This is How Movies Should Be Made

Strong and Moving!

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Blistering performances.

Producer: Michael Balcon. An Ealing Studios Production.Following the huge success of "Kind Hearts and Coronets" on the American art circuit, this film was belatedly released by Pentagon Pictures Corporation in the U.S.A. in 1950. New York opening at the Art Theatre (sic): 3 October 1950 (sic). U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 7 January 1946. Australian release through British Empire Films: 12 December 1946. 8,301 feet. 92 minutes. Cut to 75 minutes in the U.S.A. (Available on a 7/10 Optimum DVD).SYNOPSIS: Victorian domestic crime drama, set in Brighton.COMMENT: Attractively in period with lavish production values, sets and costumes, directed with a meticulous attention to detail, but failing somewhat on the personal side. Although the dialogue is commendably natural and realistic, the characters are stock, one- dimensional figures that even skillful performances by Johns, Withers and Jackson cannot wholly disguise, while the lesser roles are simply played as caricatures — albeit well-played by such as Marsh and Piper. Alas, neither Sally Ann Howes nor Jean Ireland are particularly appealing and too much footage is given to them. Also Johns' more humanistic approach in the final reel is hard to swallow and the conclusion itself is well-nigh incredible.Still, it's a beautifully photographed and evocatively nostalgic period pic.

London Live TV station are currently running a season of Ealing Films and the subject was one produced in 1945, a year from which several notable films were produced.I am a fan of beautiful raven haired film star actresses of the 1940s and in her Victorian tight fitting dress and bustle with black velvet choker. Googie certainly sizzled.Although not a conventional beauty like Jennifer Jones, Hedy Lamarr, Vivien Leigh, Ava Gardner etc, she certainly sizzled as the alluring wife of the drunk pub owner (Garry Marsh).Gordon Jackson had to suppress his natural Scottish accent for a film set in Brighton playing a rather naive role, a bit like he did in "Millions Like Us" (1943).I endorse the sentiments of user comments above and see no point in explaining the plot again.Mervyn Johns was to step up a few gears when he played Dr.Forrester the Butcher of Ravensbruck, a Nazi Scientist in "Counterblast"(1948).Here he just plays on overbearing, rather tyrannical Victorian father who reminds his wife that under the law at the time, her money and property devolves to him.This was to change by the Married Womens Property Act of 1884.For a connoisseur of 1940s films it was a pleasant surprise that London Live transmitted this film on TV and I awarded it 7/10.

Robert Hamer was an up and coming Ealing director who had already been paired with Googie Withers in one of the best stories from "Dead of Night", "The Haunted Mirror". Ealing was a studio specializing in programmers during the thirties but after "Dead of Night" started to make a name as a diverse studio with their own particular brand of comedy ("Passport to Pimlico", "The Lavender Hill Mob") and bleak drama ("It Always Rains on Sunday" and later "Mandy") and glorious Googie Withers was occasionally on hand to add her professionalism and terrific acting skills. I agree with the reviewer who said that Withers was not restricted to any genre - she was as good in period costume as she was playing an up to date woman ("The Haunted Mirror" ) or a drab slattern ("It Always Rains on Sunday").Toward the end of the war film makers hit pay dirt with a series of lurid Victorian melodramas, one critic called Gainsborough Gothic - "The Wicked Lady", "Fanny By Gaslight" etc and one of Ealings contributions was the ambiguously named "Pink String and Sealing Wax". The title seemed to come from the unusual way the chemist did up his little parcels but even the symbolic significance escaped me unless it was the neat and tidy way Sutton wanted his life to run. It could have stood on it's own as a lurid murder story (along the lines of "Ivy") and Googie Withers was a long time being introduced as the mercenary Pearl but the subplot involving the harsh family life of the chemist's children didn't take too much away from the more salacious doings down at "The Dolphin".Mervyn Johns, a really unsung actor, plays dour Edward Sutton who runs the chemist shop and when seen walking jauntily along the street, a bystander remarks "Oh, the girl must be going to hang" - Sutton being the foreman of the jury!! He rules his household with a rod of iron - scoffing at his son David's (youthful Gordon Jackson, his "Hudson" days long in the future) efforts at poetry writing, forcing his older daughter, Victoria, into a teaching career when her heart is set on opera and taking younger daughter Peggy's (Sally Ann Howes) pet guinea pigs away to experiment on!! Nice bloke!!!In despair David walks down to "The Dolphin" where he becomes entangled with Pearl, the predatory wife of the local publican. He is soon under Pearl's spell and when he takes her to the chemist's to dress her cut hand she spins him her side of the story about how her brutal husband beats her and leads her a miserable existence, conveniently leaving out her promiscuous and provocative ways. She is keen on low life Dan Powell who says he would be keen on her - if she were a widow but Pearl doesn't need much encouragement and when innocent David, in an effort to engage her in conversation, commences a run down on how various poisons work, Pearl instantly steals some in her handkerchief the minute his back is turned. With the knowledge she has garnered it looks like being the perfect murder until Dan's discarded mistress Louise puts two and two together and goes to the police!!I thought it ended pretty dramatically - I definitely didn't want to see a trial where Googie was given her just deserts, but also the "humanizing" of Edward Sutton when he realises his son could be implicated in the sordid affair was a little too pat - perhaps the scene where his wife stood up to him in his treatment of Victoria helped as well!!Highly Recommended.

Excellent acting from the lead players, (especially from Mervyn Johns as the puritanical Victorian pater familias and Googie Withers as the pub landlady and murderess), and a good supporting cast as well mean that this Victorian-era pot boiler set in Brighton could have been something special, given the right direction. Unfortunately, though, it lacks this latter quality and the plot development is disjointed and lacks the necessary twists and thrills to have done the job. What results is a very average, Saturday afternoon matinee thriller, which leaves you thinking of the many ways it could have been improved upon. Perhaps a film studies seminar could use it for this purpose? 6/10.