Discover Top Posts Tagged with #michael truman

Michael Truman, February 25, 1916 – July 11, 1972.

With June Thorburn and hair stylist Daphne Martin on the set of Touch and Go (1955).

#michael truman #june thorburn #daphne martin #cinema #film #movies

The Saint: The Covetous Headsman (1.4, ITC, 1962)

"Inspector Quercy, how nice to see you."

"Ah, Monsieur Templar, how very nice to see you - provided you have come to France only as a tourist."

"Now what does that mean?"

"That means that there are servants of the Republic, of whom I am one, whose job is to concern themselves with crime. We do not allow private individuals to take over the duties of the police."

#the saint #the covetous headsman #leslie charteris #itc #John Roddick #Michael Truman #roger moore #barbara shelley #eugene deckers #george pastell #esmond knight #carole gray #robert cawdron #josephine brown #michael spear #andre boulay #natalie benesh #barbara roscoe #peter brace #1962 #ah what a cast! personal fave George Pastell (made up to be playing older than his actual age)‚ good old Esmond Knight and of course the #ever lovely Barbara Shelley; Simon meets Babs on the plane to Paris where she's meeting her long lost brother. she pulls out a picture to #show him and it's of stuntman and background player Peter Brace‚ so immediately this bodes not well. indeed Brace doesn't actually get any #real screen time that isn't below a sheet on a marble slab. to find the villain Simon must piece together a mystery dating back to ww2; in #the process we learn he fought with the resistance (making ST at the very least in his late 30s here‚ a little older than Moore himself).#the wartime hangover was a fairly common trope in early ITC stuff (see also eps of Interpol Calling and Ghost Squad) and tho it became less #used it still popped up in later shows like Strange Report and The Zoo Gang. Simon seems to be at peace with allowing the execution of a #wartime collaborator‚ fitting in with that darker energy i mentioned last time which is more in the spirit of the books (and which im #fairly certain gets watered down over time). Simon begins the ep being awful about a complaining lady on his plane but later he's much more #charming to an elderly landlady (deliberately shown to be at odds with the way the police talk to her). no location work in Gay Paris tho

The Saint: The Talented Husband (1.1, ITC, 1962)

"It's very simple. I don't like being a cog in the machine: being one of the millions of ants that devours the dragon is all very noble - but it's not half as much fun as being Saint George, is it?"

"With the sword in the hand and the foot on the neck of the dragon, eh?"

"And an arm around the fair maid."

#the saint #the talented husband #1962 #itc #Michael Truman #leslie charteris #jack sanders #roger moore #derek farr #shirley eaton #Patricia roc #donald churchill #george roderick #norman mitchell #john kelland #howard douglas #clemence bettany #I'm not entirely sure what's tempted me to revisit The Saint; i know it's currently being shown on tptv but the hankering actually began a #little before that announcement (perhaps when i sorted my tv shelves and fpund the dvds..). i have complicated feelings about the show #i watched all the bw eps in college and kind of loved it but kind of hated Simon Templer: he is undeniably an asshole‚ and more often than #not a chauvinist (if not downright misogynist). i mean even for 60s tv‚ he can be a douche. but the show has that early 60s comforting #predictability and familiar raft of british telly staples. and as often as he's an ass‚ Templer can be weirdly charming too. so yeah i #might rewatch some and maybe make a few ep posts..we'll see. this opener is classic early Saint‚ in that he inserts himself into a fairly #standard crime mystery (the series was some years from becoming outlandish). Moore is immediately Templar (unsurprising; he'd long wanted #to make the show and actually tried to buy the rights from Charteris himself) altho it's interesting that his accent varies in one or two #conversational scenes; almost as if Moore hasn't yet decided how upper class he wants to play it. Eaton is a welcome presence as the first #saint girl (much like bond girls‚ most eps have a lady love interest who disappears by the next ep) bc she actually gets to be fairly #competent and to have her own life and profession outside of her attachment to Simon (doesn't stop him being a dick a few times)#Farr is a good first villain too‚ tho the twist is rather obvious (especially with dvd quality picture..). fun to see Donald Churchill pop #in as a deeply impatient doctor who doesn't even attempt to hide his loathing for Farr. fun enough but iirc the show does grow legs from

Ian Hendry-Jane Asher "Girl in the headline" 1963, de Michael Truman.

#Jane Asher #Ian Hendry #Michael Truman

TOUCH AND GO (Dir: Michael Truman, 1955).

Jack Hawkins makes a rare foray into comedy in this lightweight, late period effort from the Ealing Studios.

Following a disagreement with his boss, furniture designer Jim Fletcher (Hawkins) makes the snap decision to emigrate to Australia. Less than enthusiastic are his wife Helen (Margaret Johnston) and teenage daughter Peggy (June Thorburn) with concerns for the family cat and Peggy's new sweetheart.

Aside from the excellent The League of Gentlemen (Basil Dearden, 1960), comedy was not really Jack Hawkins’ forte. Although an otherwise fine dramatic actor, he often seemed a little uncomfortable in domestic situations and was at his best as stoic men of action. Oddly, Hawkins was far more convincing as a naval officer or a pilot than he ever was as husband or father and his performance here is rather broad and lacking in subtlety. In fairness, he is given little to work with in a role which involves little more than expressing exasperation at his wife and daughter.

Scenarist William Rose was an accomplished comedy writer; responsible for Ealing classics such as The Maggie (Alexander Mackendrick, 1954) and The Ladykillers (Alexander Mackendrick, 1955) and later co-scripting Hollywood epic It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (Stanley Kramer,1955). So it is all the more surprising that Touch and Go doesn’t quite deliver the goods. Its attempts at humour are somewhat laboured and never raise the hoped for big laughs in a plot which offers no surprises; the denouncement can be guessed within the first 10 minutes. Which is not to suggest the movie is without merit. It ambles along nicely enough and certainly provides some mild chuckles. The muted colour palette is attractive and the atmosphere is cosily nostalgic.

Viewed today Touch and Go is a quaintly dated period piece. It does not rank among the greatest of Ealing Studios movies but neither is it a complete failure. Ultimately, it is just a little undistinguished and lacks the bite of other Ealing comedies. Still, it is a pleasant enough time waster that will certainly be of interest to Ealing completists.

100+ movie reviews now available on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME. Link below.

Jingle Bones Movie Time

Renee Glynne

- Girl in the Headlines, dir. Michael Truman, 1963.

#michael truman #renee glynne #girl in the headlines #script supervisor #scripte #continuity #continuité #on set #behind the scenes #behindthescenes #on the set #renée glynne

Cousin Anya

"Hello?"

"... Uncle Mike? You sound super young. What the heck?"

"Uhh..." Mark looked at the phone confused. "O-one sec. Dad!" Michael poked his head out of the kitchen, flour caking his face.

"Yes, son?"

"MARK?! YOU ARE ALIVE!" Mark startled and almost dropped the phone. Wordlessly, he handed it over to Michael. Whoever it was was still shouting, sounding more and more shrill. Michael's face lost color.

"Oh, shit. Anya." He muttered. Then he held the phone up to his ear. "Anya! Hey, sunflower."

"Oh, don't you sunflower me. He's ALIVE. And you PROMISED. THAT. YOU. WOULD. TELL. ME. WHAT THE HELL, UNCLE MIKE?"

"... Do you wanna see him?"

"UNCLE, PLEASE."

"... Mark, do you remember your cousin Anastasia?"

"Um... vaguely.. Is that who was yelling?"

"Yeah. I maybe forgot to let her know you weren't.. you know. Dead."

An amount of hours later...

"A-Anya? How- Were you speeding?!"

"MAYBE." She looked around and sniffed the air. She had long red hair that looked a little like fire in the sun. Her eyes were big and brown and very, very curious. They widened when they landed on Mark. "Marker!"

"M.. Marker?" He questioned softly.

"Wait." She spun around, hair flying behind her. "Have.. have you been baking?" Michael coughed into his hand.

"Maybe." She huffed and looked back at Mark.

"You're alive."

He looked down at his hands. "Well.. I should hope so."

"Do you... remember me?"

"Kind of? But... you wore dresses." She groaned.

"Don't remind me."

#mark truman #michael truman #anya truman