allan-broadfield

Reviewers can pontificate as much as they like about whether this is, or not, a good or bad film, but it's all guesswork as none of you seem to have seen it and are only basing your opinions on second hand accounts. I imagine that, if in the possible event a copy of 'London after midnight' was found, we would all be thrilled to bits. What our opinions would be after that would be anyone's guess. As to the TCM reconstruction, how would you have done it? The studio stills are presumably all that is available to work with. I too was frustrated, but mainly because I can't see the actual film. Incidentaly, it isn't an impossibility that this film will be found, just don't hold your breath.

I am amazed that there are some reviewers who didn't think 'Everybody loves Raymond' was funny, but it does prove the point that comedy is a personal thing, though I think these particular reviewers must have no sense of humour whatsoever, or are just plain barmy. I admit to being just plain barmy myself, and possibly a prejudiced witness as I would willingly watch Patricia Heaton read the phone book and what's more buy the T shirt and the DVD box set. Other disgruntled reviewers have suggested that 'The Middle' is a rip off of 'Malcolm in the middle', It certainly has some similarities, perhaps the title was an unfortunate decision, but I think it can hold it's own and the dialogue and general performances are pretty sharp and witty. I hope it goes from strength to strength.

Arthur Wontner was for many years considered 'the critics choice' as Sherlock Holmes, in England at least. Although Basil Rathbone et al had not yet appeared this claim was not unchallenged, as previous nominees for the top position in this part had also been considered pretty weighty; in the silent era Eille Norwood had made over forty films as the great detective in Britain, John Barrymore followed, Clive Brooke and Raymond Massey appeared in early talkie versions of the character and William Gillete was wowing audiences with his stage version, personally OK'd by Sir Arthur himself. Being a Londoner I could understand the cockney accents,unlike some of the reviewers though these were seldom portrayed correctly even in British films; in those days characters were either 'posh' or 'common', with little in between. I like the quiet scenes in 221b Baker street rather more than the action sequences in 'Holmes' films, though the chase across the Thames was good in this film, and the fight a little less inspiring as it had been sped up in the manner of some films of the time. Yes, there were some brilliant portrayals of Holmes in later years but I still have a soft spot for Arthur Wontner, who incidentally probably looked more like the original Sidney Paget drawings in the Strand magazine than anyone else. It's a pity that this particular series of films is so badly represented in these dire copies, several generations away from the original. I can assure the manufacturers of the 'Wontner' DVD's that there are decent prints of these films out there if you can be bothered to look.