Four Days

Contrived potboiler (complete with specifically timed amnesia) is elevated by the mesmerizing presence of Kathleen Byron; I've been trying to see as many of her films as possible lately, and here she invests a lot in what appears to be an ordinary character. It was directed by John Guillermin, who later made, among others, one of my favorite films of all time, "Death On The Nile": this early work is fairly competent, although there are some strange editing cuts that suggest possible trimming for the film to fit into a pre-ordained "second feature" length (it runs under an hour). **1/2 out of 4.

Hugh McDermott is desperately trying to raise money for his new project and avoid bankruptcy. Gordon McLeod thinks the effort is doomed and wants his capital back. McDermott persuades him not too. He shows him checks forged by McLeod's son and McDermott's employee, Peter Reynolds. He does not know that Reynolds has been 'borrowing' not only his money, but his wife, Kathleen Byron. When he raises the money he needs and pays attention, he discovers their affair. Miss Byron tries to kill him, but Reynolds stops her. The next morning, he takes is golf sticks, goes to the edge of the cliff, and jumps. He recovers, thanks to Miss Byron's nursing, He has no memory of the last four days.

It's based on a story by Monckton Hoffe, and is a most peculiar production. McDermott sports a bad American accent, although his character is British. I also thought it was written and directed for speed rather than character depth. Everyone speaks exceedingly rapidly and the net effect is that it seems to be an opened-out stage play. The original running time of 55 minutes speaks to this effort touring it in as swiftly as possible, with no grace notes in performance or settings, and a speedy denouement feels forced.

There are three reasons to see this film, assuming that you are a fan of 1950's British B-movies, as I am. First, the cinematography and direction: even though one imagines that the production was brought in under an as-usual rushed schedule, with little time for artistic considerations, Gullermin and Elton do still manage some imaginative set ups, notably shooting from a low level and with some interesting composition within the academy frame. Secondly there is Kathleen Byron, a long way from her greatest role (in Powell and Pressburger's BLACK NARCISSUS) perhaps, but still with a face which seems to demand provocative close ups, something which happens with striking effect a couple of times here. She may be working with sub-standard material, but how she fills the screen at such moments! Finally there is the plot itself, which is absurd and entertaining at the same time, fast moving and preposterous as it is. If the film had finished at the point of the fall from the cliff, I'd suggest, then it would have been an extremely taut and powerful minor classic. As it is, the plot has to lumber on into less starkly fatalistic territory - including a scene with a doctor which is bathetically laugh-inducing and suffers for it. No matter, the results are still worth seeing. On disc, the image is good.

Yet another gem to be mined from Talking Pictures' morning shift is this remarkable early quickie shot at Walton Studios by the director of 'The Towering Inferno' recounting a tale of violence, violent passion and that old favourite amnesia

Clocking in at a mere 55 minutes and anticipating the sort of thing that Chabrol would be making nearly twenty years later (with a very satisfying ending anticipating 'La Femme Infidele'). It's dated by expressions like "I've sweated like a coolie in a swamp to build this business!" but elegantly photographed by Ray Elton and very open about the passion burning beneath Kathleen Byron's feline carapace at the centre of a barmy triangle drama.

The story already seems over at 45 minutes but continues to keep you wondering where this is all going for another ten minutes, and the line "You'd have told me if there'd been anything important" in context made me laugh out loud.

Hugh Macdermott is a business man who is having troubles with his business,his business partner,his partners son and his wife.The son is not only forging cheques but having an affair with the wife.McDermott discovers the lovers together and confronts them..McDermott says he is thinking of killing them both.However his wife decides to poison his drink but the son takes it and she has to admit her plan.McDermott is seen jumping off a cliff but survives.However the fall has caused him to get amnesia and has no memory of the previous 4 days.He is remembering small things and she is worried he will remember big things.Trouble is that lover boy comes back and it all kicks off.However the ending is a bit of a let down.