Friday, August 2, 2019

THE 6TH ANNUAL RULE BRITANNIA BLOGATHON: The Detective (1954)


Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts is hosting his annual salute to Britain and the movies. Click HERE for the contributions to The 6th Annual Rule Britannia Blogathon.

During the 1950s Columbia Studios released several films in a co-production agreement with independent producers and international studios, including those in Great Britain. The Detective is one of the successes of that business model.

A bit of philosophy, a bit of whimsey, a bit of mystery, and delightful companionship is found in G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories.

In The Blue Cross, published in 1910, the French detective Valentin is searching for the famous and very tall thief Flambeau. During his travels, Valentin comes across "...a very short Roman Catholic priest going up from a small Essex village."


"The little priest was so much the essence of those Eastern flats: he had a face as round and dull as a Norfolk dumpling; he had eyes as empty as the North Sea; he had several brown paper parcels which he was quite incapable of collection. The Eucharistic Congress had doubtless sucked out of their local stagnation many such creatures, blind and helpless, like moles disinterred."
- G.K. Chesterton

Thelma Schnee, Maurice Rapf, and director Robert Hamer are credited with the screenplay for our 1954 film The Detective. The movie skillfully reworks the story told in The Blue Cross along with Father Brown's continuing quest to save M. Flambeau from himself.

We are introduced to Father Brown as a man fascinated by crime and criminals. He knows the wicked ways of his parishioners. He has studied their habits and he works out ways to make them see the error of their ways and adapt to walking the straight and narrow. This habit of the practical application of his theology gets Father Brown in trouble with The Bishop played by Cecil Parker, but Father Brown is one of those "to thine own self be true" fellows, and everyone knows he will continue on as he intends.

"Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?"
- G.K. Chesterton

A decorative cross from Father Brown's Church is to be sent to a Eucharistic Congress in France and while its value is not entirely monetary, Scotland Yard has arranged for protection in its transport. Father Brown is convinced that the Yard would bring undue attention to the Cross of St. Augustine and circumvents The Bishop's wishes and the official's plans.

The journey over the Channel brings Father Brown into contact with many suspects, but only one Flambeau. Peter Finch plays the debonair and daring thief. Disguised as a priest he befriends the innocent-looking Father Brown with the goal of relieving the cleric of his treasure. Flambeau is unaware that Father Brown has not only tasked himself with safely delivering the Cross to the Congress, but with rehabilitating the famous Flambeau.

The characters in The Detective are expertly played by Joan Greenwood as a wealthy widow with an awakening sense of adventure, a crook turned chauffeur played by Sid James who longs to backslide, the exasperated Inspector played by Bernard Lee, and the ancient librarian played by Ernest Thesiger. Each character and each incident in the journey that is The Detective are filled with genuine emotion and wit.


It is, however, the exploits of and the interactions between Father Brown and Flambeau as played by Alec Guinness and Peter Finch that fascinate and delight the audience. The showiness inherent in the character of Flambeau could have led to hamminess with a less skilled actor in control. The focus and seeming vagueness in Father Brown could become wearisome if Alec Guinness didn't imbue his character with innate intelligence and humour.

The odd pair share a journey and a chase across countries, through mansions and auction houses, from vineyards to underground graveyards.

Flambeau: "What are you really after, your cross or my soul?"
Father Brown: "Both, of course."
Flambeau:  "Well, come and find us. I'll make you a bargain: whatever you can find you shall have."
Father Brown: "I accept your bargain."
Flambeau: "It would have been an interesting encounter. Pity it will never take place." 

Certainly, we are in no doubt that the determined Father Brown will have his victory. It is just a question of how and when. It is a question we long to see answered. There is a satisfaction to the conclusion of The Detective that falls outside of the expected gratification of a just solution to a puzzle. In the matter of Father Brown and Flambeau, we are pleased in the validation of Father Brown's faith and practical application of his philosophy, and also pleased for Flambeau.


Trivia:


Father Brown was first adapted for the screen 20 years earlier for Paramount starring Walter Connolly as Father Ignatius Brown and Paul Lukas as Flambeau. Mervyn Johns played Father Brown in a BBC television feature in 1964. An Austrian television series, Pater Brown ran from 1966-1972. Kenneth More starred as Father Brown in a 1974 series for ATV and Mark Williams has been playing Father Brown for the BBC since 2013 in a series which airs in North America on PBS.

















67 comments:

  1. I know WALTER CONNOLLY from 3 movies. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT with GABLE & COLBERT. NOTHING SACRED, that was in color, with CAROLE LOMBARD & FREDRIC MARCH. Plus I saw FIFTH AVE. GIRL with GINGER ROGERS & TIM HOLT. Do you know Tim Holts work very well? I read that he and his dad JACK HOLT did western movies. Tim was likable in the movie that I saw him in-I liked the entire cast if I remember correctly.

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    1. Those are three excellent films with Walter Connolly. I also enjoy him in Broadway Bill, Twentieth Century, and Lady for a Day. Along with playing Father Brown, he also played Nero Wolfe.

      Tim Holt and I are old pals (although he doesn't know it). He went from A pictures such as Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Magnificent Ambersons to some very enjoyable B westerns. He invariably went under cover with some gang to bring the baddies to justice. The Arizona Ranger from 1948 is an excellent little western starring both Jack and Tim. Tim's sister Jennifer Holt was also a movie cowgirl, and was in the original workshop of Thornton Wilder's play Our Town.

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  2. I know PAUL LUKAS in FUN IN ACAPULCO which starred ELVIS PRESLEY. Mr. Lukas played the father of the character played by URSULA ANDRESS. It also had the underrated ALEJANDRO REY that we have mentioned before. He is best known from THE FLYING NUN and I remember that I mentioned his GUNSMOKE episodes. You said that you remembered those(a 3-part one).

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    1. Paul Lukas is another favourite of mine. The Lady Vanishes, Little Women, Dodsworth, Watch on the Rhine (Oscar), Deadline at Dawn, and Kim are a few special movies.

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  3. This is a lovely film, the ultimate comfort food. The role was tailor-made for Alec Guinness. It's one of those films that I like to revisit on a regular basis. Just like the books.

    There were also three German films in the 60s about Father Brown, with Heinz Rühmann. They were quite good too.

    The Mark Williams TV show is nice harmless watching too, though they completely changed the stories.

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    1. You described the character and Guinness perfectly.

      Three German films show the international love for the character.

      When I come across the Mark Williams program, I think of his Father Brown as some other Father Brown, maybe a distant relative. He's not "my" Father Brown.

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  4. Nice write up, Paddy.

    I really like this one, it's one of Guinness's more underrated films. Such a good supporting cast too, and I love seeing (and especially hearing!) Joan Greenwood in anything.


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    1. I so agree about Guinness, the film, and especially Joan Greenwood. So unique and so enjoyable.

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  5. I think the only movie that I saw ALEC GUINNESS in was THE CAPTAINS PARADISE where he is married to two women played by YVONNE DE CARLO and CELIA PARKER(or is it CECELIA?)I saw it in 1987 or 88 on AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS. Also the only movie that I have seen JOAN GREENWOOD in is the DISNEY movie THE MOONSPINNERS with HAYLEY MILLS.

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    1. My late father was a huge fan of The Captain's Paradise (myself as well). The story was turned into a Broadway musical called Oh Captain! It starred Tony Randall and the songs were by Livingston and Evans (Bonanza, Silver Bells). You may have hear a Johnny Mathis hit, All the Time. It is from the show.

      Alec Guinness and Joan Greenwood are in so many marvelous movies. You are in for some wonderful times if they come your way.

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  6. I typed Celia Parker but it should say Celia JOHNSON. I think I typed Parker because an actor named CECIL PARKER was in the movie on this page.

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    1. I have a tendency to think of the British film industry of that era as small and/or close knit, yet Celia Johnson and Cecil Parker only appeared in one film together. H'm.

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  7. Character actress IRENE TEDROW was born on this day in 1907(her passing was in 1995 at 87). Some of the shows she guest-starred on were THE ROCKFORD FILES, MAGNUM, P.I. and PERRY MASON. She did two eps of THE TWILIGHT ZONE including THE LATENESS OF THE HOUR with JOHN HOYT and INGER STEVENS. She did an ep of DIFFRENT STROKES as the mother of MR. DRUMMOND(CONRAD BAIN). She is best known for playing MRS. ELKINS on DENNIS THE MENACE with JAY NORTH, GLORIA HENRY and HERBERT ANDERSON.

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  8. Speaking of JAY NORTH today is also HIS birthday. He was born in 1951 so he is 68. He was born on the day MISS TEDROW turned 44. He got to work with some wonderful actors on DENNIS including JOSEPH KEARNS, SYLVIA FIELD, GALE GORDON, SARA SEGAR, MARY WICKES and IRENE TEDROW. He guest-starred on a show that fits in well with the name of the movie on this page. THE DETECTIVES which starred ROBERT TAYLOR. It was never on any of our channels in reruns as far as I know. The ep Jay did aired right about the time DENNIS first came on. Dennis aired for 4 seasons(1959-63). I saw some of the reruns in 1988 on NICKELODEON.

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  9. GLORIA HENRY, the mom of DENNIS, was in the first ep of PERRY MASON which also guest-starred WHITNEY BLAKE. HERBERT ANDERSON, the dad of DENNIS, also did an ep of PERRY MASON. Do you remember Herbert from an ep of BEWITCHED where he played an employee in a department store? It was one of the eps that DICK YORK wasn't in, I believe. You probably know Herbert from the movie NIGHT PASSAGE with JIMMY STEWART & AUDIE MURPHY.

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  10. 1. I know Irene Tedrow from her many television appearances. However, although I'm aware of the show I've never seen Dennis the Menace. I imagine there will be some episodes on YouTube to satisfy my curiosity.

    2. I have seen a couple of episodes of The Detectives on YouTube. I guess as long as I've got the internet, I won't need a TV set.

    3. I do indeed know Herbert Anderson from Night Passage (good catch). Also, Battleground, The Male Animal. You might enjoy The Male Animal. Herbert Anderson plays a younger version of the character played by Henry Fonda, and Don DeFore plays the younger version of the character played by Jack Carson. It is a funny and thoughtful movie. Joan Leslie is more or less the younger version of Olivia De Havilland.

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  11. I know DON DEFORE from the HAZEL reruns starring SHIRLEY BOOTH. He played GEORGE BAXTER and WHITNEY BLAKE played his wife DOROTHY. George and Hazel made a good comedy team. I saw Don in his MURDER, SHE WROTE ep. It was a star-studded episode. Besides Don, there was PAT HINGLE, J.D. CANNON, LLOYD BOCHNER, HAYLEY MILLS and ERIN MORAN. TOM BOSLEY was still on the show as SHERIFF AMOS TUPPER. I think there should have been a piece in TV GUIDE saying that TOM and guest star ERIN MORAN had played father and daughter HOWARD and JOANIE CUNNINGHAM on HAPPY DAYS. The MSW ep was set at a lodge and WILLIAM WINDOM was also in the ep as DR. SETH HAZLETT. Sadly, all of the people I just mentioned are gone except Hayley Mills.

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    1. Unfinished Business is an excellent episode of Murder, She Wrote. The entire cast is marvelous and I was particularly impressed with Don DeFore. Afterward, I started paying more attention to his movie roles and appreciating his ability.

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  12. TOM BOSLEY left MSW when he got his own crime-solving series.....as a priest on FATHER DOWLING MYSTERIES. I never watched the show but it also had TRACY NELSON as a nun-SISTER STEVE and MARY WICKES as a housekeeper. HARRIET NELSON guest starred on one episode. Harriet is the grandmother of TRACY NELSON. Also DON DEFORE had worked with OZZIE and HARRIET and their sons-DAVID & RICKY-on their sitcom that ran 14 seasons!

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    1. Father Dowling Mysteries is a favourite of mine. I own all three seasons on DVD and return to them often. I think it is safe to say that Ralph McInerny's novels that inspired the series can look back to Father Brown for inspiration.

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  13. I have seen many different portrayals of Father Brown and the one by Alec Guinness may still be my favorite. It's a shame that Sir Alec didn't revisit the character for at least one sequel. I think the U.S. title makes the film sound too bland. If the distributors were worried that American audiences would be unfamiliar with Father Brown, they could have called it FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE.

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    1. To spend more time with Guinness as Father Brown is a dream. I think you are absolutely spot on about the title business.

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  14. ROBERT TAYLOR was born on this day in 1911. His passing was in 1969-fifty years ago. One of the movies I saw him in was THE LAW AND JAKE WADE, a western with RICHARD WIDMARK. Did you see that one? I remember you like WESTWARD THE WOMEN. His ex-wife BARBARA STANWYCK was one of the best actresses EVER. What are your fave movies of Taylor? I just mentioned his show THE DETECTIVES on my post about JAY NORTH two days ago.

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  15. ROBERT TAYLOR was good friends with CLARK GABLE and RONALD REAGAN. A side-note,both GABLE and REAGAN were played by JAMES BROLIN.

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    1. Along with Westward the Women and The Law and Jake Wade, Robert Taylor was outstanding in a western called Devil's Doorway. I used to like his later work better than his early movies, but lately I am realizing he was very good as a young leading man.

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  16. I remember you saw ANGELA LANSBURY in a play. Being this page has to do with BRITAIN have you seen very many British people in plays? Also do you know the work of JANE SEYMOUR very well? Speaking of TOM BOSLEY earlier do you know him from any plays? Did you see his show HAPPY DAYS?

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    1. British actors on stage include Jean Simmons in A Little Night Music. The Chichester Festival production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

      I only know Jane Seymour from a few television appearances. I know from television and the Broadway Cast Album of Fiorello. I was not a fan of Happy Days.

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  17. Thank you so much for taking part in the blogathon! Even though many actors have played the role since, to this day when I picture Father Brown in my mind, it is Alec Guinness I see. Peter Finch is perfect as Flambeau. I honestly wish there had been more movies with Alec Guinness as Father Brown and Peter Finch as Flambeau. It would have made a great series!

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    1. Guinness' as Father Brown erases all other portrayals. In a perfect world, we would have had several beautifully crafted follow-up movies. Sigh.

      Thanks for hosting this fabulous blogathon. I look forward to it every year.

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  18. Caftan Woman, who else would have been good at playing a mystery-solving priest in your opinion? What about EDMUND GWENN, Academy Award winner for MIRACLE ON 34th STREET? Or ARTHUR OCONNELL who received 2 Oscar noms-for PICNIC and ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Also do you remember the DIAGNOSIS MURDER ep where MARK SLOAN(DICK VAN DYKE) goes undercover as a priest in the one where DELTA BURKE plays the MOTHER SUPERIOR?

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    1. Edmund Gwenn is the perfect choice for a meddlesome cleric. He played that role in a fun 1935 movie called The Bishop Misbehaves.

      I had forgotten about that episode of Diagnosis Murder. Thanks for the reminder.

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  19. Oh gee whiz, after reading that cast list I want to see this now! I've read all the Father Brown stories, but long enough ago that "The Blue Cross" is slightly fuzzy in my memory and I wouldn't be comparing every detail of story and film as I watched. :)

    ~ Elisabeth

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    1. It is a charming movie and I believe that even if you re-read the story in the morning and watched the film that night, you would still enjoy it immensely.

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  20. I mentioned RONALD REAGAN and JAMES BROLIN earlier. I only saw Reagan in a few things including that WAGON TRAIN ep I mentioned one time. I saw the movie THAT HAGEN GIRL with SHIRLEY TEMPLE. I liked BROLIN on the show HOTEL and also in TV-Movies. What do you know REAGAN & BROLIN from? Did you see the 5 GUNSMOKE TV-Movies? I liked JAMES BROLIN in the one he did which was the 4th one.

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    1. I've seen many of Ronald Reagan's movies. I would say my favourites are The Hasty Heart, Kings Row, Brother Rat, Storm Warning, and The Voice of the Turtle.

      I am really enjoying James Brolin on his series Life in Pieces. I didn't pay that much attention to him earlier. He was fine in that Gunsmoke movie.

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  21. I need to see this one. A few years ago, I tried reading the Father Brown mysteries, but couldn't really get into them. This sounds like a terrific re-introduction to the character.

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    1. The Detective may indeed give you a new, fresh look at the character. I am sure you will appreciate it.

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  22. What are some of your favorite movies of JANE WYMAN(the ex-wife of RONALD REAGAN)? I like POLLYANNA the best. I also like her and ROCK HUDSON in ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS. She played ELIZABETH QUINN, the mother of MICHAELA QUINN(JANE SEYMOUR) on an ep of DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN. Later GEORGANN JOHNSON took over the role. Georgann is another fine actress. I first knew her from way back on AS THE WORLD TURNS where she had a son named BEAU and didn't like his wife-for no good reason. Her daughter-in-law was ANNIE STEWART, the daughter of DAVID and ELLEN STEWART.

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    1. This Jane Wyman fan really enjoys Stage Fright, The Yearling, All That Heaven Allows, Here Comes the Groom, and Just For You - for starters.

      I remember Georgann Johnson well from As the World Turns and Another World. She was charming.

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  23. JAMES BROLIN was divorced twice. His first wife Jane is now deceased. They had TWO sons JOSH & JESS.(The media doesn't usually mention Jess.) His second wife is JAN SMITHERS best known for WKRP IN CINCINNATI as BAILEY QUARTERS. Jan guest-starred on HOTEL(BROLINS show) and MURDER, SHE WROTE. It was a football ep with BRUCE JENNER and JOHN BECK(FLAMINGO ROAD and DALLAS). Jan and James have a daughter Molly.

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    1. Loni Anderson and Frank Bonner did commentary for the WKRP DVD set and dished on how anyone could divorce anybody as sweet as their friend Jan. I thought that was kind of sweet.

      It looks like third time was the charm for Brolin with 20 years and counting.

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  24. Today CONNIE STEVENS turns 81. Her birthdate is easy to remember. Its 8/8/38. She did two eps of MURDER, SHE WROTE. One with ROBERT VAUGHN and GEORGE GRIZZARD. It also had RANDOLPH MANTOOTH. Then she was in one Ive mentioned before. ANNE FRANCIS and ELAINE JOYCE played her sisters. It also had GAVIN MACLEOD and DONALD OCONNOR. She guest-starred on HOTEL. HEATHER LOCKLEAR played her daughter. It was about a beauty contest that her daughter was in. Connie was a frequent LOVE BOAT guest-star. Also Connie took over the part of THALIA that TUESDAY WELD had played on DOBIE GILLIS. Connie played the part in the TV reunion movie in 1988. I remember thinking that was good that they got Connie because she was more similar to Tuesday than a lot of the blonde actresses.

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    1. I've always thought Connie delightful, and that episode of Murder, She Wrote is a winner. I enjoyed Dobie Gillis on YouTube. It's funny how we catch some programs.

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  25. DON MOST is 66 today. He was known as DONNY MOST when he played RALPH MALPH on HAPPY DAYS. He left the show in 1980-the same year the star of the show RON HOWARD did. So both redheaded guys left the same time! Don did an ep of DIAGNOSIS MURDER with two other HAPPY DAYS cast members-ERIN MORAN and PAT MORITA. It had to do with catering. SCOTT BAIO was no longer on DIAGNOSIS MURDER then. Scott had played Chachi on HAPPY DAYS. DON MOST was on two eps of MURDER, SHE WROTE. They were both set in the show business/entertainment world. The first one had ELEANOR PARKER. The second one is the one with CONNIE STEVENS, ELAINE JOYCE and ANNE FRANCIS as singing sisters that I mentioned on the post about MISS STEVENS.

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    1. Those episodes of Murder, She Wrote with a show business background work really well.

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  26. Do you know the work of PAT MORITA, HENRY WINKLER, ANSON WILLIAMS and AL MOLINARO? Al played Al who later married Chachis mother and Al had a twin brother(also played by Molinaro) who performed the wedding ceremony. By all accounts Ive heard good things about the HAPPY DAYS men-including TOM BOSLEY. They seemed like very nice people who were easy to work with. (I think they should have had Al and his bride get married on HAPPY DAYS-not the short-lived spin-off JOANNIE LOVES CHACHI. Being youre not a fan of HAPPY DAYS you probably never saw the other show. Most people didn't care for it.)

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    1. Happy Days was a phenomenal hit, but after the first season it just didn't do anything for me. That doesn't keep me from admiring the work involved, or the work the cast may do away from the show.

      I did get the chance to enjoy Al Molinaro on The Odd Couple. And Henry Winkler quite often up to and including the series Barry.

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  27. I have never seen a Father Brown movie, and The Detective sounds like the perfect one to start with. As I'm more and more a fan of Alec Guinness, I'm sure this film won't disappoint me.
    Thanks for the kind comment!
    Kisses!

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    1. Alec Guinness is like a wonderful treasure we get to discover over and over in different roles. I am certain you will find a special gem in The Detective.

      Thanks so much.

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  28. Speaking of CELIA JOHNSON earlier her husband was travel writer PETER FLEMING. CELIA & PETER were married for 36 years until his passing in 1971. They had 3 children including a daughter that is an actress, LUCY FLEMING. PETER was the older brother of IAN FLEMING, the author who created JAMES BOND. ROGER MOORE had said that he wasn't going to play BOND anymore so they had JAMES BROLIN come in and try out for BOND. They told Brolin that he had the part then they called him later and said Roger Moore had changed his mind and was going to do the part after all.

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  29. Who were some of the most famous BRITISH directors? One well-known name is DAVID LEAN.

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  30. Do you know the work of actors TREVOR HOWARD and TREVOR EVE? I know Howard from a 2-hour ep of LOVE BOAT with COLLEEN DEWHURST (a good actress). I know Trevor Eve from a TV-Movie THE PRESIDENTS CHILD. It starred DONNA MILLS and WILLIAM DEVANE. It also had JAMES READ. It aired in 1992, it was made for CBS.

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    1. 1. My favourite Celia Johnson movies are The Holly and the Ivy, This Happy Breed, and Brief Encounter.

      2. I love the work of The Archers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger. I like David Lean's early, "smaller" movies like Hobson's Choice and Oliver Twist. Carol Reed's The Third Man, The Fallen Idol, and The Stars Look Down are other favourites.

      3. I saw Trevor Eve in Death Comes to Pemberley and David Copperfield. Trevor Howard I first saw in Father Goose when I was a kid and have seen him in many movies.

      I had a crush on James Read back in the day and have seen him most recently on my soaps, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital.

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  31. BARRY COE, who played RODNEY HARRINGTON in the movie PEYTON PLACE(1957) died on July 16, 2019 at the age of 84. He also was in BUT NOT FOR ME with CLARK GABLE and CARROLL BAKER. According to imdb he was on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 1974. I think it said his characters name was JOEL STRATTON.

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  32. RUSSELL TAMBLYN was in PEYTON PLACE with BARRY COE. His daughter AMBER TAMBLYN was on GH years after Barry Coe. She played EMILY, I believe. Was she the adopted daughter of MONICA? Ive read about the show but I haven't seen very much of it. Also PATTY MCCORMACK temporarily played Monica(last year, I think) because LESLIE CHARLESON took a medical leave due to an injury. I also read that VERONICA CARTWRIGHT did 5 eps recently. MISS CARTWRIGHT is from ENGLAND (that goes back to the topic on this page!)

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    1. 1. I recall the Stratton character as a doctor involved with Dr. Lesley Webber.

      2. You have the info on Emily correct. Russ Tamblyn had a cameo appearance as a doctor treating the character once. Fans get a kick out of that sort of thing.

      Patty McCormack did an excellent job filling in as Monica. Veronica Cartwright was fun to watch in the small role of a psychic. Perhaps her character will come back.

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  33. I really like the work of ROBIN MATTSON who is best known for playing HEATHER WEBBER on GH. Of her soap work I know her best from ALL MY CHILDREN (where she played Janet Green going by the name of Jane Cox) and I saw some of SANTA BARBARA where she played GINA. I remember her from way back on an ep of BARNABY JONES where she thought Barnaby was her father. She did an earlier ep of the show playing somebody else, according to imdb. I don't remember that one. I know her from some TV-Movies. She had a cooking show at one time on Lifetime and wrote a cookbook. She has won some SOAP OPERA DIGEST awards.

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    1. What's fun is that my daughter will sometimes watch some "classic" General Hospital and she became a Mattson fan as well. It's been a while since her character made one of her most welcome visits to the show.

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  34. I looked up the credits of ROBIN MATTSON again and it has that she only did that one ep of BARNABY JONES. Robin has been on 8 soap operas. On ABC-GENERAL HOSPITAL and ALL MY CHILDREN. She was also briefly on RYANS HOPE as DELIA. On CBS-GUIDING LIGHT as HOPE BAUER, AS THE WORLD TURNS and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. On NBC-SANTA BARBARA and DAYS OF OUR LIVES. I only remember one actress that played HOPE-the last one to play the part, ELVERA ROUSSEL who was last seen on GL in 1981, I think. ELVERA was playing the part when HOPE married ALAN SPAULDING. Hope was the daughter of MIKE BAUER, the niece of ED and the granddaughter of BILL & BERT. She and Alan were the parents of ALAN-MICHAEL. Do you know GL and the character Hope Bauer?

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    1. My mom used to listen to Guiding Light on radio with her grandmother. I remember watching it on television when the episodes only ran for 15 minutes. I still miss the program.

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  35. I read that when Robin Mattson was on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL her character SUGAR knew NICK played by JACK WAGNER. Jack is best known for playing FRISCO JONES on GH. Ive read a lot about the soap operas but I don't remember reading about whether HEATHER WEBBER and FRISCO JONES know each other.

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    1. I don't recall Heather and Frisco crossing paths.

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  36. THis is one of my favorite movies. The dialogue is so good and I especially love the scene at the auction house. Thanks for listing those other Father Brown adaptations. The Walter Connolly version played on television recently and I missed it - shucks! Will definitely have to check out that Mervyn Johns portrayal and the Austrian series. Great review as always, CW!

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    1. Hot diggity! I just noticed that some of those Pater Brown episodes are on Youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMn3xI9DbQE ). They look really good! Now I know what my sister and I will be watching the next few nights....

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    2. Cool! I'll have to check them out.

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  37. Speaking of soap operas do you have any favorite actors and/or characters right now? From what Ive read DAYS OF OUR LIVES has been WAY OUT THERE story-wise for quite a long time. Just an observation.

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    1. General Hospital is my favourite daytime drama to watch, and has been for a long time. I enjoy/admire the work of the cast and find the stories always maintain my involvement.

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PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SAUSALITO SUNRISE

Terence Towles Canote at A Shroud of Thoughts is hosting The 8th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon . The popular blogathon is runn...