Reviews (2)

Totally Brilliant
What a shame that in these days of films filled with violence, sex, and crappy acting that films like Green for Danger are so totally unappreciated, especially by this generation. Personally I have never seen a film with such brooding atmosphere in one scene and then such a light whimsical touch in others. Alaistair Simm is a triumph throughout and at the zenith of his powers. Simms was a man who could turn the talent of a classical actor to comedy drama with a verve that surely no current actors could replicate.I have so many favourite scenes from this film but Simm's summing up and his reaction to the final realisation is just fabulous. A word must also be said for the tremendous support from a whole host of stalwart British character actors who only suffer moderately against Simms'performance. Also the production and direction sets the scene beautifully - without spending millions!!

I would recommend all film lovers to watch this on a cold dark night with a hot drink and a dash of fear.

Star vehicle for a tragically forgotten star
Alastair Sim is tragically remembered today for only one role: he was without any question the definitive Ebenezer Scrooge, and usually the only film that anyone today has seen featuring Sim is his 1951 turn in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. In fact, Sim starred in a wide range of comedic and dramatic roles in the 1940s and 1950s. He was a familiar enough presence that Alec Guinness paid homage to him by doing a straightforward imitation of Sim in the 1955 film THE LADYKILLERS, evening wearing false teeth to look more like Sim.

Sim managed to play in a large number of comedic suspense and mystery films. He starred in a series of Inspector Hornleigh films in the early forties, he went on to play memorable roles in wartime mysteries such as COTTAGE TO LET (with a very young John Mills in a key role), GREEN FOR DANGER, AN INSPECTOR CALLS (in which he plays a ghostly police inspector), and THE GREEN MAN, in which Sim plays a congenial assassin. But Sim also excelled in pure farce, and was magnificent in such films as THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, LAUGHTER IN PARADISE, and the St. Trinian movies, which he played largely in drag. Sim, with his large frame, lugubrious eyes, and marvelously dramatic voice, was a delight in every film he graced, but today is primarily known for Scrooge, as noted above.

There is actually a very good historical reason for the demise of Sim's reputation and of British cinema in general. In the fifties and sixties, French auteur criticism came more and more to dominate European and American film criticism. One of the central assumptions of auteur critics has been that British cinema, with the almost exclusive exception of pre-Hollywood Hitchcock and the workd of Michael Powell and Eric Pressburger, has been an aesthetic wasteland. As an ardent fan of forties and fifties British cinema, I know that this is an utterly false representation of what was actually happening in England. There were a number of excellent directors and a large number of superb actors and actresses who somehow or other were not siphoned off by Hollywood.

GREEN FOR DANGER is one of Sim's finest films. The plot is largely superfluous. A postman dies in an operation in WW II England, under shady circumstances, and the great Inspector Cockrill is called in to solve the mystery. The movie is entirely a showcase for Sim's eccentric histrionics. The movie sinks or swims entirely on how one responds to Sim: if you love him (as I do), you will love this movie. If you dislike Sim (I reaction that would utterly mystify me), you will dislike this film.

I strongly urge all lovers of film comedy to search this film out. I especially recommend this to lovers of British cinema. I will add that I believe this to be the best film that Alastair Sim ever made, though I would hasten to add that he made a dozen others very nearly as good. They are large hard to find these days, but searching them out will definitely repay the effort. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Lovely, unclaimed egghead."
With the advent of a new Labour Party Government, officials at the Ministry of Education anticipate broad cuts in private schools, so a celebration is underway with the employees at the ministry partying the night away as they predict the closure of the notorious all-girls school St Trinian's. But it seems that the celebration is a little premature--little do they know that the headmistress, Amber Spottiswood (Dora Bryan) counts the new Labour Minister of Education as one of her many lovers.

With 80,000 pounds in hand (a grant from the very friendly Minister), Miss Spottiswood is able to revive St Trinian's yet again. It seems that the pupils at St Trinian's have resorted to living in an army tent after yet another fire devastates the school. Miss Spottiswood purchases a new home for her school for delinquents and summons her merry band of mistresses to join her. The Mathematics Mistress leaves her card-sharp life, the French Mistress creeps away from "modelling," the Arts Mistress gives up stripping, the Games Mistress abandons the professional wrestling ring, and the Deputy Headmistress is released just in time from Holloway jail to join the rest of the crew.

As the St Trinian's girls settle in their new home, they are blissfully unaware that 10 million pounds is secreted away in the cellar by a gang of thieves led by hairdresser Alphonse Hackett (Frankie Howard). And it becomes Alphonse's mission--guided by Mr Big who sends messages through the salon's steriliser--to recoup the money. Meanwhile disgruntled school inspectors--convinced that orgies commence nightly at St Trinian's--bravely volunteer for a secret mission...

This is the fourth--and unfortunately--the last film in the St Trinian's series. Made in the 60s, it has a very different feel to the other St Trinian's films, and as fans of British 60s comedies know, "The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery" stars many of the great talents from that period--comedienne Dora Bryan as the headmistress Amber Spottiswood is a joy to watch as she slips from her upper class accent (when she placates and manipulates the minister) to her working class voice as she empties the wallets of parents on Parent's Day. Some of the best scenes involve Dora Bryan and her minister. Parent's Day is an incredible event with the St Trinian's girls at their worst as they fleece any parent they can. Lecherous Frankie Howard is perfect as the slimy hairdresser, Alphonse, and Reg Varney has a small role as crook. George Cole is back again as Flash Harry, and this time he builds a bookie's office with a special children's entrance--and the office includes counters set at different heights so the smaller third form girls can bet their pocket money on the gee-gees too. Great stuff--a classic--and a must-see for fans of 60s British comedy--displacedhuman--Amazon Reviewer-- ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Christie Meets Hitchcock
This was a pleasant surprise. I've always liked Agatha Christie's unusual 1968 novel, but I'd never seen this 1972 British film version. Many critics (and fans) have given the movie high marks over the years, so I bought the DVD. Now I'm a fan, too.

ENDLESS NIGHT isn't your typical Christie "whodunnit," but a dark, creepy psychological suspense story. Writer/director Sidney Gilliat, who worked with Hitchcock on THE LADY VANISHES and also made the wonderful GREEN FOR DANGER, was obviously influenced by the Master in his approach to it. The result is like a dream collaboration between Christie and Hitchcock, the two giants of suspense. We have the sinister house in the sinister small town, the Hitchcock blonde (a surprisingly good Hayley Mills, of all people), the flashbacks to childhood trauma, and the shocking twist ending. On top of that, we have one of the final musical scores from Hitchcock's favorite composer, Bernard Herrmann.

Hitchcock students, pay close attention to those flashbacks at the icy lake (SPELLBOUND), the scenes in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (VERTIGO), and that wooden sign with the big eye painted on it that reads "Thou, God, sees't me." And check out the final scenes in the hospital (PSYCHO).

No, ENDLESS NIGHT isn't as wonderful as any of those films, but it's one of the better "homages" to Hitchcock I've ever seen, and one of the better Christie adaptations, too. Try it.

Shameful
what a waste of time and money, dame Agatha would be spinning in her grave for this cheap boring movie! Not even worth saying any more.

TWISTS & TURNS
Mike Rogers is a dreamer. His tastes are expensive and he is adept at pretending that he is more than a chauffeur. Then a young woman enters his life and the two fall in love and marry. She happens to be the sixth richest woman in the world but who cares? She is in love and Mike can now see his dreams come to pass. We see a happy couple. Yet strange things begin to happen that upsets the nest of the newlyweds.

Endless Night takes you on a road of twists and turns in the relationship of two mismatched lovers. Friends and relatives appear to drive a wedge in their marriage but Mike and Ellie are determined to hang on in there regardless of family interference and the appearances of a crazy woman.

Hayley Mills stars in this mystery and delivers a competent performance as the naive love struck American. You will find that the story begins to drag but then piece by piece the tension builds. You're kept in suspense as numerous incidents occur that lead you off base. Endless Nights is full of suspense, mystery and at times borders on horror. You will be kept on your toes as you try to figure out the intentions of Mike as well as Ellie's family.

BUY IT FOR THE SCORE ALONE
Before I discuss the film itself, I have to mention Bernard Herrmann's classic score. At a time in his career when mainstream Hollywood turned its back on Herrmann, smaller, independent or British films embraced this veteran of the studio system days. And here, in "Endless Night," Herrmann did some of his best, most mature work. The score is amazing, a symphony of synthesizers and orchestral music as only Herrmann could put together. And who could forget Shirley Jones (dubbing for Hayley Mills) singing the title song adapted from the William Blake poem? It is a lovely piece and deserves to be sung in concert venues. Alas, this brilliant score--reflective of Herrmann's maturity and mastery of film music--is unavailable on CD. So here, on DVD, you can hear it in the best form it has been available in for a long time.
As for the film itself, it doesn't ever reach the level of pathos and sad beauty of Herrmann's score, but it does have a memorable style all its own. The script is competent, even inspired at times, and the whole thing feels less like Agatha Christie and more like the murky thriller territory Hitchcock worked in. Hayley Mills is charming and lovely in her role; her presence here makes one wish to see more of this actress as an adult. She has been criminally underused in film, but she adds grace and warmth to these proceedings (the warmth being especially welcome in this somewhat cold film). Hywel Bennet is competent in his role, and Britt Ekland is less out-of-place in this movie than in others I've seen her in. (Is it just me or does dear Britt always seemed dubbed in every film she's in? Do they have to loop every one of her lines?) The movie is a complex, intriguing mystery that is only somewhat undermined by the dated trappings of the sets, particularly that garish seventies house that is depicted as a dream home. Overall, however, the film is shot quite stylishly and even if you figure out, as most discerning viewers will, the plot ahead of time, it still remains a solid character study and psychological thriller. The dvd itself has few extras, but the transfer is the best I've seen and all in all, it confirms the fact the for mystery fans this is something of an overlooked gem.

Not Hayley's best film
This was probably not the best choice of movies for the extremely talented Ms. Mills. She deserves far better material.Still, the material is interesting. There are enough twists and turns in this movie to keep you watching.The only mistake that I feel they made is the dubbing of her singing voice. It just didn't sound even close to Ms Mills actual voice and was rather out of place in the film. The film was worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another twisted Peter Sellers classic!
I quite enjoyed this variation on the seven year itch....very entertaining, Yayaon!

Peter Sellers stars in this humorous 1960s Black and White comedy about temptation, and the seven year itch, in marriage. He almost commits adultery in this light hearted film, but all kinds of quirky and ironic situations combine against his success in this effort and endeavor. He finally realizes that his one true love is his wife, and that she is the woman of his desires.

4 stars! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Christie Meets Hitchcock
This was a pleasant surprise. I've always liked Agatha Christie's unusual 1968 novel, but I'd never seen this 1972 British film version. Many critics (and fans) have given the movie high marks over the years, so I bought the DVD. Now I'm a fan, too.

ENDLESS NIGHT isn't your typical Christie "whodunnit," but a dark, creepy psychological suspense story. Writer/director Sidney Gilliat, who worked with Hitchcock on THE LADY VANISHES and also made the wonderful GREEN FOR DANGER, was obviously influenced by the Master in his approach to it. The result is like a dream collaboration between Christie and Hitchcock, the two giants of suspense. We have the sinister house in the sinister small town, the Hitchcock blonde (a surprisingly good Hayley Mills, of all people), the flashbacks to childhood trauma, and the shocking twist ending. On top of that, we have one of the final musical scores from Hitchcock's favorite composer, Bernard Herrmann.

Hitchcock students, pay close attention to those flashbacks at the icy lake (SPELLBOUND), the scenes in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (VERTIGO), and that wooden sign with the big eye painted on it that reads "Thou, God, sees't me." And check out the final scenes in the hospital (PSYCHO).

No, ENDLESS NIGHT isn't as wonderful as any of those films, but it's one of the better "homages" to Hitchcock I've ever seen, and one of the better Christie adaptations, too. Try it.

Shameful
what a waste of time and money, dame Agatha would be spinning in her grave for this cheap boring movie! Not even worth saying any more.

TWISTS & TURNS
Mike Rogers is a dreamer. His tastes are expensive and he is adept at pretending that he is more than a chauffeur. Then a young woman enters his life and the two fall in love and marry. She happens to be the sixth richest woman in the world but who cares? She is in love and Mike can now see his dreams come to pass. We see a happy couple. Yet strange things begin to happen that upsets the nest of the newlyweds.

Endless Night takes you on a road of twists and turns in the relationship of two mismatched lovers. Friends and relatives appear to drive a wedge in their marriage but Mike and Ellie are determined to hang on in there regardless of family interference and the appearances of a crazy woman.

Hayley Mills stars in this mystery and delivers a competent performance as the naive love struck American. You will find that the story begins to drag but then piece by piece the tension builds. You're kept in suspense as numerous incidents occur that lead you off base. Endless Nights is full of suspense, mystery and at times borders on horror. You will be kept on your toes as you try to figure out the intentions of Mike as well as Ellie's family.

BUY IT FOR THE SCORE ALONE
Before I discuss the film itself, I have to mention Bernard Herrmann's classic score. At a time in his career when mainstream Hollywood turned its back on Herrmann, smaller, independent or British films embraced this veteran of the studio system days. And here, in "Endless Night," Herrmann did some of his best, most mature work. The score is amazing, a symphony of synthesizers and orchestral music as only Herrmann could put together. And who could forget Shirley Jones (dubbing for Hayley Mills) singing the title song adapted from the William Blake poem? It is a lovely piece and deserves to be sung in concert venues. Alas, this brilliant score--reflective of Herrmann's maturity and mastery of film music--is unavailable on CD. So here, on DVD, you can hear it in the best form it has been available in for a long time.
As for the film itself, it doesn't ever reach the level of pathos and sad beauty of Herrmann's score, but it does have a memorable style all its own. The script is competent, even inspired at times, and the whole thing feels less like Agatha Christie and more like the murky thriller territory Hitchcock worked in. Hayley Mills is charming and lovely in her role; her presence here makes one wish to see more of this actress as an adult. She has been criminally underused in film, but she adds grace and warmth to these proceedings (the warmth being especially welcome in this somewhat cold film). Hywel Bennet is competent in his role, and Britt Ekland is less out-of-place in this movie than in others I've seen her in. (Is it just me or does dear Britt always seemed dubbed in every film she's in? Do they have to loop every one of her lines?) The movie is a complex, intriguing mystery that is only somewhat undermined by the dated trappings of the sets, particularly that garish seventies house that is depicted as a dream home. Overall, however, the film is shot quite stylishly and even if you figure out, as most discerning viewers will, the plot ahead of time, it still remains a solid character study and psychological thriller. The dvd itself has few extras, but the transfer is the best I've seen and all in all, it confirms the fact the for mystery fans this is something of an overlooked gem.

Not Hayley's best film
This was probably not the best choice of movies for the extremely talented Ms. Mills. She deserves far better material.Still, the material is interesting. There are enough twists and turns in this movie to keep you watching.The only mistake that I feel they made is the dubbing of her singing voice. It just didn't sound even close to Ms Mills actual voice and was rather out of place in the film. The film was worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Daniel Youngs
I just received this video and have to say that on the whole it was very disappointing. The performances are very good, but the shoddy choreography and high shool-esque staging distracted greatly from the performances. Also troublesome are the glaring anachronisms throughout this production. I do particularly enjoy The Mikado, but this tape leaves much to be desired. Your money would be better spent on another production, or on a CD and the score.

A nice introduction to the legendary duo.
There's no great drama, no real surprises in this bio-pic. The charm of the movie comes from the characterizations and the snippets of G&S classic songs. Some of the famous names of the D'Oyly Carte troupe of the 50's, notably Martyn Greene, appear briefly as 1890's era performers. Robert Morley is properly irascible and pompous as the overbearing Gilbert. Maurice Evans gives insight to Sullivan's desire to write "important" music, conflicted with his success as a composer of "popular" songs. My favorite scene is one in which Sullivan has over-committed himself, trying to produce music for both a grand opera and "The Mikado" at the same time. It's a little like trying to play a computer game at the office while the boss keeps coming by. Though a little dated in it's techniques,"The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan" is a nice introduction to the legendary team for new fans of the Savoy Operas and, for longtime appreciators of the wit and the music, a pleasant affirmation of the history we already knew. ... Read more