In the post war period, there was a fad for these collections of short stories joined together to make a feature length film. Various Somerset Maugham stories, for example, made ideal material eg Trio, Encore. Of more interest to me, were the collections made from about 1953 of various short films that had been made in Britain for the American television market. In Film Review of that year, Peter Noble wrote a tantalising article describing some gems that were being made, but which the British public could not see. He informed readers of Douglas Fairbanks Jr's films, and that "British filmgoers may have a chance to see these productions when Fairbanks joins some of them together to make feature-length films." In fact there appear to have been at least ten such features cobbled together, which confusingly took the title of one of the short stories, ignoring the content of the remainder. Six films contained three shorts, whilst the later four were pruned to two only.
On similar lines the Danziger brothers started producing tv shorts in Britain for America starting in 1953. Their first three tv films were united as the film Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder, a poster for which we included on this site a few years back. A second collection of three was A Tale of Three Women. The Danzigers' series The Vise had two further compilations of three films, and then one more of two, these, following the Fairbanks pattern, were simply called by the title of one of the stories.
Several other producers in Britain appear to have attempted to follow this trend, but I am not clear whether any actually succeeded. In the article mentioned, Peter Noble also refers to two men who had worked with Douglas Fairbanks on his tv series, but who later branched out on their own. Herman Blaser and director Harold Huth had formed Overland Films. Blaser appears to have been behind a number of tv shorts, pilots as they were called. Noble mentions another of Blaser's companies which was Vista Films which had produced The Toy Dog starring Mai Zetterling and Herbert Lom: "like Fairbanks, Blaser hopes to incorporate his best shorts into full-length features." Another production of Blaser's that Noble mentions from 1954 is the White Hunter series. I am not clear of the relation between this and the later film Man Eater, or the tv series White Hunter.
The film Colonel March Investigates was made up of three short stories all starring Boris Karloff in 1952. The success of the film lead to the three tales in the film being turned into the first three stories of the tv series Colonel March of Scotland Yard.
Some cinema shorts however were never made into compilations, as far as I know. The half hour Scotland Yard films were always intended as supporting films, although they were later screened as a tv series, ironically on some stations shown as an hour compilation. Similarly the Stryker of the Yard films with Clifford Evans were also support features, although some were later joined together to make a longer B film. Finally in this connection there was the film short Potter of the Yard starring John Laurie, released at the end of 1953 made by EJ Fancey which was billed as "first of new series of short streamlined British features."
If you can add to, or correct any of the above, I would be very pleased to hear from you.
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MOVIE MEMORIES
In the 1980's Roy Hudd introduced this affectionate tribute from Anglia Television to the cinema.
Series 2.6
Clips include The Bowery Chaps (1944), Springtime in the Sierras (1947), Black Bandit (1938), a trailer for Undersea Kingdom (1934) and two versions of Singing in the Rain from That's Entertainment (1974).
The forgotten Leslie Fuller is seen in a clip from Strictly Illegal (1935), and from the year before we have the singing voice of The Street Singer in the film Memories.
A most interesting interview with film guru Leslie Halliwell who admits, "you've got to please the majority, after midnight the minority." He also reveals what is now painfully obvious, that advertisers and the IBA don't like black and white films. However he has good news, that the new Channel Four will be recifying that. They did for a while, Leslie, thanks to you, they did, but your presence and influence have now sadly gone.
A great find for the main interview is Hazel Ascot, billed as England's Answer to Shirley Temple. (I think she was one of several 'Answers' in fact.)
She is introduced via a clip from her starring role in Stepping Toes (1938). Tony, who runs the Hazel Ascot Appreciation Society, accompanies her, now a modest teacher.
She tells us how she got her first film role in Talking Feet, when director John Baxter was booking her father's studio and he happened to see her dancing. She also talks wistfully about plans for her third big film, all written and cast and set to start shooting in September 1939...
Sadly that was the end of her film career.
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FILM RARITIES
Brief details of films I have not seen.
Black Thirteen
This 1953 film was directed by Ken Hughes and starred
Peter Reynolds
Rona Anderson
Patrick Barr
and Lana Morris.
'Black Thirteen' refers to the unlucky number at roulette.
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Lionel Jeffries (1926-2010)
Lionel died last month.
Farewell, Lionel, with a thank you for all the pleasure you gave.
Most memorably as the inspiration and mastermind behind The Railway Children (1970), but also in front of the camera, most notably in two Peter Sellers films, where you all but outshone the great man.
In Two Way Stretch, I loved your Officer 'Sauerkraut', brought in to a slack prison to install some discipline.
Then in The Long Arm of the Law, you were the police officer charged with the uneviable job of acting as go-between with Scotland Yard and the leader of the underworld.
Two memorable roles, from an upright actor, who will not be forgotten.
For a little on Life at The Bottom, a forgotten comedy series starring Lionel Jeffries. After you have clicked on this page, scroll down to the final programme in the section.
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Dinosaur Films -
March 2010 Magazine
A scene from
