howard-45
Joined Jul 2000
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howard-45's rating
A great slice of the early 50's - with an impeccable "British Movietone" narration. All stiff upper lip, clipped speech but some stunning shots of the now defunct 1951 London Festival Exhibition site. A rather different film to "London in Festival Year" - this looks at the closure of the show - and shows the windswept site, devoid of life, paper littering the site. A sad end to a great show. All that now remains of the site is the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank - the Skylon has long since been broken up....
A recent BBC TV documentary followed the fate of the Skylon - and found some bits had been preserved - but hardly anything remains of the actual exhibition. You can buy mugs and such at boot fairs - bu this film is a great reminder of a post-war "tonic for the nation" exercise.
A recent BBC TV documentary followed the fate of the Skylon - and found some bits had been preserved - but hardly anything remains of the actual exhibition. You can buy mugs and such at boot fairs - bu this film is a great reminder of a post-war "tonic for the nation" exercise.
...as one reviewer said above "Only the British can make rubbish like this" - but what lovely rubbish. The film followed on from a very successful BBC TV series of the same name - still showing today.
It's full of "innuendo" (which American viewers may not follow) and cheeky - but like "Carry On" films that is where the charm lies. We like smutty films - where suggestion is best left to the imagination. The death knell of the later "Carry On" films was heard when they actually showed naked women on screen - it has all been good clean titillation up to then, missus! Frankie Howerd, as a veteran of stage, radio, film and TV, allowed these romps to be used as a vehicle - full of his catch-phrases, knowing nods to the audience and hidden meanings.
Guess if you don't like it - you may not be British!
It's full of "innuendo" (which American viewers may not follow) and cheeky - but like "Carry On" films that is where the charm lies. We like smutty films - where suggestion is best left to the imagination. The death knell of the later "Carry On" films was heard when they actually showed naked women on screen - it has all been good clean titillation up to then, missus! Frankie Howerd, as a veteran of stage, radio, film and TV, allowed these romps to be used as a vehicle - full of his catch-phrases, knowing nods to the audience and hidden meanings.
Guess if you don't like it - you may not be British!
Channel 4 are showing this in the UK on Monday nights (March/April 04). We are currently towards the end of the 1st series and I am totally hooked. I don't usually like US crime series (well... I do like The Shield). On first inspection I thought it came from the same production company - but it's not. Great scripts, fine acting and lots of twists in the missing story plot lines. Jack's private life is beginning to unfold bit by bit too - and I am intrigued!
Anthony LaPaglia (playing Jack) won a Golden Globe this year (2004) for his part in the show - and he is absolutely fantastic. So much so, I have began searching out his earlier Australian films (Lantana is a must). An Aussie by birth, he is a cracking actor.
If you have missed this show (which also has a fine supporting cast including the wonderful Marianne Jean-Baptiste who starred in Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies" with Timothy Spall - a UK production) it is out in the autumn in a DVD box set.
Roll on series 2.....
Anthony LaPaglia (playing Jack) won a Golden Globe this year (2004) for his part in the show - and he is absolutely fantastic. So much so, I have began searching out his earlier Australian films (Lantana is a must). An Aussie by birth, he is a cracking actor.
If you have missed this show (which also has a fine supporting cast including the wonderful Marianne Jean-Baptiste who starred in Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies" with Timothy Spall - a UK production) it is out in the autumn in a DVD box set.
Roll on series 2.....