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craig_chappell
Reviews
Strongroom (1962)
Tension and Claustrophobia in black and white
This is not a good film to watch if you suffer from claustrophobia. It's a little gem produced in the early sixties and usually tucked away in the early hours of the morning. There were many of these B movies produced in the 50s and 60s and most are quickly forgotten. However this one stands out. Derren Nesbitt makes for a convincing baddie bringing his particular brand of menace to the role. Colin Gordon plays it with a very stiff upper lip and Ann Lynn provides the glamour. Despite being just over an hour long it packs a useful punch and sustains the tension through to the end. Watch it with the door open and a glass of cold water to hand.
There Is Another Sun (1951)
Typical Fifties moral tale
There seem to be a large number of these types of film produced in the fifties and sixties in the UK. They always seemed to have a very obvious villain and very obvious good guys, usually the only difference between the films would be the background setting. This is a good example of this type of movie because it's set in a rather run-down fairground populated by stereo-typical fairground types - the heart-of-gold fortune-teller, the gruff but kind boxing promoter, the naive up-and-coming boxer and the shady character riding the Wall of Death. Maxwell Reed plays 'Racer' the archetypal kid from the wrong side of the tracks with an unknown past and a huge chip on his shoulder. Laurence Harvey plays the gullible but likable 'Mag' Maguire who idolises 'Racer' despite the latter wearing the heaviest eye shadow seen on film.
I've always had a soft spot for these types of low-budget films because they seem to capture a snapshot of a post-war Britain that is long gone. The plot is predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.