Penny Gold

This could have been made at Merton Park ten years earlier, but for it being in colour, the graphic description of the injuries suffered by the murder victim and the annoying 70's-style music score by John Scott. Several other reviewers have commented on the fact that it is possible to see the final 'twist' coming almost as soon as the credits are over; although part of the fun is working out the 'how' and 'why' since the 'what' is already so obvious.

Shot in wintry London locations (particularly at and around Windsor), it's attractive to look at; but considering that it was directed by Britain's top Technicolor cameraman of the forties & fifties, it's constant reliance on zooms comes as a letdown.

Francesca Annis gives quite a performance as a pair of identical twin sisters, Delphi and Diane. They are complete opposites in personalities and lifestyles. When Diane is murdered, everybody is a suspect especially Delphi who deals with rare stamps. The film is satisfactory even with a stellar cast. They filmed on location in England. Jack Cardiff tried his hand at directing. The film is a decent effort. The mystery does have some twists especially at the end of the film. I wished the film had a better ending. I would have liked to know what happened to the main characters in the aftermath. James Booth plays detective in the film. I enjoy seeing other British actors and actresses like Nicky Henson, Joss Ackland, Una Stubbs, a young Dame Penelope Keith before she became a television star.

The historic riverside town of Windsor, home to the Royal Family, is a popular setting for British films, something due less to its Royal connections than to its closeness to Pinewood Studios. Two other films from the early seventies filmed in the area were "The Road Builder" and "No Sex Please, We're British".

"Penny Gold" is a murder mystery set in the town. A young woman named Diane, the owner of a local boutique, is brutally bludgeoned to death by an intruder in her flat. Her face is so disfigured that she is virtually unrecognisable, but the body is identified by her identical twin sister Delphi. Inspector Matthews of the CID is tasked with investigating the murder and soon realises that matters might be more complicated than they appear at first sight. Diane's killing appears to be linked to a plot to steal a valuable postage stamp, the "Penny Gold" of the title; Delphi works for a firm of stamp dealers owned by the sisters' stepfather.

As another reviewer has pointed out, the seventies were not the most distinguished decade in the history of the British cinema. When they weren't making tacky sex comedies or kitschy horror flicks, British film-makers of the period were often trying to repeat successes of the past, and "Penny Gold" is a crime drama of the sort which could easily have been made ten or even twenty years earlier (although in the fifties or sixties it would probably have been in black-and-white rather than colour). I was reminded in some respects of "Town on Trial", a film noir from 1957 which also deals with the murder of a young woman in a Home Counties town.

"Penny Gold" is not altogether a bad film; there is an ingenious twist which provides Matthews with the solution to the mystery. (At least, it probably seemed ingenious in 1973 before twist endings became overfamiliar through overuse in the eighties and nineties). It is not, however, a film which really stays in the mind and has no acting contributions of any great note, even though it starred some well-known faces. I would not rate it as highly as something like "Town on Trial" which was not only a crime drama but which also made some pertinent points about the complacency and hypocrisy of the English middle classes. 5/10.

Despite obviousness of many plot elements within this work directed by renowned cinematographer Jack Cardiff, it is quite possible to enjoy the film for its merits that include expected polished camera-work and lighting, but also superlative design, plainly a result of competent research, and atmospheric settings about Windsor Castle, to the benefit of a somewhat unfocused crime melodrama involving murder in the normally staid world of philately. Action opens in a flat close by the Castle with a young woman, fresh from a shower, being bludgeoned to death, over two dozen blows to the face making her corpse essentially unrecognizable, and when Detective Inspector Matthews (James Booth) launches an investigation he learns that the deceased was one of a pair of decorative and identical twins, performed by Francesca Annis, the surviving sister, Delphi, employed by their guardian, a prominent stamp collector, with the titular item, a piece of enormous value, being target of a plot to steal it, this somehow connected with the homicide. Filmed at London's Pinewood Studios complex and on location in the vicinity of Windsor Castle, including the House on the Bridge Restaurant atop Windsor Bridge, the windows of which offer an agreeable view of the Royal edifice (enjoyed here at lunch by Matthews and Delphi), the film suffers from credibility factors and an oddly structured use of flashbacks, but a John Scott score is reasonably effective (there is a seamless inclusion of police sirens!), and Cardiff leads his players well. There is not a weak portrayal from among the cast, with even the monochromatic Annis being largely believable, Booth and Nicky Henson providing strong turns as the case investigators; Joss Ackland gains acting honours as Jones, supervising police official in the matter.

Everyone is dying to get their hands on a priceless stamp, a Penny Gold.

It's a very watchable murder mystery, it is very much of its time, and I love that aspect of it, great cars, great fashion and some terrific location shooting. Plenty of suspense, loads of twists, expect the unexpected.

The best aspect of this film, Francesca Annie, she's a terrific talent, and dare I say it, incredibly beautiful, she has always had such enigmatic presence, I thought she made this film.

It's not a quality movie, it's a bit humdrum, but absorbing enough,w out for Joss Ackland and Penelope Keith.

One big twist I wasn't expecting, enjoyed. 6/10