British obscurities

[Mark Y]

I was recently leafing through some old Monthly Film Bulletins from 1972 and came across some British films with interesting credits from that time. I'd be interested to know if any of them have been seen again since their cinema release:

The Yes Girls d. Lindsay Shonteff

Danny Jones d. Jules Bricken, with Frank Finlay and Jenny Hanley

Running Scared d. David Hemmings, with Robert Powell, Gayle Hunnicutt, Barry Morse

Nobody Ordered Love d. Robert Hartford-Davis, with Ingrid Pitt

Fun and Games d. Ray Austin, with Sandor Eles

The Insomniac d. Rodney Geisler, with Valerie Van Ost (only 45m long!)

Wedding Night d. Piers Haggard, with Dennis Waterman and Tessa Wyatt (actually an Irish film but let's not split hairs)

Weekend of a Champion a motor racing documentary about Jackie Stewart produced by Roman Polanski (!)

There are probably lots more where they came from. Some may have been on TV but I can't recall seeing them myself.

[MarcMorris]

I've resurrected this thread from the archive, and have added imdb links to each title.

ps:

I have Fun and Games from Canadian TV under the title 1000 Convicts and a Woman!

I also have The Yes Girls - it was issued on UK video back in the early 80s as Take Some Girls.

Any more British obscurities pre 1980?

[tobiaswragg]

I recall at least one tv showing of Weekend with a Champion, it might have been during Grandstand or World of Sport actually. It might have even been shown at my primary school as well.

Here's a couple of obscure ones...

British Sounds (Jean-Luc Godard, 1969). Commissioned By London Weekend Television who refused to show it.

Death May Be Your Santa Claus (Frankie Dymon Jr., 1969). One of the black revolutionaries from Godard's One Plus One concocts his own film which apparently is very Godardian.

Nightbirds (Andy Milligan, 1969/70) The print apparently has a buyer so it may finally surface.

The Hot Girls (Laurie Barnett/John Lindsay, 1974). David McGillivray was shanghaied into it and has this to say...'The minute I hear that a print of this junk has survived, I shall break into the laboratory with a jar of acid'.

[Dave Jay]

Moments (Peter Crane, 1974).

Just mentioned this one in the BFI / Flipside thread... a dark suicide drama written by Michael Sloan (The Comeback / The Caller) and featuring Angharad Rees (Hands of the Ripper), Donald Helitt (Carry On Behind), Keth Bell (Island of Terror) and Bill Fraser (Up Pompeii).

[Timmy Lea]

Now that sounds EXACTLY the type of film I should like to see!!

Dave, have you contacted Darrell Buxton at his 'Pass The Marmalade' site about this? He may have some additional information, or if not, would be glad to find out about the title.

Marc- didn't you say someone offered you the rights to NOBODY ORDERED LOVE in a package a while back, but there was nothing there you thought would work commercially? I spoke to Ingrid a while ago about the film and she was as bemused to its fate as everyone else, but wouldn't mind seeing it again...

Neither would I, come to think of it.

[Dave Jay]

I haven't contacted Darrell, Timmy... I first heard about MOMENTS around 1986 / 87 when the making of THE CALLER was given a short write-up in VIDEO WORLD - the then editor (was it Martin Coxhead?) kinda raved about it so I always remembered the title...

I've seen it written about briefly a couple of times since then but, as far as I know, the movie disappeared after its initiial cinema run and never received a video release (though Marc may know different!)...

[Mark Ashworth]

And how about LAY OUT FOR 5 MODELS from 1972 with Hedger Wallace and Sally Faulkner?

[MarcMorris]

That's one I'd love to track down.

[Timmy Lea]

The list is endless. Of course, the two that people seem to be perpetually searching for are WHISPERS OF FEAR (Harry Bromley Davenport 1976) and FACE OF DARKNESS (Ian F H Lloyd 1976).

Others on the list used to include THE ORCHARD END MURDER, SKINFLICKER, SECRET RITES and DEATH MAY BE YOUR SANTA CLAUS, but those all seem to have bene located now. In fact, I saw one of them recently at the NFT and will be submitting a full review soon.

[thehamish]

anyone remember the title of a Reg Varney film where he played either a bingo caller or an stripclub mc?? seedy little film as well..not a comedy etc. shown at start of decade on bbc1?? late night friday?

[gavcrimson]

anyone remember the title of a Reg Varney film where he played either a bingo caller or an stripclub mc?? seedy little film as well..not a comedy etc. shown at start of decade on bbc1?? late night friday?

Its called 'The Best Pair of Legs in the Business', it was made as a TV play first, then remade as a feature film.

[thehamish]

cheers..much obliged...

[Timmy Lea]

Apparently, 'tis Jarvis Cocker's favourite film of all time!! Quite moving from what I remember, and very underrated- definitely not your standard knockabout 70s comedy fare.

[tobiaswragg]

I found out today that an apparently suppressed Ken Russell tv film called Dance of the Seven Veils, which caused a furore on its first and only broadcast in 1970, has been unearthed. It appears to be an off-air recording of the film, and the original colour has faded to pink.

[Timmy Lea]

I found out today that an apparently suppressed Ken Russell tv film called Dance of the Seven Veils, which caused a furore on its first and only broadcast in 1970, has been unearthed. It appears to be an off-air recording of the film, and the original colour has faded to pink.

Brilliant!! I love it when film stock fades, it adds to the curiosity and atmosphere. Marc once ran me off a copy of DEADLY STRANGERS which had yellowed beautifully. If it ever gets reissued on DVD, they should keep that in- and the same applies to Russell's film. Can it be found anywhere?

[tobiaswragg]

I watched it last night and one can still discern some other colours. It was Brad Stevens who alerted me to this and Tim Lucas is very excited about it. Very entertaining (although maybe not if you're related to Richard Strauss, and herein lies the reason why it's been suppressed!) and reminded me why Russell was one of my favourite film-makers when I was a lad. It can be found on YouTube.

[MarcMorris]

It's not an off-air copy, it was a copy obtained (illegally) from the BBC archive.

[tobiaswragg]

Strauss' heirs won't allow his music to be used in any public showings of the film, thereby, in effect, making any screening impossible (Russell has been able to use clips for documentaries, but with the music of Johann, rather than Richard, Strauss), and ordered the film to be dropped from the Ken Russell at the BBC dvd box set, therefore it probably won't be available on blu-ray/dvd any time soon. I can't help wondering how long the film will last on YouTube.

[Mark Y]

Can't they just release it silent? I mean it's the image that is most important surely?

p.s is that the same statue of Jesus that was used in The Devils...?

[tobiaswragg]

It plays like a silent picture much of the time, I must admit, and if Russell is, despite the difficulties imposed by Strauss' heirs, still able to legally use clips from the film...