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Reviews
Man at the Top (1973)
"I've got two problems - one; I think I'm a b*****d. Two; I think I like it"
The story of Joe Lampton began in 1957 with the publication of John Braine's novel Room At The Top. It told the story of Joe, an ambitious 25 year old who has to choose between heart and head in deciding whether to sacrifice the warmth and love of an older woman who is dependent on him in order to marry Susan, the daughter of a wealthy businessman to get his foot on the ladder of success. He chooses the expedient option - but when the older woman commits suicide, he's so ripped apart with grief, he's unable to enjoy his triumph. It was filmed in 1959 with Laurence Harvey as Joe. The story continued in 1962 with the sequel Life At The Top in which the 30 something Joe finds the fruits of success have turned into ashes - Susan is having an affair, and he's utterly trapped by his father in law, Abe. An attempt to break away and succeed on his own terms proves fruitless and he realises he's truly a victim of his own ruthlessness. This too was filmed with Harvey, in 1965.
There were no further novels, but in 1970 Braine created the TV series Man At The Top which carried the Lampton saga into the 70s with Joe now in his forties. It ran for two series from 1970 to 1972 with Kenneth Haigh replacing Harvey as Joe. Abe has set Joe up as a management consultant with his friend from Room At The Top, Teddy Soames. As the series progresses, with much heartache for Susan, Joe loses the aunt who raised him like a mother back in his home town, Dufton, which provokes a crisis of conscience and he finally breaks free of Abe - for a while. Subsequently the business folds. After struggling,eventually Joe is employed again, but when his ruthlessness causes the death of his little girl, his conscience flares up again and he tells his employer he's through eating s**t. Abe persuades him to enter politics, but when he realises the aim is to exploit the workers of Dufton, he publicly denounces Abe and his partners - and effectively self-destructs.
The big screen spin off arrived in 1973 and had to be consistent with Joe's backstory without requiring a PhD in John Braine to follow the story. It had to stand alone, as well as tie in with what had gone before. It does this very well indeed, and casual viewers can enjoy the film as well as seasoned Lampton followers.
After irretrievably damaging relations with Abe and Susan, Joe is single and now has a relatively low level job on a construction site, but has been head hunted by the Ackerman Group, a pharmaceutical company, to be their managing director. Joe takes the job, but can't help wondering why they want someone with no scientific background. He investigates - and soon he finds a sinister conspiracy to discredit and destroy him. But as many a devious businessman has found to his sorrow, if you try and shaft Joe Lampton, it'll end in tears - and Joe's eyes will be dry as a bone........... Much more explicit visually and vocally than the series was able to be at the time, Man At The Top is a minor, but unjustly forgotten film which has been long overdue for reissue. Haigh brilliantly recreates his TV role and there's ample supports from such dependable actors as Harry Andrews and Nanette Newman. There's even an appearance from then-popular TV comedian Charlie Williams to savour.
Night of Dark Shadows (1971)
Fascinating Shadow of what might have been
It's well known that Night Of Dark Shadows suffered extensively from pre-release cutting, and those cuts severely compromised the film. The storyline became confusing, and the editing looked choppy in places. However in spite of these drawbacks, this follow on from House Of Dark Shadows - it's not really a sequel in the conventional sense - remains worthwhile, both for fans of director Dan Curtis' original Dark Shadows TV series, and casual viewers.
One obvious aspect that causes disappointment is the absence of Barnabas Collins. Actor Jonathan Frid had refused to play the vampire again through fears of typecasting, so Curtis was forced to take a different tack. Night focuses on Quentin Collins and his wife Tracy as they inherit the Collinwood estate. Slowly, the couple become aware of the malevolent spirit of Angelique, a witch hanged 200 years ago, and Quentin is possessed by the spirit of his own ancestor, Angelique's lover. The films lacks the blood and thunder of it's predecessor, opting instead for a slow, brooding build up of menace and a surprisingly dark tone of sexual violence in some scenes.
Hopefully, one day the cut footage will be restored, but in the meantime the new Warner DVD of this flawed gem is more deserving of it's place on your shelf next to House Of Dark Shadows than Tim Burton's new movie.
The Cruel Sea (1953)
"It's the war. It's this whole bloody war."
This utterly unflinching, realistic look at the physical and psychological consequences of war is a harrowing experience even seen some 60 years on. Jack Hawkins is superb as the commander who has to plough through survivors of a U boat attack because he can't afford to let the U boat he still suspects is present escape to cause more death. It must have been shocking and unexpected for 1950s audiences to see the burly Hawkins drunk, in tears and tortured by the horrific consequences of his actions. The scene is haunting and lingers in the mind long after the film is over. There are no simple minded heroics here - the emphasis is on gritty reality and the horror experienced by men in conflict. Many of the characters we come to know and love meet unpleasant ends.
Donald Sinden, best known now for his light-hearted performances in such films as Doctor In The House, gives an equally fine portrayal of Hawkins' No 1, initially on a temporary promotion following the departure of the original (Stanley Baker), later rising magnificently to the occasion. In one scene, he has a simple, but effective means of keeping up morale in a lifeboat - "Sing, you lazy b*****ds!" A significant scene towards the end has him comment to Hawkins that the German survivors of their attack on a U boat aren't very different to them, really. That sums it up perfectly.
I don't think The Cruel Sea is an anti-war film in the same way that Oh, What A Lovely War! or M*A*S*H are, but it certainly refuses to glamorise the subject, or portray heroes and villains. Without editorialising, it simply tells the truth. Perhaps that's why it says so much so well and remains so powerful even in the 21st century. An adult film in the best sense of the term.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
Wonderful and unjustly neglected film
Arthur Chipping is a 40 something Latin master in an English public school circa 1924. He's respected, but not particularly liked. He's seen as dull, hence his nickname: Ditchy, as in ditch water, dull as. The one person who seems to see beyond Chipping's exterior is his friend Max Staefel, the German master. One of his ex pupils takes him to a musical show which features the singer Katherine Bridges, and he meets this young lady again on holiday in Pompeii. Against all odds, they achieve a rapport, and thanks to Max, who memorises the address for him, they meet up in London and fall in love. They marry and the effect on Chipping is remarkable - his buried humanity is unlocked and the boys begin to love as well as respect the man they now affectionately call Chips.
Chips and Kathy have a blissful 20 years together until tragedy strikes in the form of World War II.
Often dismissed as inferior to the classic 1939 version with Robert Donat, this musical from 1969 with Peter O'Toole as Chips and Petula Clarke as Kathy, will always be THE version for me. I first saw it at the cinema on original release and although at the age of 8 I was vaguely aware that it was a film for adults, and some of it was above my ability to comprehend, I fell in love with it. I haven't fallen out of love since. As a matter of fact, when I saw the Donat version on TV shortly after seeing this, it struck me as a pale shadow of the O'Toole movie. I've learnt to respect and admire the original film, but it has never been able to engage my emotions as the O'Toole version does.
Peter O'Toole is brilliant as Chips, his awkwardness, embarrassment and growing self confidence and his all consuming love for Kathy and his care for the boys he teaches is enchantingly portrayed. The scene in which he reacts to the tragedy that World War II brings is incredibly powerful and moving. He really does look like a man whose whole life has crumbled around him.
True, it does make a number of radical changes to the original novel, but this doesn't matter - it works on it's own merits. Never mind the trendy critics of the day, treat yourself to a wonderful two and a half hours of pure magic.