Chappie-4

As a young man in the early 30's I attended a small theater in Brooklyn, NY showing the film Deluge. The memory of the devastation depicted in the film has remained with me through the years. I feel that a similar film made today, with all the special effects, would not have the impact felt at that time.

Of course there are many films from that era which are well remembered today while Deluge did not stand the test of time that I feel it deserved.

Years later I read an article concerning films that were lost due to deterioration and Deluge e was mentioned. We can all be indebted to IMDb for providing an opportunity to rediscover films such as Deluge.

There are very few TV programs that I would rush home to see, but this is one of them. I first discovered this rambling series when it was shown weekdays in the early afternoon. When no attempt was made to show more than a few episodes I thought it would be nothing more than a pleasant memory, but recently two stations started showing the program. The fact that the series has run on British TV for many years is proof of its lasting quality. I certainly tip my hat to Roy Clarke who I understand is the one responsible for creating the series. Who could imagine that a series would be made showing the daily experiences of three elderly men together with a supporting cast of equally elderly actors. Each has developed their own particular characterisation and it is a joy each episode to observe them at work.

The cast assembled for this film was outstanding and the film is a perfect example of "mob psychology" at its worst. This made it memorable, but still a very disturbing film. It is interesting to note that many of the "uncredited" cast members were a who's who of character actors. Naming just a few -- Frank Orth, George Chandler, Billy Benedict, Rondo Hatton and certainly not to be overlooked, Margaret Hamilton and Leigh Whipper. A sequence that has remained with me all these years is the dog crossing the deserted street at the beginning of the picture and its return trip across the street signifying the end of the film. A suitable ending for an emotional film of this type.