Decent B based on a radio series about counter espionage. The title Counterspy guy is played by middle aged Howard St John with Ron Randell as the Scotland Yard agent to do the legwork including putting on a disguise.
Quite dense with dialogue, betraying the radio origins, but smart. The baddies are smart - it's Cold War stuff - the acting sincenre, the playing fast. This was decent. Randell is lively.
Ron Randell's second go at Drummond and it's absolutely fine and competent with a storng mystery but by 1947 television was digging in to the B market and all the series were being wound up - Kildare, Andy Hardy, etc.
This is a very British tale - it's set in Britain, all the actors play British. The John Howard Drummonds felt more American.
The sort of movie Bob Ellis loves with its low key recration of 50s small town Australia - pubs, ockers, boxers, yokels, religious trouble, good time girls, and its embracing of a healthy sex life and tolerance with tolerance mocked.
It's unexpected, subtle and well done. Howarrd Rubie was a very good director. There is tremendous feel for nuance and atmosphere, the costumes and sets and haircuts and stuff are splended.
I think at it's soul this was a television play, really. The s
One of the best films from the Queensland Film Corporation.
I can see the appeal of the concept - women decide to team up and rob the rich fror charity - and while Peter Yeldham was a decent writer Peter Maxwell was an ordinary director and the budget too low when it needed glossy treatment.
Easy to spot the flaws - couldn't tell the lead characters apart, too many leads, no progression or dynamics in the relationsips, minimal conflict, no baddy. There's three main girls - Wendy Hughes, Chantal Contouri, Carmen Duncan - but then they throw in Barbara Stephens as a teacher, and Jeannie Drynan and Liddy Clarke and Christine Amor. Why?
Why not have one turn traitor or die or something?
Queensland doesn't even look pretty. It's crap.
Saw it on a nice print. So hokey but there's a story thanks to EV Timms. There's a spirited female lead due to Elsa Chauvel. There's lots of Tarzan riffs (and to be fair the white man growing up among locals was a thing). Margot Rhys is pretty and game and does a racy swim. Though it is funny how her character falls in love because Dennis Hoey won't bang her.
Hoey is hilariously bad. He can sing and is in shape he just has no business playing this role.
Some music is quite catchy the aboriginal dancing impresses as does the location shooting.
Comedy of remarriage, which like many such tales these days comes across as a bit creepy and rapey for all the charm of Melvyn Douglas and Ann Southern. He's a journo back from Europe to reclaim wife Southern who works in an orchestra. He's been away for two years so she's had the arse - he keeps taking off on trips, and wants to move on with Lee Bowman, rich guy, and Richard Ainley, critic. This is very sympathetic. But Douglas wants her back. And because it's 1940s MGM we'll know he'll succeed.
He tries charm and then inevitably "charmingly" kidnaps her. The issues of their marriage aren't resolved, it's her giving in.
The most interesting thing is Southern plays in an all female orchestra. The conductor is a refugee from the Gestapo and briefly struggles with the notion of an all female band but that's presented cutely. The all female orchestra would've been enough for a film - make it a three-girl movie, say.
Southern is sweet. Douglas has charm. Shirley Ann Richards is in it briefly as one of the gals in the orchestra.
Richard Thorpe directed. I'm sure it came in on time and under budget.
The Australian film industry had some false dawns before but never quite like 1946. After years of war, and no films, it seemed that movies would be done, and done properly. Ken G Hall made Smithy, Ealing made The Overlanders, Eric Porter A Son is Born and Chavel developed The Sons of Matthew. The first three came out in 46 and were hits - well, Son is Born made a profit.
What happened?
Smithy had been financed by Columbia, who released the film in the US and it didn’t do well so they cooled on Australia. It was a shame. Ken Hall tried to get up Robbery Under Arms via Rank but had no luck. He blamed cost overruns on Sons of Matthew. Possibly. Cost overruns on Ealing’s next film, Eureka Stockade would have not helped.
