wilvram

The theatrical stage rather than the Wells Fargo type that is. He's a Producer and the High Terrace is the play he hopes to put on, having lined up Stephanie Blake (Lois Maxwell) for the lead. His chance comes sooner than expected when the oppressive producer of her current play is murdered.

A small-scale but quite efficient production that holds the interest. The conclusion came as something of a surprize, at least to me, having previously been pretty certain who the 'least-suspected' culprit was going to be.

Some effective performances, and liked Jameson Clark's slightly dishevelled Insp. Mackay. "I know at least three actors, all out of work, who would look more convincing as a Scotland Yard man" an elderly actress waspishly observes - there are a few other amusing lines. Eric Pohlmann, in more sombre mode than usual as the sinister and controlling Kellner and Lois Maxwell are good. Playing another suspect is Maxwell's fellow Canadian, Mary Laura Wood, a striking looking and versatile actress, largely confined to unsympathetic roles in British films, who perhaps didn't get the breaks.

Initially released to indifferent reviews, this has now reached the status of something of a classic of its kind. Watching it recently it was hard to credit it had been shot as long ago as the late summer of 1969 - it has the appearance of a much more recent production, albeit one from before the digital age. In particular, the appearance and behaviour of the two young women at the centre would be plausible today, apart from the absence of the now obligatory cell phones of course. The sense of isolation both spatially and from the language barrier is superbly achieved and the first hour or so is excellent. A pity that in the scenes leading to the shocking denouement the tension is somewhat dissipated, and they could have benefitted from more rigorous editing. Certainly a film not easily forgotten.

The first of four TV movies starring Dennis Waterman as John Neil, an ex SAS man and Falklands veteran pressurised into work for the security services.

His first task is to infiltrate an IRA gang led by Godfather figure Liam McAuley (Peter Vaughan). Unbeknown to Neil it is the same man responsible for the murder of his wife and child in a terrorist bombing at a circus near an army camp in Germany.

Some good direction and performances and intelligent characterisation and plotting though, perhaps inevitably, that old chestnut of the gang member who takes a dislike to the hero and is suspicious of him, is not avoided. Just as reliable is the smooth-talking devious 'controller' he is responsible to (Derek Jacobi). And Waterman has not quite developed Neil into the distinctive character he would later become. So not a bad start but a couple of the others to follow are better, one considerably so.