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The Limping Man

I just watched a movie from 1953 that has an English party and a guitar player who's playing reminds me of Bill. The movie has an ending that is unexpected and surprisingly wacky at best... the dues ex machina of 1953. There is an aesthetic to the movie that fans on this site will recognize. And I don't mean that it is quirky -- though the ending certainly is. Loyd Bridges is the star of the movie with Leslie Phillips and Alan Wheatley as the Scotland Yard inspector, who I remember as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1950s Robin Hood TV series. You will find the movie on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajdBQii5zSk

One last thing. People either hate or love the ending. What comes to my mind is a line from another Loyd Bridges movie: "I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue." It's that shocking! I hope people enjoy it!

5 comments

5 Comments

Count Vlad

Mar 21, 2020

Correction: I meant Edith Piaf instead of Marie Callas. Piaf was more the cabaret singer. And speaking of that generation of women singers Vera Lynn just turned 103. What longevity on meeting again. Congratulations!

roger_drew

Mar 21, 2020

Replying to

I enjoy watching the Talking Pictures channel with their old films. As these were made before the days of CGI etc generally I think the plots were stronger and the dialogue fast moving.

I've recently watched Ring of Spies about the Portland spy ring. There was also an episode of the saint based loosely on this Story (The Miracle Tea Party).

Count Vlad

Mar 22, 2020

Replying to

@roger_drew Yeah, the Saint goes back quite far, before the Roger Moore series. There is a movie from the 40s called "The Saint Takes Over." It's also on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXmQVSNP_Z0

I agree with your assessment and I also find that they use the first person narrator more often than not. It's a pleasant surprise, certainly one that I wasn't expecting. It's a nice feeling settling into that form of story telling.

Bill Nelson

Mar 20, 2020

Just skimmed through this film as I have a lot of other things to deal with at the moment, but it looks like a movie the BFI should should put out in a digitally restored form. Never heard of it previously so must be fairly obscure but, nevertheless, has some interesting elements. Reminds me in parts of the '39 Steps' movie and a British attempt at some of the cinematic effects of Orson Welles' work, (though without quite the superb visual sophistication of Orson's films.) Nevertheless, I enjoyed what I saw of it and will watch it in more detail later. The ending? Yes, a bit of a let down but they probably copped out of resolving the drama more satisfyingy. All in all, a quirky period piece, certainly worth fans of the genre watching!

Count Vlad

Mar 21, 2020

Replying to

Yeah, "The Third Man" ran through my mine with the similarity in the plot line. The lead woman seemed very sophisticated, but the nightclub singer's voice put me on edge. It grated on me like a bad Maria Callas trying to sing in English. The whole magic act reminded me of Welles doing magic, and the dancing young man on the huge keys of a xylophone would have been wonderful in Bill Nelson's 1980s video. Yes, some impressive almost surreal moments. But what really stuck out for me was the personality of lead actress. I tried to imagine being married to her with her innocent attempts at deceit and high strung manner and thought that it would be short lived at best. She had a well polished veneer of social manners that seem almost impenetrable. Maybe it was the times or maybe that's who she was in the role. The cad in the movie was not as impressive as Orson Welles in "The Third Man" nor was the man with the limp. But still, it was an enjoyable movie.

Dreamsville

The Limping Man