|
|
Post by johnstewart on Apr 21, 2011 13:26:18 GMT
This looks too as though it may be an unidentified play about poltergeist type phenomena a friend recalled from that time. Thames luckily seemed to have a deal to use this type of series commercially early on which might be why they kept it all on master tape. Got this now. The play in question is 'SUGAR AND SPICE' (YouTube clip). I recalled the special sub credits section for that one. Multiple slides of a girl looking innocent in traditional Schoolgirls hat. She had her hair done up in pigtails like a similar Character Beryl Reid played round that time who my Mum found amusing. A few of the episodes have these variants where the main theme comes in and either the main title is reprised or theres some kind of different typeface or image behind. The play my friend recalled had a couple menaced by poltergeist phenomena where doors bang and pins from a mirrored dressing table fly across a room into a womans hand. The Daughter was found to be causing the phenomena. Disappointingly this is not the one though the plot seems similar on face value. It's also not the play I thought Mum described when i said 'what happened?' Mum described a play in which they went to bed and left the gas on and got killed in their sleep and 'it was a bit stupid'. The plot involves marital tension but I thought the performances were a bit weak. Ronald Hines turns up seeming in yet another part playing an alcoholic or slurring words like one. It's not Sheila Hancocks best performance. Contrary to something said over on Mausoleum a while back she doesn't play a Warlock in this episode. Can't make up my mind whether the Actress playing the Daughter is naturalistic or a bit wooden - I fear the latter. It draws a line under the fact that actually most of this series bar 'DEATH WATCHER' are not supernatural but thriller dramas and psychological Horror plays. 'THE LESSER OF TWO' bears strong resemblence to MENACE stylistically. It has long periods of tense silence and no music during dialogue between two Characters. The themes are similar to 1973s 'THE SITTING TENANT'; 'PICK UP and 'VALENTINE' for MENACE. I note some of the 1970 writers and Actors for that series also appear. Jaques Gillies and that Actress with worried face Gwen Watford. The play mentioned is quite rivettting and has some strong acting. The casts are generally good; Daniel Massey plays a swinging Husband in SOUR GRAPES which I suddenly recalled was I'm sure repeated in 1973 daytime slot. All in all; SHADOWS OF FEAR often actually is not a million miles away from todays soap material but with far better acting and twist play endings so I think it might stand up with a general audience of today. My biggest gripe is the box. Mainly the physics of it; its a multi pack container and getting disc 2 off the spindle is a nightmare. Let me know if anyone out there finds a foolproof way of getting it off without falling backwards across the room. The cover is stills treated to look like artwork but sadly resembles one of those terrible movie poster credits they put on the U.S> Brian Clemens THRILLER episodes. For some reason Edward Fox appears to be wearing a black roll neck sweater rather than the period costume in his episode. Part of one still has been cut down the middle with other epsidoe images wedged between it making little sense. I'd have preferred just the proper titloes still of the Door with the name on it as I think the box misrepresents the series. |
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on Apr 21, 2011 13:30:31 GMT
The one with Peter Barkworth in 'come into my parlour' I think? Also rather weird is the fact that the last one (shown two years later very late) is only a half hour and ends abruptly. The ratings were very good for this series and I had heard it was planned to be a usual 13 week season, why it only got to 10 ------ -- and a half episodes only old man Thames knows ;D That episode is the Barkworth one. Its a strong script with very good performances. Of that third series it seems to be just one epsiode 'THE PARTYS OVER' according to the box dates. I definitely recall it being padded by repeats of some of the 1971 episodes. 'COME INTO MY PARLOUR' was one. I recalled the sub credits with a spider and shot of a door down small set of steps from '73. Got it mixed up with 'THE PARTYS OVER'. They also showed 'SOUR GRAPES' which I felt weak at the time and it bored me. They were all in a CROWN COURT / ROOMS time slot. I assume Thames thought all would be at School as some of these plays are a bit disturbing for this time of day! |
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on Apr 27, 2011 19:07:40 GMT
A couple of the plays are Brian Clemens Thriller type material. 'White walls and olive green carpets' is one. It features favourite early 70s casting for a disturbed stalker Ian Bannen ('Fright'). Of course 'The Death Watcher' is too. 'Come into my Parlour' would be but its less concerned with events than going in deep with the Characters.
'Thriller' tended to be mapped out like a comic rather than analyse the humanities of each Character.
I don't know if 'Olive green carpets' was repeated, but I have a vivid memory of the preview slide with Philips Elsmores voice over. It was very similar to the existing ones from '60 and '74 which have a line under the text with a Thames logo silhouette on one end.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on Apr 28, 2011 19:52:25 GMT
There are a few faults here and there which is not surprising as the taped were probably not played since mid 70s till the digital transfers in the 90s. 'Olive carpets' has a few fleck / watermark drop outs and in places looks like NTSC for some reason. In one scene there's a sudden squeaky glitch on the sound which i couldn't work out. Generally though the qualitys remarkable; 'Come into my parlour' actually benefits from the b+w VT. |
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on Apr 28, 2011 19:56:27 GMT
Would be ineteresting to know the sources of the phototraces in the title sequence. I noticed some modern buildings coming out of Waterloo main on the right side and further on, on left are some old buildings like the ones seen in the titles.
Some of these plays have very abrupt endings which makes them differ from the usual twist or downbeat ending. They are depressing here and there, MENACE was too. But they have enough to stand up to several viewings to absorb the detail.
I've worked out the title meaning. In MENACE it was about people threatened by something. SHADOWS OF FEAR shows how fear takes different forms and affects peoples behaviour; so they're not necesssariloy always even horror or murder plays.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stephen Doran on May 1, 2011 12:58:40 GMT
Just finished watching it last night all good but the Ian Bannen/Natasha Parry one was a bit draggy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stephen Doran on May 1, 2011 13:00:29 GMT
The one with Peter Barkworth in 'come into my parlour' I think? Also rather weird is the fact that the last one (shown two years later very late) is only a half hour and ends abruptly. The ratings were very good for this series and I had heard it was planned to be a usual 13 week season, why it only got to 10 ------ -- and a half episodes only old man Thames knows ;D That episode is the Barkworth one. Its a strong script with very good performances. Of that third series it seems to be just one epsiode 'THE PARTYS OVER' according to the box dates. I definitely recall it being padded by repeats of some of the 1971 episodes. 'COME INTO MY PARLOUR' was one. I recalled the sub credits with a spider and shot of a door down small set of steps from '73. Got it mixed up with 'THE PARTYS OVER'. They also showed 'SOUR GRAPES' which I felt weak at the time and it bored me. They were all in a CROWN COURT / ROOMS time slot. I assume Thames thought all would be at School as some of these plays are a bit disturbing for this time of day! Im glad i never knocked on His door he would have drove me mad! ;D |
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on May 5, 2011 14:52:45 GMT
Just finished watching it last night all good but the Ian Bannen/Natasha Parry one was a bit draggy. I think the ends an anti climax but I s'pose as I like Ian Bannen that made up for that and any slow pace. Actually I think a lot of them are anti climactic but strong in other ways. Be nice to know who did the titles and where they were photographed. That's my favourite bit (!!!) |
|
|
|
Post by Stephen Doran on May 6, 2011 8:04:44 GMT
John,Funny you mentioned the Daniel Massey one was shown in the afternoon i seem to recall seeing it that time .We didnt get Colour set till Sept 73 so its good seeing all these programmes in colour now. PS yes Ian Bannens always good to watch in things.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnstewart on May 6, 2011 18:05:44 GMT
It's also a reason that 'Come into my Parlour' wouldn't have noticed in B+W.
Strange that I think was shown in the afternoon too. Mind you 'The Death Watcher' wasn't so perhaps there was some criteria.
Interesting to note the series titles are similar to OOTU series 4 and imply a far more fantasy product than it actually is. It reminds me a bit of the 'Shades of Greene' and 'Armchair Theatre' plays they were repeating again in the afternoon; c. 1978.
|
|
