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Penny Gold

  • 1973
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
407
YOUR RATING
Penny Gold (1973)
CrimeDramaMysteryThriller

While investigating a murder case, a detective stumbles upon a rare-stamp swindle involving the victim's twin sister.While investigating a murder case, a detective stumbles upon a rare-stamp swindle involving the victim's twin sister.While investigating a murder case, a detective stumbles upon a rare-stamp swindle involving the victim's twin sister.

  • Director
    • Jack Cardiff
  • Writers
    • David D. Osborn
    • Liz Charles-Williams
  • Stars
    • James Booth
    • Francesca Annis
    • Nicky Henson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    407
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jack Cardiff
    • Writers
      • David D. Osborn
      • Liz Charles-Williams
    • Stars
      • James Booth
      • Francesca Annis
      • Nicky Henson
    • 16User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos57

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    James Booth
    James Booth
    • Matthews
    Francesca Annis
    Francesca Annis
    • Delphi…
    Nicky Henson
    Nicky Henson
    • Roger
    Joss Ackland
    Joss Ackland
    • Jones
    Richard Heffer
    Richard Heffer
    • Claude
    Sue Lloyd
    Sue Lloyd
    • Model
    Joseph O'Conor
    Joseph O'Conor
    • Charles Blachford
    Una Stubbs
    Una Stubbs
    • Anna
    George Murcell
    George Murcell
    • Doctor Merrick
    Marianne Stone
    Marianne Stone
    • Mrs. Parsons
    Penelope Keith
    Penelope Keith
    • Miss. Hartridge
    John Savident
    John Savident
    • Sir Robert Hampton
    Clinton Greyn
    Clinton Greyn
    • Peter Van Der Meij
    Christian Rodska
    Christian Rodska
    • The Clerk
    Marc Zuber
    Marc Zuber
    • Hotel Receptionist
    Anthony Naylor
    • Rugger Player No.1.
    John Rhys-Davies
    John Rhys-Davies
    • Rugger Player No.2.
    Rodney Cardiff
    • Young Doctor
    • Director
      • Jack Cardiff
    • Writers
      • David D. Osborn
      • Liz Charles-Williams
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews16

    5.3407
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    Featured reviews

    5richardchatten

    Old-Fashioned Murder Mystery

    This could have been made at Merton Park ten years earlier, but for it being in colour, the graphic description of the injuries suffered by the murder victim and the annoying 70's-style music score by John Scott. Several other reviewers have commented on the fact that it is possible to see the final 'twist' coming almost as soon as the credits are over; although part of the fun is working out the 'how' and 'why' since the 'what' is already so obvious.

    Shot in wintry London locations (particularly at and around Windsor), it's attractive to look at; but considering that it was directed by Britain's top Technicolor cameraman of the forties & fifties, it's constant reliance on zooms comes as a letdown.
    7Sylviastel

    She should be Dame Francesca Annis!

    Francesca Annis gives quite a performance as a pair of identical twin sisters, Delphi and Diane. They are complete opposites in personalities and lifestyles. When Diane is murdered, everybody is a suspect especially Delphi who deals with rare stamps. The film is satisfactory even with a stellar cast. They filmed on location in England. Jack Cardiff tried his hand at directing. The film is a decent effort. The mystery does have some twists especially at the end of the film. I wished the film had a better ending. I would have liked to know what happened to the main characters in the aftermath. James Booth plays detective in the film. I enjoy seeing other British actors and actresses like Nicky Henson, Joss Ackland, Una Stubbs, a young Dame Penelope Keith before she became a television star.
    4Schwenkstar

    A Rather Dull Mystery

    Jack Cardiff is an academy award winning cinematographer (for 1947's "Black Narcissus") but is an uneven director (Though his 1960 film "Sons and Lovers" garnered him an Oscar nomination). In this film, he moves away from the viewfinder of the camera and into the seat of the director's chair.

    The DVD Cover provides this synopsis for the film: This dramatic indie thriller, set in the intriguing world of high-stakes stamp collectors, is directed by acclaimed British cinematographer Jack Cardiff. A detective (James Booth) is assigned to investigate the murder of a young woman, whose body is found in the shadow of Windsor castle. In the course of his inquiry, he stumbles onto a plot to steal a rare and valuable stamp called the Penny Gold--and encounters a woman who appears to be the dead girl's lovely but dangerous evil twin (Francesca Annis).

    This description paints the film in a better light than it actually is, which is obvious since it comes from those trying to market the picture on DVD.The film's narrative has the quality of something one may see on a made-for-TV program rather than something one would consider "theatrical." While the set up and initially beginnings of the mystery are captivating, the rest of the film is dreadfully dull and uninteresting. The story is totally unfocused as we are presented with scenes, such as random flashbacks, that seem totally out of place and irrelevant.

    The mystery itself is not at all that mysterious as the audience can predict its outcome from the very beginning and thus makes the film a big build up to nothing.

    There are a few good traits, such as the wonderful location shots of Windsor Castle and the surrounding rural areas (courtesy of Mr. Cardiff), and a well-photographed car chase (which, unfortunately, seems out of place).

    The DVD was a blind buy given its cheap price of merely $4 (most online DVD stores carry it between $4-$6), but I certainly wouldn't pay a cent more. The film, admittedly, is attractive at that price but it is suggested you save up your money for more quality films.

    Not recommended except those who are fans of Jack Cardiff or those who don't mind squandering $5 to add a title to your collection.
    malcolmgsw

    Predictable Thriller Has some good moments

    The British film industry was dying on its feet when this film was made in the early seventies.The fact that it was directed by Jack Cardiff speaks volumes.Anyone can see the basic premise of the plot after only about 10 minutes.So there isn't a lot of suspense merely an interest as to how the plot unravels.Booth seems to be doing an imitation of Jack Regan but despite the car chase and the rough handling of suspects this is no "Sweeny".Penelope Keith is seen in a small role before her rise to fame.This is the sort of film that was far more at home on the TV screens than on the cinema screen.At the end of the day this is little more than a potboiler.
    wilvram

    Little that's gold here.

    This particular type of Detective mystery, set in the world of the professional and the prosperous, was a most unusual theme for what passed for the British film industry in the 1970s. The genre had gone out of fashion about a decade earlier, a situation that was to remain until the advent of the Morse TV movies in 1986. Nowadays, a format that may have seemed outmoded in 1973 can be seen replicated on channels such as ITV3 on most nights of the year. Too bad then that PENNY GOLD provides such a tame example.

    Fittingly, for a Jack Cardiff film, the photography is superb, as is the art direction. But in general, the director and his cast are unable to bring the characters or the uninspired story to life. James Booth is good as the Inspector though, with Nicky Henson as his faithful sidekick and there are all too fleeting appearances from Penelope Keith and Sue Lloyd. A crime story revolving around stamp collectors hardly sounds exciting to begin with, although there had been at least one thriller on the same theme before, BARBADOS QUEST, with Tom Conway in 1955. Then fairly early on we learn that the murdered woman, whose face had been damaged beyond recognition, is one of twins, one good, the other evil. You hardly need to be Hercule Poirot to see where this is going. The film's at its worst when the murder of a typically tedious character is announced, which we're then shown in a slow-moving flashback. I could hardly wait. The location shooting and reminders that the Britain of forty years ago was not the nanny state it is today hardly compensate for moments such as this.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First film of John Rhys-Davies.
    • Goofs
      As the police car gets on the motorway at the end of the start credits the driver says 'why's that' but his mouth says 'why not'.

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    FAQ13

    • How long is Penny Gold?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 22, 1973 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Full movie
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Esrarlı Ölüm
    • Filming locations
      • Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Fanfare Films Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 27m(87 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.75 : 1

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