Reviews

This was the era of the early police procedural -- 'Car 54 Where You?", "Z Cars", and so on. These were mild by today's standards, which is why The Gold Robbers stands out -- a violent, bleak drama with a downbeat, unresolved ending. To my knowledge it was never repeated and is unlikely to be, given that it is B&W. Notable early appearance of Peter Vaughan, whose career continues today.

A hit at the time but now better categorised as an Australian cult film. The humour is broad, unsubtle and, in the final scene where a BBC studio fire is extinguished by urinating on it, crude. Contains just about every cliche about the traditional Australian pilgrimage to 'the old country', and every cliche about those rapacious, stuck up, whinging, Tory Brits. Would be acceptable to the British because of its strong cast of well known actors, and to Australians of that generation, who can 'get' the humour. Americans -- forget it. The language and jokes are in the Australian dialect of English and as such will be unintelligible.

Notable for early appearance of teenaged Prunella Scales. Set in the bleak, rain-soaked north of England. The wedding night scene, when Brenda De Banzie and John Mills are about to consummate their marriage, is classic of its type. Show just what can be done with the very subtlest of suggestions. If only modern film makers could be so sophisticated -- no heavy breathing required at all.