O Que a Vida Nos Negou

I only ever saw this movie once, and that was in the late 1960's when I was doing my year 12 (back then matriculation)exams. I remember that I had a Friday afternoon exam, so my parents allowed me to stay up late to unwind. I also recall my Father exiting shortly after it started, and my Mother attempting to turn the TV off, when Nicole flung herself into Colonel Holensee's arms, because she didn't want her erstwhile enemy to leave her family mansion. Thankfully I didn't give into my Mother's discomfort, and was the only one to watch it to its tear jerking end.

I had always liked Marius Goring in THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, but after seeing him in SO LITTLE TIME, I developed a schoolgirl crush on him that I have never fully recovered from. This movie has left a lasting impression on my mind after a single viewing. It was wonderful finding this web page and reading other people's responses to it. It made me realize that I wasn't as nutty as I thought I was.

I would love to see this movie again, partly to check to see if any of the details I think I recall, are indeed correct. For instance I think that I remember that Colonel Holensee had an old war wound on one side of his face, which periodically gave him trouble, prompting him to pop a pill or two. Then there was Anna, the housekeeper/cook (Janet from the 1960's DR. FINLAY'S CASEBOOK)at the de Malvines' mansion, who bossed the Colonel's batman about. One scene I think I managed to confirm, is when Holensee takes Nicole to THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, they watch the final act from the wings. Shortly after that scene I think that I recall another scene at the theatre, when an old friend/flame(?)of Holensee is alone with him. She has noticed that the Colonel is smitten with Nicole, and so tells him to do something as there is "so little time". At the very end, after Holensee has shot himself (as they all did in DOWNFALL), I think that there was a shot (camera this time, not gun) of the batman wiping his glasses, and then the rain beginning to fall on some autumn leaves.

One thing that I am 95% certain of is that I saw this movie on ABC TV (Australian Broadcasting Commission), as out TV was rarely turned on to other channels. I emailed them in late January this year. I received this response a week later "I am sorry to say that the ABC does not currently have the rights to screen this film. However I have noted your request and will forward it on to Television Acquisitions so that they are aware of your interest".

My gut feeling is:

a)the ABC still has a copy of SO LITTLE TIME

b)the copyright is held by the German company who have so annoyingly dubbed it into Deutsch

c)the ABC is probably not interested in buying the screening rights because they are either too expensive, or it would be a waste of staff time trying to purchase rights from a German company they don't normally deal with, or both.

If anyone in Australia would like to see SO LITTLE TIME again, or indeed for the first time, please email the ABC, or write to them. Maybe if they get a number of enquiries, they might actually do something about acquiring the screening rights.