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The House Of Eliott, set in Britian in the 1920s, follows the drama of the two Eliott sisters in their journey from being poor relations with no position or future in society to being amongst the most celebrated fashion designers in London.

There is much motivating drama as the sisters are held back by the cruel legacy of their father and their condescending relatives. Through their determination and by meeting creative and Bohemian members of society they begin to express their creative talents and break free of the constrictive life they were intended to live.

The 1920s period setting is dressed up well and is played out as a time of change in attitude to clothing and the way women could express themselves. Of course the cruel English class system, as always, provides a good background to the drama, where the aristocracy are still ruling and putting others in their place. But the signs of the change in society, post World War I, are evident. The characters are bound by their reputation and many reputations are all ready established, newly made and destroyed during the series.

Stella Gonet plays Beatrice, the elder Eliott sister who suffered greatly under her fathers stern hand and who determinedly finds her lost freedom. Louise Lombard, plays Evagaline, younger by twelve years to Beatrice, who begins naively venturing into the world after her sheltered childhood and blossoms into a sophisticated, individual and unconventional women in society. Both actresses are well cast and develop their characters well as the series progresses.

Aden Gillet as Jack Maddox, the society photographer and eventual love interest in the show is another regular character. Barbara Jefford is a favourite as their snobby, stern but somehow sympathetic character of Aunt Lydia - constantly reminding the "girls" that reputation is everything. The sub-plots(particularly in series 1) are also very well developed. As well as Aunt Lydia, their is the charity worker Penelope Maddox and her attempts help the poor and bring justice and the some of the stories of the employees in the fashion house.Other characters develop as the series progresses and some are more effective than others.

Developed by the creators of Upstairs Downstairs(well known actresses Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins) The House Of Elliot has good writing mostly good direction and acting and the journey of the Eliott sisters is a rewarding one to watch and re-watch.

The screen version of Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile would be one of the definitive adaptions of the very old fashioned(but still strangely popular) murder mystery genre. After twenty-seven years the movie holds up very well.

The most was made of the Egyption setting of the film as it was filmed mostly on location and the stunning ancient sites of Egypt are filmed beautifully. Tourism in Egypt apparently increased significanlty after the film's release. Not surprising.

Also making the film a treat is the wonderful cast. Peter Ustinov stepped into the role of Hercule Poirot for the first time and despite no resemblance to Christie's descriptions of Poirot, made the role his own for the next decade. Ustinov gives a stern but comic portrayal of Poirot which is balanced with the casting of Ustinov's close friend David Niven as Colonal Race, Poirot's sidekick.

Heading the feast of suspects is the legendary Bette Davis as a grand dame with a sour Maggie Smith as her paid nurse/companion. There bickering scenes together are a hilarious highlight of the movie. Angela Lansbury is also a scene stealer as a tipsy, uninhibited novelist who does a hilarious tango with David Niven. Mia Farrow delivers a very good dramatic performance, as the women scorned which almost steers away from the usual cardboard stereotype characterisations of Agatha Christie.

Director John Guillerman let his great cast have fun with their characters partly because veteran thriller writer Anthony Shaffer wrote the screenplay. Although the murder mystery is a clever one and played out very well Shaffer injected the script with more wit and spice than the original novel had. (The Bette Davis and Maggie Smith scenes being the best example) The soundtrack of the film is an underrated gem with veteran composer Nino Rota producing a grand, sumptuous, inviting and mysterious soundtrack which perfectly complements the setting and the drama. Also his arrangement of the tango tune "Jealousy" is the best I've ever heard.

All this makes for a fun, lively old fashioned treat of a film that can be returned to from time to time.

Chaplin plays Calvero, the washed up music hall clown, who saves the life and attempts to restore the hope of a distraught ballerina, Terry, played by Claire Bloom.

If ever there was a movie to give you hope and lift spirits in dark times, this is it. Calvero's monologues and scenes to help encourage Terry back on her feet(literally) are a perfect remedy for the times (like the ones we live in) when it easy to lose hope. Courage, imagination and a little dough, he tells her is all that is needed to get by.

In Limelight Chaplin also gives great insight into the highs and the devastating lows an of artist's career. Calvero expresses his love\hate relationship towards the theatre, his audience and his almost spent life.

Chaplin, as usual gives a suave, nimble, moving and funny performance and he allows Claire Bloom to totally blossom in the role of Terry.The films is even more special by featuring the only appearance together of Chaplin and Buster Keaton in a brief comedy routine. Their time together on screen is priceless and the routine, very funny

The rest of the considerable supporting cast(including Nigel Bruce and Norman Lloyd) do their best but are bound by Chaplin's constricting direction. As is usually noticeable in a Chaplin talkie, the other actors only mechanically express what their director has instructed them to do.

Even Keaton's character is only referred to as "Calvero's partner" and never even given a name. The brief time Keaton appears on screen Chaplin hardly acknowledges the character's precense. (One can't help feeling the cameo was a condescending piece of charity on Chaplin's part to his more humble screen rival.) Also; has any director ever granted themselves more self-glorifying and self-pitying close ups than Chaplin in this movie?

But all this(and the fact that the movie runs way too long) is totally forgivable as only Chaplin could produce such a giant movie of inspiration and uplifting spirit.