Film Reviews by RB

An enjoyable early B & W crime show from the UK, apparently conceived as a possible syndicate sale to the USA. It unfortunately never materialised, so was cancelled after one series (39 episodes). Fading star Robert Beatty is the the tough-acting Canadian brought in to assist a far less physical Scotland yard, at the same time learning the local mores and argot. Somewhat similar to the more famous Scotland Yard series, 999 benefits from a larger budget as well as a greater use of location shooting. In fact a good deal of the pleasure to be had is from this extended use of 50's streets and locales which add greatly to the contemporary feel as well as providing a large dollop of nostalgia. There's a host of familiar British character actors to enjoy doing their thing. The series boasts technical advice from official police sources, and although one doubts everything is as was in real life there's more than enough of nostalgia and contemporary colour on view here to keep modern viewers happy. As the series progresses (presumably as a result of overseas sales reaction) there is an increased reliance on gun play to raise the excitement of what purports to be a realistic series. Disc three is of especial interest as in one episode there is a chance to see a young Robert Shaw playing a henchman, while in another UK TV fans will spot the appearance of two future Doctor Whos, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, in the same show - although not in the same scene!

Portrait of Clare was the underrated British Director Lance Comfort's last A-movie and fared badly at the box office. In retrospect it is not difficult to see why: the critical tide at the time was running against melodrama, in which Comfort had scored his most notable successes, while the public taste had moved on in the interim. The film, too is not a complete success , although it copes reasonably well in reducing the original 900-page source novel to something manageable on screen. Today the cut-glass accents of many of the participants can be a distraction, while the central character neither suffers, or manipulates, enough to ignite the melodramatic tension such a story demands. Having said that it is still a good watch, and representing as it does the watershed in Comfort's career (after the performance of this he was largely to work in lower-budget films, of which he made 20 before his death in the early 60's) it is still required viewing for those like me interested in the career trajectory of this, still largely unsung, director. For some of the best from Comfort, check out such titles as Bang! You're Dead, Silent Dust, Bedelia, and Hatter's Castle, all listed on this site. For an example of what he was capable of bringing in, even when latterly working with reduced budgets, also rent Tomorrow at Ten.