spencers also inherit the Bijou's staff--there's old Tom--the janitor and doorman--Mrs. Fazazkalee (Margaret Rutherford), and Percy Quill--the projectionist (Peter Sellers). At first the Spencers hope to sell the Bijou, but when Hardcastle, the owner of the Grand, tries to drive a hard bargain, the Spencers decide to open the Bijou once again.

"The Smallest Show on Earth" is a charming film. The superior cast really makes the film sparkle. Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers were a successful screen team and starred together in "Born Free". Peter Sellers is at his quirky best in the role as the projectionist, and the three elderly Bijou employees enjoy a lively rivalry that they abandon to save the Bijou. Sid James appears in a tiny role, and Leslie Phillips plays local solicitor, Mr. Carter. The Bijou cinema really steals the film. When the Spencers see the cinema, Matt says "my uncle actually charged people to go in there?" Viewers are supposed to see the Bijou as a terrible dump, but the beauty of the crumbling old cinema cannot be diminished. The best scenes occur as films play in the Bijou, and the audiences participate in some quite unique and rather alarming ways. If you are a fan of early British comedy, you will enjoy this film. The quality of the film was excellent--displacedhuman.

A sweet era recalled in humor.
'THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH' may not have been exactly that since there were certainly smaller, but it was a case of a fictional small "electric theatre" (the British way of differentiating a movie theatre from a legitimate theatre or 'music hall,' as they designated their version of the American vaudeville). This delightful British film is as heart warming and sometimes hilarious as the other reviewers here describe, but it is the wonderful interaction between the story, the sets, and the actors that balance the film and make it a classic. This 19th century 'kinema' was styled in the manner of the traditional British 'music hall' of live performers, but held the earliest of projection equipment (hence the double entendre about projectionist Peter Sellers' 'equipment.') Such asides will be over the heads of the kiddies, but the pleasant pacing and careful dialogue of the actors will please the adults for whom this comedy is intended.

The story of a young couple inheriting a cinema and finding that it is not quite the money-maker they imagined would have been prosaic were it not for the clever settings and the three fossils who maintained the old "Bijou" (French for 'jewel'). If it were ever a jewel, it had lost its luster as the years passed and patrons flocked to the newer nearby movie palace, the 'Grand.' Desperate to keep their jobs, the 'fossils' (veteran scene-stealers: Peter Sellers, Margaret Rutherford, and Bernard Miles) took pains to refresh the old place to please new owner Bill Travers, a too seldom used actor of mild presence but uniquely suited to this role. The character of the Bijou's "commissioner" (doorman, janitor, and boiler keeper) Miles in the end tries too hard and creates the only jarring note in the film, which is otherwise tender and memorable. The device of having latter day elevated trains roar past the cinema was inspired and created some memorable scenes, as when the building sways to the slow start up of the train, or when Bill Travers' character is almost rattled off the ladder as he attempts to relight the old roof sign. There are many wonderful sight gags and other fine bits that one will long remember.

For those who also like old theatres, it may be of interest to know that the exterior of the Bijou was actually a set created at the meeting of two existing elevated train bridges on Christchurch Ave. at the Kilburn LT station in London. The interior was a also a set, but so well done that you would swear that you were in a real 19th century 'opera house.' The design is thought to be derived from the real Palace of Varieties at Camberwell. The movie palace with the pipe organ - the Grand -- was actually the Gaumont Palace (later the Odeon, now Apollo) in Hammersmith, London. And the use of the fictional name of "Sloughborough" for the town is another little joke since it means 'low place or mire.' These details can be confirmed in the journal of the British "Cinema Theatre Association's" magazine "PICTURE HOUSE," No. 19, Winter 93-94, pages 37 and 38, (where there are photos in this and the previous issue) furnished to this reviewer courtesy of Mr. Brian J. Hall of England.

One reviewer said that the only flaw was that the story was too short and I must concur in that, and that is the only real flaw I can find in the film as well. There is a difficulty, however, in appreciating the quality of the film from the most common versions of the VHS-NTSC format videos now available. Amazon lists two ASIN numbers of versions made by the same French Canadian firm, Madacy, which produced them in EP speed, rather than the usual SP speed that allows for quality. Since Amazon never indicates the speed of a tape, I cannot tell if their third variation produced by 'VCI Classics (American Prudential)' is also in this slow speed of poor quality. Not only is the image poor, but the sound is downright difficult to understand! Amazon's sister company, The Internet Movie Data Base (www.IMDB.com), now lists two CD versions about to be released, and we can but hope that they were made from restored masters and are the pleasure that the original film is.

P.S.: Two years before the movie "Majestic" (starring Jim Carrey) debuted, the director wrote on the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S web site that he was searching for information about historic theatres for his forthcoming unnamed movie. This reviewer responded with information and said that the description of it he gave sounded something like "The Smallest Show on Earth." He responded that he was amazed that anyone remembered the 1956 British film, but that it was an inspiration for his movie. Look closely at the lobby in "Majestic" and you will see it clearly resembles that in the 'Bijou,' even if the facades were much different. These films turned out very differently, but at least the architecture rewards lovers of theatres.

lesson in what acting is all about
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH, the Bijou movie house, is well worth watching for its'lesson in what acting is all about. The enigmatic title is the only puzzlement of the movie. Otherwise, you get entertainment the British plain acting way that only the British seem to know how to do it. "Smallest" is a simple, delightful plot of what might go wrong with the best laid plans of inheritance when the legatees need to put an over-the-hill movie house back in business to compete with an up-to-date rival. You are tenderly entertained, then, by the actors Rutherford, Sellers, and Bernard Miles who were former employees and a threesome tossed into the plot as part of the inheritance. Margaret Rutherford was the deceased's "courtesan" ticket-seller bookkeeper who found a way to keep the old theater operating by taking in, as admission ticket "money," chickens, eggs, and such bookkeeping entries. She also is wise to the dipsy sot up there in the projection booth, Peter Sellers. Despite his penchant for booze he manages to make the ancient projectionist equipment function; equipment manufactured and carried over from Tudor times I would guess. Sellers did not cotton well to Margaret Rutherford. His major complaint was her bad behavior, suggesting thus that the new owner ought to not sack her, but could " . . . say something rude and nasty to her." Bernard Miles,urban relative of the village idiot, janitor and doorman aspired to continue working, but only if he could have a u-nee-form; one like the doorman in the competing movie house [with white gloves tucked under the left shouler epaulette, you see]. A good story also includes something inanimate object that actually plays a role. In this production, that "actor" is the thundering Britrail locomotive driven train that rattles the Bijou movie house, projection equipment and moviegoers, hilariously shaken--not stirred. The Bijou itself is a vestigial of Britain's lust for theater complete with organ that played musical strains for the silent movies, and a section in the back where young couples learned some of the facts of life. Theaters like this, originally opera houses and music halls, still exist in the Notting Hill section of London. Besides all of this location nostalgia, the characters are funny . . . gove'ner.

Good movie but beware the inferior print
The one-star rating refers to this particular version. The film itself is a pleasant British comedy about a young couple's adventures with an ancient movie theater and its ancient staff. However, this is an extended-play tape of a bootleg-quality print with inferior picture and sound, and fans of the film will definitely be disappointed by the video presentation.

Smallest Show on Earch well titled
Marginally affecting in a gentle 50's way, but ultimately can't overcome the torpid pacing. A bit too gentle for my tastes. Virginia McKenna is, as always, worth the watching ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Crazy Slapstick Comedy
If you only like comedy films that are subtle and sophisticated, "Who Done It ? " is not for you. Personally, I found this movie to be consistently amusing, and I laughed out loud a number of times.

Benny Hill was one of Britain's most inventive comics, who achieved international stardom in the 70s and 80s through his zany television shows. In fact, television was Benny's medium--he did not make many movies.

"Who Done It ?"--released in 1956--features a young Benny in his first major starring role, and he makes the most of it. After losing his job at the Ice Capades, Benny decides to become a private detective, with the help of a surprisingly energetic bloodhound. He becomes involved with a pretty girl
( young and gorgeous Belinda Lee ), and a group of up-to-no-good Iron Curtain-type spies, led by stalwart British character actor, David Kossoff. Benny gets into one scrape after another, much to the continual annoyance of the police. There are various opportunities for Benny to "disguise" himself--a Hill trademark. Several setpieces stand out--posing as a "mad professor", Benny demonstrates a machine that "controls" the weather, with disastrous results--Benny and Belinda chasing the spies around a broadcasting convention at Earl's Court ( the whole film takes place in London )--the climactic race around a stock car track, reminiscent of the silent Keystone Cops movies.

Basil Dearden directs at a breakneck pace, and--yes--the plot is outlandish--the acting over the top--but if you like Benny and his antics, as I do, you'll love it.

Benny passed away suddenly about 12 years ago, and Britain lost one of it's brightest talents. In the biography included with this disc, it notes that a dying Charlie Chaplin spent many of his last days watching Benny's shows. Apparently, Milton Berle was a huge fan. If Chaplin and Berle thought Benny was funny, does it really matter what the rest of us think ? No comic could have more respected fans than these two "giants".

Another "bonus" with the DVD is a 30-minute, silent film Benny made in 1969, called "The Waiters"--Benny and a dim-witted sidekick are hired to cater a small party at an elegant country home. Would you want Benny to serve you food and drinks at a party ? If one of your guests is a curvaceous woman in a low-cut dress, would you want Benny within half a mile of her ?
Rhetorical questions both ! For you the viewer, this is a very entertaining half hour.

The picture quality for "Who Done It ?" is excellent--mono sound, of course. If you like goofy comedies--and Benny Hill in particular--Anchor Bay has given us another winner. Well done !

Who Done It? - Who Cares? Dum-Dum Wanna-Be Comedy
Benny Hill fans will enjoy this free-for-all nonsense about International espionage and a "secret weapon" developed by stereotypical Eastern-Block scientist. Benny, our likeable hero, is a "Inspector Clouseau" type amateur detective, ready to tackle his first assignment: impersonate the famous professor, as part of the secret plan for the bad guys to rule the world.

The story is "formula" and thin as a satin thread, but an extra large helping of "Benny Hill" slap stick, complete with lots of pretty girls and the obligatory Benny-in-drag scenes, make this predictable vehicle hobble along. The final car chase on (are you ready for this?) a race track is totally stupid, but what did you expect?

Given the 1960s mentality and the limited budgets available to produce a silly comedy, the objective was met. Today something similar would hope to recoupe it's investments in direct-to-video sales.***

Proof That Benny Hill Was A Great Comedian
Although I have watched the video 4 - 5 times, the most recent viewing was over a year ago. This is significant because it proves the memorably of the film. The film is well done. I must say there is no "obligatory endless complaining about rampant Socialism" so common to comedies of its era/place.

It has a fun chase at the end. There is a disastrous awards dinner. There are disguises too. It's a fun film. A note of caution: THERE ARE NO "BABES IN BIKINIS." It is a film with an actual plot ! Benny does exhibit many of his famous mannerisms, it's fun to look for them. I heartily recommend the film to fans of B&W Brit Comedies, and the "intellectual" Hill fan. :-D ... Read more

Reviews (2)

penny for [all] your THOUGHTS ........
'X' rated by the Brits when released in '62 [well, it DOES feature a 'live' home birth at the end ..... then that dangerous experiment .....] Close to "The Pumpkin Eater" and possibly "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf - with Kids?" - this very advanced thriller set in the early 6oties tentatively explores "Isolation Tanks" - and the effect on its subject - or victim.

BOTH DIRK BOGARDE and MARY URE are stellar as the Mr. & Mrs. involved - Mary Ure especially has fine moments as the loving and later abused pregnant wife - tough stuff for that period [although we did have 'Saturday Night & Sunday Morning'] - but it does somewhat explore the approach to 'mind-bending' - and reprogramming of the subject - timely stuff.....

Bogarde was on the eve of his stellar career - the beautiful blonde, blue-eyed Mary Ure left so few examples of her work - but worth visiting "Look Back In Anger", etc. {NOT forgetting Miss URE in D.H. LAWRENCE "SONS AND LOVERS" - a missing treasure from 1960 long due for a DVD release!!}

Tone of movie is suitably sombre, photography is moody and the score very suitable .... a neglected treasure from that period.

Oh, yes and a young Edward Fox pops in and out of a few scenes as a student.

Pallid
In spite of the obviously psychedelic packaging for this film, The Mind Benders is marginally science fiction. Instead, this is a drama with SF trappings. The story of a scientist, Dr. Longman, played by Dirk Bogarde, who comes to believe that the suicide of a colleague was caused by prolonged exposure in a sensory deprivation tank, he is forced to prove his theory by a British intelligence agent and undergo the same treatment himself.

The agent is convinced that Longman's colleague was a spy and engages in some subtle brainwashing of Longman after he's spent eight hours in the tank. While the opening half hour is definitely gripping--including Longman's harrowing experience in the tank--the final two thirds of the film is sorely disappointing for science fiction fans--or even for those who are expecting a substantial buildup focused on the theme.

The development after the first 30 minutes or so is pretty weak, centering on Longman's relationship with his wife which has been put to the test, and is a real letdown. Although Dirk Bogarde and Mary Ure as his wife are more than competent actors, the film runs out of steam long before its happy ending.

The real value of this film, as indicated in the liner notes of the DVD, is that it is a precursor to Altered States and The Manchurian Candidate. For completists who want whatever film they can find about brainwashing, this is a must. For anyone else, it's really not great. A far better vehicle for Dirk Bogarde fans, also available on DVD, is The Servant. ... Read more